Advice on buying a hunter 42

[Arnei]

Hi,

We are considering buying a hunter 42 1991. There seemed to be some problems and there may be more hidden problems. We asked the owner if he could fix a least some of the problems and his response is “No”. He wants to sell the boat "as is" even after the survey is done. Is that a normal Practice in these kinds of transactions when the asking price for that boat is exactly average?
Is there anyone out there who has an opinion on this kind of issue?
Thank you very much

[btrayfors]

You can't really know until after the survey is complete. Assuming you have a good surveyor -- itself a sometimes problematic thing -- he/she will point out to you all the things which need repair or replacement, and will help you to arrive at a decision as to whether or not to buy the boat.

An owner may well decide to sell the boat "as is/where is". Normally, this would be at a reduced price. More often, it's a good idea to agree on a price "subject to survey and sea trials". After these are completed, you will then have a better basis on which to value the boat, decide on what needs to be done (as a safety/insurance matter, or as an optional, "over time" matter), at which time you can go back to the owner to negotiate repairs and/or price.

It's very much a buyer's market at present....thousands of sailboats on the market, and many of them not moving.

Re: a Hunter 42....why??? At the price these sometimes sell for, you can get yourself a real boat :

Look around.

Bill

[CptHank]

Bill,

Its hard for us sailing nubs to know what a 'real boat' is, and what a condo boat is.

We just know "wow it looks great, and the cabin looks good for the admiral."

Any chance to update this thread? ;-)

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/buying...-35-range.html

The thread above lists boats and compares each boat to what type of car it would. Very useful for us nubs although controversial since it well... a boat ain't a car!.

[sailingdog]

I would definitely get a good survey, and make the purchase subject to the survey and sea trial as btrayfors suggests. I would also make sure that you're not paying market price for a boat that is "as is".

I'd also agree with btrayfors about asking why you're interested in a Hunter 42?

[camaraderie]

While I would never buy an H42...I understand the appeal and that they mighy be an ideal boat for some situations. That said...it is a BUYERS market, especially for production boats that are in plentiful supply. I would walk away from this one and find another just based on the owner's attitude. If you are in love with THIS boat...make an offer subjct to survey that reflects what you already know about the boat and how much time and effort it will cost you to fix it. Specify in your offer what you already know about defects and make purchase contingent on survey not finding other significant problems. If owner will not agree to that, you must walk away.

[jgeltz]

Get a price to fix the known issues and find a surveyor that can list the "hidden" issues and put a price tag on those as well. Adjust that number off the price of the offer. If the seller is not interested - walk away. In this case - run...

[midlifesailor]

Despite the fact that many(most) boat owners have no intentions of sailing beyond local waters, there appears to be a good deal of snobbery about folks who choose to buy boats that were not designed to take you around the world. It seems pointless to me, to look down your nose, denigrating someones boat as a "Condo" boat, because the it was designed for something other than crossing the North Atlantic. Personally, I don't see a problem buying a boat that's roomy and comfortable, if it is adequate for the condtions you expect to sail in.

Apparently, Hunters fit this bill for a lot of people, since our marina is full of them. There are probably 3 to one for any other kind of boat with Beneteau probably the distant second. There are a few O'day's, Sabre's, Cal's and Island Packets, then a few examples of less common boats. I was suprised there is not more balance between Hunter and Catalina, but that may have to do with the marina's location near a major Hunter dealer and the ratio may be reversed elsewhere.

If you plan to do extended offshore sailing, you need a boat that will withstand the rough conditions you may encounter and the comfortable salon becomes far less important. If you plan to daysail and weekend in protected or semi protected waters, a whole different set of criteria apply, and there is little reason to forgo creature comforts. At any rate, Hunters from 28-40+ feet are very popular where we are on the Cheseapeake, so they must fit those conditions pretty well.

The whole thing reminds me of the who's a real "biker" arguments I used to hear among my Harley buddies. I probably never qualified on that count either, despite covering most of the east coast riding in all weather condtions etc. The best advice is buy a boat you and your family can have the most fun on, and then go sail it and not worry about how your choice is viewed by others.

Bill
s/v Palmetto Moon
O'day 322

[camaraderie]

Bill.. I don't think it is a question of snobbery...Many people without experience plan to buy them for MORE than a trip around the Bay on weekends and need to be warned. Those that just want to use their boat lightly need not apologize for their choice of a Hunter (though I think the Bee's and Catalina's are nicer myself!).
I recall back 3-4 years ago in the Bahamas talking to a lady who was on a Hunter 46' footer. She told me that her husband had tried to sail it back to England and the keel had come loose but "it was repaired now". I politely noted that I didn't think Hunter's were built for that kind of trip.
She replied, "Oh no...see it says 'Ocean Passage' right there on the hull"

These are the kind of folks that we are trying to help. Personally I've owned Catalinas, Oday's and Irwins...certainly no snob appeal there...and each boat was perfect for what I wanted and could afford at the time and I think that is what most people want...but their plans & experience are a bit un-focused and that is why they ask the questions we regularly try to answer here.

[Allen Lofland]

When purchasing a 40 + foot boat, a yacht in my opinion,..one must act like he is purchaseing a yacht. That will mean that the purchaser is aware of HIS responsibilities as well and the sellers responsibilities.
You find the boat ( Yacht ) you think is the one you want to purchase.
You make a contracted offer.
Offer contingent on :
1.Inspection to Your satisfaction,,,sure you have already seen the boat but did you Inspect it.
2. Boat to be surveyed by YOUR surveyor and if there is anything that shows up you can walk. period.
3. Good title to be shown before survey, no good to spend mony on survey and then find out that the boat has a loan for more than you are willing to pay for it. Or there are hidden partners
4. Seatrial to YOUR satisfaction. Doesnt matter if the boat sails well and motors well, if the seller said it was a great boat to sail and you go out for seatrials and find out it's under ballasted or say modified some how, or better yet, the engine has been replaced with a lower HP than original .... YOU must be satisfied or you walk.
Best to have surveyor with you at sealtrials and seller on board if possible.
5. AND THIS IS A BIGGIE....Insurance to Yours, the Banks, and all parties involved will be available before and bound by closing at a resonable cost by a reputable state certified insurance company. Period,
If for any reason insurance is not bound by closing, such as huricane in area, closing will be delayed till insurance is bound.
6. FULL DISCLOSURE REQUIRED,,,,when you purchase a house, it is the law that the seller's agent or seller makes full disclosure to the purchaser of any problems they are aware of with the house. THIS is NOT the law with boats in most states, especially FLORIDA.....You can make it the law by contract. YOU want full disclosure from the seller, you want him to tell you, show you any damage he is aware of,,old huricane problems, repairs, ect.
In most cases, the seller will not tell the truth, the broker can not tell the truth, and you the purchaser pays for the truth...Get the whole story or WALK......
Doese it sound like I am on a tangent hehe.
I was a Yacht broker for 30 years, after a 12 year stint inland, My wife and I went looking for a boat in Florida, I was appalled at the dishonisty of the Yacht Brokerage industry down here.
They have thrown ethics OUT th window and most of the brokers are inept.
So I hope some of this helps you......I really enjoyed selling boats when the seller-buyer and myself could all be involved, seatrialing, surveying and just being honest with each other,,,most deals used to be that way, now I dont think so, make your deal that way or WALK there are plenty of boats out there.
One more point. If you are thinking about Living aboard this boat, Make sure you have a live a board slip BEFORE you buy the boat. They are getten very hard to find. AND in fact, living aboard your boat is being legislated out in a lot of areas. So just be diligent, and use a good broker if you can find one
good luck
O and I almost forgot, I was about to purchase a Hunter 42 before I stumbled onto this 42 Endeavour,,, I loved the Hunter, I used to be a Hunter dealer and they are a lot of boat for the money, just arnt for every one, so that's YOUR decission.

[xort]

Regarding having the seller do the repairs...are you confident he will do a proper repair? Buy as-is and get it done on your end with proper supervision.