Do new sails get reflected in "boat value"?

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SvenH

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I've had my boat for sale for the past two years, with a total of two viewings.
I guess that this has something to do with the boat being from totally misunderstood cold molded plywood/epoxy.

It is in good shape (as in, better than almost all similarly priced grp boats) and by a very reputable designer.

But if we continue, we are probably quite close to where the sails would need replacing.
And off course, you never get that money back.

But would you say that the value of a good boat with new sails is higher than a good boat with sails that need replacing?
 
It is worth what someone will pay for it, and whereas that sounds a bit trite, you haven't disclosed further details beyond the cold moulded construction. I can imagine that alone would put off a huge % of would be buyers. It has already put me off, sorry. GRP for its sins is almost bullet proof save the myth that is 'osmosis', and that 'theory' only exists IMHO (and experience) to provide Walter Mitty buyers a convenient out when they get cold feet over boat ownership.

I think your comparson with a GRP boat of similar price and presumably appointment is unrealistic as most won't touch a wooden nor indeed ferro cement boat.

The question of having sails on a sail boat is something akin to having windows in a house. Having brand new windows may increase saleability, but won't add anything like the cost of installing them to the value. If you feel the sails are due replacement, then any would be buyer may feel they were due 5 or more years ago, so perhaps if you've scrimped on those what else have you overlooked.

You state it is a good boat, but that is very much a subjective assessment. I've certainly travelled many many miles to see 'good' boats I wouldn't keep a dog in. St Malo was my furthest fools errand ! But also Fowey, Ipswich, and Rochester, all individual trips from Hamble. Although the hunt is part of the fun.

I have also valued 'good' boats at below £0 after the work required to get them decent is properly assessed, and that is for boat styles I am already interested in. I have bought and sold both sail and power boats.

One thing would-be buyers won't tell you (but might tell a broker) is their true reasons for not wanting to go further, although in your case two viewings in two years is abysmal. Is it listed with a broker - they earn every penny IMHO ?

Good luck with your sale.
 
With only 2 viewings in 2 years that would read that the boat may be overpriced?
I certainly wouldnt be spending money on new sails or anything else as no matter what you add to the boat many will never get past the fact that its plywood and therefore has a ceiling on what people are willing to pay regardless of how immaculate it is..
Ply, ferro and steel boats can be bought very cheap because the vast majority want grp which is virtually zero maintenance hull.
 
When I used to sell high value items that we did not want on the books for ever. We kept price up at asking price for six months, then reduced by 10% every 3 months. These were not boats but inform the rules of selling. One bit was potential buyers liked the price drop, but often, then worried too many offers might come in and we did not have to drop prices very far before buyers stepped in. A sort of brinkmanship in reverse. Good luck
 
Ive sold many boats on ebay.. Its a strange thing as you can go 7 days and zero interest.. Put it straight back on ebay and a bidding war breaks out making far more money than i had hoped for..
 
You might not get the money back but it will make it an easier sale, in theory. I think you need the boat to either be a viable sail-away prospect, or a project, with a price tag to match.

When I was selling our last boat, I sat down to write an honest description and realised how many little niggling problems we'd been putting up with for years. When you saw the list, it looked terrible, and shamed me in to actually working my way through them. It was preferable to just do a job than to repeat for the tenth time some lame excuse about neglected varnish or a broken cabin light.
 
SvenH said:
I've had my boat for sale for the past two years, with a total of two viewings.
I guess that this has something to do with the boat being from totally misunderstood cold molded plywood/epoxy.

It is in good shape (as in, better than almost all similarly priced grp boats) and by a very reputable designer.

But if we continue, we are probably quite close to where the sails would need replacing.
And off course, you never get that money back.

But would you say that the value of a good boat with new sails is higher than a good boat with sails that need replacing?
Click to expand...

Quite right. New sails will be money lost. Better to present the boat upfront as priced with didcount to reflect the sails' age. Not condition. Its quite possible a new owner might want to reconfigure sails to their taste - a decision best taken after a season's experience.

You may have to present the hull's construction advantages - ie the reasons why you bought in the first place

Good luck.

PWG
 
If the sails were valeted, then minor repairs would be done and it might show that though they will need replacement in the near future they are OK for now?

Spirit Yachts are veneered over strip planking and seem to command a premium, so a cold molded boat need not be seen as poorer, but it will depend on how well it was built, who built it and how well it has been looked after. Some are complete wrecks whereas other are superb, once let go the condition will be hard to get back.
 
Take it off the market for a while then put it back. No one is going to look during covid times anyway. If an item is seen to stick for long time people watching could begin to think that it is because there is a problem & would only buy at a very low price.
go back on when people are able to start looking without restriction, the broker will guide you on a good time to sell if he is any use. you could change brokers as well.
 
The reason you may have only had 2 viewings may be location. People don't like to travel too far. Over a 40 year period I have sold 9 boats. In the last few years since I moved to Cumbria I have tried to sell 3 boats advertising on Apollo Duck, Boats & outboards and eBay. Although I had many enquiries it was the distance which put people off. When selling under £15,000 perhaps buyers dont want to travel 300 miles to look at a boat when unless they book a hotel they wont have much time to view. One boat I had up for sale (Power boat) I took 200 miles down to Pwllheli to where the buyers are or go to.
A Moody 30 I once sold up North perhaps only sold well as it was up for sale at a Moody dealer and the buyer came from Portsmouth. As did a Nauticat 33 I had for sale in Manchester, again the boat went down to Plymouth.

If I had a boat which was not selling I would either reduce the price and list it on eBay or move it to a marina where there is more boating activity.
Another boat I was selling (up north) under £10,000 pounds (took £8000) had a disadvantage (in my opinion) I should have bought a boat with Bilge Keels.
I believe that when buyers are looking at cheap yachts (£5000 - £10,000) they dont want a fixed or long keel boat as it means that they have to keep it in a Marina at £3000 (+-) a year but with bilge keels can get a drying out mooring.
I have now gone for a 24ft Trailer Sailor and have it parked in a Farm Yard at £10 a week.
 
I've sold boats on Boatsandoutboards.co.uk usually fairly quickly - make sure it's priced realistically, which is not necessarily what you think it's worth.
 
Thanks for the replies guys, much appreciated, helps me get out of my spiral of thoughts.

The sails are in pretty good shape as far as I can tell, curves are still forward. But I've had some tears that needed to be fixed. I emailed the maker for a quote with the number that is in the mainsail, it is from '99.

It is clear to me that new sails will never be an investment in the boat. But it may be an investment in pleasure which might offset the expense.

I think I agree on distance but it is for sale in the middle of the Netherlands, in a town with 5 marina's.

So far I have taken the listing off in winter and put it back up in spring.

It could be that this boat is just too much "in between": To big/expensive as a first boat and too small a boat as a second.
The responses I did get besides the two viewings were clearly looking for cheap.
And off course, It could still be that the market says something completely different then my expectation.
At which point, keeping her becomes an option.

It is a lovely super sailer with great atmosphere. Just needs new sails, more or less.
 
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