What are the quickest selling boats today.

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BurnitBlue

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I must buy a larger boat than my folkboat. This year i got really fed up with cramped conditions waiting for the rain to stop. I am getting on a bit, so I do not want to end up with a difficult to sell replacement should I have a health issue in the next few years.

A Vancouver 27/28 certainly. A nich 31 maybe, (if I can find one for sale). A Hallberg Rassy Monsun 31 is a good boat with a reasonable demand.

My budget is £30,000 so an LOA of 30 foot would be OK.

I have been surprised by the length of time some old favourites are on the brokers lists. Rustler 31's seem to be on the market for years. Nich 32's also.

Would appreciate your thoughts.
 
Some boats are more for sale than others. Plenty of lisitings are permanent with only a vague intention to sell if the right offer came along.

For example, I would sell Feeling Rough if someone offered me enough to pay the mortgage off, but she is not really being marketed.

As for bigger boats than Folkboats, in terms of accomodation that leaves plenty of scope (Feeling Rough for starters) but presumably you want similiar sailing qualities to the Folkboat?
 
A clean boat, well cared for and well presented at a sensible price will sell qicker than a manky old boat, food left laying around, stinking and unloved, no matter what boat or how old.
 
Judders said:
As for bigger boats than Folkboats, in terms of accomodation that leaves plenty of scope (Feeling Rough for starters) but presumably you want similiar sailing qualities to the Folkboat?
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You are quite right. Especially as I am 6 foot four. I don't know why I put up with it for so long. When I bought my first folkboat fifteen years ago I was cramped in most boats I could afford and the sailing qualities were superb so the compromise between bad and good qualities evened out. But in those days I was also more agile and bendy.

I hope to enjoy a bit more room in my next boat. The Rustler 31 was always top of my list but I am a bit put off by the months and months they seem to remain on brokers lists.
 
Despite having very rarely sailed long keeled boats, I have always had a thing fo Folkboats and derivatives. SWMBO's father recently traded 'down' from a Dehler 36 to a Nordic and she was instantly smitten. My chance has yet to come but it has certainly got us now talking about Rustler's as being something we might fancy when budgets allow.
 
Judging from the types you've quoted, I would think a Halmatic 30 would fit the bill. You might even get a Barbican 30 (same hull) for the money. Victoria 30s always seem popular, but less space I suspect.
 
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Think these boats seem to "stick" on the market because the owners are either not seriously interested in selling or have an inflated idea of market value. Suspect if you actually view them you will see why they are not selling. On the other hand good ones well priced will sell quickly and you may not even know they have been on the market!
 
Quick selling

My current boat was on brokerage for two days. On day 1 I arranged to see it, on day 2 I made an offer. After 1 year of viewing boats, and 8 months after starting to look with the intention of buying I finally found a boat that was clean, undamaged, and looked ready to sail. A good boat will sell quickly.
 
Judders is right, most boats can better the accomodation of the Folkboat. Sadly very few can match their sailing qualities. I feel some of the boats mentioned in your shortlist might seem a little steady in comparison.
I faced the same problem some years ago and chose a Contessa 32. This is not quite true the Contessa chose me. I spent more than I could afford, bought the first one I saw (indeed the first one I had ever set foot on), and took it without survey. I have never for a moment regretted it. I love the big diesel, headroom, space and roller reefing. The layout is excellent, for a boat of its vintage, whilst the saloon seating and nav area beats most 32' boats of any era.
Alas it is not the boat for those over 6ft. Headroom is an optomistic 6ft at best, and the saloon berths are not as long as they ought to be. You need to be a Hobbit to stand in the heads.
It is rather staid and heavy compared to the FB but most things are. As for re-sale; well prepared , correctly priced, examples never stick around. After all a new on will set you back a minimun of £130,000.
PS. Blinking heck, I have just noticed you are selling the very boat I had. Do not get me started on the International Folkboat..surely one the best sailing boats ever to hit the water and the best looking GRP craft of the lot?
 
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The responses are interesting. The consensus seems to be that any boat will sell quickly if she is clean and well prepared and ready to sail. I must admit that I have always thought that the type of boat, long keel or fin, pedigree or not was the major factor in a sale.

Perhaps it is a combination of condition and pedigree. Obvious really I suppose. I know it is difficult to look seriously at a boat that looks like the owner just got out of bunk and left the boat in a mess.

As a buyer, I am prepared to accept poor condition as long as it was the type of boat I was looking for. This could be an advantage as I don't have hang-ups over a neat clean boat. I can always clean it up myself, so my choice is probably wider than I thought. Time to look at the Rustlers on offer again.

I suppose I should bear in mind that a neat well kept boat reflects also on the maintenance of rigging and engine. So I guess I will have to take a chance like most folk, and be prepared to spend time and money on bringing up a particular type of "older" boat to a seaworthy standard. Then when its time to sell, spend a lot of time sprucing her up. Its not that I primarily buy a boat with an eye on resale, but at my certain age the idea of having a boat on the market for years would not be good.

Thanks for the tips. Very interesting.
 
A Moody 31 may fit your bill, comfortable plenty headroom and reasonably fast cruiser.

They never seem to stay around long on sale. If your purse can stand it an S31 could be for you.
 
doug748 said:
Judders is right, most boats can better the accomodation of the Folkboat. Sadly very few can match their sailing qualities. I feel some of the boats mentioned in your shortlist might seem a little steady in comparison.
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Yes indeed. The folkboat is a superb boat to sail and I will miss her. But I will not miss the cramped accomodation any more when cruising. There is also the point that on a small boat, hygiene, or lack off, also becomes a major problem. When its raining the effort required to fill a portable basin with cold water to brush teeth and wash hands in the cockpit becomes too much of a hassle so I tend to give it a miss.

The compromise was OK a few years ago but not today. Most folk don't realise that the accomodation on a folkboat is like living under a small kitchen table.
 
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It is not just dirt etc that keeps the value of these boats down and leads to neglect. It is the cost of replacing worn out and obsolete gear where the cost is the same (or more) for a 35 year old £15k boat as a 20 year old £35k of the same size. Major items like a new engine, electronics, upholstery or sails are a disproportionate amount compared with the value so are often delayed and boats go on the market with potential major expenditure to bring them up to standard - little of which adds to the market value!

So you have to decide if you can to buy one with all the expensive bits done and pay the premium or take the long view that you will only recover the cost through long term use! Of course DIY and a willingness to persevere with old gear can keep costs down, but also keeps the sale value down.
 
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