Buy New or Used Boat?

[Warren Milberg]

I'm curious as to how many owners out there bought their boat new or used? In over 40 years of sailing and boat ownership, which includes owning 5 boats, I've never bought a new boat. I never will. While I like the idea of buying a new boat, I am put off by high prices and what appears to be a lot of poor initial quality control -- necessitating potentially aggravating disputes over what is, or is not, covered in one's warranty. Used boats, on the other hand, are often bargain priced and previous owners have taken care of most of the initial problems found in new boats -- at least to the eye of a careful buyer and/or surveyor.
How did you make your decision?

 

[shemandr]

All 5 boats I've bought were used.

 

[Ken Cross]

Used only.

Ken

 

[Justin_NSA]

Simple for me. I could never afford the size and features I want in a boat that's new. I will always prefer a well maintained used boat. Same with cars. A house would be different.

 

[Stu Jackson]

First boat bought in 1983, Catalina 22, two years old. Second, 1987, also a 1981 boat. Last, Catalina 34, purchased in 1998, 12 years old, have owned her for 18+ years.

We could not justify literally twice the price for the "new" C34 in 1998. We intended to keep her for a long time (and we have! ), the PO kept her pristine, so by the time we were replacing hoses, etc., so were the guys with newer boats. Most of them upgraded their electrical systems, too.

 

[scoob]

There are boat builders, sadly, that are not delivering quality boats. There are many builders that are building quality boats and provide excellent customer service ... I happen to be a boat builder that warranties my product for the lifetime (or ownership) of the original owner(s).

The currently reality is that the greatest competitor to boat builders is the old boats that are on the market. Fiberglass doesn't go away!

 

[kloudie1]

Bought my first sailboat brand new.. a Spirit 23.. in 1978.. Then bought my H-34 used in 1991 when it was 6 years old..

 

[Brian S]

Well, I want to buy a new boat. I'd hope for fewer things breaking, and I'd get the opportunity to wear stuff out on my own. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll ever be able to buy a new boat. When I was younger, I always thought when I got older I'd be able to buy a new boat. Turns out our economy has not progressed the way it did for my Grandparents in the post-war years, real wages aren't going up, and the middle class is dwindling. Add to that the increasing costs of new boat construction, and the fact that I haven't hit it rich, and I guess I'll be stuck constantly fixing up things on my own on used boats. I'm the leading edge of Gen X, and it's #%&* demoralizing.

 

[rgranger]

I've purchased 8 sailboats in the past 14 years... all used.

I also believe musical instruments and exercise equipment should never be purchased new. Haha... good intentions and all of that.....There are so many "like new" examples for sale at half the new price. Boats.... well if you shop around, you will find boats where the PO has done some amazing upgrade that was a passion of love. And you get to benefit from that in the purchase and then add your own upgrade.

 

[Justin_NSA]

The beauty of finding a used boat with nice upgrades is that you get them for a fraction of what it would cost to install them yourself. Their loss is your gain.

 

[jssailem]

I think it is more likely one will find and buy a used boat than a new boat. Look at the popular Rhodes 19. 3200 were built (according to Saildata). They were built from 1958 to 1989 - 31 years. That's 103 per year. With new boat cost, limited quantity, and small paychecks, it seems more likely a used boat is in your future than a new boat.

My first was a sweet Montgomery 15 "Pocket Yacht" in 1996. She was 10 years old at the time. She was given to a new owner in 2015 and I acquired my current boat a 1974 Cal 35 Cruiser. Based on size and what I wanted to do, when balanced with funds I wanted to spend a used boat was the best match.
Boats and cruising are a compromise.

 

[LakeShark]

Every boat I have ever owned (and there’s a lot of them) have been used. I am always attracted to the classic lines, nice teak trim work, and character of the used boats out there (and the Price as well). The larger question here is how do we keep boat builders in business so that we can buy newer used boats if they are not selling very many new ones to customers?

 

[DayDreamer41]

The shine of new is very attractive but as stated both the cost differential and the possible aggravations of new boat tuning doesn't seem to be worth the shine. There are many boats of all sizes out there in various states of repair, from like new to a fixer upper and with those states are the varying costs.
Cars, bikes, boats everything that depreciates has better pricing opportunities used so one could get a better equipped bigger boat (if that is what you want) for less.

 

[Jackdaw]

Of my two current boats, the First 260 was bought used and the First 36.7 was bought new.

New gets you new designs, new thinking. And new everything.

As I get older I'm much less willing to spend precious sailing time fixing up an old outdated boat.

@LakeShark , For better or worse, its thinking like that that keeps boat-builders alive. They know it; almost EVERY sailboat made now is targeted at people in their 50s.

That and good relationships with the big charter companies.

 

[Gunni]

A used boat offers more value to me. No interest in a fixer-upper, just something with good bones, properly cared for that requires some upgrades. Pretty disappointing what is happening with new boats, and the end of great US sailboats from Sabre, Hinkley, Ericson, Pearson, Pacific Seacraft, etc. Even Morris seems to be struggling. Buyers seem to be driving the builders to deliver oversized, unseaworthy dock queens and motorboats.

 

[Jackdaw]

A used boat offers more value to me. No interest in a fixer-upper, just something with good bones, properly cared for that requires some upgrades. Pretty disappointing what is happening with new boats, and the end of great US sailboats from Sabre, Hinkley, Ericson, Pearson, Pacific Seacraft, etc. Even Morris seems to be struggling. Buyers seem to be driving the builders to deliver oversized, unseaworthy dock queens and motorboats.

I hear you, but that's easy to say sitting on the sidelines, not in the market.

Boatbuilders have an obligation to their shareholders and employees to stay in business. So they build what will sell. And that means understanding the mindset of someone who might buy a new boat. What now sells now NEW is big, easy to sail boats for couples in their 50s. It is the continued appeal of 20+ year old designs in the used boat market that has pushed them into this new segment. Beneteau's new 62 is designed to be 'easy to sail' by a couple!

 

[Gunni]

Beneteau's new 62 is designed to be 'easy to sail' by a couple!

Until it isn't and all that freeboard, spar, sail, open deck and wanky thruster becomes more than 1.5 sailors can manage. I see it all the time, the boat and crew sit tied up because conditions are just a bit "too spirited" for the crew. The laws of physics have not been rescinded, there is a balance between boat size, and the ability of a couple to manage the boat in all conditions ...it is well below 62 feet.

 

[BarryL]

Hey,
I see the appeal of a new boat. However I can't justify the cost of what is basically a toy. I suppose if I were going to live on the boat or sail off into the sunset I could think of it like a house. But most houses appreciate over time and boats never do.

You can buy a 10 year old boat for about 1/2 of a new boat. Spend some money on brand new sails and running rigging. Now you have a practically brand new boat for much less money. And that first dock rash won't hurt nearly as much,

Barry

 

[reworb]

I've bought 3 sailboats total. 2 were new and 1 was used. The new boats had no problems other than minor ones plus no one had made any undocumented improvements. The used one, which is my current boat, in spite of having a survey from a supposedly respected surveyor has been a real pain. Lots of stuff was "improved" by the prior owner that was not documented and was not done correctly and caused a lot of frustrating problems. It got to the point where I didn't enjoy using the boat, after throwing time and money at it I finally straightened everything out and after 3 years finally like the boat. The only reason I bought used this time was I didn't want to spend 120k+ for a weekend toy. In hind sight if I had to do it over again I would have bought new.

 

[Bad Obsession]

I bought a brand new kayak this year, does that count as a new boat?

There is no way I would buy new. Honestly I like some of the older designs better anyway. The newer boats seem to be built cheaper than some of the older boats.

I do like some of the concepts on the new boats, but the concepts are not always executed well. Good ideas poorly fabricated.

I looked at all the new boats at the last boat show in Annapolis. I couldn't get over how cheap some of them looked. Some of them seemed to be very similar to the quality of cheap RVs. I always thought boats were build better than RVs but now some of them aren't.

If I had the money to buy a new boat I think that I would probably buy a nice used one and update it. If you put the older boat back to bristol condition then it is a new boat but you won't pay the same taxes and insurance on the older boat. This would only work if you were going to keep the boat for a long time because of the upfront loss, but it would eventually balance back out.