Any Successes Selling a Boat Recently?

[Foswick]

We have a Catalina 27, which we sailed for years. She's a great little boat. When we got our current boat back in May, we pulled the Catalina out and have her in storage at the boatyard. I put her up for sale for less than she is worth and have brought the price down a couple of times to well less than she is worth. It is difficult for me to arrange to meet potential buyers, so I only intermittently advertise on Craigslist. When I do, I get less interest than I would expect, but a few people each week or two do actually meet me to have a look. I then let a couple of months pass before trying again.

So, without a doubt, I could be more aggressive about selling her. Admittedly, part of the issue is that we love that boat. There is nothing wrong with her and we have a ton of great memories on her. We just needed a bigger boat. So, that reluctance to part with her, plus the fact that it is difficult for me to show the boat (logistically), means that she is still sitting there unsold.

I think part of the problem is that she isn't in the water. I kind of thought that a savvy buyer would appreciate that, but mostly I talk to a lot of first-timer buyers who do not understand the benefit of having the boat out of the water when inspecting. The other issue is that about 1 in 5 prospective buyers is actually interested in buying her. But, then they look into moorage and find out that there is a waitlist of potentially several months, so they back out.

At this point, I am practically willing to give her away to the right person, because it is costing us money to store her and I don't have the time to check on her regularly.

 

[shemandr]

I would normally want a boat I'm considering for purchase to be out of the water.
I think you need to be more aggressive to sell it. I hear a bit of reluctance to part with the boat. But you should consider that boats in storage don't improve over time. And you are paying for it in storage fees and diminishing market value.
You need someone to show the boat when there is a potential buyer. A lot of yacht brokers balk at spending their time on a low value boat. Maybe a friend or yard worker could be enticed to do the showing with a percentage of the selling price. Note I'm not saying handle the details of the sale - just show the boat.
I also think you need to widen the advertising from just Craig's list. Is it on SBO? Is there a "For Sale" sign on it? I've sold boats from a supermarket post. Some boatyards will list a boat on their website without brokering it - it actually helps the yard by making it look like they have more inventory. There are also websites for listings. I expect Catalina has listings of boats for sale.
Finding a place to keep the boat in the water is a challenge. If you can offer something in that arena it would help a great deal.
I don't think the boat will sell itself sitting in the back of a boat yard awaiting a new owner to discover its value.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

We bought our first boat, an Ericsson 27, having seen it sitting on the hard with a “for sale” sign on it. Timing is everything.

 

[jssailem]

Craigslist is random marketing. I am with @shemandr to expand your marketing.

Winter is challenging but not impossible.

Go online and search for options to list your boat.
Here is one. Search Sailboats for Sale

I would continue with Craigslist. I believe many on that list are looking for a lowball deal.

SBO classifieds can work.

You could also use sailing magazines, such as 48º North. I know you are in Bellingham. I would look north and south for your market. What options are there in Canada? Vancouver BC is a sailing community. Are there any places where you can post an advertisement?

Having the boat on the hard is a positive and a negative. A slip is going to be an issue in the Salish Sea but not a show stopper. When the issue comes up have a couple of options that you can share with a potential buyer.

Sometimes the Broker serves as an instructor for the new sailor. He/She does not know what they do not know. Selling a boat is sometimes about instruction. Offering to help when the boat is splashed could help seal the deal. There is nothing wrong with sharing the pride you have concerning your boat with the new owner.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

I had my last boat listed on Craigslist for a month with little success other than a lady that drove four hours, wasted a bunch of our time only to back out. I got more aggressive as winter was coming up quick. I listed it on SBO, Sailboat listings and Craigslist. Calls and emails started rolling in. It sold two weeks later thanks to Sailboatlistings. Sailing Texas is another decent site. I would contact a broker or your yard to see if they can show potential buyers for a fee

 

[jssailem]

I came across another option.
Facebook has a Sailboat - For sale by owner group.
Simple rules:

About​

Sailboats- for sale by owner is a group made up of private individuals wanting to sell their sailboat. Please post pictures and a description when you advertise your boat for sale. Any sailboat, any size, any condition.​

Must answer 3 sailboat questions to join. (To avoid spammers)​

 

[Mikem]

You could also try FB marketplace. My kids say it is better than Craigslist.

 

[marcham]

You mention that it's listed for less than it's worth.... it's worth what someone pays for it, so it's almost impossible to value a boat until it sells. The insurance values determined by the surveyors are often highly inflated, as our prices on yachtworld, boats.com, etc... (especially if listed through a broker).

The demand for keelboats without a walk-through transom, without a wide beam or high freeboard (ie: lots of interior room) or with 30+ year old cabin tops that had wood in the structure is quickly evaporating.

I listed a boat or sale for $6000 less than what maintenance/overhaul cost us in the past 2 years and didn't receive any serious offers (1985 35' sailboat).

We had a club member who's vessel was valued at CAD 55 000 who sold for CAD 10 000. Three others are unable to sell their 70's / 80s boats and will have to pay to scrap them (could not give them away).

The tip of the iceberg for abandoned / sunk 70's and 80's fiberglass production boats is probably just starting ?

Is your Catalina listed around USD 4000 - 7000? That's roughly the price they are going for unfortunately, especially if moorage (dock) space is not included. If your boat is ready to sail and you need it gone, simply drop the price by $1000 a week and eventually someone will bite. Yes it takes time, I spend about 3 hrs for each viewing.

Personally, I would prefer to view a boat out the water. Negotiate with the prospective buyer spliting the costs to launch it for a sea trial, after all, you've been saving on dock fees. If there are soft spots on the deck or cabin top, you may have trouble giving it away.

Craigslist is slowly dying. Most for sale adds are on Facebook Marketplace for your city/region.

Congrats on the new to you boat!

 

[Foswick]

Is your Catalina listed around USD 4000 - 7000?

That's about what it's worth. She is in better-than-average shape, but without a lot of bells and whistles. Problem-free but not fancy.

If your boat is ready to sail and you need it gone, simply drop the price by $1000 a week and eventually someone will bite.

Yeah, you would think so. I have had her advertised for as low as $1000. Part of the problem is that, at the sub-$5000 price point, most buyers aren't serious, don't know what they want, etc. If we make contact on a Wednesday and I can't meet them until Friday, they've already decided to get a camper instead ... that sort of thing. I find that the lower the price goes, the harder she is to sell, for this reason (only half kidding). I considered just posting her as "free", but I think that most people would assume there is something wrong with her (which there is not) and it would end up being a huge time waster.

For sure, I am my own worst enemy in this process - just a bit reluctant and very unable to take the time/effort. I actually made a deal with a friend to advertise and show the boat on my behalf and take half of whatever she sold for. Thought that would be a good solution. Again, though, one of two things happens. Either they find out they will have to wait a little while to get moorage and/or the first insurance company they talk to tells them they wont insure it.

As an experiment, I think I might advertise it for $12,000 and see if I have more luck. That would be both funny and annoying.

Also, I think I might offer to donate her to both to a local sailing school and to my old yacht club. Would be good to see her go where she will be appreciated.

 

[marcham]

That's about what it's worth. She is in better-than-average shape, but without a lot of bells and whistles. Problem-free but not fancy.

Yeah, you would think so. I have had her advertised for as low as $1000. Part of the problem is that, at the sub-$5000 price point, most buyers aren't serious, don't know what they want, etc. If we make contact on a Wednesday and I can't meet them until Friday, they've already decided to get a camper instead ... that sort of thing. I find that the lower the price goes, the harder she is to sell, for this reason (only half kidding). I considered just posting her as "free", but I think that most people would assume there is something wrong with her (which there is not) and it would end up being a huge time waster.

For sure, I am my own worst enemy in this process - just a bit reluctant and very unable to take the time/effort. I actually made a deal with a friend to advertise and show the boat on my behalf and take half of whatever she sold for. Thought that would be a good solution. Again, though, one of two things happens. Either they find out they will have to wait a little while to get moorage and/or the first insurance company they talk to tells them they wont insure it.

As an experiment, I think I might advertise it for $12,000 and see if I have more luck. That would be both funny and annoying.

Also, I think I might offer to donate her to both to a local sailing school and to my old yacht club. Would be good to see her go where she will be appreciated.

Yup... .all good points. That's why we use brokers on bigger deals, we don't have the time and don't want to have the headaches and hassles, most brokers are worth their commission.

Go for it and let us know how it works with the price increase!

Tire kickers to get sticker shock once they realize a $1000 boat will cost them $5000 a year to keep in the water...

 

[Will Gilmore]

Try a broker. If nothing else, you'll learn something from them. You can't go wrong. A broker is motivated to get the better price, but not at the point they can't sell her. That is their business. Price her up to attract the serious buyers, and negotiate her down to make the sale. Too cheap and you'll see more casual lookers who think they MIGHT be interested in owning a sailboat for the first time, but they don't know enough to understand the real costs, or they haven't yet figured out how to fit one into their lives. They'll look, but they can't make a decision.

-Will

 

[Bob J.]

Most brokers aren't interested in selling older boats. There's no money in it for them. Friend of mine tried getting a couple of different brokers to list his 29' C&C. They weren't interested & pretty much told him it wasn't worth their effort to list it.
He was asking 15k, finally let it go for 5k. It was a pretty nice boat.
He turned around & bought a 31' Pearson. On the market for 15k, got it for 5K.

Odds are in the end most of us will end up giving our boats away just to get out from under them.