Does region dictate boat price? (ie. more boat for your buck)

[crazy8]

Hi,

I am wondering if the region you buy a boat in dictates the value. I am in puerto rico so can I would the same boat cost more here or lets say maine. Is it worth my time to purchase one there and go get it? Also I notice alot of boats from the great lakes appear to be in good condition. Is it worth transporting them to the coast. I am looking for a small 25 to 28 ft boat. I tend to like cape dorys and there seems to be alot of them in the northeast. How do I know what they are worth.

[jordanship]

In general, you find the least expensive boats in the islands or mexico. I would think Puerto Rico would be a good spot to find a nice boat. Outside the US, you need to be careful about importation. If a foreign built boat has been chartered or sold outside the US or if she does not have proof of importation, you will have to re-import her. This duty is usually about 1.5% of the value of the boat. Get a customs and documentation agents to protect you. It is a worthwhile investment.

Yes, fresh-water boats are usually in better condition. Also, the further north you go on the coast, boats are generally in better condition. The harsh sun and warm sea water of the southern climates is tough on boats. If you want to truck a boat from the Great Lakes to Miami that will be $10,000 roughly. Call a company like JP Daniels for an exact estimate. It would be more fun to take her through the Eerie canal and down the coast. Sometimes the longest journey you make is when you purchase a boat.

Just take out a piece a paper, call for some quotes, and add the costs up. You have the hard part done by picking that you want a Cape Dory.

[sailingdog]

Yes, location does affect the price to some degree. As Jordanship has pointed out, the northern boats are usually in better shape due to the shorter season, lower temperatures, weaker sunlight, etc.

Location can also affect the price of boats in another way. Boats that are scarce in one area may be higher priced than the boat would be in an area where it is more common.

Given the size of boat you're looking for, I would ask what it is about the Cape Dorys that you like specifically. There are many boats that are very similar to the Cape Dorys in that size range. Alberg, who designed many of the Cape Dory boats also designed a lot of the Pearsons in that same size range.

Also, the Cape Dory boats are older, smaller, less spacious full keel designs for the most part. That may not necessarily be the best boat for what you'll be doing with it.

Before committing to any specific group of boats, I'd suggest you think about what your real purpose for the boat is and then base your boat search on the boats that would best suite that purpose. If there are few Cape Dorys down in your area, there is probably a reason for that.

[crazy8]

Thanks for the replies,

I guess the cost of shipping from the great lakes region makes buying any boats from there out of the question. I am looking for something around 10,000 so the cost to ship would equal the purchase. Sailingdog, I also like pearsons and I have seen some small bristols that I like also. One thing I like about the cape dorys is the internal engine well. I like that concept and I believe the ariel and some bristol 24s have that as well. It seems to make theft of the engine a little more difficult. I actually dont want an inboard because I figure its a lot less expensive to just buy a new outboard rather than continuously work on or replace an inboard. With the price range Im looking at I dont know if I could find a well maintained inboard. Im also not worried about alot of bells and whistles, no need for a frig (ice box is fine), no need for a shower, solar panels, internet etc. I am looking at just the basic neccessaties and a solid boat .

[sailingdog]

I would point out that the engine well on many of these boats is rather small and fitting a four-stroke into them is difficult. The Columbia 26 is another small boat in that size range that uses an outboard well.

One issue with outboard wells is that you do have to be a bit more careful with the zincs and also with watching out for galvanic issues, since the motor is submersed all of the time.

With a transom mounted engine, the engine can be lifted out of the water when not in use and you end up with less maintenance issues IMHO, since the risk of galvanic issues occurring as well as growth on the lower unit is eliminated for the most part. Another benefit of a transom mounted outboard is the reduction in drag under sail.

However, the performance of the outboard is usually much better in a well.

[crazy8]

Ok, I didnt know about those issues. I just figured it was a safer bet against theft.

[sailingdog]

Not really, because fitting a lock to the outboard in a well is a lot tougher than fitting a lock to an outboard on a good bracket or the transom, since access is very limited. I'd also point out that most of the outboard wells don't lock.

The main advantage of an outboard well is that the engine is further forward and is far less likely to come out of the water or to ventilate.

Originally Posted by crazy8

Ok, I didnt know about those issues. I just figured it was a safer bet against theft.

[maarty10]

Originally Posted by crazy8

Hi,

I am wondering if the region you buy a boat in dictates the value. I am in puerto rico so can I would the same boat cost more here or lets say maine. Is it worth my time to purchase one there and go get it? Also I notice alot of boats from the great lakes appear to be in good condition. Is it worth transporting them to the coast. I am looking for a small 25 to 28 ft boat. I tend to like cape dorys and there seems to be alot of them in the northeast. How do I know what they are worth.

I have noticed that many American boats have a somewhat lower asking price than Canadian boats, and that English boats are significantly more than almost identical Canadian boats.
In the 25 to 28 ft range there are lots of great boats at good prices. Try to keep in mind that a 10k boat with blown out sails is more expensive than a 15k boat with new sails (all else being equal) The same sort of caution should be applied to scrutinizing the engine.
Sometimes a boat is being dumped because the the hull is water logged with osmosis and delaminated.
BEWARE! Sellers often mention that they have a recent survey. I would never trust one of these surveys. Hire a good and qualified marine surveyor from a different town. See to it that he has a moisture meter with him. Moisture levels up to 10% percent are nothing to panic about, but if he sees levels in the 15 to 30% percent range watch out. Make sure he checks the whole hull systematically with the meter. This alone can take an hour.
Make him do it. Be there. Be sure he checks the sails. Spending $150 to $300 on a survey can help you avoid a 10,000 dollar mistake.
There are Contessa 26's to be had in your price range, and like the Cape Dory have a full keel and are very seaworthy. Albin Vega 27 and Bristol 27 come well recommended by John Vigor -Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere-
Take your time and get to know the market.

[sailingdog]

Maarty—

I don't believe it is possible for solid fiberglass to absorb much more than 3% or so water by volume. The numbers you are discussing are those of the moisture meter. Proper use of a moisture meter and understanding what it does and how different things can affect it is key, or you can easily be misled.

For anyone interested in knowing more about moisture meters and what they actually do, read Maine Sail's page on them.

Originally Posted by maarty10

I have noticed that many American boats have a somewhat lower asking price than Canadian boats, and that English boats are significantly more than almost identical Canadian boats.
In the 25 to 28 ft range there are lots of great boats at good prices. Try to keep in mind that a 10k boat with blown out sails is more expensive than a 15k boat with new sails (all else being equal) The same sort of caution should be applied to scrutinizing the engine.
Sometimes a boat is being dumped because the the hull is water logged with osmosis and delaminated.
BEWARE! Hire a good marine surveyor from a different town. See to it that he has a moisture meter with him. Moisture levels up to 10% percent are nothing to panic about, but if he sees levels in the 15 to 30% percent range watch out. Make sure he checks the whole hull systematically with the meter.
This can take an hour. Make him do it.
There are Contessa 26's to be had in your price range, and like the Cape Dory have a full keel and are very seaworthy.

[crazy8]

Sailingdog, so it looks like your saying I shouldnt rule out a boat based on an internal well. Ok, well that will open up the market a bit for me. I definately plan on having the boat surveyed for sure. It seems alot of the boats down here in the less than 10000 range are kinda beat up. Do you think there are better deals to be had in Fajardo than the states?