Wish me luck ... off to look at a 34ft boat tomorrow in Sweden ...

High Nigel You know a man has to be mad to own a boat. Now you are talking no 3 boat. I say stick with what you have. But then one of the joys of boating is doing crazy things so good luck with the hunt. ol'will
 
William_H said:
High Nigel You know a man has to be mad to own a boat. Now you are talking no 3 boat. I say stick with what you have. But then one of the joys of boating is doing crazy things so good luck with the hunt. ol'will
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mmmmm actually #4 boat !

Few years back - I had 5....

I don't know what it is ....

RC Models - I currently have 72 all ready to fly / sail / drive.
Real Cars - I have 3 > Volvo XC70, Renault Master, Range Rover Vogue SE V8
Boats - presently 3 > Progress 4 speedboat, Kormoran Sail Weekender, Sunrider 25

The SR25 has proven herself so many times and I find it hard to consider selling ... but I am tired of the mast up / down shenanikins every time I want to sail Baltic. Yes I have a good system with the A frame ... but still ...

This sounds daft ... but I am not one to like keel-stepped masts ... seen too many leaks and problems through deck .... mast foot mounts crushed .. the Bavaria Match (worst boat I have ever sailed) I delivered as soon as any wind seemed to want to drive mast through bottom of boat - yes she did lose her keel later ! ... but the boat I see tomorrow morning is keel-stepped ... Oh well ... so be it !!
 
Back home after eventful trip .....

Boat - still on its pontoon with guy trying to sell.

Boat ? As I said - I don't expect many here will have ever heard of the brand ...

Mamba 33

Anyway .... she was 'tired' and tbh ... would need a few 000's spent to bring her up to the value he wanted to sell at ... his price was too high and he said if not met - he keeps her.
Sprayhood stitching letting go and its windows colouring with age. Material faded and thin ... would need replacement.
Genny UV and sail past sell by date by quite a margin ! Replace
VP MD11 took a while to cough and splutter into life after palaver to open seacock etc. Engineer to sort
Headlining was stiff vinyl with pseudo wood battens - which had come away aft port side saloon. Take down and do job properly.
Main arch frame midships dividing saloon from fwd spaces had water damage stbd end where joined to sides. Find source of water
Water in bilges from leaks of keel stepped mast. This is a design feature for severe conditions - not to be as a normal state !
Cabins small for such a boat.
Seller had removed above bunk side locker doors and replaced with curtains where storage on port side ... but left stbd side as locker doors. Strange look then ... try put back to correct form ...
Overall decks and hull good ... but when on the boat asking oneself if could be happy even buying at a reduced price ?? Answer is no.

You have that feeling when you know YES .... or NO.

Now looking at online sites to decide what to look at next ....
 
Damn shame, back to the drawing board then. Still, always a pleasure (to me at least) to spend days sifting through boat for sale ads, I’m envious!
 
Bad luck Refueler...but I agree with Fred, boat buying should be seen as an enjoyable exercise and great day out
 
Refueler said:
Back home after eventful trip .....

Boat - still on its pontoon with guy trying to sell.

Boat ? As I said - I don't expect many here will have ever heard of the brand ...

Mamba 33

Anyway .... she was 'tired' and tbh ... would need a few 000's spent to bring her up to the value he wanted to sell at ... his price was too high and he said if not met - he keeps her.
Sprayhood stitching letting go and its windows colouring with age. Material faded and thin ... would need replacement.
Genny UV and sail past sell by date by quite a margin ! Replace
VP MD11 took a while to cough and splutter into life after palaver to open seacock etc. Engineer to sort
Headlining was stiff vinyl with pseudo wood battens - which had come away aft port side saloon. Take down and do job properly.
Main arch frame midships dividing saloon from fwd spaces had water damage stbd end where joined to sides. Find source of water
Water in bilges from leaks of keel stepped mast. This is a design feature for severe conditions - not to be as a normal state !
Cabins small for such a boat.
Seller had removed above bunk side locker doors and replaced with curtains where storage on port side ... but left stbd side as locker doors. Strange look then ... try put back to correct form ...
Overall decks and hull good ... but when on the boat asking oneself if could be happy even buying at a reduced price ?? Answer is no.

You have that feeling when you know YES .... or NO.

Now looking at online sites to decide what to look at next ....
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Generally about 30 seconds after getting on board or even just close up to the boat - gut says "yes" or "no".

"In regular use" can be deceptive - as in this case it seems. Just because someone is using the boat doesn't mean it's in good nick!

We had the opposite with Arpeggio Sweden 36) Had been out of water for 2 years, and only sailed one year last 5. Initially "no" but the more I looked, the more I could see it was superficial. Was dirty but solid and sound under dirt. Still ended up spending several £000 on new electronics, rigging (annoyingly 2yo standing rigging had used wrong toggles and cracked mast inserts)...
 
Refueler said:
Back home after eventful trip .....

Boat - still on its pontoon with guy trying to sell.

Boat ? As I said - I don't expect many here will have ever heard of the brand ...

Mamba 33

Anyway .... she was 'tired' and tbh ... would need a few 000's spent to bring her up to the value he wanted to sell at ... his price was too high and he said if not met - he keeps her.
Sprayhood stitching letting go and its windows colouring with age. Material faded and thin ... would need replacement.
Genny UV and sail past sell by date by quite a margin ! Replace
VP MD11 took a while to cough and splutter into life after palaver to open seacock etc. Engineer to sort
Headlining was stiff vinyl with pseudo wood battens - which had come away aft port side saloon. Take down and do job properly.
Main arch frame midships dividing saloon from fwd spaces had water damage stbd end where joined to sides. Find source of water
Water in bilges from leaks of keel stepped mast. This is a design feature for severe conditions - not to be as a normal state !
Cabins small for such a boat.
Seller had removed above bunk side locker doors and replaced with curtains where storage on port side ... but left stbd side as locker doors. Strange look then ... try put back to correct form ...
Overall decks and hull good ... but when on the boat asking oneself if could be happy even buying at a reduced price ?? Answer is no.

You have that feeling when you know YES .... or NO.

Now looking at online sites to decide what to look at next ....
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Glad not the only one to decide the boat I went to see not even worth a price reduction
 
Refueler said:
Last 3 days - we've had a hoolie here ..... sitting at desk yesterday - branch snapped of tree and hit house - I thought a bomb had dropped.

I've been 'arguing' with local council to allow me to cut back trees as I have a lot of dead / damaged boughs that need cutting out.

Friday winds die down and I have a weather window till Tuesday late evening ..... so 🤞 all goes to plan (!) and I can get away to have a clear run home.

Then I have my other boat completed works in yard ... that will need sailing back next weather window.

Its all go !!
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We were a little north of you in Kurasaare. Forty five knot gusts for a day. Got out after five days!
 
Everyday story of a used boat buyer. What was once a lovely boat 30+ years ago fails to live up to promise. Also shows that one man's view of usable is another's ready for a refit! Sellers tend to have rose tinted specs and view the boat as it was x years ago before they stopped keeping it up to date.
 
Tranona said:
Everyday story of a used boat buyer. What was once a lovely boat 30+ years ago fails to live up to promise. Also shows that one man's view of usable is another's ready for a refit! Sellers tend to have rose tinted specs and view the boat as it was x years ago before they stopped keeping it up to date.
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Cars ... Houses .... Boats .... all same story.

I feel sorry for the seller ... if he cannot accept reality of the boats value and price accordingly - it will just be another sad long story ...
 
Our experience when buying was:

- if there’s a photograph missing it’s missing for a reason
- if there’s only one or two photos it’s not because the seller isn’t very IT literate, it’s because there’s no way to make the boat look nice in a picture
- if they haven’t bothered to tidy up for the photo they haven’t bothered to look after the boat
- the premium for a great example of a boat is only marginally higher than a mediocre one
- if they aren’t using a broker it’s probably not about saving money, but because the broker isn’t interested in selling (or not selling) the overpriced mess

Very frustrating to spend half a day or more travelling to see something which doesn’t live up to the hype.
 
I happened to come across this
clarkeandcarter.co.uk/boats-for-sale/1980-sadler-32-levington-united-kingdom-8887692/
a couple of days ago attracted by the low price. The description is honest to explain the price, but the photos are not. Looks like they were taken as it was because it looks fine visually (apart from the horrid engine!). Unsurprising that it has sold since I saw it on Thursday. Has the makings of a good boat at a sensible price.
 
Tranona said:
I happened to come across this
clarkeandcarter.co.uk/boats-for-sale/1980-sadler-32-levington-united-kingdom-8887692/
a couple of days ago attracted by the low price. The description is honest to explain the price, but the photos are not. Looks like they were taken as it was because it looks fine visually (apart from the horrid engine!). Unsurprising that it has sold since I saw it on Thursday. Has the makings of a good boat at a sensible price.
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Too often people use photos from brochures or years previous .... plus of course any photos taken at time of selling tend to look 101% better than reality.
 
Wansworth said:
But certainly studying posted phots will show defects,but in the haste to see the boat maybe tell tale signs are missed
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Having grown up around boats ... first memories are when I was about 5yrs old ..... I'm now 67. For last decades - owned / still own survey companys and physically conducted myself many boat surveys .... I think I might have some idea ... not 100% ... as we learn every day and see new twists on old themes !!
 
Refueler said:
Having grown up around boats ... first memories are when I was about 5yrs old ..... I'm now 67. For last decades - owned / still own survey companys and physically conducted myself many boat surveys .... I think I might have some idea ... not 100% ... as we learn every day and see new twists on old themes !!
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No not a comment on you but from my own recent experiences I should have detected signs that the boat was not what it seemed,like signes of water staining on bulkheads
 
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