To ebay or not to ebay--that is the question

[Ralph18414]

Hi All,I'm new hear. I am currently am saving my pennies to get back into sailing. I recently saw a Catalina 30 and fell in love with it. Unfortunately, the salesman who showed her to me smelled a sucker (he sold me my last boat). I was looking for a smaller boat but having seen the 30 I'm thinking that maybe I should hold out and keep saving. Thats the back-drop; now for the question. I would like to hear what y'all think of buying a boat through ebay. I don't think that I could buy sight unseen. However, there is a small time frame in which I could travel and see what I am bidding on, though I would have to pay premium air fare and transportation fees if I did buy. (The saleman wanted too much for the boat he showed me.) It seems to me that a couple of failed bids would result in some hefty air fares that could actualy cause me to pay more in the long run. I've worked as a boatbuilder (granted it's been over 20 years now) and I rebuilt the last boat I owned (A Hunter 27) so I feel that not using a surveyor is one of the smaller risks that I would take. Anyway comments/sage advice?

 

[sailortonyb Allied Mis]

Love those Catalina 30's

If you dont want insurance and you dont need to finance, then you can gamble without a surveyor, I have, and I too knew what to look for. I dont think flying all over the globe will be cost effective. I have bought some stuff on e-bay, but i never had to travel to inspect first. My first source would be on yachtworld.com. That will give you the general idea of price and condition. Then when you you narrow it down to a year, go to NADA Values on the internet and get the book value. This is the one that most insurance companies use.I loved my Catalina 30. Great boat and fun to sail. You shouldnt have to look too far for one, they made about a gazillion of them. Depending on how long you have to wait to save the money, you might want to consider a Catalina 25 instead. It is actually bigger inside than the Catalina 27. Good luck and have fun .

 

[Bruce S/V Ahimsa II]

done that

I purchased my H26 from an advertisement on this website. I purchased sight unseen except for the pictures provided by the owner. I am as happy as can be at the boat I received for the price. The seller asked me if I wanted to come and sail her, but with my schedule and 800 miles to cover to get there it was just not going to happen. I made sure all the registration and licensing was up to date and the person I hired to pick her up is a good judge of boats. He called me from tthe sight and said it was perfect. Good luck!

 

[Rick A]

Bought my boat on eBay....

Bought mine on eBay, but be very carefull. My bid was based on information that I got from the seller, I fully understood what I was getting, and asked every question that I could think of. I also put a condition with my bid that the boat had to be exactly as the seller was advertising or my bid would be withdrawn and athat the seller had to agree to that condition. I could not view the boat prior to bidding so I took a fairly big risk. It worked well for me and met my expectations with a very good deal.Don't limit yourself with Catalina 30's unless price is a none issue. Check out Islanders, NewPorts, Pearson's, etc. All great boats and you can save a lot of money.Check out every site you can find, especially those that have private sales and you will find that there are thousands of boats out there for sale, with many great deals. It also depends on how far abroad you are willing to go for your boat. Stay in state? California is in range? Etc. Lattitude 38 has a great classified section if you are willing to go as far as California for the boat....

 

[Ctskip]

I used the computer

I looked all over the USA for a sailboat. Ebay included.I still lokk at Ebay for boats. I have bought many items through Ebay and been satisfied completely. While using the internet I narrowed the selection down and I closed the range for me to travel. I found a 31 footer 200 miles from here and had her shipped. It took me a year to locate her. There were so many and so little time and I wasn't going to travel all over the states, so I just narrowed my search . It worked great . Good luck and keep searching . Use google and look close to home.I know about boats so I didn't use a surveyer either . My insurance company made me get one. Enjoy

 

[Pete]

make you bid

but make it dependent on a survey/inspection that is acceptable to you, (this will be at you expense)ask lots and lots of questions. In most cases the boat should be near by(100 to 300 miles) or else the cost of transporting the boat (land or sea) may make the e bay purchase more expensive then getting one local (especial since a catalina 30 is a common boat)Don't be afraid to make a low offer on a boat either you don't know how bad the seller wants to seel or not unless you try !

 

[Richard Lanier]

I am satisfied with my e-bay boat

Two years ago, I bought a Hunter 30 on e-bay. It is a good boat and I got a fair deal. I think the main thing is to ask a lot of specific questions. Look closely at the photos for unspoken issues. Then ask more questions. I was able to inspect the boat after making a low bit. Finding it sound, I decided to win it. Hence the fair deal and not a steal. Since then, I have outfitted the boat with ebay purchases. So much so, that I have considered naming the boat "e bay." I thought it appropriate.

 

[Bob]

Your going to have to have it delivered anyways!

Ralph.I won't comment on buying a vessel online as much as suggest that if your going to keep the vessel near Huntsville and will have to transport to Alabama anyways, try looking at the boats at Lake Lanier, GA. Take a look at several web sites (snugharborboats and weathermarksailing as both brokers have several listed vessels in the 30's range. You can call them and tell them your looking for a Catalina 30 and they will search for you. Great folks to deal with. From Huntsville your only a few hours away so you can save on the airfare. Further, your getting a freshwater vessel and transportation from Atlanta will not be that bad. If you wait til the spring when the Atlanta Constitution starts advertising tons of sailboats, you can spend a day here and make your choice. I have a Catalina 30 (1988) and I know their must be 50+ on the lake. Many are in fair to good condition and now hardly used. I always thought one could take down the GADNR registration number off the sticker and if they release the owners name and phone number, call to see if they wish to sell. This is a good way to get into the boat you want. The brokers may have a better bead on this. Its a big investment and buying across the country without a thorough survey is risky business.My 2 cents.Good LuckBob

 

[Rob19574]

eBay

I would be very hesitant to buy anything site unseen. Although I bought my boat on eBay, I went to look at it first and really inspected as much as I could before making an offer. One good thing about eBay, you can use it to evaluate other vessels in the same class or type. If you are looking for a used sailboat and live anywhere near the water – chances are there are plenty of boats around for sale. I am happy with my boat but think I could have found the same deal just by driving around to a bunch of boatyards.Rob

 

[picklefreek]

2 on Ebay

I have bought 2 boats on Ebay within the past year. The first was a 1973 O'Day 23 Convertiable. Ended up getting it for $950 and the thing is like brand new. It was a "deal of the century" for sure. On that boat, no one bid on it because it didn't have a trailer, so I went and looked at it after the fact and gave hime is "opening bid". Love the boat and will keep this one forever, even if I go bigger, because with a brand new 2005 Venture Trailer, it will alway be a great one to keep in the driveway for those "weekend escapes". I purchase a 1972 O'Day 22 two weeks ago on ebay (see link below). I did it because they had a "buy now" price for $1000. I thought because of the offers I have already got for the 23, I could get this, clean her up, and make some money in the spring. Only problem with this latest buy was the trailer. Add said "Trailer in great shape all lights working.". After talking to the guy many times, I was assured that the trailer was ready to go. I drove Saturday from NH to NJ (450 miles one way), and upon arrival, there were no lights and the tires were flat and dry rot. $200 later, I had two new "used" tires on it, the bearings repacked, new lights and safety chains. Drove it 450 miles yesterday with no problem. The boat was as advertised, just was upset with not being told the truth about the trailer. All and all, I am very happy with my "EBay" purchases and I look everyday. You never know when that "awesome" deal will be there

 

[Dennis]

Found mine on the internet!

Found our boat on the internet! Had to drive 600 plus miles to pick her up, but well worth the trip! I asked for pics of her before hand and the people sent all I wanted, so I could make some judgement! The price was right and it worked out GREAT for me! I would say look around on line, not just E Bay, although E bay shouldnt be ruled out, it depends on the deal! There are countless sites on line with boats available, some with real good prices and of course some not! happy hunting

 

[Ralph18414]

Thanks

All,Thanks for the great advice. It was especially nice to hear about the success stories. I had no idea that so many boats were being bought and sold through email. Also, I thought that the advice concerning conditional bids was very good. I will have to try and get out to Lake Lanier since it is relatively close to Huntsville, AL.