Buying older boats (early '90s)

[stewart]

Buying older boats (early \'90s)

I'm looking at buying an older sports boat - probably a 40-45' Sunseeker from the early '90s. Does anyone have any experience of similar boats and are there any major downsides compared to buying a younger but smaller/lower spec boat? (the boat is to be kept in the Med)

What is the typical useful life of boats of this nature?

Any help gratefully received.

 

[byron]

Re: Buying older boats (early \'90s)

An early 90s boat is hardly an old boat, looked after the boat should last 30-40 years. Look at all the old Freemans from the 1960s that are still going strong.

©2001

 

[Guest]

Re: Buying older boats (early \'90s)

Ah but, sunseeker-wise, praps a ten year old boat has seen quite lot of action. Not many Freemans we bought to leap from wave to wave and suchlike, so praps need a good surveyor to check for stress crazing: even if there's none in the bedroom furniture, there might be some in the hull, ahem. I'd expect the worst cared-for to be petrols (cheapest and fastest new), but otherwise there should be some good deals about, as there do seem to lots of speedy sunseekers lying around marinas uk/abroad fairly unused, with least-loved recognisable by thick layer of weed on bottom even tho it's June.

 

[martin]

Re: Buying older boats (early \'90s)

Just traded in a 2 yr old Sealine F33 which I bought new for a 95 Princess V39. My experience is that the new boat was nothing but trouble and the old boat has been no trouble. At least so far.!

The main thing is that the hull and drive chain is sound. You should expect to have to update/replace just about everything else. I don't know why but for some strange reason I really enjoyed doing up the old princess to make her shine like a new boat and as a result I think I enjoy her even more. Taking delivery of the new boat was a bit of a let down really, until it all started to go wrong....then I started to resent having to fix anything at all...cos it was new...! Sadly the dealer/makers didn't see it that way... they seem to take the view that it is a priviledge to get the opportunity to test their products!!

 

[byron]

Re: Buying older boats (early \'90s)

Strange you should say that about your F33 a pal had a new 37 and I wouldn't expect the problems he had from an old Broads Cruiser let alone a brand new boat.

©2001

 

[martin]

Re: Buying older boats (early \'90s)

Seems like a theme.... one guy in the same Marina had a new 50fter and he had no joy either!!!....mentioned my observations to the Sealine sales team one day .. you would not believe what they said.. I will say no more or I might get myself in trouble!..

My advice...don't buyem.

 

[stewart]

Re: Buying older boats (early \'90s)

Thanks for the thoughts guys, especially as a Sealine S37 was (emphasise "was") on my list.

 

[adrianm]

Re: Buying older boats (early \'90s)

Just goes to show that there are "Friday afternoon" boats as well as cars. My S37 is fantastic, but the guy on the berth next to me wants to set fire to his Princess!

 

[byron]

Re: Buying older boats (early \'90s)

My pal is happy enough with the boat, the way it handles, sea keeping etc. What he's fed up with is the things that have gone wrong with engines and equipment. Sealine aren't at fault there but all these things go the greater whole.

©2001

 

[martin]

Re: Buying older boats (early \'90s)

Same here..it was not the hull or how it handled it was the the 22 snags that took a year and a half to fix. Some V serious and worrying from the Volvo engineering and wallet point of view.

When we eventually parted company it was like a weight off my back. Sealine and Volvo are two companies I will go to great lengths to avoid from now. Not a popular or maybe a smart thing to say but having had to threaten a nasty leaflet drop at the boat show to get my damm boat fixed...I think best.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: Buying older boats (early \'90s)

Stewart, we've done roughly the same thing. Just sold a virtually new S37 and bought an early '90's boat. I cant really criticize the S37 'coz nothing much went wrong but it's not really a proper cruising boat (cue howls of abuse). As a weekend toy for arsing about in the Solent its fine but for spending 3 weeks bashing around Brittany, it does'nt cut it.

No, IMHO what you need is 2 nice shafts, more than 40' and more than 10t weight. When we were thinking about changing the S37, I really fancied a nice Camargue 46 or Mustique 42 but 'er indoors wanted her aft cabin back. I always wear the trousers in this relationship so we ended up with a Broom.

I looked at a fair few older Sunseekers and their condition varied wildly. Some had obviously been thrashed, trashed and neglected by the kind of people who wear hair gel but others looked nicely cared for. So, stating the obvious, get a proper hull and engine survey done. On that last point, apparently the Detroit and Cat engines are the ones to go for on Sunseekers as Volvos dont stand the pace

The thing about older boats is that you can personalize them but you have to be willing to turn your hand to a bit of DIY (unless you have a bottomless wallet) and have the time to do it. Somehow faults on older boats can be put down to 'character' but faults on new boats are deeply distressing.

Only last weekend, I got the toolbox out for the first time in 2 years and after I had worked out how to open the catch on it, I changed the seals on one of the loos. I was so pleased with myself after I finished that I just had to go out and buy myself a new GPS. Now, if I'd had to do that job on a newer boat, I'd have been invoking all sorts of unmentionable curses on the manufacturer.

Oh and one last point. If you ever feel jealous of somebody who's just bought a brand new boat console yourself with the fact that the bloody thing's depreciating thousands of pounds before your very eyes

 

[Guest]

Re: Buying older boats (early \'90s)

Customising and working on boats is just as fun as cruising them. We have got a 1972 Moonraker 36, and we were thinking about chopping it in for a 40' Sealine/Princess etc. After looking at a lot we came away uninspired - new boats are all exactly like walking into a tupperware box. They have no feel or character - I know that our Moonraker is unique. We walked around Sealine in Swanwick and saw row upon row of identical boats. The Moonraker is as good as new (nice gelcoat and all), shafts, a/c and is low enough to cruise rivers with no problem. New boats haven't got much more except newer technology.

So instead, we decided to bung a couple of new engines, new navionics etc. and get more fun out of installing them than rushing around the Solent cursing the manufacturer. I'm off tomorrow to spend 6 grand on Furuno radar, Silva and Icom. Spent 15k on new engines at the weekend. It has been an expensive week! Not as much as the depreciation on a new T46 though ...