Long Distance Buying

[Jim@sea]

When all this is over I want to buy a Drascombe Longboat, (once had a Drascombe Lugger)
When I was in the motor trade I would buy cars unseen, on description.
With the restriction on travelling and closure of hotels I cant exactly do 250 miles to have a look at a boat.
There are very few for sale.
Perhaps I should put an advert on Boats & Outboards or Apollo Duck that I want one and see who replies and where they are.

 

[Skipper_Christoph]

I never would buy a boat without having a look beforehand. Even if there are lots of photos of boat available on the web page you never can be sure whether these photos are taken of the same boat or how old the photos are.
Best would be to wait till the confinement is over.

 

[V1701]

Nobody else can go to see them either & it's highly unlikely anyone else would buy unseen. In the meantine you can establish contact with the owners of potential buys and look forward to going to see them as soon as the restrictions are lifted...

 

[2Tizwoz]

As house sales are being suspended it's difficult to see justification for travelling to view a boat.

 

[scruff]

Also consider that from a seller's perspective, buying sight unseen is quite unusual and could raise suspicions

 

[londonpiper]

Facebook has a Drascombe group so it might be worth having a look there.

 

[langstonelayabout]

I was in this position and have just walked away from a boat I wanted because I couldn’t satisfy myself that the boat was ok.

it was in Ireland (I’m Solent based) and no one knows when travelling or yachting will be permitted. So, bargain or not, I had to back down.

of course you could ask the vendor to do you a ’guided tour’ around the boat using Skype, FaceTime or WhatsApp. These work well althou only offer 50% of the feelings that you get on board.

 

[davidej]

While it is hard to argue against advice not to buy a cruising yacht unseen, I don't think the same applies to what is really an outsized dinghy

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

I was in this position and have just walked away from a boat I wanted because I couldn’t satisfy myself that the boat was ok.

it was in Ireland (I’m Solent based) and no one knows when travelling or yachting will be permitted. So, bargain or not, I had to back down.

of course you could ask the vendor to do you a ’guided tour’ around the boat using Skype, FaceTime or WhatsApp. These work well althou only offer 50% of the feelings that you get on board.

In Ireland, everything has just locked down profoundly. Your potential purchase will still be available when restrictions are eventually lifted, with a vendor whose wish to sell will be redoubled. Contact him and make arrangements to view the boat when conditions allow.