Jim's right on his first point (what kind of boat is it?), but too
cautious on his second point. I'd say that cheap boats are often, even
usually, the most expensive kind.
There is one tactic you might consider that I used once: Basically walk
the docks looking for boats of the type you have in mind, but that are
waaaay neglected. You know the ones, they have a foot of growth on
their bottoms and their registration stickers are several years out of
date. Then write letters to the owners that basically state the truth.
i.e. You desperately want a boat of this type that you can enjoy while
introducing your kids to boating, but that your budget for is, by
necessity, extremely limited. That you spotted this boat at the marina,
and while it's obvious it was once a much loved boat, it is also
apparent that it's been neglected of late and needs a lot of tender
loving care. Would you be open to exploring the possibility of selling
it? Then sending the letters to the owners. You probably won't be able
to get their addresses from the harbor masters, but I was usually able
to persuade them to accept the letter stamped and unsealed so they can
see what you're sending and address them, protecting the privacy of the
owner.
Some of these boats are just sitting there because a husband died, or
there have been health problems or whatever. They sit there for years
partially because there is still an emotional bond to the boat, but
largely because the task of getting things organized enough to get the
boat cleaned up and selling it is just more of a task than the owner can
handle. Tug at their heartstrings a little, putting it so that the
thought of another young family taking care of and loving their old boat
comes across in an undertone. At the same time, you're removing all of
the perceived effort of selling it.
One advantage of doing it this way is that the owner often will have no
idea what the actual resale value of the boat is. All they know is what
they paid for it a very long time ago and that it's in pretty poor shape
now (especially if you include a photo). Sometimes this works against
you as they have unrealisticly high expectations, but sometimes, they
have way under valued the boat in their minds. You can take advantage
of this. Don't make an offer, but once contact is made, gently ask them
what kind of an offer they would need. Then whatever they say, look
strained and explain that that's really more thn you could manage, ...
you get the idea.
Note that this is something of a numbers game. The more owners you can
get a response from, the more likely it is that you'll find one that is
willing to part with their boat for what you can afford.
Of course, now that I've posted this idea on the internet, I'll never be
able to use it again as these guys (and the harbor masters) will be
inundated by people like you. Fortunately, I expect to keep the boat
I've got now for a very long time.
Do not forget to figure into your budget the costs of boat ownership.
They are ALWAYS much higher that you expect.
Good luck! Dan
Jim said:
What kind of boat are you looking at?
Be VERY careful. A cheap boat can be the most expensive kind.
Stephen Trapani wrote:
...My problem is my budget, which
is about $8K for a *working* cruiser/weekender.
...
there's this guy who is an acquaintance of a friend of mine who
...thinks he can get
this beautiful sloop, bigger and with a much better reputation than the
Catalina 30,' for within my budget.
--
Dan Best - (707) 431-1662, Healdsburg, CA 95448
B-2/75 1977-1979
Tayana 37 #192, "Tricia Jean"
http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/TriciaJean.JPG