I have been lookin at buying a boat for some time 40 t0 50 ft. i have found boats for sale that were used for charter boats buy charter groups. they seem to be kept up very well and are only around 5 years old but are listed in some cases i have seen some that sell for tens of thousands less one as much as 50 compared to other same boats. i talked to one of the owners and he said there boats are in some cases better than single owners becuse everything is automaticaly fixed on them and are checked weekly and most have tons of equipment upgrades for long distant sailing and the reason they price them lower is becuse they have already made there money on them and meed newer boats to replace them customers want to rent new.. i also have a friend who says if i buy one it will fall apart in no time he thinks a sail boat only has so many good sails in her and charter companies use them up quick. any one have any suggestions or may know some one who has bought one.
what about chater boats for sale
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Charter boats for sale
Since you could be buying the boat for a significantly reduced price, that in it self would pay for a good surveyor to check it out for you. I'd say go for it. If it doesn't check out you don't have to buy it. Just make sure you hire a surveyor of your own choosing, not one they recommend. Good luck.
Since you could be buying the boat for a significantly reduced price, that in it self would pay for a good surveyor to check it out for you. I'd say go for it. If it doesn't check out you don't have to buy it. Just make sure you hire a surveyor of your own choosing, not one they recommend. Good luck.
Sailboat has as many good sails as required.
If a boat either sail or power is kept in good shape and the maintenance is kept up a sailboat has many years of sailing left in her. My boat is 21 years old and shines like the day she was new. I keep her standing rigging in top shape, decks and mechanical equipment are all in top shape. Many poeple ask is she new. I enjoy watching the facial expressions when I she she is 21 years young. Her sea keeping capabilites are every bit as good as the day she first got her feet wet. True sailboats requirehard word, thats true of any boat they need constant care, however providing that love and care she will sail for many years to come.
If a boat either sail or power is kept in good shape and the maintenance is kept up a sailboat has many years of sailing left in her. My boat is 21 years old and shines like the day she was new. I keep her standing rigging in top shape, decks and mechanical equipment are all in top shape. Many poeple ask is she new. I enjoy watching the facial expressions when I she she is 21 years young. Her sea keeping capabilites are every bit as good as the day she first got her feet wet. True sailboats requirehard word, thats true of any boat they need constant care, however providing that love and care she will sail for many years to come.
Most boats coming out of charter...
...are worn and tired. No, charter companies do not automatically fix things when they need to. More often than not it's just a bailing wire and bubble gum repair to get it through a few more charters. When the repair is finally made it is usually just the primary repair and any other colateral damage is ignored. When a boat comes in from a charter, unless it is "hard broke", they turn it around in a couple of hours because someone else is waiting in line for it. A similar question was asked about buying a boat to put into charter. The overwhelming opinion on this was that if it was such a great deal, EVERYONE would be doing it. In reality, at the end of three to five years you have a relatively new boat that still has a huge mortgage on it and (since everyone and their brother has sailed the living piss out of it) it requires a total refit. I speak from personal experience looking at ex-charter boats and from friends and acquaintances who owned charters. That's not to say you won't find a decent one...you may get lucky. Just my eversohumble opinion. Cheers, Bob
...are worn and tired. No, charter companies do not automatically fix things when they need to. More often than not it's just a bailing wire and bubble gum repair to get it through a few more charters. When the repair is finally made it is usually just the primary repair and any other colateral damage is ignored. When a boat comes in from a charter, unless it is "hard broke", they turn it around in a couple of hours because someone else is waiting in line for it. A similar question was asked about buying a boat to put into charter. The overwhelming opinion on this was that if it was such a great deal, EVERYONE would be doing it. In reality, at the end of three to five years you have a relatively new boat that still has a huge mortgage on it and (since everyone and their brother has sailed the living piss out of it) it requires a total refit. I speak from personal experience looking at ex-charter boats and from friends and acquaintances who owned charters. That's not to say you won't find a decent one...you may get lucky. Just my eversohumble opinion. Cheers, Bob
I think you would be better off buying a good
5 year old boat from a single owner private party with low hours. abe
5 year old boat from a single owner private party with low hours. abe
Not Worth It To Me
In November 2003 we chartered at Moorings 40CC in the BVI. The boat was 4 years old, had 2800 hours on the engine and the interior had been trashed, scrapes, cigarette burns, damage everywhere. Canvas needed to be replace and the sails were tired. Too much use by to many non-caring people. I once thought about buying and chartering through a program such as this but now know at the end of the 5 to 7 year cycle you would not have a boat that you would want to own. Mabe I just got a bad one but I don't think so. Spend more now for new or owned by one or two people instead of saving money going in only to make many major repairs and updateing everything else. Just an opinon. Good Luck! Bob sv Kathryn, Stamford, Ct
In November 2003 we chartered at Moorings 40CC in the BVI. The boat was 4 years old, had 2800 hours on the engine and the interior had been trashed, scrapes, cigarette burns, damage everywhere. Canvas needed to be replace and the sails were tired. Too much use by to many non-caring people. I once thought about buying and chartering through a program such as this but now know at the end of the 5 to 7 year cycle you would not have a boat that you would want to own. Mabe I just got a bad one but I don't think so. Spend more now for new or owned by one or two people instead of saving money going in only to make many major repairs and updateing everything else. Just an opinon. Good Luck! Bob sv Kathryn, Stamford, Ct
Hire an independent surveyor
Hi Scuba, I don't know who your friend is, but any good sailboat that has been maintained properly will sail for as long as it is maintained. Many classic sailboats such as the Cal 20's were built in the early 60's over 40 years ago and they are still being raced all over the United States. Dennis Connors' private boat is a 1965 Cal 40. If you find a charter boat that you like and it still looks clean inside and out, that doesn't mean a new cheap paint job to cover any flaws.Pay a surveyor check everything out, such as blisters in the fiber glass, rigging,keel, wiring, sails etc. If it checks out, great. rigging, rudder, keel
Hi Scuba, I don't know who your friend is, but any good sailboat that has been maintained properly will sail for as long as it is maintained. Many classic sailboats such as the Cal 20's were built in the early 60's over 40 years ago and they are still being raced all over the United States. Dennis Connors' private boat is a 1965 Cal 40. If you find a charter boat that you like and it still looks clean inside and out, that doesn't mean a new cheap paint job to cover any flaws.Pay a surveyor check everything out, such as blisters in the fiber glass, rigging,keel, wiring, sails etc. If it checks out, great. rigging, rudder, keel
Take a weekend and look
A big charter company with lots of boats for sale is in Miami, not too far for a weekend drive. Go down and look over the boats at Florida Yacht Charters... They have a long list for sale. This is not a recommendation of a particular company, but I think you can see a lot of charter-for-sale boats in one visit that way, and form an opinion on your own. But whatever you do, hire your own surveyor, and learn everything you can. In this case you might even consider a separate survey of the engine and rigging. If the sails are shot, or a winch is bad, you might still save enough to put on new ones and still make out. Caveat emptor. S.
A big charter company with lots of boats for sale is in Miami, not too far for a weekend drive. Go down and look over the boats at Florida Yacht Charters... They have a long list for sale. This is not a recommendation of a particular company, but I think you can see a lot of charter-for-sale boats in one visit that way, and form an opinion on your own. But whatever you do, hire your own surveyor, and learn everything you can. In this case you might even consider a separate survey of the engine and rigging. If the sails are shot, or a winch is bad, you might still save enough to put on new ones and still make out. Caveat emptor. S.
Lokk carefully at the costs
When we were looking for a bigger boat we looked at excharter boats and the possiblity buying and chartering the boat to offset some intial costs. Even if the maintenance was done and thre is a lot of wear and tear on a charter vessel. They spend more time being used (and from what we have seen in the Caribe not very gentley). We looked at the possible refit costs (inlcuding a possible engine/trans replacement, sails, etc). After running the numbers and making some decsions we had a new boat built. This is not to say there ar not good deals out there. Just look carefully and really be able to understand the costs and time for refit. In the marina we are currently in there are several boats that were purchased used and are going through refits. It is costing them more money and time than they planned as new things keep popping up for repair or replacement.
When we were looking for a bigger boat we looked at excharter boats and the possiblity buying and chartering the boat to offset some intial costs. Even if the maintenance was done and thre is a lot of wear and tear on a charter vessel. They spend more time being used (and from what we have seen in the Caribe not very gentley). We looked at the possible refit costs (inlcuding a possible engine/trans replacement, sails, etc). After running the numbers and making some decsions we had a new boat built. This is not to say there ar not good deals out there. Just look carefully and really be able to understand the costs and time for refit. In the marina we are currently in there are several boats that were purchased used and are going through refits. It is costing them more money and time than they planned as new things keep popping up for repair or replacement.
chater boats
I've researched this at length, thinking I might like to buy an ex-charter boat, or buy a new boat, put it in charter for awhile, and use it afterward. If the boat has been in charter with a good company-say Moorings, Sunsail, or another reputable company-the bottom line is this: the boat probably has been well maintained but also has been used a lot more than average. An analogy might be like buying a used rental car. Probably you need to look at the individual boat and have it surveyed (of course). Robby
I've researched this at length, thinking I might like to buy an ex-charter boat, or buy a new boat, put it in charter for awhile, and use it afterward. If the boat has been in charter with a good company-say Moorings, Sunsail, or another reputable company-the bottom line is this: the boat probably has been well maintained but also has been used a lot more than average. An analogy might be like buying a used rental car. Probably you need to look at the individual boat and have it surveyed (of course). Robby
Charter Boat
I agree with Robby, I'd look at a charter boat like I would a car coming out of rent car fleet...rode hard and put away wet.
I agree with Robby, I'd look at a charter boat like I would a car coming out of rent car fleet...rode hard and put away wet.
Numbers won't work....
Charter boats generally don't come with many of the "toys" that we all want/need now - at least on the big boats (a/c, autopilot, electronics, gen., canfas, davits.) I've run the numbers on a few of them. To buy the boat, even at a deep discount, and add these features, they're just too high. You wind up with new systems on an old boat and couldn't get a fair return on the package. I suppose that if you keep the boat forever and/or don't want any of the toys, it might work. But otherwise, I've never been able to make the numbers work for me.
Charter boats generally don't come with many of the "toys" that we all want/need now - at least on the big boats (a/c, autopilot, electronics, gen., canfas, davits.) I've run the numbers on a few of them. To buy the boat, even at a deep discount, and add these features, they're just too high. You wind up with new systems on an old boat and couldn't get a fair return on the package. I suppose that if you keep the boat forever and/or don't want any of the toys, it might work. But otherwise, I've never been able to make the numbers work for me.
Sun Sail H410
I recently purchased a Hunter 410 from Sun Sail, and the boat is great! I have to admit I had some reservations, but did my research and checked the boat out carefully, I did however use a BVI area surveyor which I found on my own and was not happy with all the findings. I would do it again, the boat looks great except for a few minor scratches which cost almost nothing to repair, the instruments were limited but they are inexpensive to buy and if you were purchasing any aonther boat of similar vintage would likely need to be replaced anyway. I live in Canada where these boats are very costly to purchase, I could not buy a new 33 for what I paid delivered to Canada. They have the boat go through an exit survey, we ended up with a brand new furling mast and new main! the jib was 2 years old and is still in above average condition. Best of Luck! John Vasey S/V H410 " Fatal Attraction" fatal.41@sympatico.ca
I recently purchased a Hunter 410 from Sun Sail, and the boat is great! I have to admit I had some reservations, but did my research and checked the boat out carefully, I did however use a BVI area surveyor which I found on my own and was not happy with all the findings. I would do it again, the boat looks great except for a few minor scratches which cost almost nothing to repair, the instruments were limited but they are inexpensive to buy and if you were purchasing any aonther boat of similar vintage would likely need to be replaced anyway. I live in Canada where these boats are very costly to purchase, I could not buy a new 33 for what I paid delivered to Canada. They have the boat go through an exit survey, we ended up with a brand new furling mast and new main! the jib was 2 years old and is still in above average condition. Best of Luck! John Vasey S/V H410 " Fatal Attraction" fatal.41@sympatico.ca
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