Afloat or Ashore

[richardbrennan]

As it appears that, due to unexpected circumstances, I might have to sell my boat in the not too distant future, and with another year's marina fees due in April, I wander what the pros and cons are of having the boat on the mooring or having it lifted into the yard with regard to a sale.

Obviously it's considerably cheaper to have the boat ashore, but might this deter potential buyers?

 

[Rappey]

It's far easier for people to view ashore compared to a mooring.
It would have to come out anyway to be surveyed and ashore saves you money plus there is less to worry about.
I'm sure many potential buyers can google a review of most boats that will state how they sail.
I know people that have bought known boats with a good survey without being able to test drive them.

 

[Tranona]

On a swinging or pontoon mooring with no shore access is not generally good for viewing. In a marina berth is good because viewers can get a feel for the boat in its environment. Ashore is most common and has the advantage of not needing a lift for the survey, but disadvantage of not being able to run the engine or take out if that is desirable for sealing the deal. On the other hand viewers have to climb ladders in many cases, but can visually inspect the underwater.

So, no clear answer and to be honest for a really committed buyer of a "good" boat it probably won't make much difference, so think I would go for the cheaper ashore option.

 

[neilf39]

I would bring her ashore. Buyers can see all the boat and it's no extra costs to them for a survey. Only thing it precludes is a trial sail but I think seeing the whole boat trumps that.

 

[Biggles Wader]

If you want to sell before April I would leave her as is and concentrate on getting suitable punters round. Time is short and you can always arrange the lift out for a serious buyer if needed.

 

[Caer Urfa]

I do Pre Buying Inspections on Colvic Watson's and being afloat has two big advantages,

1) Few surveyors do but I always insist on running the engine which is done best afloat,
2) Again few surveyors do but weather permitting I like to hoist each sail one at a time.

In both cases you will be amazed what you can find.

Then after inspecting everything else only then I will recommend to the buyer for a lift out hull inspection

 

[neilf39]

I do Pre Buying Inspections on Colvic Watson's and being afloat has two big advantages,

1) Few surveyors do but I always insist on running the engine which is done best afloat,
2) Again few surveyors do but weather permitting I like to hoist each sail one at a time.

In both cases you will be amazed what you can find.

Then after inspecting everything else only then I will recommend to the buyer for a lift out hull inspection

So you do two visits or the buyer has to arrange a lift out on the same day anyway. Does a 2 visit survey cost the same as a single visit one?

 

[jwilson]

Afloat on a marina berth or ashore? Both have advantages and disadvantages.

Afloat, the boat is in her element: you can run the engine, the echosounder works, if it is a nice day you can if you wish take people out for a brief sail. On a standard production boat that's usually pretty pointless: all it tells you is what it sails like in the particular conditions, with one particular person trimming the sails and suggesting courses. Those who do demo sails for new boat dealers get pretty good at making boats appear to sail well, and tailoring the experience to suit either gung-ho or nervous customers . A test sail can put people off instead of selling the boat.

Ashore, buyers can see the bottom, keel, rudder, prop etc. Viewers usually have to climb a ladder to get aboard: you have to make sure they are safe to do so and safe once on deck. You can however have cleaned and polished the hull, put a nice new thin coat of antifoul on, and may have had a dehumidifier on which makes the whole boat feel drier and more comfortable.

As I said, it's a toss-up. My gut feeling is that the more experienced the buyer, the more they prefer ashore. But you will get someone who says ".....I wouldn't buy a car without a test drive" which we hate, or the very reasonable ".... I need to run the engine under load". As brokers we often to handle the can't-run-engine-under-load issue by a retention sum, to be released to the seller only when the boat has been surveyed, the sale completed, and launched and given an hour or half hour's test run under power. With a private sale arranging this sort of retention is more difficult.

Whichever of afloat or ashore you choose preparation is vital - look at our web page Preparing a yacht for sale - Yachtsnet Ltd. yacht brokerage

 

[lustyd]

If you're selling before April in the current climate the boat will need to be cheap enough that it probably won't matter. I have recently found out that marina contracts are less fixed than you might expect. Premier in Port Solent have been extremely flexible on several occasions over the last year including ending my contract when I left rather than at the end of the contract. They also said if you leave shortly after starting a contract that they automatically switch you to a monthly contract to reduce costs. New marina has been equally good so far so it's worth asking the question if you can't sell before renewal.

 

[Stemar]

Why can't you run the engine ashore? I just take the raw water inlet off the seacock and stick it in a bucket. OK, you can't tell if it's developing full power, but you can see how it starts and if it makes a lot of smoke.

 

[Caer Urfa]

So you do two visits or the buyer has to arrange a lift out on the same day anyway. Does a 2 visit survey cost the same as a single visit one?

If the boats ashore then fine one visit but you are not allowed or would want to hoist a sail, yes engine may be run from a hose but not for long and many marina boatyards will not allow anyhow as any vibration from the engine into the boat could possibly shake hull supports resulting in a whole load of trouble

If boat already afloat after survey it is entirely up to the buyer if he wants a hull survey ashore BUT taking hull moisture readings when a boat is just lifted out is to me a no no giving false moisture reading results, I would want the boat to dry out min 3 weeks.
Everyone to their own !

 

[Stemar]

any vibration from the engine into the boat could possibly shake hull supports resulting in a whole load of trouble

I don't doubt that some marinas will say this but, if the supports are that poorly fixed, I don't want to be around in anything over a gusty 6, and I'll be parking my boat somewhere else.

 

[Caer Urfa]

I don't doubt that some marinas will say this but, if the supports are that poorly fixed, I don't want to be around in anything over a gusty 6, and I'll be parking my boat somewhere else.

100% agree but you would not believe how some boats are chocked up, I saw a 42 ft yacht last year supported by an oil drum either side just angled to the hull at 45 degrees with only just halve of it in contact with the ground

 

[V1701]

If you're selling before April in the current climate the boat will need to be cheap enough that it probably won't matter. I have recently found out that marina contracts are less fixed than you might expect. Premier in Port Solent have been extremely flexible on several occasions over the last year including ending my contract when I left rather than at the end of the contract. They also said if you leave shortly after starting a contract that they automatically switch you to a monthly contract to reduce costs. New marina has been equally good so far so it's worth asking the question if you can't sell before renewal.

Ditto, long story but I moved my boat just a couple of months into a contract with Premier and was very surprised to get most of the 12 month fee (that I'd paid in full & in advance to get a discount) back, minus two months at the montly rate...

 

[richardbrennan]

Thanks for all the replies.

There doesn't seem to be a particularly wrong and right answer. I think on balance I will probably bring the boat ashore as the prop anodes (Volvo Folding Prop) will have almost certainly have all but disappeared by now in any case.