Buying a used Catamaran and have some ??'s

[Talbot]

I believe it would be more accurate to align a boat that was designed for the charter market, as "an old taxi". The concentration on bunks versus stowage is a major problem that would need to be amended for a cruising boat.

[SelkirkWind]

Originally Posted by Talbot

I believe it would be more accurate to align a boat that was designed for the charter market, as "an old taxi". The concentration on bunks versus stowage is a major problem that would need to be amended for a cruising boat.

Actually, I don't believe storage is an issue on a Leopard as there are no other configurations manufactured except the "owners version." A Leopard 47 is a large cat and has plenty of storage in my experience. I don't think a custom solution to build one is possible either, lest we forget the original premise:

Originally Posted by kkugley

I'm looking at Leopard 40's and 47's in the $200-300k range.

[Captain Bill]

NC has a sales tax of 3% maximum of $1500 for boats purchased at retail. It has no sales tax on used boats purchased from private individuals. I'm not sure about residency requirements. I think that would be an issue only if you moved it from the state. Many other states want a "use" tax if you move it to that state and have not owned it for 6 months or more and did not pay the equivalent of their tax in NC. For instance if you moved the boat to Florida they would want 6% "Use" tax. If you had bought the boat from a dealer in NC then they would be happy to deduct what ever you paid in NC from the "Use" tax bill. In NC you will get nailed for personal property taxes if you keep the boat in the state over a January 1. This is still lower than 6% "use" or Sales tax on 300K. My taxes run about $1300 on a boat I paid 260K for 3 years ago. Be careful to put it in a Marina that is not in a city limits or you can get stuck for city taxes as well as county. The City of New Bern annexed our marina without notifying the boat owners (we didn't own the land so they had no obligation to notify us). That was an extra thousand dollar surprise. I surprised them the next year. I found a marina in another county and not in a city. Not no taxes but sure less taxes.

[kevingy]

Originally Posted by Woods Designs

If you were buying a used car would you a) buy an old taxi, b) buy an ex rental car, c) buy from "one careful lady owner"?

If needed and/or wanted a car, but could only afford an ex-rental car or an old taxi, would you buy it or go without? That's the real question. The answer varies from person to person and used car to used car.

Why not buy an ex-rental car that has been test driven, checked out by the buyer, and checked out by a certified mechanic (i.e., a qualified automobile surveyor). Whether buying a car, a boat, or anything else, so long as you know what you're getting yourself into, haven't bitten off more than you can chew, and have taken both into account when negotiating a purchase price, why not?