coming from OZ to buy a boat

[Tropic Cat]

Originally Posted by cathyoz

i did already cross the Atlantic and have no desire to do it again,
pacifique is my projets,..
rent my house in Noosa , and cruise....

I think the guys are right and Florida might be the best place to look for your new boat. The economy is suffering here and real estate is declining in price. The Boat market and pricing mirrors the real estate industry.

Isn't Noosa a famous surfing beach? We have a large surfing community here and I've heard Noosa mentioned.

[johneri1]

Welcome to the forum! Your "van" idea is great: it is good to be mobile. I live in a motorhome when I'm on the coast; it is handy to be able to move. There is a nice recreational vehicle park ajoining the marina in Newport, Oregon, and I am sure there are many other places just like it. There are many brokers, marinas, and private sources to buy boats on the west coast in Oregon and Washington, let alone California. Yachtworld.com allows you to search boats by geographical area (state) as do other search engines. The west coast is beautiful and the weather is cooler the farther north you go. Good hunting for the right boat! If you make it to Oregon come see us. Again, welcome to the forum.

[Abaco]

Cathyoz,

If you decide to come to Florida, most likely you will end up in Fort Lauderdale because there are so many boat on the market here. I've lived here 12 years and can provide any help you need. Good luck in your search.

[theonecalledtom]

We just bought a boat in San Diego that would fit your budget and needs. Did have to do some looking for it though I suspect it would have turned up quicker if we were searching during the week as well as weekends. Between LA, SD and SF there are many to chose from here and the market has been pretty flat (driven by the flat housing market) so some owners will be ready to sell at a decent price.

Florida was cheaper and there seemed to be more boats on the market but not enough to justify the extra distance and shipping costs however you're in a different position to us.

I assume you've tried New and Used Yachts for Sale - YachtWorld.com

[Zanshin]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

We are doing it and its costing us s**t loads...

Then add all the crapola we bought in australia and had to bring: para anchor being the biggest...

Why are you bringing anything at all from Oz? I didn't find a single item for sale there or at any chandlery that wasn't 50% more expensive than what I could get off-the-shelf in the USA! Perhaps the Australian para-anchor is the only exception, I haven't priced them in the USA.

I recently was going to the Caribbean from Sydney and had no suitcase (everything is on board the boat) so I thought I could beat high the Caribbean prices in the BVI by stocking up on accessories from Oz - even then I couldn't find anything so I brought some reading LED arrays and a couple of foamy-keep-beer-cold thingies with Australian themes on them to give away to the unsuspecting locals.

But the costs are pretty steep once Australian customs & excise gets a hold of you and decide what they consider to be their fair market value for your boat! Nonetheless, if you get a good purchase in the USA and have the time and energy to sail across the ponds it can be worthwhile. I might still complete my plan to sail a 43' over and dispose of it in Oz.

[cathyoz]

Isn't Noosa a famous surfing beach? We have a large surfing community here and I've heard Noosa mentioned.[/quote]

yes Noosa is surf /sun/siesta..
look at Google

it is "a tuff" life indeed , someone has to live it !!!!!!

just tesing , i bought my house , was a derelic, spend months fixing it ..rebuilding everything..now time to go ..

[cathyoz]

noosa Australia
at Google

[cathyoz]

I have Toyota van in Australia, so i am used to camp ,up and down the coast.
i supose if i had to bring a lots of material , i will ship them in box( canteen)
it is cheap to send box, equipment by ship from Australia
like i say , i got time..and i will take my time.
i am a minimalist, so i like simple thing, and electronique and all that to the minimum.
i spend few months every year on my little boat whitout a fridge( i do not drink alcool, so don't need to have cold beers ..and I can stay months just with rice and sardines and tuna can..), and i cross the Atlantic whitout a radio, nor a frigde, nor a radar, just a handed help Gps, and sextan ( but i forgot how to used it !!)..so i will take 2 gps at least
but will take a life raft and a Epib.
contary to lots of people , i do not like radio talk at sea much..but talk a lot on land ..
in a perfect world, I will prefere a long keel boat with the rudder at the back ( old design), than a fin keel with a suspended rudder.
in my opinion,long keel are slower but easier to trim and balance at sea under sail,and easier on autopilote.
i know, down wind is harder to steer, but safer when you hit someting( soon or latter we all do it !! ), and the rudder is protected in my opinion by the long keel..
I saw many time , rudder damaged by rope, nets, or unknow object.
i do prefere too tiller, than weel..( i do not want hydrolique systeme ! )
the simple , the better...
as i say , i will take my time, i will be cautious of seasons and proper period to navigate.
i do study the route , wind , current well.
simple commun sens , reading of people experience for me is part of preparation
in my opinion , lots of people rely too much on modern electronic and they think they can disregard the commum rules of sailing season because they have all the computer, weather ..ect...well up to them ..
i do respect cyclone saison..ect

[cathyoz]

i forget to say
sorry for my spelling i am dislexsique..
For me looking for a new boat is part of the fun too, i love going to marinas, and meeting people with the same passion.
i have boats all my life, and when the one to cross will come along , i will know..
i can only buy a boat that i feel a connection to it, with "a soul"..
i have some knowlegde now that i hope will allowed me to be able to evaluate the design and good and bad of a boat for my own use.
and to evaluate the time to prepare , fix, ect..
it is why , the money and time to look for my new boat it does not bother me.
it is so much part of my life,
it is part of the journey, i have no date line, and no responsabilities..
but i know that "1 hour" of sailing is "10 hours of fixing'..

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Again Cathy,
Boat prices in California near the large metropolitan areas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego have all gone down in the last 8 months. Check eBay Motors - Sailboat for price comparisons. Those are boats at auction so the price at the end of the auction is what you want to compare.
Your idea about the van is a good. There is lots of camping available in California and there is no hurricane season.
I wish you well in your search and I think you are going to find a great boat for a good price.
Regards,
JohnL

[cathyoz]

thanks you so much form everybody 's opinion
i will be flying to L.A at end of May .
I was there few years ago , only for one day!..and guest where i spend my day ??
walking up and down Marina del ray,buying some sailing shoes and reading the afternoon in that nice little marine library, before to take off again..

[Tropic Cat]

Originally Posted by cathyoz

Isn't Noosa a famous surfing beach? We have a large surfing community here and I've heard Noosa mentioned.

yes Noosa is surf /sun/siesta..
look at Google

it is "a tuff" life indeed , someone has to live it !!!!!!

just tesing , i bought my house , was a derelic, spend months fixing it ..rebuilding everything..now time to go ..[/quote]

Some of the better Surfers here in Florida have surfed Noosa heads. We have a couple of locals that are in the top 10, Kelly Slater is a local boy here.

Good luck with the boat search. It sounds like you are going to have a real experience.

I envy you!!

[cathyoz]

" have a real experience."

life is a "real" experience..is it not ?
i could not pay private school to my son ,( like his dad did), but i must show by exemple that "mum " is still "out there"...

I can only show my son by exemple,no school replace that.
I will buy a boat in the States, and if he want he can sail along with me time to time across the pacific.
or take the boat for himself..
now, he is more into surfing ,
he is a strong, generous , heathy young man , tolerant and happy.
the best of Australia ,joy and positif, with a bit or romantic touch from his French mum ..

[Pelagic]

Hello Cathyoz,

Reading your posts I can tell you are well experienced and have thought everything out. Buying a camper is a great way to take the pressure off making a quick decision and negotiate tough.

As everyone has told you, it is quickly becoming a buyer’s market so you are lucky.

Keep in mind that the yacht brokers are hungry to so put them to work for you scouring the country for “emergency sales”.

At the same time, search the net for bank repossessions which are going to get more and more numerous with the banks needing to cash out quickly.

If not in a hurry, then take your time as by next November the industry will be very very depressed in the USA.

Good luck hunting and I am sure you can find your boat on either coast at a great price.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Hello Cathyoz,



If not in a hurry, then take your time as by next November the industry will be very very depressed in the USA.


.

Curious as to your prediction.

Is this your projected market bottom?

Is this the coming Nov. or Nov. 09?