The disease and sailing.

[[165264]]

Pure conjecture, I realise, but for someone like me, who was thinking of getting a boat, then thought better of it, if the prices fall like a stone for used boats, well, I might think again. Why might prices fall? Well, I am not an economist but I suspect as things return to normal there will be something of a recession, though hopefully not as bad as the last one. Some people, if they lose most or all of this season, will decide it just isn't worth it any more, and some, sadly, given the age of most boat-owners, may die and their boats be for sale by executors. Of course, one has to survive the pandemic oneself, in order to benefit.

 

[sailaboutvic]

very cheerfully guy .
might just go and top myself now

 

[Poey50]

Pure conjecture, I realise, but for someone like me, who was thinking of getting a boat, then thought better of it, if the prices fall like a stone for used boats, well, I might think again. Why might prices fall? Well, I am not an economist but I suspect as things return to normal there will be something of a recession, though hopefully not as bad as the last one. Some people, if they lose most or all of this season, will decide it just isn't worth it any more, and some, sadly, given the age of most boat-owners, may die and their boats be for sale by executors. Of course, one has to survive the pandemic oneself, in order to benefit.

Every cloud ....

 

[doug748]

Financially, you would do much better to buy stocks and shares at the bottom and hold them, but we all know that and man does not live by bread alone.

I doubt there will be pent up demand at the end of this hiatus but, as you say, sure as shootin' there will be a backlog of sales. So fill your boots...
except, will it make a huge difference?
Unless there is another Wall Street Crash, maybe an 80k boat can be got for 60k. So you save a few years running costs - that is the figure to keep your eye on. Boats have been pretty cheap for a number of years but they can still beggar you if you get carried away with a "bargain".

 

[VicS]

Pure conjecture, I realise, but for someone like me, who was thinking of getting a boat, then thought better of it, if the prices fall like a stone for used boats, well, I might think again. Why might prices fall? Well, I am not an economist but I suspect as things return to normal there will be something of a recession, though hopefully not as bad as the last one. Some people, if they lose most or all of this season, will decide it just isn't worth it any more, and some, sadly, given the age of most boat-owners, may die and their boats be for sale by executors. Of course, one has to survive the pandemic oneself, in order to benefit.

If things return to normal.

They will only do that if people who recover have good immunity to reinfection and if an effective vaccine is produced fairly soon. Otherwise a return to anything like civilization as we know it is very unlikely. Possibly we will follow the dinosaurs into extinction

 

[James_Calvert]

Well, this is of course a survivors' problem.

Here's hoping!

 

[Deleted member 36384]

........ Possibly we will follow the dinosaurs into extinction ......

How do you get to that conclusion from the current data? The majority who catch it recover. I grant we don't really know yet if the recovered are immune, at least that is my understanding.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

You don't have to wait for people to die so you can get a cheap boat; there are dirt cheap boats around everywhere; just go to find one.

 

[johnalison]

There will be cheap and very cheap boats when things get going again. There is absolutely no reason why you should not take advantage of this if you are fortunate enough to do so. If anything, you will be doing everone a favour.

 

[PHN]

Financially, you would do much better to buy stocks and shares at the bottom and hold them, but we all know that and man does not live by bread alone.

Exactly, ... except that nobody knows bottom and peak in advance.

 

[PHN]

There will be cheap and very cheap boats when things get going again. There is absolutely no reason why you should not take advantage of this if you are fortunate enough to do so. If anything, you will be doing everone a favour.

It is always poor advice to sell in the midst of a crisis if there is no imminent need for it.

On the other side, an already struggeling market may not survive a crisis. But that is not because of the crisis.

I don't expect boating to stop. However the younger generation - generally speaking - these days is more interested in experience rather than ownership of "stuff". That means that today they rent a boat and tomorrow they rent something else without the burden of maintenance and ownership. Exceptions are the live aboard round the world sailers and alike who have a floating house. It is very well possible that this becomes a growing trend ... in need of a boat.

 

[Homer J]

What to invest in? How to keep your money? This has been troubling the wealthy for years. Speak to those from ex-communist countries who have on more than one occasion lost everything overnight.
if we learn one thing from this situation it’s to live life to the full. Money in stocks And shares? You’ve lost about 30% and you can’t love shares.
You can love a boat and no one can take the experiences you’ve had with it away.

We should learn from this and live a little More (when we are allowed to)

 

[SaltyC]

What to invest in? How to keep your money? This has been troubling the wealthy for years. Speak to those from ex-communist countries who have on more than one occasion lost everything overnight.
if we learn one thing from this situation it’s to live life to the full. Money in stocks And shares? You’ve lost about 30% and you can’t love shares.
You can love a boat and no one can take the experiences you’ve had with it away.

We should learn from this and live a little More (when we are allowed to)

I agree with Homer, it may be a wake up call to those who have lived by the Mantra Money is made flat to pile up and realise NOW may be the time to change tack, Money is made round to go round, and start to live life to the full.

Effect on boat prices??? Probably drop in the short term, but if people change tack there may be a pent up demand as they realise they need to do things whilst they can.

 

[PHN]

What to invest in? How to keep your money? This has been troubling the wealthy for years. Speak to those from ex-communist countries who have on more than one occasion lost everything overnight.
if we learn one thing from this situation it’s to live life to the full. Money in stocks And shares? You’ve lost about 30% and you can’t love shares.
You can love a boat and no one can take the experiences you’ve had with it away.

We should learn from this and live a little More (when we are allowed to)

Money by itself does not create happiness. Having no money neither ...

 

[Momac]

I think at the moment it would be difficult to buy a boat unless you would be happy to do so without viewing it.

Who know s what will happen? The value of money could diminish considerately so the cash that is presently burning a hole in your pocket might not buy a cup of tea in a years time.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Money by itself does not create happiness. Having no money neither ...

To roughly quote Dickens,
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure 19 pounds 19 shillings and sixpence ....result happiness.
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds and sixpence....result misery.

 

[Stemar]

With my pessimist's (realist's?) hat on, ISTM that many boat owners, including myself, fall into the category of vulnerable to CV, so I would expect a number of executor's sales, not only of boats, but other expensive toys like classic cars by the time this is over. Were I in the market for a boat, I'd expect a few bargains when normality returns. I have no doubt that normality will return, though it may be a bumpy ride for a while

 

[Frogmogman]

If anything, this reminder of my own mortality has me thinking that once we get through this (assuming I do), I need to get on with buying a boat and pushing off into the wide blue yonder for the adventure I've always dreamed of.

It's too easy to make excuses to yourself as to why it can't happen. Carpe diem and all that........

Please feel free to remind me to get on with it at a future date.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Those in the 52-62 age bracket may well end up with a quite attractive redundancy package in the near future.

Assuming I survive then this, it might be just the ticket to move aboard and enjoy a decade of sailing. ☀

 

[Quandary]

What else are people going to do, trips to China? cruises to Tobermory on those floating skyscrapers? Spanish hotels? myself I think I will hang on to my boat seems that it might be much the safer way to relax than most of the alternatives.
However the supply is likely to exceed the demand at least for a year or so if Ben Jen Bav etc. find their feet again and replace the employees who left. It will be like back in the sixties and seventies for a while and in those days a good boats price could keep up with inflation, wishful thinking? of course.