The Joys and Pitfalls of Buying a New Boat - Part 1 - Page 2

PorFin · #11 09-28-2012

dsully,

If you are diligent, you need not worry greatly about buying a pig-in-a-poke.

There are many, many threads here on SN that are primers for those contemplating purchasing a used boat. I'd post a link or three, but for some reason the buttons to do so are missing. Do a Google search with the term "survey site:sailnet.com" and youll get lots of results. How-to's by posters SailingDog and BoatPoker are recommended.

If you'd prefer a book, Don Casey's "Inspecting the Aging Sailboat" is decent.

Shoppping for a boat is a major endeavor, and can be a full time job. Good luck in your boat search.

PorFin · #12 09-28-2012

Forgot to address this in the first response...

Having a savvy friend give candidate boats a once over may be a great way of weeding out unacceptable boats without investing in a survey.

IMHO, however, once you find "The One" (which given your stating intentions will likely be a cruiser in the 30'-40' range) you are going to be well served by having a professional survey(s) done by an accredited surveyor before you take ownership.

dsullyec1 · #13 09-28-2012

Yes, we agree with you on this. If it came down to actually buying it, we would have the survey's done.

Typed in the link you suggested and couldn't find any articles by SailingDog or Boatpoker. However, did come across some interesting articles. We're both reading a lot now, which is helping us to learn. Going to look up the book on Amazon...see if they have it.

Personally, I think my husband and I need to do a lot more reading up on sailing, boats, pros and cons of boats, sea currents, weather, etc., etc., etc, before thinking of sailing. There's a lot to know here, and, to me, it's like learning a new language. Thanks for your feed back...every bit of info helps guide us along this new "blue road".

jameswilson29 · #14 09-28-2012

[quote=dsullyec1;927316/]Can anyone suggest a good book... Any suggestions?[/quote]

Yes, you should buy Don Casey's "Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual". The first section is entitled "Inspecting the Aging Sailboat" and is useful in evaluating boats that you might consider buying. After you buy the boat, the boat will prove useful in maintenance and repairs.

I suggest you start small, live on land, then move up to a larger boat to live aboard. Buy a 25 - 30 foot boat with all the usual components of a larger boat - diesel inboard engine, marine head, and battery bank and electrical panel. That way you will learn how to sail and maintain a boat without gambling a large amount of money on an unknown venture. Good luck!

dsullyec1 · #15 09-28-2012

I'm going to pass this info on to my husband and we'll find those books. I know we have to do a lot of digging to find out more about this. We're just a wee bit old to be starting, I guess, but we still have quite a bit of get up and go, so maybe it'll work out.

Thanks for your insight and tips. And Good Luck back atcha!

oldragbaggers · #16 10-17-2012

[quote=dsullyec1;927583]What you say makes a whole lot of sense. Can you suggest what types of things we need to look out for on a used boat? We know a little, but I know there are lots of things we need to watch for. One man we met in a boatyard in St. Maarten said not to pay for a survey, but to have a friend or someone who knows a lot about boats look the chosen boat over, checking all the main things using as much as they know about boats and then buying him dinner at a fancy restaurant or something equally as nice.[/quote]

Good Old Boat magazine is a great source for finding and fixing equipping good old boats. They do an article in each issue of a different old boat and usually go into great detail about strengths and weaknesses of the particular boat, what price range you can expect to pay, what to look for in the way of repairs, etc.

dsullyec1 · #17 10-17-2012

[quote=oldragbaggers;935121]Good Old Boat magazine is a great source for finding and fixing equipping good old boats. They do an article in each issue of a different old boat and usually go into great detail about strengths and weaknesses of the particular boat, what price range you can expect to pay, what to look for in the way of repairs, etc.[/quote]

Sounds like an excellent magazine, and will check that out. That's one thing we were talking about today while looking online at used boats, about the strengths and weaknesses, price range, repairs, electrical equipment needed and not needed, etc. We're trying to learn about the boats with reputations for being strong, sturdily made boats, and the ones that might hold up better over time. We are researching boats as we learn of them. Today we learned a bit about the Tayana, Tartan, Swan, S & S, and the Cheoy Lee. Never heard of most of these, but now we are familiar with them. I think for just everyday boat living (which we'll be doing full time), my favorites for comfort are the CSY and the Catalina so far. But we're still researching. Not so sure about the older Catalinas...they're aren't a lot of them, and they're pretty pricey. But nicely laid out interior for living quarters. More research!!! Thanks for the feedback and the tip on the "Good Old Boat" magazine.

dsullyec1 · #18 12-21-2012

Just to let you all know, we ended up buying an S2-11C and had a survey done. A good thing, too. Not a whole lot wrong with it, but a little delimitation that the owner is having fixed now. Everything else checked out ok. It has lots of electrical equipment already on it, that's is fairly new. The insides are cozy and very liveable. We will be moving aboard the first week in January and found a very nice marina in Kemah, TX where we'll be staying until we both have the experience we need to do long, extensive trips. We're excited to get this new adventure started!

djaustralia · #19 1 Week Ago

If your in the market for a power boat you should see this series of 89 videos on youtube. The guy's channel name is "frisco jarrets / DIY boat repair'. In particular I refer to the '1995 Searay 220 rotten deck and stringer restoration'. Not related to sailing but it gives you a good idea of the pitfalls of buying a boat that you believe to be 'water ready'. You gotta' feel sorry for this guy. In his own word he spent a bunch of money on a boat that was supposedly lake ready. He even went out on the water with it before purchasing. I can't imagine what he was feeling after he found the problems but I think he said it made him feel quite ill momentarily. Just lucky he had the ability and the know how to fix it. You just never know what you've got 'till you've got it!

outbound · #20 1 Week Ago

Seems to think many of the new boat owners buy a new boat as their "last" boat after 10-30y of sailing ad multiple prior vessels. They go into it knowning full well they or their estate will face 30-50% loss. However, one gets one pass and only one life. Having a vessel that meets their needs and desires more than compensates for the economic loss. Especially in a blue water boat where you know you are betting your life on the vessel. Having less than a week and 1/2 before I take poccession of my "last" boat would deferentiate between custom/semi custom builders and production builders. You are betting on the reputation of a custom house. Do the due diligence get what you want but listen closely