Is a 27' sailing boat now too small and will not sell?

Probably the thing to do is to do a search for boats of a similar size (>26) in a similar price range (<9500) and decide if yours is the one that you'd buy.
If it's not then either the price has to change or the boat does.
 
We sold our Sabre a few years ago when prices were better and have just bought a 30'er of similar age. However when looking at the advertisement for Huzzah (if she's your's) there's a few things which are missing which were critical on our list of 'wanting to know' before we would go further, when buying a boat of this price you're in a budget market where money's tight and people don't want a boat which is immediately going to cost them money (unless they are getting a really low price).

Age and condition of engine
Age of standing rigging
Age and condition of sails
Condition of interior upholstery
Does cooker have an oven
condition of headlining
etc etc

They actually don't want to know that much about Sabre's (or where you've cruised her to- that's not what they're buying), the Sabre Owners site will tell them about the Sabre 27.

Look at the other Sabres on the Sabre 27 site for sale list and the lists / dates of equipment, that's the detail people want to see. (The 'Shamal' gallery pictures there are the one's we used to sell her and she sold through the SOA website).

Then make the cabin look attractive and take lots of good pictures, SWMBO focussed on the cabin and I focus on the deck / engine / hardware when we bought our boats and you need to sell the vision of domestic bliss as well as technical data.

If I go to Apollo duck, and search for 'Sabre 27' I get a list of Sabre & pictures, except for one in Falmouth which has no picture and I nearly missed her on the list as a result - if she's your's get a really nice picture on the initial search results.


Finally what make's your Sabre different, why would someone choose yours over any other Sabre out there (there's a nice looking one in Weymouth on Apollo Duck, how does your description compare - which would you buy just going by the advert), and make it compelling and very positive, if i'm going to drive 200 miles to the West Country I need a good reason, not that she's 'worth a look' :)

Good luck, there's plenty of people out there who want to 27'er and they are absolutely fantastic boats, but creating the right advert is hard work and needs a lot of research and good pictures.
 
Last edited:
Scillypete said:
...even better if you have the means do a video going through everything and showing things working...
Click to expand...

That surprises me slightly. Photos are great, because to a significant extent the camera doesn't lie, and the pics show general condition, layout and fittings quite well...

...but when I look at yachts on Youtube, the lack of skill of the camera-operator, both when filming and editing, is often a real obstruction to clear representation of the yacht.

Endless close-ups which bore and don't give any sense of perspective. Lots of muttering about the repairs and updating...new alternator 2 years ago...new strum box...snore...
 
dancrane said:
That surprises me slightly. Photos are great, because to a significant extent the camera doesn't lie, and the pics show general condition, layout and fittings quite well...

...but when I look at yachts on Youtube, the lack of skill of the camera-operator, both when filming and editing, is often a real obstruction to clear representation of the yacht.

Endless close-ups which bore and don't give any sense of perspective. Lots of muttering about the repairs and updating...new alternator 2 years ago...new strum box...snore...
Click to expand...

Indeed, all good points but if its done well enough then a person that is searching for that particular type of yacht is going to pay attention and watch it, if you're just browsing with no real intent to buy then you will soon get bored of the video. we're not talking movie epic here just a maximum of 15 minutes to sell the dream...the vids I do will never be up for any kind of award and I have a voice to cure insomnia even so it seemed to do the trick
 
One of the most important points when it comes to video is to remember to use the zoom BEFORE starting to record and then leaving it well alone until you stop.

There are some creative uses for zoom while filming/recording but unless you've chosen to do it for creative reasons and have the equipment to perform the technique properly (chances are you don't) leave it alone. Frame the shot, press record, press record to stop, frame the next shot.

Script it too. Nothing quite as annoying as "umm, err, umm, this is the VHF (zoom in so the VHF fills the screen, then back out), and erm... this is the chartplotter (zoom in to fill the screen with out-of-focus chartplotter) and (seasicknessinducing spin) this is the galley... oh and I almost forgot (anotherseasicknessinducing spin) this is the chart table (open the table to show a mess of nav tools and ratty charts)... (seasicknessinducing spin and clattery walk to the...) this is the forecabin (full of mouldy ropes and broken kit)."

Plan every shot or the video won't help and may harm enquiries.

Leave the zoom alone though.


Edit to add
No seriously. I'm right about the zoom. Trust me.
 
WilliamUK said:
Nothing quite as annoying as "umm, err, umm, this is the VHF (zoom in so the VHF fills the screen, then back out), and erm... this is the chartplotter (zoom in to fill the screen with out-of-focus chartplotter) and (seasickening spin) this is the galley... oh and I almost forgot (anotherseasicknessinducing spin) this is the chart table (open the table to show a mess of nav tools and ratty charts)... (seasickening spin and clattery walk to the...) this is the forecabin (full of mouldy ropes and broken kit)."

Leave the zoom alone...
Click to expand...

Very wise words. ;)

Scillypete said:
I have a voice to cure insomnia even so it seemed to do the trick
Click to expand...

Go on, give us a link to some footage including your voice, for a laugh? :encouragement:
 
Getting the advertising right is part of it but if you really want to sell you need to price it cheaper than the competition. You may need to drop the price but when you consider the ongoing costs for the last year and future years it will make sense. I know when I narrowed down my choice to a particular model I visited every one in the area, yes nice to look at the advert but really made little difference, I wanted to see it in the flesh so to speak.
 
Lazy Kipper said:
+1 for video, it's a great way of making your particular boat stand out. We bought LK primarily because even though she was a long distance away we felt we'd already viewed her a few times. The video was well planned and entertaining but some duff sound at first.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jMtjpADGz7k
Click to expand...

Why did he film it through a toilet roll tube? :)

Pete
 
Due to tonight's beer and wine, lost interest about post 10. Why not market it in specific places? In some places like the Bristol channel people think bilge keels are needed. Maybe also mention the largest local race was won three years in a row by a Sabre? It's all about research and creativity!
Allan
 
I'd like to think there was a small but well defined market for small older boats. There is a section of the boating public who wish to either downsize or maintain a smaller boat as a consequence of reduced circumstances. It has been said on here that there is no market for new small boats, 'cos it costs almost as much to built a 35'er as a 25'er. This section of the market is likely to know their onions, they want to sail and not restore and therefore may be looking for a well found, sea-kindly small boat in excellent condition, which aren't being built in large no.s these days. This was my own position, and I don't think I'm unique. It goes without saying that the older boat must be offered for sale in the best condition possible, to get the interest.
 
I think it comes down to (dadaaaa!) price and condition.

There are so many small, older boats available just now (I wanted one last season, so did a lot of research and viewing).

eg

- there was a very good Wing 25 up for £6500. We offered £5000. She is still for sale at £5950.

- I was offered a SHE 31b (with recent sails and engine) for £6000. We were very tempted by her, but she is too deep for us.

- There is a beautiful, well prepped, Invicta mk2 for sale, now at £4000, which has been for sale for a couple of years (I think)

- we ended up buying a lovely little Trident 24 (recent sails and engine) for £2500

- There was a beautiful, very tidy looking Liz 29, on ebay last week, at a buy it now of £4400

I think its the old, cramped, boats that are not popular nowadays. Everyone seems to need a double stern cabin, pressurised hot water, shower, fridge, etc.

So....be realistic on price, and present her well (to state the bleeding obvious)!

Good luck!
 
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