That looks a really good well found boat at that price.
That's a term I haven't heard since I was a boy. I don't think it was a term generally used in Ireland, or at least in the southern part of the island, but it was used by a man in our parish who had spent considerable time in Scotland.The first time I sold a boat, it was a race rigged Wayfarer (the 1976 Worlds winner, no less!)
Unfortunately the Outer Hebrides was not quite the best marker to sell in to. I remember one old bodach asking me if you could fit a pot hauler
Agree - that looks to be a good boat in good condition, and at a good price. An excellent find by Tranona....
Well, perhaps I exaggerated a bit. I don't think than reading this book has made me real surveyor While reading it, I was sometimes terrified by the complexity of some problems. But anyway, it is still good to have read it.At this price point they may well be able to sell without going to this effort. Unless you are going to pay more, or be a quicker / easier sale then why invest time in answering detailed questions for an overly cautious buyer who is hundreds of miles away.
Actually you probably need to go kiss a few frogs before you find your prince so actually travel to see potential boats shouldn't be a major barrier. That will give you experience looking at boats and determining what is a real problem and what you can actually expect for the money. A bigger issue is if you buy an old cheap boat 400 miles away are you ready to sail it home? Both with your experience but also with your confidence in the boat.
It is much harder to lie to a direct verbal question than a written one, or even to simply answer a totally different question. The way you word things, would I be right in saying that whilst fluent in English it is not your first language? That may have issues to consider: 1. your wording is slightly confrontational - that might not be the best way to elicit supportive answers; 2. you may end up being more suspicious of perfectly reasonable answers because they don't answer in the style you are used to; 3. if the buyer thinks your language or questions are not "typical" they may suspect you are a scammer, mentioning you are 400 miles away is an immediate red flag for the "I can't collect this buy 'my agent' will" scams.
You are buying an old cheap boat. There WILL be problems from the moment you hand over cash. Boats are sold "as seen" and no warranties for a week/month. The engine might have been running on your sea trials but fail the day after you collect it; the sails might be fine when you inspect but shred in a strong breeze etc.
I've not read Don's book - but I have read surveys. If you are a worrier you will never buy a boat that has been surveyed (and obviously wouldn't buy one without). I expect Don's book will similarly give you a list of concerns for every boat you view. At this price point that is 100% normal. You need to decide if you can afford to live with them - likely they don't all actually need fixing.I also bought my copy of the "Inspecting the aging sailboat" ebook by Don Casey. I made some notes and I know what to look for
Getting that easily for under £5k is a real challenge, particularly located where you are which is not prime "old small boat" territory. Boats at this end of the market are for sale mostly because the owner has come to the conclusion it is not worth keeping - looming big expense, change of circumstances, fallen out of love with it etc. Running costs are so high today that they can often exceed the value of the boat in a year. Often sellers won't give a straight answer because they know the boat is rubbish which is why you have to go yourself and make your own judgement. You get the odd boat like the one I linked to earlier which really does look like it is ready to go and is on with a good broker, but that is rare.> more communication before driving to view
I fully agree!
> No disrespect to OP ... but I think a little more work BEFORE jumping in the car ... ie telephone .... but also take into account that seller may not be selling his latest gizmos with the boat .... to expect to have a 500 - 1000 pound plotter etc. on the boat is a bit optimistic ... most will have an older unit that still works but cannot be updated .. other instruments likely limited to depth and speed ...
What I expect, is a reasonable description of the boat before going to see her. And this is exactly, what I was trying to do. But for some unknown reason people refuse to answer me or if they answer it is a very generic one. I think, they want to hide something. I think, if someone hides something from the beginning or doesn't answer then it means, something is wrong. Yes, perhaps, it is just a broker who doesn't know the real condition of the boat they sell. But why would I like to do 400 miles drive if I don't have basic answers? This is the reason why I created this thread. I just wanted to know, I could improve my communication style. I will try to call people but somehow I have a feeling, it is going to be the same result. I will get served some lies and generic opinions without the truth.
I don't expect fancy navigation equipment. What I expect, is a boat, not a wreckage. She should be able to sail both on motor and her sails. There could be some problems, old gelcoat, bad paint or rigging or sails in the end of their lives but in general she has to be operational. It is not, I would like to pay for the rigging replacement but I understand in the price range there may be some problems soon (but not a week or month after I bought her).
I also bought my copy of the "Inspecting the aging sailboat" ebook by Don Casey. I made some notes and I know what to look for
> And if you bought that in the Clyde.... and wanted it brought around to the Tay.... I'd happily do that for you.
Thank you very much! I will remember this proposition!
Thank you all for your help!
Go and see the one on the Clyde that Tranona linked to before going to the south coast, which would be an expensive place to transport a boat from. It's the only boat in this thread that anyone here has seen & been on - me!There is really a few nice boats, I would like to see on the south coast of England but going there is simpler than going back with the boat... In a perfectly sound boat this would be a little expedition. In a just bought boat, it would be risky and it could be a disaster...
The only way you can work that out is to go see her. I don’t think it’s disrespectful to go see a boat you might want to buy. Few people buy the first boat they view so you will always see a few duds first. If someone is not IT literate (and many sellers of these boats will not be) you may waste more of their time asking for photos and detailed descriptions, than just going to see it.
Do you really want to own a small old boat on the East of Scotland in the middle of winter?
