What was Your Boat Buying Strategy?
 

I'm curious to hear stories about how folks knocked down the price on
their new boat, particularly anything creative or innovative (buying
used or stripping off options doesn't count). Anyone find any good
sources of information or do anything clever? Thanks.

What was Your Boat Buying Strategy?
 

"Mainshipman" wrote:

I'm curious to hear stories about how folks knocked down the price on
their new boat, particularly anything creative or innovative (buying
used or stripping off options doesn't count). Anyone find any good
sources of information or do anything clever? Thanks.

New as in new, or new as in new-to-you?

We've never bought a new boat, and don't want to. We were at the boat
show in Annapolis a couple of years ago and a small man went up on the
cabin tip of a new sailboat that was for sale there. I could see the
cabin top flex under him. And he was a SMALL man, not tall and not
heavy.

When we've bought used boats (which I think counts) we didn't do
anything clever. We knew what we could spend, we knew what we wanted
and we knew what was a reasonable price for what we wanted. So when
we found something that was pretty close, we offered a price lower
than the asking price, but not so low as to be insulting, and after a
couple of times back and forth, the offer was accepted and we bought
the boat after a survey.


grandma Rosalie

S/V RosalieAnn, Leonardtown, MD
CSY 44 WO #156
http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasley/id1.html

What was Your Boat Buying Strategy?
 

On 3 Feb 2006 14:02:36 -0800, "Mainshipman"
wrote:

Anyone find any good
sources of information or do anything clever?

I looked for a rainbow and then followed it to the end. And lo, there
was a pot of gold.

What was Your Boat Buying Strategy?
 

Jeez. Everyone is a cynic...

What was Your Boat Buying Strategy?
 

Sneak up in the middle of the night and steal the dam thing.


"Mainshipman" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm curious to hear stories about how folks knocked down the price on
their new boat, particularly anything creative or innovative (buying
used or stripping off options doesn't count). Anyone find any good
sources of information or do anything clever? Thanks.

What was Your Boat Buying Strategy?
 

"Thomas Wentworth" wrote in news:Fw1Gf.4170$iU2.1385
@trndny07:

Sneak up in the middle of the night and steal the dam thing.



They did that in Charleston to a big Beneteau! Had a great vacation and
just left it at the dock in the Bahamas when they were done with it.....

What was Your Boat Buying Strategy?
 

Ray --

I'm not the guy at the DEA's liquidation sale either, though maybe
someday (dreams of windfall die hard). By the way, I hope you write for
a living. You definitly have the gift.

What was Your Boat Buying Strategy?
 

I'm curious to hear stories about how folks knocked down the
price on
their new boat, particularly anything creative or innovative

I wrote up a list of the things I wanted in a boat, and put a
dollar value beside each item. The first thing was an inside
shower, the second a solid hull, a windlass and so on. I made
copies, and checked off every item for each boat I looked at.
Then I could compare the boats on the basis of the bottom
line. I fell in love with almost every boat I looked at, and
those sheets saved me from getting caught by some awful
clunkers. I looked for my boat for 14 months. If you're
going to buy a $35,000 boat, you've got to be prepared to
trundle down to Trinidad and the BVI and England to look. And
go to Carnival...

This is my experience, I will never again go to a (spit!)
broker for anything. For a boat, I would look on the net and
keep my eyes open.

After six months of looking, you can get a feel of what to
offer. The asking price has nothing to do with anything for
you, perhaps because you've been looking hard at dozens of
boats and the seller has only the experience of setting the
price on one. If you're interested, you carefully nicely
offer what the boat's worth to you, and remember that you too
have things to offer like the money in the bank and a fast
close with a bank draft. Don't look at it being half or 90% of
the selling price, that has nothing to do with anything. The
seller should reply nicely with a counter offer. Then you can
decide what you want to do. The very worst the seller can do
is say 'No!!!' to you, with 3 exclamation marks, and only a
lightweight would do that and you've learned what he's all
about for free.
--
Joe

Joe Kovacs
SV Sea Breeze

What was Your Boat Buying Strategy?
 

Joe Kovacs wrote:
I'm curious to hear stories about how folks knocked down the

price on

their new boat, particularly anything creative or innovative

Used boats only:

#1 boat, a Fortune 30 - paid close to the asking price because we were
in love with it and didn't want it to get away. We were Idiots.

#2 boat San Juan 24 - asking was $5500, offered $3500 to start. Paid
$4200. Bought it in a partnership, sold my 1/2 for $2500 about 1 yr
later. Something wrong about making a bit of money on a boat sale :)

#3 boat 40' catamaran - initial asking price (for 1 yr) was $129K.
Ignored it. Price dropped to $109K. Ignored it but starting to feel
interested. Price dropped again in 6 months to $89K. Inspected,
offered $50K. Broker waves hand in disgust etc. but submits offer.
Settled on $57.5K, later reduced to $55K after survey. Think we got a
good deal. :)

All prices in CDN $ by the way.

Lessons learned:

Don't fall in love. It's just a boat and there are lots out there.

Find a neglected boat (#2 & #3).

Cosmetics are important to the majority of buyers who have trouble
seeing past the moss on the ropes and mildew on the inside. A weekend
with a scrub brush can be worth lots of $.

Be willing to walk away.

Offer a low offer if it has been on the market for a long time. You
never know the circumstances of the owner. Don't bother about
"insulting" the owner. Chances are you'll never meet. You can always
raise an offer, but it's tough to go back if you start high

Evan Gatehouse

What was Your Boat Buying Strategy?
 

Mainshipman wrote:
I'm curious to hear stories about how folks knocked down the price on
their new boat, particularly anything creative or innovative (buying
used or stripping off options doesn't count). Anyone find any good
sources of information or do anything clever? Thanks.

Throw a lowball at every possibility. You'll get a bite sooner than you
think.

What was Your Boat Buying Strategy?
 

This is good stuff...

Thanks a bunch...

What was Your Boat Buying Strategy?
 

In article .com,
"Mainshipman" wrote:

I'm curious to hear stories about how folks knocked down the price on
their new boat, particularly anything creative or innovative (buying
used or stripping off options doesn't count). Anyone find any good
sources of information or do anything clever? Thanks.

I have bought two new boats in the past five years.

One was a powerboat (with my second set of kids I decided time with them
was more important than purity). My son and I shopped for a
multi-purpose boat big enough for Lake Champlain (our 19 footer was not)
that we might cruise on. Of all the layouts, we most liked a Regal LSC
2550 for sale at a local dealer. I waited him out. Luckily, no one
bought the boat all season. Around November, we started talking. He
needed cash for new boats, did not want to be stuck with a neither fish
nor foul boat (only 24' sport powerboat with quarter berths -- had two
kids -- that was not a great cruiser or fishing boat or speed boat but
could do all 3). Because he had too much capital tied up in boat, he
took my 19 footer in trade after he lined up a buyer, sold me the one he
had for more than 30% less than retail.

The second was my ideal sailboat, a J/100. I wanted one but by the time
I heard about them, the price increases were too pricey for me. I just
told everyone that this was my boat and this was my price and when one
showed up, it was mine.

I ended up getting the boat, one of the hot boats on the market, for
about 16% less. I kept making sure I had the financing I needed if the
boat showed up, the money liquid to buy the boat, etc. When someone who
had purchased and never used one got news he had terminal cancer, and
one of the brokers who I had indicated my situation to heard about it, I
was the first one ready to go and the boat is now mine (I call her
Intencion because it was my intention to own her).

In both cases, it helped that I knew exactly what I wanted, knew what I
wanted (or felt I was able) to pay, told everyone the truth, was
extremely nice to everyone, was willing to wait till I got the boat I
wanted or died, and was ready to pounce (did not need financing, to
liquidate my cash, etc.).

Hope this helps...

harlan

--
To respond, obviously drop the "nospan"?