Best Time To Buy Secondhand

[Dino]

Hi,
I'm in the market for a new boat. My boating is mainly inland lakes and rivers but I want to option to be able to do coastal trips too so want twins and a 12-15 knot cruising capability.
I'm a Broom fan but the secondhand pricing seems all over the place with the various brokers. I'm seeing Broom 36's ranging from £90-120k but Broom 38's ranging from £110-140k. There seems to be very little difference in price seeing as the 36 is smaller and at least 5 years older. There seems to be a gap in the secondhand market between the Broom Crown at around £50k and the Broom 36/38 at £90k to 140k. I really like the Crown but they are getting old and I'm trying to stay away from old Perkins HT6354's. The Volvo powered Crowns are pretty rare and I missed out on a nice one recently. The Broom 38's are a bit out of budget too.
The 10/70 is another option but not sure if they would be up to much coastal work.
I need to avoid anything with a draft over 3ft 6in and I can't go too high with airdraft either.
So I have been watching the used boat websites and there seems to be very little coming to the market. When do most UK boats get listed? End of season or Spring?
Are there any good Used Boat Shows that are worth visiting, especially on the Thames?
Are there any other boats I should be looking at?

 

[ari]

There are a massive amount of variables that affect boat prices, from condition to specification to engine options to pure optimism (or pessimism!)

As to the best time to buy, the simple answer is, when you find a boat that you like at a price you're happy to pay. It's a very small market, especially recently, it really can be simply a case of just keeping on looking till the right boat comes along.

 

[oldgit]

River Thames ideal hunting ground for Brooms. Lots of all types in close proximity. Watch out for lack of basic servicing, especially check impellers/ heat exchangers. If your engine impeller fails on the Thames you gently drift to river bank, if it happens offshore, different kettle of fish. Watch out for lack of radar/Nav gear ,if absent/ancient your going to need to buy it to go offshore. The entire Thames valley is not exactly an economically deprived area and prices seem to attract a premium.Compare asking prices with coastal stuff not a boat just down the road.Coastal stuff is usually better kitted out and more likely to be working. As for best time to buy, if you do not have boat to sell....winter ... buyers are thin on the ground. As for used boat shows, anything well priced and decent will sell fast, its only the difficult to shift initially over priced old rocks that finally end up at S/H boat shows. Not infrequently after somebody has suggested to owner that a low budget complete interior retrim and price drop might just get the boat off his hands.

 

[Dino]

Thanks folks, I have no boat to sell and I'm a cash buyer so that should help.
Is it work doing a tour of the Thames or Broads marinas to see what's for sale but not necessarily advertised online?
Does everything get advertised online these days?

 

[Ferris]

What about a Broom Monarch, most seem to have mermaids or Volvo 306's. I know of a good one one for sale.

 

[Dino]

The Monarch is a lovely boat alright. While they are under 40ft, they are very wide and high so feel a bit big for me. They are a nice option with the VP 306's but the recent asking prices are very high for such an old boat. A year or two ago they were going for £75k up to £90k for a late Volvo powered boat. Now they are all £110-140k.

 

[Ferris]

Open to challenge on this but traditionally, with Broom, the Ocean's were built to a lower spec in terms of fitout. Therefore the Monarch is a much nicer boat (fitout and layout) than the Ocean 42 based on the same hull. I am wondering is that one of the reasons why they hold their value.

Also, with Monarchs, layout, age and engine size is crucial. The best layout imo is the large double aft, semi-circular dinette and v-berths fwd in terms of space, its in a different league even compared to an Ocean 38 (which is also a great boat). They had different arrangements with twin cabins aft, twin singles aft, L-shaped dinette (ugh in comparison to the semi-c), and a bow island double that was too small. They're not quick even with the 306's so smaller engines would struggle. All the cheaper boats that I saw last year were odd layouts with small engines - later, Volvo powered boats with the ideal layout are more desirable. Agreed that the side decks are high but remember that the aft cabin superstructure fall within the decks so its probably lower here than a traditional full with aft cabin broom.

Also, I don't think the current boats on sale are being realistic in terms of price.

 

[Whitelighter]

Thanks folks, I have no boat to sell and I'm a cash buyer so that should help.
Is it work doing a tour of the Thames or Broads marinas to see what's for sale but not necessarily advertised online?
Does everything get advertised online these days?

Why do people think being a cash buyer helps? So long as the money arrives in my account, I don’t give a fig if you borrowed it from a bank or you had it rolled up under your nan’s bed

 

[mlines]

And with the Thames there is not the pressure to sell before the winter as most waive storage charges for sales boats so the owner is not racking up bills whilst it sits there. The shortage of boats is also keeping the prices up.

 

[Dino]

It was more of a statement that I have no boat to sell and I am not reliant on being approved for finance.
A broker recently told me that a lot of his referrals to the finance company don't get approved.

Why do people think being a cash buyer helps? So long as the money arrives in my account, I don’t give a fig if you borrowed it from a bank or you had it rolled up under your nan’s bed

 

[ari]

Why do people think being a cash buyer helps? So long as the money arrives in my account, I don’t give a fig if you borrowed it from a bank or you had it rolled up under your nan’s bed

Generally, cash buyer means having nothing to sell - already got the cash. So a potentially hassle free transaction.

It doesn't typically mean rolls of £50 notes.

 

[Dino]

Yes, I think the Ocean 37, and maybe the Ocean 42, were available for home completion or were fitted out by other yards in some cases. I say an Ocean 42 advertised recently as a Humber Ocean 42 so must have been fitted out by Humber.
The vee berth forward and large island double aft is a lovely layout on the Monarch. But in my opinion they are a £70-80k boat. There are very good Princess 435's with Volvo 306's going for that sort of money.

Open to challenge on this but traditionally, with Broom, the Ocean's were built to a lower spec in terms of fitout. Therefore the Monarch is a much nicer boat (fitout and layout) than the Ocean 42 based on the same hull. I am wondering is that one of the reasons why they hold their value.

Also, with Monarchs, layout, age and engine size is crucial. The best layout imo is the large double aft, semi-circular dinette and v-berths fwd in terms of space, its in a different league even compared to an Ocean 38 (which is also a great boat). They had different arrangements with twin cabins aft, twin singles aft, L-shaped dinette (ugh in comparison to the semi-c), and a bow island double that was too small. They're not quick even with the 306's so smaller engines would struggle. All the cheaper boats that I saw last year were odd layouts with small engines - later, Volvo powered boats with the ideal layout are more desirable. Agreed that the side decks are high but remember that the aft cabin superstructure fall within the decks so its probably lower here than a traditional full with aft cabin broom.

Also, I don't think the current boats on sale are being realistic in terms of price.

 

[Sailorsam101]

When i bought my boat the things i wish i'd done were the following.

Have the cash there and then ready to go.
Get on board as many boats as i could.
Don't take the asking price at face value...offer a silly amount to start with..i did and it worked for me.
Get a proper sea trail with a engineer who knows what they are doing...i employed a recommended engineer who told me what revs it was getting at WOT but not that they were 300 rpm down on each!

And finally don't rush...wait for the right boat at the right price..might take a year!!!

 

[Ferris]

Yes, I think the Ocean 37, and maybe the Ocean 42, were available for home completion or were fitted out by other yards in some cases. I say an Ocean 42 advertised recently as a Humber Ocean 42 so must have been fitted out by Humber.
The vee berth forward and large island double aft is a lovely layout on the Monarch. But in my opinion they are a £70-80k boat. There are very good Princess 435's with Volvo 306's going for that sort of money.

Yep, fine boats I'm sure, but I wouldn't want one on the Shannon. Too high, too wide, too deep and without a keel to keep them straight at low speeds and protect the props. They won't track into a lock on idle in a crosswind like your old Continental did. Also a late monarch is simply a different level in terms of interior fitout

If not broom maybe look at Haines, darragh, westwood, atlantic and aquastar for aftcabin options.

 

[ari]

I've always found that the best deals tend to be on the worst boats, and vice versa.

These days I tend to chase the best boats rather than the best discounts, seems to work out cheaper in the long run!

Agree with look at as much as possible and take your time, but equally, if the right boat happens along, don't go and look at another five for the sake of it before discovering that the one you should have bought has now gone. Decent boats don't tend to hang around at the moment.

 

[Montemar]

Broom 33 may fit your bill.
I know someone selling a 36 with large VP engines if you are interested.

 

[Dino]

I looked at a 33 but it had a very odd aft cabin layout, no island bed. Nice boat but limited space on aft deck. I probably need to look at a good one.
The Broom 36 ticks a lot of boxes, especially a VP one as a lot have mercruiser (VM) engines.
I'll PM you my email address and they can pass on the details. It may be the one listed with James Dickens.

 

[MapisM]

Why do people think being a cash buyer helps? So long as the money arrives in my account...

That's precisely the reason why people think being a cash buyer helps.
You couldn't believe how many contracts are signed subject to financing and eventually aborted, because the money did NOT arrive.

No first hand experience, mind: my approach with boats has always been that anything I purchased was funded by a share of personal savings which I considered disposable, sort of.
But I have it on very good authority that this does happen, and rather frequently.

 

[rubberduck]

Best time to buy, without doubt when you find the right boat.

 

[Montemar]

I looked at a 33 but it had a very odd aft cabin layout, no island bed. Nice boat but limited space on aft deck. I probably need to look at a good one.
The Broom 36 ticks a lot of boxes, especially a VP one as a lot have mercruiser (VM) engines.
I'll PM you my email address and they can pass on the details. It may be the one listed with James Dickens.

I have passed your email address on.
Our 33 has a double bed but on an angle. Space is limited on aft deck and 36 definitely larger. I suspect the 36 may also have the bed at an angle.