Who usually pays to put boat in water for trial - buyer or seller?
 

My husband and I are considering purchase of a used boat - currently out
of the water at our marina. We've spoken to a marine surveyor we might
hire who says that the engine can be tested to some extent on land but
that we really should put the boat in the water and check it out. Seems
reasonable - but my question is one about procedure. Who usually pays
for the marina to put boat in and take it out again in such a case -
buyer or seller?

Thanks for any help.

Elaine

The buyer.

The check out is for your benefit.

You might consider negotiating for a fee split or reimbusement if you do buy
the boat, but the expenses involved with launching or hauling for survey are
the buyer's responsibility.

Elaine wrote in message
My husband and I are considering purchase of a used boat - currently out
of the water at our marina. We've spoken to a marine surveyor we might
hire who says that the engine can be tested to some extent on land but
that we really should put the boat in the water and check it out. Seems
reasonable - but my question is one about procedure. Who usually pays
for the marina to put boat in and take it out again in such a case -
buyer or seller?

I think the seller should incur the cost. Draw up a contract, if you are
serious about the boat, give the boat owner a down payment and if the test
goes well, you buy the boat right then. Otherwise if something fails, you
get your money back or negotiate a lower price for the boat. The boat isn't
yours until you pay for it, so you should not have to pay to put it in the
water for a test drive. I do think you should be held accountable for
purchasing if all is well. Good luck with your new boat!

Glenn-------- A vote for Bush is a Vote to **** Harry off!!

Far as I can tell, someone wrote:
We've spoken to a marine surveyor we might
hire who says that the engine can be tested to some extent on land but
that we really should put the boat in the water and check it out.

So I guess your surveyor isn't Harry. He's never been out on a boat.

Seems reasonable - but my question is one about procedure. Who usually pays
for the marina to put boat in and take it out again in such a case -
buyer or seller?

If you buy the boat, the seller should absorbe the cost of the survey.
If you don't buy it, you do.

In article ,
says...
Elaine wrote in message
My husband and I are considering purchase of a used boat - currently out
of the water at our marina. We've spoken to a marine surveyor we might
hire who says that the engine can be tested to some extent on land but
that we really should put the boat in the water and check it out. Seems
reasonable - but my question is one about procedure. Who usually pays
for the marina to put boat in and take it out again in such a case -
buyer or seller?

I think the seller should incur the cost. Draw up a contract, if you are
serious about the boat, give the boat owner a down payment and if the test
goes well, you buy the boat right then. Otherwise if something fails, you
get your money back or negotiate a lower price for the boat. The boat isn't
yours until you pay for it, so you should not have to pay to put it in the
water for a test drive. I do think you should be held accountable for
purchasing if all is well. Good luck with your new boat!

Glenn-------- A vote for Bush is a Vote to **** Harry off!!

What you "think" isn't how the world works. Not a surprise given your
previous posts.

The buyer is on the hook for the haul out/in, surveyor and mechanic. It
is in the interest of the buyer to do these things, the same as when you
buy a house. If you have to rip a house apart or move something to find
out if the house is worth buying, it's your responsibility to do so and
return it to it's original condition.

Exactly the same with a boat.

jps

In article , baldycotton2
@mchsi.comedy says...
Far as I can tell, someone wrote:
We've spoken to a marine surveyor we might
hire who says that the engine can be tested to some extent on land but
that we really should put the boat in the water and check it out.

So I guess your surveyor isn't Harry. He's never been out on a boat.

Seems reasonable - but my question is one about procedure. Who usually pays
for the marina to put boat in and take it out again in such a case -
buyer or seller?

If you buy the boat, the seller should absorbe the cost of the survey.
If you don't buy it, you do.

The seller may split the costs but it's never assumed the seller will
absorb the costs even if the deal goes through.

jps

If you're going to insist the seller pay for the checkout, you more or less
become obligated to accept whatever documentation the seller *already has*
regarding the mechanical condition. Should the seller be forced to pay for a
fresh inspection for every (possible) looki-loo that comes along? If you were
the seller, you'd pay to have it checked out only once and then just show the
results to interested parties. That would seem very reasonable, from the
seller's perspective.

As a buyer, you want a fresh, current, unbiased assessment.

The reason the buyer wants to pay for the inspection/ haulout/ survey is to
avoid any conflict of interest. You want that surveyor or mechanic working for
*you*, period, and understanding that his task is to help you reach an informed
decision on the boat- not help his actual client (the guy paying his bill) sell
it.

If the cost of launching the boat for a test run seems prohibitive, you have
some real shockeroos in store should you take up boating.

"vze3j5ge" wrote in message
...
My husband and I are considering purchase of a used boat - currently out
of the water at our marina. We've spoken to a marine surveyor we might
hire who says that the engine can be tested to some extent on land but
that we really should put the boat in the water and check it out. Seems
reasonable - but my question is one about procedure. Who usually pays
for the marina to put boat in and take it out again in such a case -
buyer or seller?


I never paid a fee for any boat that I sea trialed. I bought 3 of
them...and walked away from a fourth 'cause the seller and I couldn't reach
an agreement on a lower price after the sea trial. But I still didn't pay
for the sea trial.

Three of the four boats that I sea trialed were sold on consignment by a
dealer. The reason the dealer gets a commission on the sale of a
consignment boat is because he has to take on the responsibility and cost of
launching the boat for sea trials.

There is no way I'd pay a dealer to launch and sea trial a boat that he's
already getting a commission on. That's the reason he's getting a
commission...to put up with the tire kickers.

On Thu, 19 Aug 2004 23:03:56 GMT, vze3j5ge
wrote:

My husband and I are considering purchase of a used boat - currently out
of the water at our marina. We've spoken to a marine surveyor we might
hire who says that the engine can be tested to some extent on land but
that we really should put the boat in the water and check it out. Seems
reasonable - but my question is one about procedure. Who usually pays
for the marina to put boat in and take it out again in such a case -
buyer or seller?

Thanks for any help.

Normally it requires a deposit in escrow against the potential
purchase. Which is to say, you deposit 10%, or an agreed upon sum
which shows your good faith, then the launch, test cruise, inspection,
etc. can be arranged. If you decide not to purchase after, then the
deposit is returned less any fees.

The buyer pays for the launch and recovery, but in several cases that
I'm aware of, the fee was split once the survey was done and the
purchase price was agreed on. If you decide not to purchase the boat,
then you have lost the fee, but normally at that point, the seller
becomes more motivated so if problems are found, a formerly firm price
becomes amazingly negotiable (unless the seller is a complete idiot).

At that point, it's up to you what to do with regard to purchase. You
can have the owner fix any problems or agree to fix the problems at a
discounted price for the vessel. Depending on how big the vessel is,
your insurance company will require a copy of the survey and evidence
of any repairs before allowing you to operate the vessel under their
umbrella.

There are variations on this, but any reputable broker/yard will help
you through the process. Take your time.

Good luck.

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT
-----------
"Angling may be said to be so
like the mathematics that it
can never be fully learnt..."

Izaak Walton "The Compleat Angler", 1653

I never paid a fee for any boat that I sea trialed.

You're correct in the case of an acutal sea trial. The seller furnishes fuel,
assumes the risk of damage to the vessel, etc.

This is a case of launching the boat to perform an engine survey:

Quote:

We've spoken to a marine surveyor we might
hire who says that the engine can be tested to some extent on land but
that we really should put the boat in the water and check it out.

If it's a survey expense, it's traditionally the buyer's responsibility.

Most buyers aren't going to be paying for an engine survey until they've had a
satisfactory sea trial. If the boat won't start or run for sea trial, it
doesn't take a mechanical genius to assess its general operating condition.
:-)