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DSK

wrote:

Thanks for taking the time to explain the process.
My comments are as follows;

2) Make an offer, which is PENDING SURVEY and SEA TRIAL.

This needs to be carefully worded. Brokers usually hand you
a standardized form, which is usually slanted in their (and
the sellers) favor. The phrase "subject to survey & sea
trial" is commonly used and it does NOT mean that the boat's
survey and sea trial must be satisfactory to YOU the buyer.

Don't be afraid to take the standardized contract and use it
as the basis to write up a contract that satisfies you.

That means that I will have to make a deposit of about 10%?

Depends. 10% used to be a standard but nowadays everything
is on a credit card. It needs to be a large enough amount
for the broker to take you seriously. You also need to find
out what he is going to do with the check (deposit it in a
business account, a NOW account, lock it in a bottom drawer,
or whatever).

The probability of buying a sailboat on the first look around is possible
but remote.

Agreed. If you know a particular type of boat you want, then
you can focus on what it's known issues are, look for
problems common to that type, and have a comparison to
sisterships on the market at the same time. If you're just
hunting in general, it's harder.

3) A licensed captain is often used for the sea trial at major brokers.
Once I buy the boat I will be the one handling the sailboat, setting sails,
trimming,docking, maintaining it and so on.
I am not a maverick but what does a licensed captain have that I do not
already have?

Insurance, and the permission of the seller (he does own the
boat, after all). It's not all bad, a licensed captain
usually has enough experience that he will be worth
listening as he puts the boat thru it's paces.

OTOH it is well within your rights to say "If I don't get to
try it, I'm not going to buy it." The seller shouldn't
refuse to let you work the boat thru normal evolutins that
have no potential harm impending (making sure the reefing
gear works, for example). But you can see why he might be
nervous to let you dock the boat.

I have never turned down good advises and suggestions.
This morning I have a mixed feeling about surveyors. I just learned that
one of my friend lost his rudder on his way to Bermuda and had to be rescued
by a container ship. I hope to get more details on that one.

I hope he gets his boat back.

DSK