buying a boat

justsomeguy · Jan 14, 2015

Mmm, Dufour. I've read some good things about that builder.

A liquor cabinet on 40+ footer doesn't surprise me.

Good luck with her.

Photos!

Anonymous 121765 · Jan 15, 2015

Train,

Sorry that you got baptized in the (un)integrity of sellers, welcome to the club man.

I believed I cautioned you about buying older boats & fixer uppers in your earlier thread for the Choy.Lee.

I'll say it again, an older boat is a get-into boat at a cheaper UPFRONT price. That being said, going this route, you may end up paying more as you go unintentioned, to get your boat to where you are satisfied with it. However, keep in mind sweat equity hours you will expend is also part of the cost. Then, there are the routine maintenance issues that may fall behind while you're into updating & fixing what you had purchased.

I went with an older boat, & discovered older systems & problems along the way I had not counted on. Will I go this route again, not on your life man, life's too short not to go sailing.

Five years in, when you add up all the money involved in updating, fixing, sweat equity etc., you may feel as I do now. Did you save money or not?

So you buy a new boat, you wanna go sailing right? Well, if your spending the next year working on the new(old) boat & not sailing her, is this what you had planned upfront? If not, better to buy a newer boat with newer electronics & less repair work & enjoy a better equipped boat right out of the blocks.

There are some that will be very happy doing idoing their own work. There is no right or wrong way to go, just make sure this is how YOU want to go. Make sure you know what your getting into first upfront & what it will cost you in $$ & time spent working not sailing. If you are like me, a hands-on guy, it may be the right way to go. Just be sure pal.

CR

Bad Obsession · Jan 15, 2015

Truth be told there is always work to do. On a newer boat there may be less work upfront, but there is always something to do. It is rare that you get a boat where you don't to do anything at all to it.

Life is about balance. Figure out what works for you and go for it. Figure out what you can live with and what you can't live without.

Fixing up an old boat is a labor of love. You will never get as much money out of it that you put into it. If you intend to keep the boat for a long time the sweat equity pays off as knowledge and self sufficiency. If you put a new system on the boat or repair and old one you know how it works. Knowing how it works will allow you to diagnose it and fix it. This is a valuable skill if you are in a remote location and something breaks.

I do hope that you got a survey done on this boat before you bought it. If not, it may be worth getting one after the fact to see what you need to immediately take care of. Many insurance companies require a survey to insure the boat.

Joe · Jan 15, 2015

Okay, here's a question for you... how old is a boat before it becomes "older"... and at what age does a boat cease to be "newer"?

Ron20324 · Jan 15, 2015

Joe said:
Okay, here's a question for you... how old is a boat before it becomes "older"... and at what age does a boat cease to be "newer"?

The usual answer... "Twenty, same as downtown".

Benny17441 · Jan 15, 2015

That's a lot of boat, how big is your crew?

Bill1565 · Jan 15, 2015

trainmanjess said:
hello all well last time I posted, it was about a cheoy lee midshipman 40 ft sailboat..... was ready to close the deal on it, and while the survey was being done, the owner sold it without even a chance for me.... sometimes that happens.... found a different boat.... I found a 1979 Dufour 1200ct 45ft sailboat... in good shape, needs a good cleaning, and a few repairs... for the price, I cannot go wrong.... needs a few system updates.... older man has the boat, he does maintenance to keep things running.... but hasn't updated any equipment for years... the interesting part is, the cockpit is at deck level, and has an aft cabin with a queen size bed... needs new nav unit, new power inverter, generator, needs new sails, deck, hull and bottom need painting, and a really good cleaning inside and out.... boat has been used to stay on, but not been sailed in a few years... the old man doesn't have anyone to sail with, so he just hangs out on the boat.... I was surprised to see it has a liquor cabinet and fridge... I made the deal and we are down to signing the paperwork for it.... sincerely Jess

Congrats and all the best to you Jess. Ignore the nay sayers Enjoy!

Indysailor · Jan 15, 2015

Where are you going to sail Jess?

Roadking Larry · Jan 15, 2015

I see no pictures.
Why are there no pictures?

Kermit · Jan 16, 2015

trainmanjess said:
but when I get my transfer, I will have more time off and get to spend all my time with my family on my boat.... sincerely Jess

I want a job like that!

gettinthere · Jan 16, 2015

Calculate 10 times as much effort as you think you will need on a boat in a condition as you describe.
And compound the complexity by having 4 people living aboard. When I undertake a big project, the v berth gets full of the overflow stuff. With 4 people aboard, you will have a very difficult time managing space.

Indysailor · Jan 16, 2015

trainmanjess said:
hello indysailor

I am planning on a transfer to florida area to live.... the company I work for has locations in florida to work.... and I plan to live on my boat ....

sincerely
Jess

Ah, well best wishes to you and the family on the next steps in your journey! More than once I have thought it would be mighty nice to be in a location with a great, open body of water on my doorstep.

pateco · Jan 16, 2015

Looks like a nice design. Where are you keeping it in FL?

Jackdaw · Jan 16, 2015

Nice looking boat.

But I have to wonder Jess. 4 people? That have NEVER lived on a boat? A 44 footer seems big until you understand that it is less than 500 sqr feet. That's about the size of my bedroom. Stepping straight into that with no Plan-B is risky. Not saying that you should not have a go at it, but do as much as you can to understand and adopt to what this will REALLY be like.

Scott T-Bird · Jan 16, 2015

College kids may not be there long .... just for visits. I think you've got a good plan going!