got the survey

[scanman]

I have now got the survey and spent most of the day reading it again and again.
the major problems are the keel which needs to be lowered and reset and cleaned . The hull has a high moisture content i.e between 6 & 17%.
Other defects are stansions, cosmetics,jammer blocks,main sheet traveller.

The boat cleearly has been neglected and needs £4,000 to £5,000 spent to bring it back to a satisfactory standard.

My delimer is do I walk away or make a lower offer as this boat, after many month of hunting is the type of boat that is what I have been looking for.

The boat is 20 years old and is a beneteau first 30e.

I would be greatfull for any advice.

 

[paulrossall]

Bid £5,000 less than the asking price. Selling a boat is unlike selling anything else. People normally get attatched to them, in which case they keep them, or they upgrade, in which case your sellor probobly has another boat in mind, or else they (or their wife) are fed up and want to get shut. Either way I have always bid very low and have normally been suprised how cheap I've bought the boat or I've negotiated up a bit. You have little to loose. Godd luck. Let us know the outcome.

 

[JeremyF]

Is it a popular make? If yes, take a look at the database at ybw and MTM for yachts on sale. If you are already at £5k under the price asked for the age and 'condition', then you probably can't get too much lower. If you have been near the median price, then yes, demand lower. The hull moisture content os concerning. Not certain about the keel advice. The standard catch-all from surveyors seems to be that all keel bolts need inspection/testing!

Jeremy Flynn

 

[oldsaltoz]

G’day Christopher.
I’m confused, why would your surveyor request the keel be ‘lowered’ and ‘reset’, has it been raised? Has it been modified due to repair work? Do you have a quote for this particular task? In addition, an estimate for the mainsheet track, no small job replacing one, bolted about every 3 inches and access can be a problem.
Hull moisture is a bit of a worry but you need to know how long it was out before the reading was taken, also note the accuracy is very dependant on the operator and equipment used.
The advice given by JeremyF is sound, so why not get a few quotes and knock the price down based on the total cost compared to the market price.

Avagoodweekend Old Salt Oz……

 

[longjohnsilver]

Moisture content

This sounds extremely high, I would check that this is the %, could be the scale reading from the moisture meter which could then equate to a much lower %.

If in doubt double check with the surveyor and ask what type of meter he was using.

 

[30boat]

Taking the keel out looks daunting but actually it isn't.Especially on a First 30E .You just undo the keel nuts and raise the boat,having proped the keel first.I have done it and had no problems.If the bolts are stainless there might be crevice corrosion.
The moisture content is indeed high but the boat is 20 years old and it should be expected.If there is no delamination or blistering it is probably not serious.It depends on how much you're being asked for the boat.

 

[Guest]

Pinches of Salt

Sometimes it is necessary to read between the lines on surveys. The survey on the 1968 vintage boat we bought said the boat had osmosis and the moisture readings 'were off the scale'. Surveyor recommended full gelcoat strip and osmosis treatment. Other wierd things were the tiller needing fully sanding back 'to bare wood and a minimum of six coats of varnish' applied, and that all the running rigging be replaced. When the boat was taking out of the water at a reputable yard and the anti fouling stripped off, moisture content was found to be insignificant and the hull suitable for preventative epoxy treatment, which was a lot cheaper than 'curing the osmosis'. The rigger that came to fit an emergency fore stay as back to roller reefing examined the running rigging and said it was fine so we used the money to buy new mooring lines. Tiller was sorted with light sanding and one coat of varnish (still fine three years on). In fact most expensive job was removal and reseting of pushpit which the survey made no mention of but the vendor, ourselves and the yard all agreed needed doing. The way we dealt with the survey was to agree with the vendor to put the boat in a mutually agreed reputable boat yard and get them to go through the boat with a fine tooth comb and agree a repairs list that would bring the boat to a saleable condition. The vendor then paid for those jobs and we in turn paid his agreed asking price. It worked very well for us.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Hi .Why botter to have a survey, if you take no notice of it ? Don`t let your heart rule your head! bid low to take into acount the work. cheers. bob t

Bob T

 

[PeterGibbs]

What you seem to be saying is that this is NOT the boat that you have been looking for. All the symptoms you quote are signs of negligence - whatever the age of the hull. It's a crock, my friend. Move on.


PWG

 

[billmacfarlane]

The hull water content is high but does she have osmosis ? If so then it's a good opportunity to get the price of the treatment knocked off. What's the problem with the keel ? It's bound to have rust on it , but why does it need reset ? It's a job a competent yard can easily do. Cosmetics ? What do you expect ? The boat is 20 years old after all. A surveyor's first and foremost task is to cover himself against being sued , and you've really got to read between the lines and figure out what really needs done to the boat. You sound as if you've been looking for this model of boat for a long time and if you've set your heart on it , it might be an idea to get a quote for the work you think is necessary to make the boat acceptable , and make an offer based on that figure. The only word of warning I can give is that it'll probably cost more than you think. Regardless of what the surver says there's bound to be other items that need maintenance , due to the age of the boat. Good luck.

 

[castaway]

All these posts are good sense.. If you like the boat get quotes for every bit of work. Talk to the surveyor, they will tell you all sorts of things that they wont commit to paper. Work out the price you want to pay leaving the money to get the work profesionally done.
If the vendor doesnt want to play, then walk away.
I recently bought a lovely boat for 2/3 the asking price thanks to a fairly harsh sounding survey and then found that the reality was that most of the snags were there only to "cover your backside"

 

[quaelgeist2]

Forget the reference prices! In line with some earlier comments, I believe there is no right price for any boat and if you are at GBP5k below any list, still go down another 5k for the survey-suggested work required. You never get a better deal than you ask for!
chris