Buying a boat from UK or USA

[kazbar]

I am new to powerboats and would like some advice about buying a used boat.

I am looking for a boat that I can use from Brighton for Water Skiing, Fishing, offshore cruising and Inshore Rivers. I would like to have enough room for overnight sleeping of 2/4.

My main question is having seen a few sites in the USA where the prices are lower. Is it worth importing and what are the costs (Vat and Duty into Southampton) and has anyone had experience of doing this and was it worth it?

Examples being http://www.worldpropertyinvestor.com/Importaboat/boats.html
Who seem to import for you and cover all costs

OR

Global Trade Partners, Inc. from the USA who sells to you but you have to either pay for shipping and duties or with some boat just the duties.


As for my budget I would like to keep it below 15k

I read an article that said boating doesn’t have to be expensive and gave a price of only £195,000 for a new boat was I the only person who thought this was maybe a lot of money?


I would prefer that I could keep the boat on my drive to save marina costs so it would have to go on a trailer. Also is it worth going for diesel with cheaper running costs? And do diesel boats keep their value

This comes to the next point I have read that the trailers for the USA that are included in the price are not legal in the UK. Apparently the width and brakes are different?

I would of course get a survey of any boat that I thought about buying.

Sorry there are so many questions hopefully someone can answer a few

Regards

Karl




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[tcm]

At a budget of 15k, it is not worth even thinking about importing.

Have a look at nationwide boat sales in chesterfield, loads of not too expensive boats.


£195,000 is a lot of money if you turn it into 1-pound coins. But not a colossal amount for a brand new cruising powerboat. And is a very small quantity of money if you needed to equip a Navy, frexample. Try working a lot harder, or more effectively, so you will make this much loot in a year. Then, improve some more so you make the same in a month, or a week or a day or less. If everyone did this, then Rodney Bickerstaff would have to represent people who can only afford business class. Mind you, the price of the £195grand powerboat might go up, damnit.

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[Dave_Snelson]

Karl - be careful, I nearly went down this route but my growing unease at the whole situation stopped me.

Global Trade Partners are a one man outfit in the US and the costs for buying could escalate beyond your budget. You would have to pay, at the very least, the VAT @ 17.5% plus an import duty which would likely add another 10%. Then you have the problems with the trailers...

Then you have the fact that the chap (who has an Irish sounding name that I can't remember) wants you to send your money up front, or at least 25% of it before he will ship. Thats not so bad but you are not allowed to use credit cards to pay, so you have no protection, it must be a money transfer from your bank to his. Why does a company with a name like "Global Trade Partners" not take Mastercard and Visa?? Ask yourself this - are all those boats he shows on the web really for sale, or has someone with a digital camera just gone around the storage bays and marinas photographing boats??

He couldn't, or wouldn't, answer all my questions so I gave up in the end and bought over here.

Take heed of an age old adage...If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

Good luck in your search.

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[barryjl]

15k wont buy you a brand new deisel boat of any description as far as I know, and your budget seems very light to achieve all you want to achieve. Have you done much/any boating before? I think you need to be looking in the secondhand market and think you will need to settle for petrol this time around, unless you spend a bit more. I would suggest maybe looking at something like Falcon 22 or maybe Sealine 190 which you often see for between 15k and 20k, but these would be petrol and anything up to 10/12 years old or older - I'm told they're good boats though. Hope that's helpful and good luck.

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[martynwhiteley]

You'd be very lucky yo find a worthwhile boat that's both trailable, sleeps 2/4, and diesel for a budget of £15K.

There will be one or two, perhaps on old 22-24ft Bayliner that's been converted to a Ford diesel, or a Fairline Holiday etc. However one thing's for certain, if you did find one, forget water skiing!

So you definately talking petrol, and 9 times out of ten it will be USA not UK.

Your most likely to come across Bayliner 245's, but pehaps a Cruisers International 224 would fit the bill best, and there's one or two of them about.

Make sure it's got a V8 Mercruiser of Volvo in it though, since anything less than about 220hp will not give you enough power.

You may also come across a few old large Fletchers, perhaps the only chance of an inboard powered Brit. Or if your prepared for something less sporty in appearance and outboard powered, there are plenty of Shetland 4+2's about.



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[martynwhiteley]

Just to pinch tc's idea.....

This 23ft Rinker's been for sale at Nationwide as long as I can remember (2+ years!).

I've seen it in the flesh and it looks like it's doing 50 when stood on the trailer, who cares if it's a bit short on cabin space. I think it must be the 7.4 litre Mercruiser that puts people off (Not so suited to the canals around Chesterfield!)

I'm sure they must be up for a very low offer............





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[kazbar]

Thanks for all your quick replies.

I thought 15k might be thought as not enough but as this would be my first boat and would prefer to make my mistakes on a small scale when starting out. Also find out if it is for me.

Thanks for the mention regarding http://www.nationwideboatsales.co.uk they seem to have a few boats that might fit the bill.

I have looked into doing one of the powerboat courses but have since read that they aren't that good...perhaps I will join the local boating club and chat with some members there.

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[tcm]

Re: cor!

looks the biz eh! I bet with a bit of fibreglas you couold sort-of bodge up a nice flybridge thing too. And take the engine out. Probably add thousand to the value and make it sell very quickly

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[kazbar]

Thanks that Rinker 2360 Sport certainly looks fast/sexy but 7.1 litre engine what are the running costs on something like that per hour?

I have seen these boats

1993 CELEBRITY 20ft CUDDY Cabin 4.3 GM V6, less than 100 hrs.,
galv. single axle trailer.

Price: £7,800

Can't paste the pictures in any opinions?
1996 Bayliner 1952 cuddy cabin w/ 3L Mercruiser, NEW continental alum. Trailer, Uk cost on private sale £12,000 dealer would be slightly more.

Price: £9,000




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[Alistairr]

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz

Oh ah, whaz that!!

Did Somebody mention RINKER/forums/images/icons/cool.gif?????

WHERE?? HOW MUCH?? DEAL!! I'LL BUY IT!!!



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Petrol Rules..

 

[Kevin]

Hi

Dont know of Global trade partners, may be dodgy may not be I have imported boats from USA with no trouble.

I do wish people on forums would get the facts about these things right before passing on wisdom to others!!!

Yes vat is payable at 17.5%. Import duty for the boat is only 1.7% ( not 10%), no trailers from the USA are not legal over here, due to brakes amongst other things.

YES you can get a decent boat for £15,000 from the states maybe not the grand designs that some on here might be calling decent, but a 1995 Bayliner 2655
( sleeps 4 usuable sea rivers etc,) Sear ray 25 footers etc etc.

Of course all people selling will want atleast some money up front, as soon as boat leaves USA they have no control of it- dealers over here often want 25% deposits when you confirm an order and whose to say that they wont go bust! ( I know inside info on lots of them) Lots and lots of UK reputable dealers are regularly buying used boats fromt he USA marking them up to UK prices and selling them onto unsuspecting customers - how do I know? I know the dealers over there they buy from!

I paid all up front to the dealers in USA before they would ship the boat and they wouldnt accept visa either, I actually had words with one of the dealers banks direct to ask why they couldnt take visa cards and its the charges on the amount the dealer makes in used boats - over there it isnt uncommon for the used dealer to clear only 1,500 dollars on a $20,000 boat! I got to know my suppliers and thus could trust them.

To make sure boat exsists get an independent surveyor out to check it over and legal ownership before parting with cash.

They are likely to ultimately to quote a price c&f into southampton which is the price of boat into Uk you have to pay 1.7% import then 17.5% VAT

Bayliner 2655 once in UK will be certainly worth more than you paid for it!

SHOULD YOU DO IT? Thats a decision only you can make Im just taking the opposite side to those on here who make it sound difficult and not worth it when clearly it can be!


Whatever you decide hope you get the boat you want!

Kevin



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[Kevin]

P.S If you go to 'new to forum' thread loads more info on there

Kevin

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[kazbar]

I have imported a car before (Pajero) which would do the towing. The importing wasn't that difficult but the SVA was a pain 6 weeks and £600 later hardly any difference except speedo changed. Sorry forum about boats!!

Could some one explain the CE requirements...age, type etc what are the sensible options to make importing as trouble free as possible?


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[andrewa]

I bought from Gordon Burgess, Export American St.Petersburg Florida.

Cost of boat plus 17.5% vat plus 1.5 % import duty on whole cost including shipping.

Website is out of date always, but he will get you anything you want, shipping takes around 14 days. Go to his website and give him a call.

www.exportamerican.com

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[lanason]

Oi - how dare you put Binliner and Fairline Holiday in the same paragraph. The Fairline is a well laid out - mine sleeps all 6 (six) of us no problem. Damn fine design. Good space easy to tow and most around £10-12k mark - a few (very rare) with diesel - mines got the 170hp straight 6.
Not gunna tell how much mine was but came with the trailer and well under £15k /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

Trailer new will set you back between £2.5/3.5k - very diffciult to find 2nd hand.

You could always re-engine with a diesel - (I wish I handnt said that - Martyn will go off on one)



<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian
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[gjgm]

I d suggest you need to prioritise quite what you want a boat for, or possibly buy four, one for each pasttime! As a generalisation the hull design for inshore coastal needs is very different for river cruising, and not surprisingly a boat that is great on a river isnt going to be any use for waterskiing. Thats partly why there are so many boat designs. Just as an example, for the odd waterski, you may do better going to a waterski club and using their boat where there is a purpose set up boat,engine,prop. Then maybe, if its your priority,you can concentrate more on something for coping with inshore English Channel. I dont mean to be rude, but there is a very good reason smaller fishing boats dont look anything like skiboats.The more all purpose boat you want the more likely is it wont be good at anything in particular, and maybe lousy at all of them. The RYA do some elementary booklets for a few quid that give some very basic info about planing,semi-displacement etc etc hulls, and some basics on engine types. That may help you understand the limitations you face, and help you make a better choice. I m sure you can find people to advise you on buying from USA, but ,an exageration, boats arent quite the pride and joy thing as over here.. more like trash it and get another. Also, do read some other posts from new boat owners. There s alot more expense than buying a boat. Allow for that in your budget. That apart, hope you re out on the water next season!

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[kazbar]

Sorry GJGM, I will be more precise. I might take the boat up a river to Arundel or Lewes but not certain and only occasionally I was more worried about depth issues, the fishing would be by rods and not nets as you seem to think and was only mentioned to give an idea of usage. I would like to be able to take my kids (15, 13 and 9 years old) out in it and water skiing would be nice addition to its usage. The sleeping would only be overnight and would not have to be plush. By the way found a great site with video reviews of power boats

http://www.boattest.com/main.asp

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[BarryH]

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

Oi - how dare you put Binliner and Fairline Holiday

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I quiet agree, how dare he compare a fairly cheap well appointed quiet quick Bayliner with a house brick!

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[martynwhiteley]

Thanks Adrian, well hear goes....

The combination of a very capable and popular Fairline Holiday, and a new Merc D120 would be the ultimate combo.....................




..................o sh*t it's after 5.30 and I'm not being paid to site here any longer, you'll have to wait for the other six pages....


Bye

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[barryjl]

If you've not done any boating before, I would highly recommend RYA Power Boat Levels 1 and 2 - will put you on the right track.

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