Potential Doral purchase at Essex

[tinstaafl]

Hi all, not posted for a while. I could use some advice though.

We've been looking at Doral Monticello's at Essex Boatyards who I've dealt with before. I know some of you love Essex and some of you hate them but without wishing to start that discussion again, what do you think of the following:

If we're interested in one of their boats and we want a sea trial, we've expected to pay the full cost of a lift in and out. This is non-refundable even if we purchase. Now I'd only ask for a trial once a deposit has been placed and I'm serious. I know it's normal for the buyer to pay for this with private sales and brokerage boats and that's fair enough. But these are stock boats at a Doral dealer. Is this right?

There are a couple of problems with the boat we're most interested in. The fly screen is ripped at the back which can only really be rectified by replacement of the back section of canvas. Also the cockpit table mount is so loose it makes the table unusable. There seems to be no easy access to the mount so I'm not sure how easy this is to rectify. These are reasonably important problems for us (we usually eat in the cockpit and we boat in a midge area!).

When I asked one of the sales guys about the table we were led to believe that cockpit tables were usually crap and we just had to put up with it. Now I'm not stupid, I know I don't have to but it was a little offputting on a 55k-60k boat to be told this. Would you expect problems like these on a stock boat to be rectified before completing the sale?

Simon

 

[Chas25]

I would certainly expect it to be fixed, as for cockpit tables being crap, thats rubbish we use ours all the time and its fine!

I wouldn't expect to pay for the launch/recovery of a stock boat either, but then I don't know the setup at Essex!

 

[Kipper]

With that sort of attitude I would walk away from the boat and Essex Boats. I would expect the covers to be repaired anyway and as for all cockpit tables being crap, thats just rubbish, mind you it might be an indication of the build quality of the Dorals.

 

[Whitelighter]

Can I ask who you are delaing with at EBY?

 

[[2068]]

>build quality of the Dorals

Don't think so: the one I was rafted outside last week had a deck that felt like walking on concrete. It seemed very solidly screwed together and nicely finished.

dv.

 

[Nautorius]

Simon,

Firstly all stock boats come with 3 Months Mechanical Warranty. I have never sea trialled any of the boats bought from there. Instead they have put her in on the day of purchase, given me free berthing for the weekend and let me try her out. Any problems then rectified.

If they are insisting you pay for crane in and out, ask for it at cost price and then insist they put it in for free when you pick up (or put it on lorry if taking up North).

The Canvas often rips and that is life. The issue is getting a new one from Doral. On my Regal I gave up and got it repaired locally. Nothing to do with Essex.

The Table should be sorted and is there responsibility. I would either knock £250 off price or ask them to fix it.

Overall Essex do need the business. Who are you dealing with, Is it James or Nick? If not then get on to them!

Cheers

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Fire99]

My last boat purchase was significantly less than you are paying but when dealing with the broker i always felt my purchase was important and that everything was open to negociation.

I dont know if its the 'boat supermarket' metality that you get a lower level of service or just the person you dealt with wasn't being too co-operative but personally if i felt i wasn't getting reasonable service i would just walk away.

There is always another boat around the corner which will be just as nice for the money (or better)

My 5 penneth.

regards,

Nick

 

[tinstaafl]

Thx for replies so far.

For the record, they looked after us well in other ways and seem to be offering a good deal on the boat in question. We have a part-ex to take into consideration.

Paul/Jez, No, I'm not dealing directly with James or Nick. I haven't asked to yet as I don't want to get my sales contact into any trouble, as daft as it sounds. He's done nothing wrong, just being a salesman, I suppose /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I suppose if I can't get the deal I want I should talk to the bosses, I know that's what you'll say!

Kipper, I agree wih what you say about build quality but the quality of everything else was impeccable, frankly. It seems very strange that the table is so crap!

Simon

 

[gjgm]

dont understand the lift in/out charge. Dont they own the boatyard anyway, so its not a cost they are incurring? In the end, they are being dumb if they make that a showstopper. Might argue, though, that on a new boat you might have an handover/acceptance run..
Boat manufacturers might make the hull, but thats about it. Everything else is from someone else. I refuse to believe that Doral supply unusable tables, when everyone else supplies usable ones. Are you sure its not a clamp that needs tightening. Alternatively, the alloy pole and the floor mount might be incorrectly matched. But sometimes it isnt a rock solid match, to be fair. Are you being quite honest when you say it is unusable, or do you mean that there is a small wobble....
In the end, they want to sell you a boat. The canvas is probably far easier to get repaired (properly) than replaced. A tear isnt the end of the world.
I d tell them what you want. No lift in/out charge (as you say, only after a deposit paid anyway), a repaired and inspected canvas, and a re-look at the table. If they start pissing about with any of these really very minor items, do you really want to run the risk of dealing with them if there is a major problem later?
Yes, £60k is alot of money. But for a boat, its not at all. I fear you might need to spend multiples of that to get the standard of service one might have hoped/expected /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[rubberduck]

Doral very well built. Tables can be a strange set up so check it has been put up properly. Essex have an on site upholsterer so cover won't be a problem. Ask to see Nick, he sorts out Dorals.

 

[mrplastic]

Hi, over the last five or six years I have bought 7 boats from Essex and have always dealt with James. You'll be surprised at how hard you can push a deal. If they believe you are a serious buyer they will negotiate a deal you'll be happy with. I have on every occasion got a deal for several thousand pounds less then their bottom price AND had equipment thrown in, such as heating, bowthruster, new cookers, batteries, and parts that were damaged or not quite right etc etc. I have never paid for a lift in or out. But then my purchases were firm subject to sea trial and not ' I'll try it and think about it'.
Essex are not good a presenting buyers with clean boats but everything else about the way they do business I find acceptable. They sell an incredible amout of boats and a deal is always on the cards!
If you want the boat them tell them you want it, fix your price and make the bits you are concerned about subject to the sale. Whoever you are dealing with is likely to have run the deal past James anyway!
Oh, and if you want to ask someone on here about the Doral Montichello then send a message to 'margem'. He's a good mate of mine and had one for a short while.

Best of luck

 

[nyx2k]

i went with my brother to eby last week to look at a doral he liked. dealt with nick and he was great. i think the price was 62k and that included the lift and others if needed for surveyor or further problems and a week free stay when purchased for any shakedown work. we found a few little marks on the upholstery and he said if it couldnt be cleaned off it would be replaced.

 

[Sundays_Child]

Doral make good boats. I'm a fan.

Does the 25 in question have a genny? I have heard of it listing with one in, so best to see it in the water.

 

[tinstaafl]

No genny, but it does have 2 extra batts and an inverter, plus a big webasto all on the starboard side.

Mind you, the fresh water tank is on the port side so this may counter the normal list you get with this size boat.

As you say, I need to check.

Simon

 

[ruizsantana]

I absolutely love my Doral, it's rock solid. Good luck with yours.

The Monticello did suffer from listing issues, one case very well documented online a while back. I'm sure Doral has corrected that by now though.

I actually toured the Doral factory last week, (their cruisers factory in Grand Mere) and was very pleased with what I saw. It was fun too! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[ruizsantana]

Re, the table... which part is loose? I see four options, the first being the support that holds the table top to the post. If it's not that, there's three options at the sole:
Is it the base itself where attached to the fiberglass? Or is it the insert piece that is attached to that base and has the male threaded stud? Or is it that the piece attached at the bottom of the post doesn't thread tight to the base assembly?

Any of these things is pretty simple to solve, though you may need new parts from Doral. In any case, I had trouble with my cockpit table, and ended up getting a whole new assembly from Doral. They won't let you down if the assembly is bad. At the end of the day though, the table hardware is definitely not the best thing about the boat. LOL. It's glitzier than what other manufacturers use, but not as sturdy. So even after you fix it it won't feel so solid that you'd feel compelled to lean heavily on it.

 

[Sundays_Child]

Welcome Ernesto.. I seem to recall you from BoatUS message boards (which I have read from time to time, not contributed on). I hope the Intrigue is going well... they look like excellent boats. My favourite at the size. Great beam and swim platform.

 

[ruizsantana]

Thanks for the welcome! I seem to keep finding boards online... don't know when to stop! LOL.

We love our boat, and it's being very good to us. We've been down on it every single weekend since April 13th this year - except last weekend since we were on our 10th anniversary trip in Canada... it's a 6 month boating season here and I try to make the most of it!