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08-03-2019, 16:45
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 7
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How old is too old
Hi all,
In about 5 years I am planning to buy a sailboat and cruise the Caribbean with my wife and 2 kids for about 6 months.
I considered the idea of buying a boat in Croatia that seems like the cheapest place in the med, and sail it across the Atlantic, but it seems like too much hassle for the 6 month trip.
Now to keep it simple, I am thinking of buying directly in the Caribbean. My question is, how old a boat could I buy if I want to minimize the resale time after the six months (newer boats resale faster), and minimize repairs or maintenance during that time?
20 year boats, so around 2000, would be in my budget (80k), and size (about 40’), but I am a bit concerned about a boat that has been baking there for that long, and probably used more than a boat from the Chesapeake bay for instance...
10 y/o probably fine. 20 not sure. 30 most probably will need work, and I want to have a problem free trip. I know there are a ton of people sailing and even circumnavigating in 40 years old boat, but the requires a big deal of work and maintenance...
Thoughts?
Thanks
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08-03-2019, 17:00
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#2
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Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: La Ciudad de la Misión Didacus de Alcalá en Alta California, Virreinato de Nueva España
Boat: Cal 20
Posts: 20,492
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Re: How old is too old
Any boat you buy is going to need work unless you get lucky.
If you don’t already own a boat of some sort or have sailed with somebody else for 20yr or so you really aren’t going to have the ability to figure out what you are buying until after the deed is done.
Buy a small boat now and learn to sail and cruise and anchor then you will have a better idea what you actually need as opposed to uninformed wants.
__________________
Num Me Vexo?
For all of your celestial navigation questions: https://navlist.net/
A house is but a boat so poorly built and so firmly run aground no one would think to try and refloat it.
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08-03-2019, 18:02
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 7
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Re: How old is too old
Hi
I have actually been sailing for more than 20 yrs in different parts of the world and owned several boats...
Always newer boats than this though
There is a balance to be had in this equation, I just don't know what the sweet point is..
Thanks
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08-03-2019, 18:55
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#4
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cruiser
Join Date: Jan 2017
Boat: Retired from CF
Posts: 13,317
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Re: How old is too old
If you are lucky / clever enough to get a real bargain deal so you buy a good boat well below market, then you might be able to recoup most of your purchase price within a year of putting it up for resale.
You will most likely not get reimbursed for necessary improvements though, figure on spending 20% or more to get her ready plus while under way.
If your asking price is not an obvious major bargain, it can easily take over a year to sell, and of course needs a lot of ongoing expenses every month you own her.
To be realistic, expect your net out of pocket to be at least half of your initial outlay.
If you do better than that it can be a pleasant surprise.
And of course surprises can go the other way too, so don't spend more than you can afford to lose.
You'll notice the age of the boat really doesn't figure into the above. How well the PO cared for her (you buy the seller not the boat) and how popular the make is are more relevant.
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08-03-2019, 19:38
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#5
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Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Channel Islands, CA
Boat: 1962 Columbia 29 MK 1 #37
Posts: 14,305
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Re: How old is too old
Depends on the prospective buyers in your area I suppose and what type of boat is preferred. I don't see this as an age issue necessarily. All boats need to be maintained, and upgraded as necessary. A well-maintained and upgraded old boat can be a bargain, depending on the builder and the original build quality, because the old, thick, hand laid-up hulls are holding up well. It's just that they may not be the kind of designs that people are looking for these days where you are, for the kind of cruising available and for the kinds of preferences buyers have now (in terms of things like size, sugar scoop, showers and provisions for other amenities etc.)
__________________
DL
Pythagoras
1962 Columbia 29 MKI #37
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09-03-2019, 06:15
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#6
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario - 48-29N x 89-20W
Boat: (Cruiser Living On Dirt)
Posts: 49,143
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Re: How old is too old
Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, GS.
__________________
Gord May
"If you didn't have the time or money to do it right in the first place, when will you get the time/$ to fix it?"
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09-03-2019, 09:08
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Atlanta, GA
Boat: Catalina 30
Posts: 654
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Re: How old is too old
Too Old is when it wont get the job done.
If you are looking to buy a boat and use it for awhile and then sell it for a profit, I'd rethink my expectations. It can/has been done, but it is rare. It would be doubtful that you would even get the money you put into it back.
If you want to cruise, do so and enjoy the experience. But boats are a lousy investment if you are looking to make a profit.
Bring Out Another Thousand
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09-03-2019, 09:14
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 7
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Re: How old is too old
I definitely don't expect to make a profit on this...
Just enjoy the experience and spend as little time as possible in repairs....
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09-03-2019, 09:26
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Scotland
Boat: 42ft Moody Ketch
Posts: 643
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Re: How old is too old
Quote:
Originally Posted by GS1
I definitely don't expect to make a profit on this...
Just enjoy the experience and spend as little time as possible in repairs....
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100% do not nor every think of profit, this is a life time experience and what is that worth .
Markets go up and down and boats are no different.
first and foremost go out and enjoy life before worrying about what I can get from it this is madness, life id for living , not slaved to the system.
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09-03-2019, 09:26
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Alaska
Boat: Boatless
Posts: 928
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Re: How old is too old
There is only one way to minimize resale time.
Price.
Here is what you do now.
Take a family vacation to Grenada and Trinidad. Those are the most likely places to find quitters that actually were well equipped to get that far. Fort Lauderdale is also a quitter spot but those didn’t even get as far as Nassau and will require more outfitting after motoring down the ICW from Connecticut.
In Grenada and Trinidad visit the yards, meet the yard managers, get their CONTACT DETAILS, walk the yards, walk the docks, do a tiki tour around the anchorages. You get the idea.
When you get close to pulling the trigger arrange to be down there when the fleet starts rolling in after crossing the Atlantic, somewhere in that pack and the ones left behind from the previous season you will find your gem.
Added benefit? If you buy down there you have a sleigh ride back to the US ;-)
Prediction? You’ll be sick of it in three months which is just enough time to reach the inlet at Lauderdale.
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09-03-2019, 09:35
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,483
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Re: How old is too old
It's a tough question. many boats take 1-2 years to sell, even at a low-ish price. So be prepared. The other thing is is the majority of boats for sale need work. Some a lot of work. My advice is buy the best boat you can find, do nothing to it unless it's a safety issue. Then resell.
An example: My friends bought a 44 foot boat that worked well, but had deficiencies for sure. That allowed them to buy at a low price. The teak deck was warped, bulged up maybe an inch in spots, probably the fiberglass underneath too. They were penny pinchers, They did nothing to the boat other than buy a new cheap mainsail during their cruise. While the rest of us spent our time and money trying to make our boats perfect. After 3-4 years or so cruising they sold the boat for what they paid for it. They were honest about it's cosmetic flaws and sold it low price.
I once thought about buying a Westsail 32 kinda like that, no deck issues but sun faded etc, cosmetically "rode hard put away wet". My plan was to spend the $35k on it, sail it through the Pacific to OZ and just sell it there cheap and pay the duty. The logic being, that you lose money on boats anyway. If I got $15-20k back it was a cheap cruise. Instead I bought an expensive $350k boat and lost $70k + by the time I sold it!
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard
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09-03-2019, 09:37
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Cowichan Bay, BC (Maple Bay Marina)
Posts: 9,705
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Re: How old is too old
akpprb's advice is very rational.
Another way to put it is: buying a boat from afar is not a good idea. Boots on the ground will make all the difference. YOU have to be able to see it, or meet and befriend someone who you learn to trust to alert you.
Happy hunting.
__________________
Stu Jackson
Catalina 34 #224 (1986) C34IA Secretary
Cowichan Bay, BC, SR/FK, M25, Rocna 10 (22#) (NZ model)
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09-03-2019, 09:49
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#13
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: SF Bay Area
Boat: Islander 34
Posts: 5,486
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Re: How old is too old
I agree, akpprb's advice should be your bible.
What you what is a boat that someone else just finished a refit of. Age is just a number in this case. There are boats in the charter fleet that are young but already need a refit. There are 1980's or even older boats that someone else already refitted. Those are the boats you want to find.
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09-03-2019, 09:51
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Cruising, now in USVIs
Boat: Taswell 43
Posts: 1,035
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Re: How old is too old
Let me suggest that age has very little to do with it....it's the condition, how "Bristol" is she, what is the state of her equipment, how well has she been cared for, and is she a quality built, or a charter rewind, or a "built to a price point to sell lots of boats" kind of boat. I'd put my 30-yr old Taswell up against most anything-but then we've had her for 20 yrs, done lots of upgrades, use her routinely, and keep her in nick; when something breaks, we fix it-correctly. Age is only one of many factors!
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09-03-2019, 09:52
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Sea of Cortez/northern Utah/ Wisconsin/ La Paz, BCS
Boat: Hans Christian 38 Mk II
Posts: 948
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Re: How old is too old
Ditto on akprb's advice.
Used boats aren't like used cars or houses.
I wouldn't risk my family's lives on an ocean crossing in a boat that I hadn't thoroughly experienced and sailed for some time.
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