Buying a boat that's been on the hard ...

[tankersteve]

I'd just add to be very aware of possible water intrusion while on the hard. Rainwater can make a real mess of a boat's interior... or make it not worth it.

Tankersteve

[john61ct]

Why would rain get in do more damage sitting on land as opposed to in a slip?

More a function of general lack of owner inattention right?

[Clamdigger]

Originally Posted by soggy

Thanks everyone! I'm less concerned about the boat having been laid up for so long (North Eastern US) and more convinced about the work ahead if I get her.

And yes, there are a ton of boats with motivated sellers - I just happen to really like this boat... it ticks 90% of the boxes... but when a seller doesn't budge on the price for 6 years they're never going to. Onward.

I'll keep looking - thanks SO MUCH for the input.

In this case it is probably the broker who isnt budging until he finds someone he knows to reduce the price to. Often the case with sitting boats and absentee owners.

Or another unrealistic owner refusing to cut his losses and move on from the boat. When the market craps out later this year and the broker calls you back, reduce your present offer by half and dont move upwards more than 25% more. Thousands of boats going unsold yearly ending up as financial albatrosses around owners necks. A boat will never be an asset only a financial liability. At least with a house its a neccesity market not a luxury market. A boat is not a liquid asset, it sits in a liquid! Unless its a fire sale price and even then it has to appeal to a finite group of buyers,ie, size, type, condition, etc.

[tankersteve]

Why would rain get in do more damage sitting on land as opposed to in a slip?

More a function of general lack of owner inattention right?

I suppose you could say that, but rainwater intrusion can be the end of a boat. If the wood structure in a boat (bulkheads primarily) become rotten, the boat may be a loss. This isn't always evident from a simple set of photos. Or the pics could be dated.

A boat in the water is floating, so either the bilge pump works, or the hull is watertight. Owners that are inattentive, don't often think about the rain. That water may have nowhere to go.

Tankersteve

[thomm225]

My boat, almost 40 years old at the time, sat on the hard 5 years unattended before I bought it. I bought it in June 2011.

It was at a small boatyard off the Chesapeake Bay out in the boonies just above high water.

It was for sale, but didn't have a for sale sign on it. I liked it and asked about it. And it was for sale for $2,000 estate sale. Owner was in California

I'm still using the same rigging.

I washed the very dirty halyards and I'm still using those

Replaced main sheet and topping lift

Replaced old cable lifelines with polyester/dyneema

Replaced the original mainsail. Jib was almost new probably bought by the PO just before his cruise

I'm still using all the electronics except one GPS. It came with two so I still haven't bought replacements yet

The dodger was still good.

I'm still using the PO's dockines

Bought new batteries

Automatic Bilge pump was still good but failed maybe 5 years later

Cut out and capped off manual pump and old hoses from Thetford Head to correct smell problem.

I got the diesel running, completed a bottom job, removed all the crap that was in the boat and started sailing it.

The old diesel failed in a few weeks. I ended up with a new outboard on a bracket. No alternator.

Added solar/controller

Tuned the rigging with a bit of Prebend.

And that's about it then sailed it...….within a month and 1/2