Looking for boat for my daughter

[Quandary]

We used to keep our Sigma 33 in Carrickfergus, my son had a pre university year with a Structural Engineers in Belfast, a short train journey from the marina, he was rarely alone when on board but we decided that if he tidied up before we arrived to use it, to ask no questions. The spinnakers got a bit of a hammering though.
Of course girls behave differently?

 

[jwilson]

Best lowish-cost reasonably civilised liveaboard might be an early Moody 33, not much money, very large heads/shower compartment, and a lot of the "woodwork" panels are actually Formica laminate. You would probably want a cockpit cover though - maybe an extra £2K.

 

[eddystone]

Best lowish-cost reasonably civilised liveaboard might be an early Moody 33, not much money, very large heads/shower compartment, and a lot of the "woodwork" panels are actually Formica laminate. You would probably want a cockpit cover though - maybe an extra £2K.

It's all post-Covid speculation, but given that a Sunsail fortnight is at least £10k for a family of five, I think that's where the money has come from for marina fees etc.. The unknown is how many will go back to automatic foreign holidays, and how quickly. I can see an argument that a fair lot will have found that the relatively few boaty weekends they may have enjoyed as a bonus will tempt them to stay on as UK boaters. Maybe it's even the shot in the arm that the pastime was in need of? Not great for those of whose plans were to move up in the nearer future though.

Did you really have to mention the Sunsail fortnight! Our was in Antigua first 2 weeks of June - gone in a puff of amber smoke.

 

[Concerto]

I agree with jwilson an old Moody 33 would be good, but also their old 29 would make a good liveaboard but without the separate aft cabin and cheaper.
Moody 29 archive details - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales

Having recently had a daughter finish university and there were a few comments I would like to add to your thoughts. I bought a flat and she was the envy of all the students on her course. Having her own space also brought boyfriends and several moved in(not at the same time) and she is still with one of them and they have a baby now. They moved out nearly 6 months after her course finished and I was left with an empty flat that I did not want to rent out, so I sold it but that took nearly 6 months. Your daughter may find having a yacht is great but she may find it a financial burden if she has a change in her life or where work takes her. A yacht in a marina can become a financial noose. Spending all her money on a yacht could be the wrong move, so I would advise spending only half and keep the balance for the future. This would give her flexibility for the future.

 

[roblpm]

I am a bit more bullish about future prices, for 2 reasons. The pool of modern second hand yachts is not growing, partly because very few new ones in the under 35' have been sold in the last 5 years and partly because it is no longer economic to buy boats from the much larger pool in the EU. The post covid boom may also lead to a rapid rise in disposable income (plus the pent up savings) leading to greater demand.

However over a fixed 2 year time scale the risk adverse side of me would tend toward renting. This avoids transaction costs (eg brokers fees on sale of boat) and illiquidity if new opportunities come up at graduation which makes the boat redundant. Guess the choice for daughter is whether she is prepared to take these risks for the short term cash flow advantages plus the cachet of owning a boat few of her age could ever contemplate!

Yes unfortunately brexit surely will have a big lasting effect on used boat prices in the UK especially for these 2000s AWBs. Adding 20% to imports from the EU makes the potential supply much smaller.

 

[longjohnsilver]

I’m on my boat in Sutton Harbour marina today. I got talking to a chap on the opposite side of the pontoon on a Fisher 25 who told me hed moved it here for his 16 year old granddaughter to live on whilst doing a 2 year course here in Plymouth. For what it’s worth, he says she’s loving living on board, but it’s only been a month.
I haven’t been on a Fisher 25 for over 20 years, but seem to remember that it’s fairly spacious inside for its size, and I can’t imagine it will lose much value over the next few years.

 

[ashtead]

I wonder if a US Hunter might give most space in a more modern style -when we were originally looking to buy our first new boat around 2000 we had been tempted by the Hunter although we eventually bought Bavaria but Hunter while plastic somewhat are quite roomy for size.

 

[bitbaltic]

I wonder if a US Hunter might give most space in a more modern style -when we were originally looking to buy our first new boat around 2000 we had been tempted by the Hunter although we eventually bought Bavaria but Hunter while plastic somewhat are quite roomy for size.

what an excellent idea.
I was about to point out that the OP’s ‘post 2000, 30ft or less’ boat doesn’t exist.

but this is a good option in budget at the right place:

Inventory Boat Details Page - Plymouth Yacht Brokers

 

[eddystone]

Thanks for all your suggestions. Now looks as if said windfall won't materialise within the timescale she envisaged so idea on ice for the moment. My personal view is that the current heated second hand boat market won't last because a) other options for disposable income and leisure time will open up 2022 onwards c) many people who bought boats without understanding true running costs will want to dump them and c) fact that buyers from EU have to pay VAT again will depress prices.

 

[Jodel]

Speaking to my local broker the other day he said that he rarely has to list boats these days. He has a long list of phone numbers of people wanting boats and it is very rare not to have a boat under offer within 24hrs. Frequently boats have sold without a viewing or survey.
Contact all your local brokers and tell them what you want and get on their list.