Is there a lack of boats?

[banger]

That sounds about right in the present market, good luck with your search

 

[Jim@sea]

Seems that people will travel south to see boats because they have a wider choice but are unwilling to travel north to see a one-off.

I found that when I was selling a boat in Whitehaven, loads of enquiries but people from the South dont want to travel 300 miles and then pay for overnight accommodation.
So after selling my boat to someone who wanted it in Southampton I then had a boat trailer for sale, and as I had to use the trailer to deliver the boat when I advertised the trailer for sale (on the internet) I put that the trailer could be seen anywhere between Whitehaven and Southampton when I went down and one enquiry I had from Oxford enabled me to show the Trailer on the way down, take a deposit, then deliver the boat and on the way back up drop the trailer off and continue home with the cash. (Sometimes to sell things you have to try everything)

 

[Jim@sea]

Given the exchange rates, boats are being exported to Europe.

I have it on good authority...

As indeed with my 25 year old Zetor Tractor, went to Poland and at a price 40% more than a trade offer (sold through eBay)

 

[Biggles Wader]

Absolutely - you'd hope anyone who does put the time and effort into restoring / maintaining a good example they would get fair value before selling on.

Just to give you a bit of background - I'm 29 and this will be my first boat. The boats I'm looking at aren't particularly glamorous (I.e. Centaur) and I believe the market for these will continue to fall. I see buying one of these as essentially writing the money off as in 5 years time I believe the market for these will further decrease as people my age and younger generally aren't interested in boats of this ilk. To this end - I'd expect anyone selling one to somewhat struggle (Dylan Winter being the exception - but even Dylan bought his example with a new engine for less than my budget) and because the cost of annual mooring exceeds 50% of value of these boats for the many who seem to keep them in marinas, they appear to be a huge liability - the level of liability determined by the general condition. I'm not sure many of the (small, old) boats some would like to offload will ever sell, and if they do, I imagine the negative equity from yard fees while the boat lay unused will exceed what they eventually receive.

Anyway, I'm sure I'll soon find out whether I'm being realistic or not when I start making offers - if I'm not then I'll be gazumped, if not the boats will continue to be listed; many boats appear to have been listed for years - some unused in that time.

Sorry if this sounds horribly cynical but this is how I'm framing it - I can't pretend this is an investment, it's a cost I'm willing to pay to gain the value from boat ownership and the journeys it will enable me to have. I'm also not out to rip anyone off, I just don't think most boats are worth what some think they are (these small, old boats are bizarrely worth less than the sum of their parts) and they will be worth even less when I come to sell (whether or not I maintain the boat appropriately).

Sounds sensible to me. Id add that I would only buy a boat I really liked and wanted to go sailing on not just one that is a bargain. Plenty out there in your price bracket.

 

[jonic]

Someone once told me that it was pointless running a sliderule over the cost of sailing - as it never adds up.

But to remember the enjoyment of being under sail was priceless. :encouragement:

 

[sailaboutvic]

No disrespect to the brokers here , but you find more and more people are selling their boat privately,
Maybe that's why there not so much listed with brokers.
Buyers and sellers are looking for good services , and I have to say it something that's not being offered,
It seen that because there been so may boats for sale in the pass that brokers have got very laze,
Picking which boat they list,
We sold our privately and brought privately after some very bad experience and unprofessional conduct by mostly British brokers over seas,
Out of the nine people we know who was selling their yacht Last year , only one has it with a broker, five have had them with brokers and are now selling privately two are now under offer, two have sold .
Two of the boats sold privately , sold for more after they taken an offer then the brokers had listed them for .
People don't mind paying commission but want a good service in return and honesty.

 

[STOL71]

No

Is it my imagination that there appears to be a lack of boats for sale with brokerages just now. Each one I look at advertises boats of which many are shown as sold which is good as shows they are generating business, but there would appear to be less current owners looking to sell.

 

[Kelpie]

Both of our boats were bought privately, and our first boat was sold privately with relative ease.
I have to say that many of the brokers I have encountered have been less than impressive. Perhaps they can detect a tyre kicker when they see one, but I'm still waiting for replies to emails several weeks after I first made contact. I also find that their knowledge of various models of boat can be quite patchy, and you can get a better understanding through five minutes of googling.

 

[stu9000]

Interesting thread.
I might be selling my 27 footer and buying something bigger in the next year or so.
The brokers fee looks like about a 6th of the value of the boat.
That said, if i cant sell it privately ill no doubt cave and consider it better than not selling at all.
We shall see what happens.