Used boat prices

Appleyard

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Is there a publication or other source which will give me a guide to the value of used boats?I have looked at a few boats and the prices asked vary quite a lot.Obviously I want to be able to make an informed offer however I need to base this on something. The inventory is also obviously important so can anyone give me any tips??

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it's worth speaking (and using the services) of a good (ie very busy) surveyor who's used to surveying boats of the type that you are buying. They tend to know the actual prices that boats are selling at, which are often quite a bit different to the asking prices. A good surveyor will almost always save you a fortune by finding soemthing that you may not have noticed. I'm not a surveyor so no bias here - I learnt this the hard way by using a not too thorough surveyor (overseas).

<hr width=100% size=1>Have boat. Will travel. Maybe cruising in 2005 - wanna join me?
 
YM recently ran a long series on used boats which included rough price ranges. realistically you'll need to do a lot of research reading through small ads but remember they are asking, not offer, prices.

If you go and view lots of boats you'll soon get a feel for what is and isn't good value. I generally build my own boats but recently when buying a house I viewed 40 before making the final decision. I may be accused by sellers of encouraging time-wasters but if you are going to spend that much money you want to get the boat that's right for you.

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> prices asked vary quite a lot

Beyond 10 years of age predictable depreciation curves fail in the case of boats because value is highly dependant on the rate of equipment replacement.

I have a recent French sailing magazine that published a car style valuatiuon chart. If you post details of the model I will look up a value for you.

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And how does one find the services of a very competent and trustworthy surveyor? I live in Maryland, in the US, and do my boating on the Chesapeake Bay. If I wanted to find a surveyor in this area I could do it . . . but what if I had found a boat I wanted in northwest Britain, or southwest France? Where do I go for a professional surveyor? And what would I expect to pay for his or her services?

Thanks to all who might respond . . .
Peggy

<hr width=100% size=1>ChesapkLady
 
If you get a copy of Yachting Monthly or similar UK sailing magazine you will find surveyors advertising in it. These magazines are certainly available in Florida and I think I have seen them in the chesapeake towns.

Not too sure you will want to buy a boat in the UK and take it back - our sales tax of 17% plus higher basic costs make our 2nd hand boats expensive compared to the USA and $2 = £1 is not good news either for you.

I am seriously considering buying a 2nd hand catamaran in the states early this year and bringing it back to europe in the spring crossing season..

<hr width=100% size=1>If you have time please visit my web site -
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If you\'re looking

for something like Glasses' Guide you're out of luck.

However several of the ybw stable run used boat reviews which will give you a good idea of popular UK boats.

For French boats look in back copies of Voiles et Voiliers - they've done a series of used boat comparisons.

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ChesapkLady...the answer to that is simple...you log on here and ask someone for a referral. The people on here seem to cover all of Europe and are quite happy to offer their experience as a help to others.

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buying a boat in the US? how do you plan to handle the CE mark issue? from the article in last month's YM it sounds like a nightmare!

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I read it in dismay - looks horrid - I am after a catamaran - I seem to keep my boats for around 10 years so unless I hate it and try to flog it then it may be my last sea boat!

Provided I buy a UK type boat (Prout / Oceanic / Aristocat etc) I intend to ignor all the legislation. Will register it on the ss register and sail back with it.

The build date of the sort of boat I can afford will probably put it out of the system anyway and if I understand the problem it really only exists when you want to sell again...

<hr width=100% size=1>If you have time please visit my web site -
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i haven't had personal experience of importing a boat but i have a similar problem in that mine is self-built so doesn't have a CE mark. in my case it is exempt from the requirement to get it marked as long as it isn't sold within 5 years of completion. there's a nasty little twist though. any transfer of ownership within the 5 years makes marking compulsory, including inheritance.

to get round this problem swmbo and i own all the shares jointly. if we owned 32 each and one of us died, leaving his/her shares to the other the survivor would be forced to have the boat marked at great expense.

clearly the 5 year rule is designed to stop a builder getting round the regulations by pretending to build boats for himself but of course our civil servants love to enforce the letter of the law, however silly.

i noticed that the guy in the article finally got his coded as category 'D' so it's just as well the authorities don't so far enforce the operating range limits defined in the regulations. France however is quite different, taking a cat. D boat offshore would get you a heavy fine.

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I really do not want a french registered boat - Would like to re - read the thread about the legislation in UK - how do I find it? Any idea?

<hr width=100% size=1>If you have time please visit my web site -
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Re: It\'s farly simple

I have checked and I can re-register as a French flagged boat in a few minutes but I then have top declare it on my French Tax return and conform to French Boat safty legislation -

not a real problem but for example my life raft - Avon - has no service stations in France (possibly Med) - I am perfectly happy to sail it back to the UK every couple of years for service - but annually would be a bind. It is just easier to remain British flagged and I quite like flying the Red Duster....

<hr width=100% size=1>If you have time please visit my web site -
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We would appear to

be at cross purposes here.

Your previous post stated emphatically thet you didn't want a French registered boat.

Do I now assume you are resident in France, not as I'd previously thought in the UK?

If that is the case you need a UK address to get the boat onto SSR, still quite a simple matter.

If you are only using the boat as an occasional recreational vessel having a British-registered yacht in France is no problem.
If however you intend it to be your sole address I have news for you - you'll HAVE to register it as a French vessel whether you like it or not after 6 months in the country, or you'll be in deep ordure with les Douanes.

With regard to the French legislation, all you have to do is ensure you either have an ICC or take a boat-handling test in France.
The requirements for maintaining a safe seaworthy boat are, in my opinion, merely good practice, in France the state compels you to do it, in the UK commonsense does the same.

With regard to your Avon liferaft not only can you have done nearly anywhere in France but it will it cost you less to have it serviced and it will be done to a much more consistently high standard then most other European countries. Mine this last year cost €244 including all new pyrotechnics and the SOLAS pack.

Personally I'd not choose to have a boat registered in France, some of the regulations are quite tedious, but it is, after the US, the largest leisure boating market in the world and the majority of marine supplies and services are to a better standard and price than in the UK (with the notable exceptions of sails and electronics).

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Re: We would appear to

Charles hi,

I think you must be American? The rules for Americans in France are somewhat different from the rules for other europeans.

As a european I can keep my boat in French waters for as long as I like. If I became a resident in France - in or out of the boat - I would need to go to the prefecture and fill in a form and become a resident. That has no impact on the status of the boat - if it is european.
The problem with registering a british boat as a French boat (I live almost next door to the office that does this) is not the registration - one form - the problem is that the boat then becomes subject to French legislation. You are obligiged to meet their criterior of equipment to go offshore... I have total trust in my own judgment on this matter.

Worse than that it has to be declared on French Tax papers and becomes a taxable asset.

In fact you do not need a French 'driving licence' to drive a sailing boat in France. I thought you did as well - this driving licence only applies to motor boats.

Re the life raft - AVON - I cannot find one service station around La Rochelle or West Coast France - there is one on the Mediterreanean but that is all I can find.
If you know of a service station here please please send me the address - would be so grateful.

I agree that the cost of spares and many services are very competative here and the cost of 'parking' 1/3rd of south coast UK marinas. Wonderful place to live and sail. I am surprised you say it is a bigger market than the UK as I would have thought the UK had a longer shoreline and more people living close to the sea. I get the impression that the UK has a much more active market but ... problably wrong
fair winds
Michael

<hr width=100% size=1>If you have time please visit my web site -
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Re: We would appear to

I bought a French boat and i HAD to go the the maratime powers and deregister it.Even though i had an address in France. To have a French registration you have to have French nationality.

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Re: We would appear to

To have a French registration you have to have French nationality.

Not true - know a couple of Belgians in Ostend who sail under French flag. Some kind (another) tax/VAT dodge.
French flag seems to be quite popular with Belgians - there was even an article on the subject in Voiles et Voiliers.

<hr width=100% size=1>Experience is a good teacher, but she sends in terrific bills.
 
Re: We would appear to

Now its done and the boat sold to a French Person again, and i have my Hillyard (British) While on the topic, Im stateless--i am English and have been for more than 900years?? but i nolonger have an address in the UK nor in France in fact my address is either email first and the capitanarie of the port im in are anchord near by, when they agree.

So when i change my boat what registration ought i to apply for??

Europe is getting rather ristrictive in not recognising minorities--or classifying me as a maratime vagrent??

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