SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

P.O.'s are Idiots!

8K views 60 replies 36 participants last post by  xymotic 
#1 ·
Okay, so this is going to be a little tongue on cheek, but there may be some truth here.

P.O., meaning "previous owner", of course.

I just bought a 2004 Precision 23 from the original owner. There boat is in very good condition with no issues.

But there are several indicators that the PO was a nitwit. I began to reach my conclusion by interacting with him during the sale, and being there when he rigged the sails on the boat. This is a guy who seemed pretty sure he knows EVERYTHING there is to know about sailing, by the way, or I suppose I'd cut him a break.

-coils line the same way you coil up an electrical cord...wrapping it around between thumb and elbow. Nice twist!

-When I left his slip with the boat, bound for my marina, casting off the lines (included with the boat) was an interesting chore. I doubt I could duplicate how he had the loop end of the lines wrapped around that boat's cleats, but they were secured in such a way that every time the boat tugged on the line, it tightened a little more. To remove the four lines required pliers, a screwdriver, and some sailor talk. So, he must have been leaving his dock by removing the lines from the dock cleats every time, and just coiling the lines up on deck....cuz there's no way he was going to get them off the cleats.

-Anywhere he secured a line with a knot, it had to be knotted several times, with multiple kinds of knots. Reeeeal tight.

-There was nothing on the boat that was immune from being secured with copious amounts of rigger's tape. He must have believed it had some sort of magical powers, bestowing mojo on his vessel.

-He must have spent all his spare time stenciling the boat's name on every piece of equipment. And it's a DUMB name.

-He bragged about the set of AGM batteries he bought for the boat, and looked at me like I was a fool when I suggested that they might not be the best choice for the boat. He had a separate AGM solely for starting the engine, and charged solely by the engine. Note that the engine is an alternator equipped outboard with a PULL START! So, if the house battery ever ran down, he still had the spare AGM to start the motor in an emergency. But it has a PULL START.

Oh, it goes on and on, and I'm enjoying the process of driving out the previous owner's demon's. I'm lucky that I'm only encountering small annoyances.

Anybody want to share a good previous owner story?
 
See less See more
#32 ·
My PO raced the boat and had every possible line and deck hardware anyone would need. He left 6 or eight extra blocks, lots of lines in great shape, 3 winch handles and list goes on and on. Every thing in working condition including a new yanmar 2gm, bimini and mainsail cover. Only negative: Concerned about weight, he removed the marine head and replaced it with a porta potty. Oh, also 16 gals of fuel. Truely a sail a way boat.
 
#34 ·
jppp,
Given your signature, I'm guessing the 'j' stands for 'Jonah'? :)

'79 Camper & Nicholson 303, Blow'd up labor day
Sunfish just fine
Dyer Dow, crushed in Hurricane Sandy
Angler 204 Cuddy-, Crushed in Hurricane Sandy
Yes all true, No wonder no one will go on the water with me.
 
#35 ·
I don't understand the jonah ref.

I once sold a motorcycle to one of my employees after restoring it to near perfect. He made it 60 feet before dropping it in the street. Did all kinds of damage. I posted on the forum that was dedicated to this motorcycle that I sold it to the wrong person. Someone who knew **** about sportbikes and should perhaps get training wheels. He came in the following day after apparently visiting the forum and told me he ordered training wheels. At least I didn't call him an idiot.
 
#41 ·
We had the opposite experience with our first boat. She was owned by an older gentleman who'd bought her with the idea of making her like new, but discovered he wasn't up to the task. He was a super nice guy and gave us literally a boatload of new gear.

I cleaned her up, installed all the gear and tried to help the new owners out when we sold her, giving them a new shore power setup I hadn't had a chance to install.

Unfortunately I heard from a broker friend that he'd seen her last summer and the new owners had let her go badly.

It's a shame she was a great little boat. :(
 
#42 ·
WHAT? I thought if you couldn't fix it with a hammer, you had an electrical problem. And screwdrivers are only for taking screws OUT.
I live in a glass "boat" so not throwing rocks. But some good stories and glad to know I'm not the worst knucklehead out there. But we do like to sail!
 
  • Like
Reactions: xymotic
#43 ·
I sold a small motor boat that we had between sailing boats and it was in fine shape with no problems or patch jobs.

The NO took three sessions out there (maybe 2 months) before he screwed up the windlass (probably hauled on an unmovable anchor until it broke). He came whining to me about “unsatisfactory performance”.

Since I am OK with fixing things, I took the windlass off, made up some parts (redundant model), reassemble it, refitted it, wished the fellow happy boating and sent him on his way.

A month later he whined about the bilge pump not working anymore and wanted me to replace it. This time I told him not to forget to switch the new one off and sent him on his way.

I heard three months after that, that he had filled the alchohol stove with methylated spirits by pouring it into the top of the stove and promptly set the boat on fire. It apparently never burnt to the waterline and he sold it shortly after that.

I’m willing to bet that he bitches to his friends about how the PO ripped him off – it’s hard to admit to your friends that you’re a palooka. Moral of the story - don't believe everything you hear about PO's.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fryewe
#44 ·
The P.o. of my boat didnt think that ball valves or seacocks were necessary investments so he just put the hoses directly on the thruhulls, sometimes without a hose clamp. he also didnt think that the whole you need a holding tank if your going to cruise in the great lakes thing was really that important, oh and the best was the forestay, he decided to replace the forestay on my boat with an open hook from the hardware store which caused all sorts of problems, luckily after replacing that with an eyeolt and backing plate and tying it into the hull i have had no problems but somehow he never ended up dismasting or sinking the boat. he was just one of those guys who would go anywhere on anything he sailed the boat like that all the way from the Caribbean up to Canada. He is also the reason it's taken me two years to do my refit and im not adding all sorts of gizmo's and gadgets. To be fair the boat was in good condition had only one small peice of cabinetry that needed retabbing had no delamination or osmosis and the sails and rigging with the exception of his makeshift chainplate were immaculate as well. he was insane though.
 
#45 · (Edited)
It was through the skill, effort, seamanship and attention to detail that convinced me I was buying my current boat off someone who knew what he was doing, for the broker it was easy money as all he had to do was the paperwork....:)

Even though I know the OP was making a tongue in cheek statement, I do have to wonder sometimes what the new owners (N.O.'s Lol) of a vessel were doing through the inspection process, some of the stuff I hear makes me question the ability of the new owner rather than the previous....;)
 
#46 ·
The OP that had my boat at Shermans's Marina in Deale MD was living on it. He spent easily 3 days with my son and me. Lots of silly stuff was does wrong. Wire wraps being on fuel and water lines was one of the silliest LOL He tried to turn it into a power boat, never rolled out the sails even cut or never fixed the wiring to the mast head. But she did well on the survey and sea trial.
 
#48 ·
To every current owner who chimed in here about PO's... I really hope you're a mechanic, electrician, rigger, painter, plumber, have any amount of $ to fix everything to "new" standards, never cut corners or buy the "cheaper" model of anything, never hit anything, and never let your bottom paint get dirty. Sooner or later we ALL will be PO's and subject to someone else's comments. Short of being all the above, we're all guilty of not knowing everything there is to know about everything. Live with it, fix it and enjoy it!
 
#53 · (Edited)
I don't know lots of things, but I do know how to ask someone or subscribe to a page like this, or use the internet.

I bought a steel project boat not knowing how to weld. But I intrisically know enough to know that you don't repair steel by glueing paint mixing sticks and smearing bondo on it. my own repairs are not the greatest, because I'm learning as I go, (I have set the boat on fire 3x for example) but I am TRYING to do it right and I always have a fire extingusher handy:D
 
#50 ·
I'm happy to read these posts of P.O.s who did goofy stuff. I have bought boats that were not well maintained & enjoyed putting them right. But you just have to shake your head when you find something really dumb. I had a '64 model 27' Chris Craft Constellation that the P.O. had "repaired" using bondo to fix rot in some hull planks. I guess it was easier than getting out a new plank but the repair didn't last a year. It wasn't evident because there was paint over the repair when I bought the boat. Boy, I learned a lot about fixing boats with that thing. Electrical, transmissions and wood work. I sold it when someone made me an offer I couldn't refuse.

Kevin
 
#51 ·
Reading this thread I kept thinking: "I did that", "yep, that's my boat", "how is that a problem?", "what a great idea!". Once or twice I drew a complete blank. I admit, I'm 'Larry the cable guy' sailor, not what you would call a 'yachtee'.
And no, I'm not selling my boat. :p
 
#52 ·
Seriously?
I heaven't seen too much on this thread that was on the "meh questionable" side of things, more like flat-out dangerous. I'd love to know what you think is OK because then maybe we can use this thread to teach a little bit instead of griping.

I can see using JB weld to fix a propane leak, it's even a little bit genius. Forgetting to repair it properly is even something that I can see could happen. It's still flat-out dangerous and neglect though.
 
#55 ·
good post dave e...I put something similar before...that the OP will rememeber this thread the day he sells his boat

why? we will all be po´s someday!

so just try to sell your boat in honest condition and disclose any potential dangerous things youre not necessarily proud of...having said that I have never boought or sold a boat that was considered to be dangerous...I either fixed what needed to be fixed and or cut my losses...

I cant say that about all the previous owners of the boats I bought unfortunately but thats the way it is....in life

peace
 
#57 ·
Hi my name is chucklesR and I'm a previous owner times 3.

I thought I could just buy a little boat and sail it occasionally, and I'd always be in control. First the electrical system needed upgrade on my Grampian 26, it quickly went to hatch boards and such. Because the boat was so far away and I got tired of driving, well, four foot-itis bit me.
I sold it and bought a Hunter 31, it only needed a few upgrades and fixes. Nothing I couldn't do myself. You know how it is. First the battery bank, then the galley needed to be upgraded to propane, then all the portals needed replaced with new ones.

I knew I had a problem, and after discussion with the wife - and a lot of fretting and worrying, and frankly a couple nights of too much rum consumed at Boat Shows, well we did it.
We bought a new boat so I would not have to 'fix' things.
A Gemini 105 in 2007.
I watched it being built week after week at PCI so I'd know how good it was built etc., but I was lying to myself. I was actually making sure I'd know where the wiring was run and other details so I could fix it up and make the boat 'right'.
It was too, after five years of fixes and upgrades it was pretty close to just what we needed.
Then I took a ride on another boat - a monster cruiser center cockpit belonging to a friend. I admired the upgrades and such he'd done, and the smooth ride possible in a heavy boat.

Yeah, you've guessed it by now. I dumped the 'ready' boat and bought a fixer upper - my Irwin 38 CC. Soon it will be 'ready'.
Now I have threads all over sailnet about my projects, I have busted knuckles and cuts on both hands up to my elbows, grease under my nails and epoxy bits and fiberglass bits stuck to what little hair I have left.

I want to thank you all for helping me deal with my addiction.
 
#58 ·
Hi my name is chucklesR and I'm a previous owner times 3. (...)
I want to thank you all for helping me deal with my addiction.
There are times when I'm glad not to have much money. I would still be sailing that Grampian 26 with electric system supposedly needing an upgrade :cool:
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top