Frustrated with the boat buying process

[KD3PC]

we owned the 42CC for several years and it was very comfortable, especially at anchor or in the marina...the wife loved the aft cabin, as it was more comfortable than any home bedroom ever was.

That being said, I would jump at the other models to sail regularly or travel out of the chesapeake. Our CC was almost a brick at anchor, took a bit more wind to get her moving and to be honest the "cockpit" tripped one or the other of us fairly often as we exited to adjust things or just to change the view. The cockpit sides are quite comfortable at heel.

I would make a test sail on one of the Aft cockpit boats sooner than later. I found that the AC boats are easier to handle short handed or the two of us. You can see the whole boat from the wheel and get to every line without ducking or shimmying around the "CC".

Our CC had cockpit drains that had hose to an area behind the engine to thru-hulls that were impossible to reach with out a push pole or stick. Similary the companion way bulkhead was only about 6 inches higher than the cockpit floor and that 6 inches always worried me, that a wave may drop more water than the drains could handle...thus we always sailed with the bottom board in place.

 

[SEMPERAVANTI41]

If you can get a 49 or 50 AC you won't regret it!

 

[Don Lucas]

Personally, if you have looked at boats and gotten to the stage that you made an offer and paid for a survey on 3 boats and none were acceptable to you, the problem isn't with the boats!

 

[jssailem]

should I be placing so much emphasis on the CC?

I’ve not owned a CC so this is opinion.
The CC gets you up and visible above the deck. Distance to everything is less. A decent sized Aft cabin is a viable option.
There are no right or wrong answers to your question. It is about feel of the boat, how you perceive it will give you the experience you want. Beyond that is the engineering such as size and location of scuppers, control systems etc. This is factored by design and manufacturer. You’ll need to examine several boats from different sources to identify what it is you like.
I have found the information provided by the writers John and Phyllis at “Affordable Adventure Cruising “ to be helpful with this search.
Additionally the waters you plan to cruise and the numbers of crew on board play a significant part in the style of boat and the features, systems needed to make the experience comfortable.
Happy hunting

 

[JRT]

At that price range why not look at a newer boat in the mid 30s to 40s. Limiting to Hunter seems to narrow your options.

 

[Blackacre]

JSSAILEM - thanks, that’s good advice. We have invested a lot of time into our search and we keep coming back to the Center Cockpit boats. Hopefully we can find a boat that’s works for us soon so we can enjoy being out there come November/December.

Don - you know what they say about Ass-umptions.

John - we looked at the Benetaeu 38 without the fore bulkhead. They are very roomy for 2 people. We may revisit that model. Only thing is most are not well outfits for extended cruising.

 

[Don Lucas]

yes they have a basis in facts

 

[Kings Gambit]

Try a Gulfstar 50.
https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1987/Gulfstar-CSY-50-3212657/Fort-Lauderdale/FL/United-States?refSource=standard listing#.W1_kkdQrJpg

These are very popular cruising boats in FL & Caribbean.

Someone who wants to depart in Nov 2018 and does not have a boat yet is probably not going anywhere very far this November. If you want a boat in short time you have to hunt one down and then buy it.

 

[Monty VM]

I doubt the selling broker contract allows him to refuse to deal with your broker. If you’re really interested in the boat contact the owner directly. If I was selling a boat I would want to really good explanation before I would allow my broker to refuse to talk to someone.

 

[Blackacre]

Update: I received a V-Mail from the sellers broker wherein he says that the seller wouldn't be interested in my offer (10% less then asking price). He goes on to vent about how he would have been more motivated if I would have done the deal directly with him and that I shouldn't have gotten involved with another broker. He called my broker and said something similar.

I reported him to the state agency and called the owner directly but haven't heard back. I did my part and now I'm moving on. I put in an offer on a different Hunter today. I'll post something about the new boat this weekend.

Thanks everyone. I learn a lot from this forum so thanks for contributing.

 

[Blackacre]

Try a Gulfstar 50.
These are very popular cruising boats in FL & Caribbean.

Thanks Kings. I liked the Gulfstar but the wife says it looks old. Goldilocks syndrome...

 

[Gunni]

1. A good buyer’s broker would not have you looking at boats with fuel-soaked saloons or paying for survey’s on 3 boats you passed on. You may want to refocus that relationship.
2. Center cockpit boats have largely gone the way of the tail-fin, you can still find it on large custom boats but on production boats CC boats are older boats.
3. I am 6’3”, 205lbs and I fit on a lot of French boats. Beneteau 393, 411, 423, 473 all have plenty of headroom, and were tested in charter service.
4. For blue water cruising you should be buying a sailor’s boat not a dock condo boat. My wife liked the Hunter DS44 but the step up to the cabin roof was unacceptably high for the deck crew so she was overruled.
5. At near 50 ft and your price range you will be buying a boat that needs work. How much? Budget 25% of purchase price to go off-shore. But you will be in charge and getting the work done to your satisfaction on the things you want done.

 

[JamesG161]

A good buyer’s broker

I got very lucky when looking for our boat.
I called on a Saturday Morning about a Listing on a typical website. That boat was in Biloxi and we wanted to look at cabin below.

A broker answered my phone call.
After some discussion, he said he would call the "Listing Broker". I apologized for calling him...
"No worries, we are Muli-listers"
_____
It turned out I was talking to the Owner of the largest Brokerage in Florida[3 offices] , who happened to have weekend phone duty.
Long Story short...
He offered to be my Buyers Broker, since it was slow season fall time.

Happy Ending...
He found all We needed, got answers to all our questions, including a good surveyor list, diesel mechanics, boat repair people, documents, boat delivery Captain, fair marking comparables, and negotiated for us, a final great price.
Best of all, the PO paid his fee.
Jim...

PS: Advice on buying a Boat from a long distance!

 

[Kings Gambit]

Did you look at only one? Judge a book by its cover, 'eh? The title of this thread should be "I'm buying a Hunter; my mind is made up--just try to talk me out of it., etc." Typical.

It's like this retired airline pilot who bought an old Westsail 32, kit version, in the slip next to me, to sail from Long Beach to Marqueses. One of the first things he did was buy a new radar with a 40 n.mi. range (Fear of being run down.) but put it atop a stern post resting maybe 10-12 ft above the water. He crowded the WM 8.5 ft Walker Bay onto the foredeck w/no pad eyes installed to secure it, and put bunch of SCUBA tanks along the rail with similar lack of security. Go below and he's got a large spice rack that held probably 20-30 spice jars, and a very large basket that held all of his veggies and fruits swinging right into your face even at the dock. Very little room down there. Just to mention a few absurdities.

I later heard that he ran the boat out of power in a week or so. (Guess what--no help from the radar.) Dove into the water at one point with the boat underway to free his propeller from a fouling line but instead deeply cut into his own arm. Eventually, after a month, he "sailed" into a bay/harbor near destination w/ no lights, no VHF, and no engine (as in no power to start it). Some locals evidently rescued him b/f he hit the beach or coral. His ETA on departure was about 23-24 days. I guess he forgot he was going on a Westsail. All the time, before he left I and another sailor were trying to council him on how to make the boat seaworthy. Even to the point of making the most obvious suggestion that he shake the boat down w/a trip to Catalina b/f departing for the South Pacific. But--his mind was made up--no go. He had been an airline pilot--so what did we know?

 

[Blackacre]

Why so crabby, it’s friday.

I don’t know your pilot friend but you make him sound like a moron.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Why so crabby, it’s friday.

I don’t know your pilot friend but you make him sound like a moron.

The facts speak for themselves.

 

[Blackacre]

Kings Gambit, you and Don Lucas keep using the word “facts” as if it somehow adds legitimacy to your argument. It doesn’t and you both sound ridiculous.

Sorry I didn’t like the boat you recommended. BTW, none of the first 3 boats I offer to buy were Hunters, just the last two. They are fine boats, which is why people keep buying them.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Kings Gambit, you and Don Lucas keep using the word “facts” as if it somehow adds legitimacy to your argument. It doesn’t and you both sound ridiculous.

I'll change "facts" to: "that which I saw and was told by folks who were in contact w/him, and what occasionally appeared on his "website." Also, perhaps refer to post #31 above.

I think some reasons why a particular person might buy a Hunter, or a similar-type boat like Catalina, Beneteau, and etc. (Bavaria), are b/c they are popular & widely available, relatively inexpensive, and therefore potentially more easily sold when the time comes. It would take a lot more time and patience to find just the right 50-ft Gulfstar, for example, and it would likely be harder to sell when moving on. So, that's a different formula from one that seeks to answer the question as to what might be a good, perhaps the best, boat for an indefinitely-long cruising adventure in the Caribbean, leaving in November(?)

 

[Megaman]

allsailboatlistings.com

 

[splax]

there is a nice hunter 41 for sale in portsmouth va for 115k