The Choices to make

[weavis]

When Nephew was looking for his Centaur, he asked me along on a couple of the excursions to view vessels. It was finally narrowed down to 3 boats.

The nicest of the boats, (and it was gorgeous), he had his heart inclined towards. One of the other two was very cheap and required a lot of work, and the other one needed a good clean and a buff up. The interesting thing was that the price for each was boat was within 1500 Sterling. (the cheapo had extras which he was selling on top of the price)

I looked over the nice vessel. It was gorgeous. Nephew had asked me to bid for him... so I looked carefully....... and then I offered a price at 40% below what was asked. The owner nearly had a coronary and my nephew gasped. We left with a very insulted owner closing the gate behind us.

We eventually made an offer on the slightly scruffy one, and it was accepted. We cleaned and buffed it and spent maybe 1200 sterling on essentials and it is a beautiful little boat.

So why didnt I go for the gorgeous one? As I explained it to the nephew.....

Standing rigging changed 2001. Sails replaced 2002. Original high hours engine. Running rigging changed as needed. Original toilet pipework, original this, original that.

It was due for a complete refit. With a new engine it easily could have double the price of the boat alone... add new rigging, new sails?......... No thank you.

The one we purchased had ALL new rigging in 2010. Mast 'serviced' Engine replaced, low hours in 2009. All new lines, toilet replaced in 2012, new plumbing, new wiring, hull checked, keel tested, bits and pieces had been done as required. It just needed a good buffing and a touch up here and there. The nice thing about the Westerly Centaur is that the price is established between 5-12k sterling, averaging about 7k and there are oh so many to choose from.

The boat is now possessing about 2K+ sterling in upgrades. For all that, it is still only hovering around the 10K sterling mark in total ($16000)

What does he have for the money? A great safe, seaworthy coastal cruiser of the plodding to fast walk variety..... a go anywhere little trooper on a bilge keel that will take weather and has a bit of room internally.......

As I get to use it as well, Im giving serious thought to taking it from the Bristol Channel to the Isles of Scilly at some stage, its something Ive always wanted to do. I mentioned it to nephew and his eyes lit up so I might even get to have crew.. oh wait.... its his boat so I would be crew.

[JPA Cate]

Lovely post, really points up why it is so hard to give newbies practical advice. Instruction via parable. Anyhow, this will give your thread a bump, Gary, and maybe a newbie'll take the meaning of it.

Ann

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Lovely post, really points up why it is so hard to give newbies practical advice. Instruction via parable. Anyhow, this will give your thread a bump, Gary, and maybe a newbie'll take the meaning of it.

Ann

Thanks for the bump..... I had actually forgotten about the post......

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by weavis

When Nephew was looking for his Centaur, he asked me along on a couple of the excursions to view vessels. It was finally narrowed down to 3 boats.

The nicest of the boats, (and it was gorgeous), he had his heart inclined towards. One of the other two was very cheap and required a lot of work, and the other one needed a good clean and a buff up. The interesting thing was that the price for each was boat was within 1500 Sterling. (the cheapo had extras which he was selling on top of the price)

I looked over the nice vessel. It was gorgeous. Nephew had asked me to bid for him... so I looked carefully....... and then I offered a price at 40% below what was asked. The owner nearly had a coronary and my nephew gasped. We left with a very insulted owner closing the gate behind us.

We eventually made an offer on the slightly scruffy one, and it was accepted. We cleaned and buffed it and spent maybe 1200 sterling on essentials and it is a beautiful little boat.

So why didnt I go for the gorgeous one? As I explained it to the nephew.....

Standing rigging changed 2001. Sails replaced 2002. Original high hours engine. Running rigging changed as needed. Original toilet pipework, original this, original that.

It was due for a complete refit. With a new engine it easily could have double the price of the boat alone... add new rigging, new sails?......... No thank you.

The one we purchased had ALL new rigging in 2010. Mast 'serviced' Engine replaced, low hours in 2009. All new lines, toilet replaced in 2012, new plumbing, new wiring, hull checked, keel tested, bits and pieces had been done as required. It just needed a good buffing and a touch up here and there. The nice thing about the Westerly Centaur is that the price is established between 5-12k sterling, averaging about 7k and there are oh so many to choose from.

The boat is now possessing about 2K+ sterling in upgrades. For all that, it is still only hovering around the 10K sterling mark in total ($16000)

What does he have for the money? A great safe, seaworthy coastal cruiser of the plodding to fast ......:

Good post.

[IdoraKeeper]

Weavis you should not run over the kid to use the boat....It's his babe magnet..If you haul it off to the Med he will end up in the Pubs..He cant just wander off like you.
I suggest that you think about helping with Ebola and let the boy get laid. Each thing in its own time. Or you could stop fussing and commit! Be like Dockhead you can do this thing! Go buy a big cat (it seems what you want) then give us some posts bitching about it and we will all pitch in with help and jeers and brickbats.
I know you wish I would shut up and go sailing...me too....

[weavis]

Originally Posted by IdoraKeeper

Weavis you should not run over the kid to use the boat....It's his babe magnet..If you haul it off to the Med he will end up in the Pubs..He cant just wander off like you.
I suggest that you think about helping with Ebola and let the boy get laid. Each thing in its own time. Or you could stop fussing and commit! Be like Dockhead you can do this thing! Go buy a big cat (it seems what you want) then give us some posts bitching about it and we will all pitch in with help and jeers and brickbats.
I know you wish I would shut up and go sailing...me too....

LOL
The Isles of Scilly are South West of England.........
Not a boat I would want in the Med........... but then maybe I do?

As for nephew ending up in the Pubs, This is England, thats where I find him if I need him.

Babe magnet? The Centaur? Come to my clinic and Ill give you a free prescription to help with the delusions....

Dockhead commit? ha! Dockie will never sell his boat....... it has the loose mix hair/fibreglass in the bed of nails he really likes..

The Cat, or rather two of them came and went. Timing was wrong. But I feel the bitching time of boat ownership is nigh......

Then I have Baabs to think about.........do we keep her monohull or ditch it?

Choices........