Gunboat 55 for sale so quickly?

[Polux]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

You shouldn't need a crew to sail a 55 foot cat, and I doubt that one is needed to sail the GB 55.


To RACE it, is a different story. But to simply cruise, a couple should be easily able to manage that size boat.

We are not talking about all cats but about a specific one. Like monohulls they are very different in what regards easiness regarding to be solo or duo sailed, even if with the same size.

Estarzinger that seems to know the sailors in question stated that they were god sailors but wrongly induced to think that the Gunboat 55 is a boat that could be sailed comfortably by two, only to discover that was not true and he is not talking about racing.

Originally Posted by estarzinger

They are buying one of the Dashew power boats. They were sailors (good ones) but were "sold" that the gunboat was a great 2 handed cruising boat . . . And they discovered that it is not. It is too much work and too sensitive to sail/wind conditions and needs a pro captain and crew.

And if you have been following the gunboat experience . . . There are some unanswered engineering questions about the 55 model, which made them uncomfortable about it as a real ocean crosser.

[frozenhawaiian]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

They are buying one of the Dashew power boats. They were sailors (good ones) but were "sold" that the gunboat was a great 2 handed cruising boat . . . And they discovered that it is not. It is too much work and too sensitive to sail/wind conditions and needs a pro captain and crew.

And if you have been following the gunboat experience . . . There are some unanswered engineering questions about the 55 model, which made them uncomfortable about it as a real ocean crosser.

I suspect the abandonment of the gunboat 55 RAINMAKER didn't do much to boost their confidence. it's true though about gunboats, they're very sensitive think of them as racing cats with an interior.

[Clamdigger]

Originally Posted by Polux

Even on the bigger ones I had always see them sailed by a crew but that was not the idea that lead to built them:

On the words of the creator Peter Johnstone : “I wanted to sail level without putting everything away everytime we went sailing. I wanted large enough spaces for true privacy and relaxation. I wanted to be able to walk around without bumping into everyone and everything. ...”

Don't seem to me that one can get true privacy while needing a crew and probably the bigger boats need even more a crew than the smaller ones and the 55 is the smallest of them.

Interesting that....."After a lifetime of monohulls, and running businesses making and selling small
monohulls, I feel like my life has just begun. I've sold those businesses,
sold off all my own monohulls, and having a ball learning, learning, learning."
Peter Johnstone, F-31R, Portsmouth Rhode Island, USA.

from the Farrier website no less!

[valhalla360]

To the original question: I see this all the time with big ticket toys. Always seems crazy to me.

Also, when you talk about a multimillion dollar boat, to hire a navel architect to go down to the factory a couple times a week for $50k is a drop in the bucket.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Clamdigger

Interesting that....."After a lifetime of monohulls, and running businesses making and selling small
monohulls, I feel like my life has just begun. I've sold those businesses,
sold off all my own monohulls, and having a ball learning, learning, learning."
Peter Johnstone, F-31R, Portsmouth Rhode Island, USA.

from the Farrier website no less!

No doubt he liked multihulls. I was just commenting on the reasons the owners of this one felt the need to sell. They said that they needed a crew to sail the boat, even if estarzinger knows them and says they are experience sailors.

That contradicts this part "“I wanted to sail level without putting everything away everytime we went sailing. I wanted large enough spaces for true privacy and relaxation. I wanted to be able to walk around without bumping into everyone and everything. ...” not for all the sailors since Jonhnstone seems not to have that problem.

You have to remember that who buys those boats and most expensive cruisers, monohull or multihull and have time to sail them, are mostly older couples that had retired and not young athletic men. For an older couple it seems the Gunboat 55 is just a too demanding boat to be sailed without a crew or at least it was in this particular case

[Polux]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

To the original question: I see this all the time with big ticket toys. Always seems crazy to me.
...

Regarding the original question:"why would someone wait two years to get their dream cruising yacht then sell almost immediately? is there something wrong with these yachts?"

It seems clear to me that the yacht did not respond to their expectations probably for the reasons given by estarzinger that knows them. Probably they had the money to hire a crew but that was not their idea of cruising.

The fact they went cruising on another type of cruising boat says that they did not change on their decision to go cruising, just that they were mistaken about the Gunboat 55 as the ideal, or even acceptable, boat to do that on this phase of their lives.

The fact that they have changed for another new boat, instead of cruising unhappily on a boat that did not fit their needs, only tells you that they had the means to do it, otherwise they would have to sell that one and go for an used boat that would probably not be as good or adapted to their needs as the new one they bought.

You see rich guys changing of cruising boats more often or when they mistaken the boat choice (and only later they found out it was not the right one) only happens more because they have the money to immediately correct a mistaken decision, a thing less rich guys cannot do at least with the same ease.

Regarding toys, we all have toys (except the ones that use the boat for making a profit), being them more costly only tells you that they are richer or less stingy. In this case we were talking about cruisers that wanted to cruise extensively, as many on this forum.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Polux

Regarding the original question:"why would someone wait two years to get their dream cruising yacht then sell almost immediately? is there something wrong with these yachts?"

It seems clear to me that the yacht did not respond to their expectations probably for the reasons given by estarzinger that knows them. Probably they had the money to hire a crew but that was not their idea of cruising.

The fact they went cruising on another type of cruising boat says that they did not change on their decision to go cruising, just that they were mistaken about the Gunboat 55 as the ideal, or even acceptable, boat to do that on this phase of their lives.

The fact that they have changed for another new boat, instead of cruising unhappily on a boat that did not fit their needs, only tells you that they had the means to do it, otherwise they would have to sell that one and go for an used boat that would probably not be as good or adapted to their needs as the new one they bought.

You see rich guys changing of cruising boats more often or when they mistaken the boat choice (and only later they found out it was not the right one) only happens more because they have the money to immediately correct a mistaken decision, a thing less rich guys cannot do at least with the same ease.

Regarding toys, we all have toys (except the ones that use the boat for making a profit), being them more costly only tells you that they are richer or less stingy. In this case we were talking about cruisers that wanted to cruise extensively, as many on this forum.

I think you missed my point. The idea that you would spend that much without really knowing what you really want is just crazy but you see it all the time.

But I've seen it time after time with boats, RV's, cabins and other extremely expensive toys.

I'm not buying the rich guys just don't care. Guys don't become rich being stupid with money and this is probably at least a half million loss. Now a small pecentage are simply rich and it doesn't really matter but most it represents a large percentage of thier net worth.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

I think you missed my point. The idea that you would spend that much without really knowing what you really want is just crazy but you see it all the time.
....

Yes, but it really amazes me the number of guys that buy a new or used boat based on hear saying, publicity or forum opinions without actually having sail tested that particular boat or even similarly typed sailboats.

The same happens with cars and it makes me crazy but it is just what most people do.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by peterp

Well folks thank goodness I have read all the posts relevant to the 55 GB for sale, those comments have put me right off I will hang on to my trusty Lagoon 400 a bit longer and take my A$3.5m cheque back to the bank, whew!

Originally Posted by Symphony

I reckon you should split your savings with me since i posted it originally.

I'll be in Hervey Bay next year to collect.

Funny stuff you two!

Originally Posted by valhalla360

To the original question: I see this all the time with big ticket toys. Always seems crazy to me.

Also, when you talk about a multimillion dollar boat, to hire a navel architect to go down to the factory a couple times a week for $50k is a drop in the bucket.

INDEED!!!

[ranchero76]

Well, guys, you probably know the story about demasted and abandoned Gunboat 55 hull #1 about year ago. Even though it looks like obvious owners mistake (it looks like they've pretended that the boat is so good, they can do anything and anywhere), I'm sure it still would scare buyers (these who already paid for boat). The hull was discovered half a year later, it tells how strong the hull is...But look at these pictures. They're disturbing. If I would own one of these boats, I would worry too, no matter what. So...I don't think that seller will get anything close to $2.5mil. $1m-$1.5m - more realistic number, to attract these buyers, who never could afford one otherwise. I'm sure they won't be scared. It's very nice boat after all.
RAINMAKER UPDATE: Photos of Abandoned Gunboat 55 Hull No. 1 Adrift at Sea | Sailfeed

[SVI]

G55 is heavy, period.... 16 tons! She is heavier than my production (FP) 48ft cat...
Funny enough, the previous model G66 is 15t. And you can see how slow she is compared to other GB fleet...

And the current HH55 built in China is 10-11t, cost $2m.