Fun day boat for a bargain Price? What do you think?

Nautorius

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I have been aware of this for sale for quite a while. Now looks like it has to go. It is a 1990 Falcon Royale 36 with twin Petrols in! Now I have been looking at it thinking is this a good Med day boat. I.e. has it good seating for 6 people, is there a sun pad, is there a fridge and how good is the hull. Economy less important as basically just a transporter to blast round to beaches and back. The boat is HERE Now when you see these old power boats like Sunseekers, Donzi etc you normally find that someone has cheaply recovered the cockpit but forgot about the engines! This has 1 year old outdrives and seems fully serviced. The hull has been sorted and it is just cosmetic. A £1000 should see the interior sorted out. So at under £10k it seems a fun day boat for the money! Probably OTT but fun.

Not what I am looking for but at the right price it would do for 12 months while we see what goes on with Boat Market and economy. I have lost 10k in a year on a boat before so not worried about depreciation. Is it going to be a money pit, always letting us down?

What would you guys do???

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Sorry to say this as it looks cool but every time you fill it up you'll double its value! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Rethink it with engines replaced and you'll have a boat you can use and sell on again.
 
You're clearly on a tight budget (arn't we all these days!) so you will have the choice "Do I take it out for an hour which will cost at least 100 Euros". Sorry if I've misjudged your disposible income but at that level of (un) economy it wouldn't leave the marina berth for me.
 
54kts? Are you sure that this boat is not one of those that shuttles across the Strait with 'goods' and the owner is not trying to get rid before Plod impounds the boat? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gifAny idea why the first bidder dropped out?
Looks like fun but you could end up losing a lot more than £10k if one of those engines goes bang
 
[ QUOTE ]
So at under £10k it seems a fun day boat for the money!

[/ QUOTE ]No doubt about it.
You must be prepared to burn 100 liters per hour or so (just at normal cruising speed, not WOT), but aside from that I can't imagine how you could get more boat than that for such kind of money.
From what can be seen in the pics, there is just one peculiarity which I'd like check in more details (if feasible within ebay rules, not sure) before making a final commitment: The legs seem installed higher than normal. In fact, the cavitation plate looks some 3 or 4 inches higher than the bottom of the hull.
That's a not unusual trick between speedboat builders, to reduce drag and squeeze the last 2 or 3 knots out of the boat.
But that's a bit risky, because those legs/props are not meant to work as surface transmissions, and if they raised them too much the boat handling at speed can be very badly affected.
 
Looks ruddy fantastic and I'd say go for it, if you've lost the price of this boat in a year on another boat then you can't get worse than that, it'll always be worth something in a year's time and think of the fun you'll have blasting round the bay to a beach for a picnic... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on.... /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

PS: can I come out for a blast? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Thanks all and as usual a great sounding block!

Good advice from all.....I am not really working with that tight a budget, just thought it was very cheap! Do worry about one of the engines going Pop but the €100 a day for a bit of fun seems OK.

Just mulling over options...as have day boat in UK paid for and new last year so might be easier to bring it down and save up for the Zaffiro 34 that we really want. Used to have a twin Petrol so aware of the huge amount of Petrol they eat!

No chance I could ever put that Falcon into Gib as I would be arrested! Shall wait for the next bargain...and keep saving the pennies.

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Do worry about one of the engines going Pop but the €100 a day for a bit of fun seems OK.


[/ QUOTE ]
Paul, I think you mis-read the post, they mention 100euro AN HOUR!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Cheers

Al.
 
Yes,

But I would blast it 30 mins to the nearest bay. Park up, have a swim and a cold coke then blast it 30 mins back! Any more use would be madness /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Cheers

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
The trouble with boats like this is, if you can afford to run it you can afford a better boat, and if you can't afford a better boat then you can't afford to run it...
 
[ QUOTE ]
The trouble with boats like this is, if you can afford to run it you can afford a better boat, and if you can't afford a better boat then you can't afford to run it...

[/ QUOTE ]

How true, think thats why most twin petrol monsters seem to end up on the rivers doing 5knts all day /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I think the OP has a good point. At 20knots this boat will cost around £60 an hour to run but that will get you 20 nautical miles. If there are loads of great days on the water to be had in a 10-20 mile radius of your home berth, it does provide a decent boat for not alot of money, that won't break the bank to run.

If, however, you want to do 100nm legs at 40+ knots, you're gonna need a very fat wallet. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
Yep,

Boat will be Based at Duquessa (Costa Del Sol, Spain)whatever I get! lots of beaches around there and no need to travel far! It is just a cheap big shuttle boat!

I either spend money on newer boat and engines with diesel or take a punt on an old petrol and pay out on a daily basis. Idea would be to use it a max of 30 days per year in summer, £100 a day MAx that is £3k!

No need to go cruising to Marinas as I live in one (in a flat!)

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Well, for that kind of usage, franky I'd give that boat a serious thought.
And I disagree with Ari in one respect: if you can afford to run it AND you can possibly afford a better one, you might as well save some money and go for it, if a "better one" (whatever that means) doesn't actually give you much more.
And even if I'd agree that the Z34 is overall better (and particularly more practical - I owned one, btw), you can forget to get from her the driving fun I'd expect this one to deliver.
 
Technically you are right, however in reality, not many men can resist buying the best boat they can stretch to. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Oi, we're supposed to appear sane at least in a public forum, aren't we?
Of course in his boots I'd go for a Fountain 35 Lightning with staggered engines and XR-SSM drives... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Boat will be Based at Duquesa (Costa Del Sol, Spain)

[/ QUOTE ]

Ask him nicely and I'm sure Suncoast will have a look at it or if you can wait till Easter I'll be there for a few days and can take some pics.
 
I was thinking of giving Clive a call but the guy in the next office lives in Duquessa and looked it over last night and all seems OK with it! I would drive up but back in UK this weekend..afterall it is only 35mins away!

Will see how I am feeling about it over the weekend. At less than say £7k(figure to decide yet!) might give it a go!

Cheers

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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