Frustrated, stressed, and about to give up.

[Pepijn]

Here I am, it was 3am this morning, waking up and my first thing is to go on internet looking for boats to buy. Day after day.

Interesting boats we find are usually "pending sales" before we even have a change for viewing. Negotiating too low and brokers are suddenly very slow with their responses, perhaps other far more interesting offers are on the table. Even cases like offering asking price and suddenly it becomes best offer only, etc.

Potential sellers who after bidding decide to take their boat off market.

Other brokers don't even bother sending extra information or just send plain description of equipment without make or specs. Some brokers are downplaying some of the issues, etc.

Thrice we lost our "dreamboat" in the past 3 months...

I can't seem to find the right boat for a right price or perhaps it is just wishfull thinking?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Pepijn

Here I am, it was 3am this morning, waking up and my first thing is to go on internet looking for boats to buy. Day after day.

Interesting boats we find are usually "pending sales" before we even have a change for viewing. Negotiating too low and brokers are suddenly very slow with their responses, perhaps other far more interesting offers are on the table. Even cases like offering asking price and suddenly it becomes best offer only, etc.

Potential sellers who after bidding decide to take their boat off market.

Other brokers don't even bother sending extra information or just send plain description of equipment without make or specs. Some brokers are downplaying some of the issues, etc.

Thrice we lost our "dreamboat" in the past 3 months...

I can't seem to find the right boat for a right price or perhaps it is just wishfull thinking?

Moody 44 is a beautiful boat but in this sellers market you may have to broaden your options. I don’t know your budget but would add most Scandinavian and Dutch boats to your list as well. Contest, Trintella etc.

Dutchie here as well

[Pepijn]

Yeah, Moody's I gave up.
Budget is 110-120k Euro. Preferably with genset, watermaker, etc. for longterm cruising. Found some nice Bennies 44CC, but 1 out of budget, the other seems to have headliner issues (but perhaps I could consider it, but it seems a hell of a job to replace).

Looked at the Trintella's, interesting good boats but interior and lack of swimplatform/scoop is what bothers me. I am 1.98m and not sure about the pullman berths to climb over partner.

[skipmac]

Unfortunately now is a terrible time to buy a boat. Strongest sellers market I have seen in 45 years boating. I could go into all the reasons why but at the end of the day doesn't really matter.

I was considering buying a different boat but having the same experience as you. So for now I'll just sail what I've got, maybe with some modifications to better suit current needs.

My prediction, in a couple of years a lot of people that jumped into boating in the last year or so will start realizing it wasn't what they expected, get bored with it or move on to the next fad and the market will turn around.

I'm just going to keep my eye on the market and see how it goes. Something might come along or I might have to wait a year or two.

[goboatingnow]

agree, its a terrible time to buy , especially if you are being picky , second hand choice is at an all time low, prices are above asking , sales are completed by video link in minutes, its madness

come back in 2024 or 2025 , should be a few back on the market

[Barkingmad]

Here in Canada if you are lucky enough to find/buy a boat that floats try finding someplace to dock or moor it. I know of one yacht club on eastern Lk. Ontario that currently has an estimated 5 year wait for a mooring ball!

[Chotu]

I don’t want to sound discouraging, but you probably should give up.

It’s just not the time right now to buy a boat. Everything moves in cycles. You can just pick it up on the next down cycle. Assuming that fits into your life plan.

If not, find a way to stretch the budget a little more or settle for a little bit less of a boat than you are looking for. Those are really the only options you have.

I was looking at changing RVs, but then when I saw the prices and what I already have, I’m ahead of the game just keeping what I have. It’s the same for boats right now. The only people it’s good for are people getting out of sailing. Even selling your current boat to get a different boat isn’t a good idea right now. Because while you might get good money for the current boat, there’s such a short supply of boats on the market, you’ll have trouble replacing it.

[OldManMirage]

It is definitely a sellers' market, and there is definitely a lack of supply at the moment.

That being said, at the lower end of the spectrum I think there is more choice out there still. We did just buy our Endeavour 32. There were a few other boats out there we could have purchased, including another Endeavour 32 !

There was a decent Catalina 28, which is a great local and coastal cruiser, a fun boat to sail, and it was very close to us. We considered two different Pearson 365's, but my wife just felt they were too big for her. Also considered a Bristol 32. And there were others.

If you're willing to put some time and/or money into refurbishing, there are even more choices. We passed a few like that, they were just more of a project than we wanted to get into. But someone else could get a good bargain.

It all depends on where you are looking and what you are looking for I think.

But don't give up. The right one will come along.

[bobnlesley]

Originally Posted by Pepijn

...I can't seem to find the right boat for a right price...

As noted by many (all) we're currently in a seller's market, so what's the 'right' price for you - even if it be a sensible valuation in normal times - probably isn't the 'right' price for the vendor, when he has other potential buyers prepared to pay the current premium.

As many have said, just put you plans on hold for a year or two, indeed perhaps just a few months if this year's summer proves poor for sailing and the prices will return to reality, or perhaps even lower; that's the theory that we're working on at least.

[ABJ87]

There is no guarantee prices will come down, it’s a changing world. Don’t delay your cruising dreams.

Maybe take a little break, but keep working at it. If you find dream boat don’t let it slip away for couple thousand euro, your time is worth something.

[sail sfbay]

OP.....are you just looking on the internet and calling/emailing/texing boat brokers OR are you meeting with the broker, inspectiong the boat then signing a "purchase agreement"? Suggest the latter strategy to avoid loosing your dream boat. Remember it will not be your last one.

[Cpt Mark]

Or try looking out of the country. More work to buy but potentially better choices as many of them may have been cruising and set up for that as well as being sold in far away locations at a better price.

[rbrazil]

Originally Posted by Pepijn

Here I am, it was 3am this morning, waking up and my first thing is to go on internet looking for boats to buy. Day after day.

Interesting boats we find are usually "pending sales" before we even have a change for viewing. Negotiating too low and brokers are suddenly very slow with their responses, perhaps other far more interesting offers are on the table. Even cases like offering asking price and suddenly it becomes best offer only, etc.

Potential sellers who after bidding decide to take their boat off market.

Other brokers don't even bother sending extra information or just send plain description of equipment without make or specs. Some brokers are downplaying some of the issues, etc.

Thrice we lost our "dreamboat" in the past 3 months...

I can't seem to find the right boat for a right price or perhaps it is just wishfull thinking?

Don’t give up. How about a change of perspective? The searching process gives you knowledge. The searching process allows you to see lots of boats and the differences in each one. The more you search the more you learn. Looking at boats online or in person should be viewed as part of the cruisers life. You don’t become a cruiser when you buy a boat; you become a cruiser when you are one in your brain. Enjoy the search process. Its free! Once you buy a boat, you will be glad you looked at TONS of boats because you will have valuable knowledge you didnt have before. This knowledge could save you TONS of money. The boat search process can be viewed as fun; each boat becomes a first date of sorts. You fall in love with one and someone else swoops in. Then you see another one and fall in love again. Hang in there! Slow down, enjoy the process, learn, note the subtle differences between boats, talk to people, make friends, listen to their stories, allow the process to be a part of your cruising life. Once you get your boat, you can look back on the process with a smile and tell your story to the next sucker dumb enough to buy a boat!! LOL. (I say this to the other boat owners who know what I’m talking about)
Good luck and happy sailing!!

[alctel]

Have you thought about getting a small boat (~24') to mess around on till the market settles out?

There are lots of these coming and going so pretty easy to pick up and it'll help in a few ways

- you'll improve your sailing
- you'll meet people down at the dock, the marine store etc, which will lead to stuff like 'oh yeah my friend Jake is going to sell his boat, i can give you his number if you like'

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by Pepijn

Negotiating too low and brokers are suddenly very slow with their responses, perhaps other far more interesting offers are on the table. Even cases like offering asking price and suddenly it becomes best offer only, etc.

You're probably not going to get far on most decent boats by lowballing. simply because if it's decent there are 5 other people putting in bids. All things for sale are "best offer only" whether the offer is over or under the asking price. You need to read between the lines. They're telling you there are offers over asking price on the table, or that they'll be holding out for better offers.

Originally Posted by Pepijn

Potential sellers who after bidding decide to take their boat off market.

That is their prerogative

Originally Posted by Pepijn

Other brokers don't even bother sending extra information or just send plain description of equipment without make or specs. Some brokers are downplaying some of the issues, etc.

The 'sending' makes me suspect you're E-mailing or calling and asking for information......along with 100 other people. If you're interested, make an appointment to see the boat. Then look and ask all the questions you want.

Whether the broker is working hard or not is between him and the guy that hired him (the seller). And, if the boat is decent, he's more than likely going to sell the boat regardless of how much effort he puts in.

It's a sellers market and there is little inventory.