[stagman]

Ladies and Gents,

In my perpetual search for a boat I like I have come across a few stories of people who have bought boats in decent condition and sold them years later for more than purchase price. Of course I would never expect to make more from the sale than I have put into it after maintenance and whatnot, but if I can sell the boat for close to what I pay for it I can justify buying a more expensive boat, IE, seeing it as more of an investment than a sideline hobby and potentially living aboard. I don't need to make money, I just need it to maintain it's value knowing I will keep it in excellent condition.

So my question is what boats maintain their values the best? All thats on my radar right now are Island Packets and Cheoy Lees.

 

[eherlihy]

Hinckley

 

[copacabana]

Morris, Swan, Oyster... (I'm just guessing though). Another possibility is buying a really clean and well-loved example of a boat that has reached the end of its depreciation. You should be able to recover most of your investment if you bought a real cream puff.

 

[CalebD]

slightly less lofty builders that have good resale values:

Pacific Seacraft - check out prices of the dana 24'
Canadian Sailcraft
Nor'sea 27'

 

[Don L]

The boats that hold their valve the best as a percent of purchase price are also the ones that are the most expensive. But they all pretty much lose the same percent so in the end buying a more expense boat just means you lose the most money regardless.

If you are worried about the money lost due to depreciation, get a used boat to start with. All boats are money losers.

 

[jimrafford]

Every boat, both power and sail, I have sold for more than the purchase price. Which means buying the boat right, having the resources to be able to pay cash, being patient and buying w/ your head not your heart.
After that lots of elbow grease, keeping the boat clean and operating properly.
Every brand can be a winner or a looser.
Jim

 

[benesailor]

There would be a lot of boats that fit that criteria. Keep in mind a market group.

If you buy a $100k boat at $75k and fix it up right(quality) then you have some equiity. A quality maintained boat selling at $100k will sell alot faster than a boat at $450k. I would venture to say that there are a lot of production boats sold at lower prices every month than Hinckleys. Ask a boat broker what the average selling time is per brand. Some boats sit for months and months!

Nothing against the fore mentioned boats. They are great boats. Do they hold there resale value better? Yes, to a certain extent. Yet; They have to have a much higher level of maintenance due to a more decerning buyer. If your buying a Oyster you expect a level of excellence. On the other hand, buying a used Catalina for $80k, you may forgive some maintenance issues.

There are bargains to be had if you look for a boat with good bones that can be updated easily.

 

[stagman]

*Sees a Morris, jaw hits floor*

Seriously, those are some beautiful boats. I'm in love. Keep em coming guys

My only reality check about those Morris yachts is that from my humble observation they seem to be aimed almost solely at the gentleman daysailer, and not a true long haul cruising. They just look cramped inside and lack some of the industriousness that I see in the Island Packets which seem to be aimed solely at cruisers with things like showers, large tankage, bulky bowspirits supporting 2 anchors, etc. It would be a crime against humanity to put a dingy or a lot of ground hardware on those Morrisses

 

[miatapaul]

So my question is what boats maintain their values the best? All thats on my radar right now are Island Packets and Cheoy Lees.

Well of those two I would say Island Packet, yes they do a pretty good job of maintaining value, Cheoy Lee, not so much. Lots of Teak decks and they can be hard to sell, let alone maintain with all that bright work. Of the "lower price" boats Catalina seems to hold it's value as they are known for excellent support even on older boats. As does Saber, and Canadian Sail Craft. But I would not worry about resale, just find a boat you like. If you are thinking get a boat to learn on then move up, then I would have to suggest Catalina. They are a reasonably well made boat and when in good shape and with a reasonable price they seem to sell very quickly. Selling quickly is far more important than resale price. Storage and insurance can eat up a higher selling price quite quickly!

 

[killarney_sailor]

*Sees a Morris, jaw hits floor*

Seriously, those are some beautiful boats. I'm in love. Keep em coming guys

My only reality check about those Morris yachts is that from my humble observation they seem to be aimed almost solely at the gentleman daysailer, and not a true long haul cruising. They just look cramped inside and lack some of the industriousness that I see in the Island Packets which seem to be aimed solely at cruisers with things like showers, large tankage, bulky bowspirits supporting 2 anchors, etc. It would be a crime against humanity to put a dingy or a lot of ground hardware on those Morrisses

There are Morris yachts and Morris yachts. They have made some gorgeous boats that could be used for extended cruising if you wanted to. If you are looking new, consider Amel. They are very near the top of our list of serious cruising monohulls. BTW, if you can afford a new Amel (or Morris) the amount of depreciation in the first few years is probably not a big financial issue.

 

[JonEisberg]

*Sees a Morris, jaw hits floor*

Seriously, those are some beautiful boats. I'm in love. Keep em coming guys

My only reality check about those Morris yachts is that from my humble observation they seem to be aimed almost solely at the gentleman daysailer, and not a true long haul cruising. They just look cramped inside and lack some of the industriousness that I see in the Island Packets which seem to be aimed solely at cruisers with things like showers, large tankage, bulky bowspirits supporting 2 anchors, etc. It would be a crime against humanity to put a dingy or a lot of ground hardware on those Morrisses

You're looking at the wrong "Series" of Morris yachts...

They used to build cruising boats, but the Market has spoken, there's more money in Faberge Egg Trophy Daysailors these days...

Although it's a powerboat, the remarkable success (and astonishing profit margin) of the Hinckley Picnic Boat changed the high-end production boatbuilding industry forever...

 

[benesailor]

Te appeal of the Isalnd packet is the shoal draft.....I'd rather have a Southerly though. Very well built.
Southerly

 

[night0wl]

Must be a quality builder that doesn't pour a ton of boats into the charter trade. Nothing devalues a brand of boats like having a bunch of ex-charter boats crowding the resale market. Although relying on boats holding value isn't much of a good plan. It generally means there has been inflation in the price of new boats...pulling the value of used boats/assets to be even.

 

[blutoyz]

I just say buy a cheap boat in good shape and keep it in that shape or better...you can't lose. I used to love the guys that boasted about Harleys going $10K and up used but forgot that they paid $18K for them and added $4K worth of crap. The guy that spent $10K fully equipped on his new Yamaha sells it for $5K

Who made out better???

If they "hold their value" you pay more to buy it...no win really