Pros / Cons of Buying in a Different Country

[ernie_m]

I'll be looking to buy a sailboat in a few months and be a live aboard. Has anyone purchased a boat out of country (US) or know anyone that has had goo or bad experiences? I've seen some boats that would fit my needs for example being sold in Rio Dulce or down in Panama. What are the other costs beside the asking price and a survey ?

Thanks, Ernie

[foamcore]

I once bought a boat outside the country. It was a new one, even so, I'm quite sure I spent more and had more issues than I would have if it would have been here in the US. A used boat is really problematic.

[savoir]

Why do you bother when the cheapest boats in the world are right there in good ol' USA ?

[atoll]

some times leaving is the hardest part,buying a boat overseas,the adventure starts from day one............

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Ernie.

Good luck in your boat hunt & purchase.

[boatman61]

While I was living in the UK (technically) I bought boats in the US, BVI's, St Martin and Spain.....
As Atoll says... the adventure starts the minute you step of the plane... often the boat you went to see is a heap of crap advertised by 10yr old pictures... but never fear... in all instances I never bought the boat I went out to see.... and each I did buy was a good deal..... even the Hunter..
They crossed the Atlantic and/or cruised me round the Med and Western Europe... 1 was $20K, another $25K and the last Carib boat was $60K for a 2001 Beneteau 331... that was in 07.... mind, I did spend another 10K on equipment like solar, wind power, dinghy/outboard, stainless custom arch and fixing crappy Charter Co maintainance work...

[Kettlewell]

The biggest issue I think is that about 90% of the time used boats are listed incorrectly, and/or are in much worse shape than implied in the advertising. I bet you could find some really great deals if you were willing to spend some time in a place like the Rio, Panama, or Colombia, but it would be a real crap shoot. The other thing, IMHO, is that there are a significant number of boats in those areas that are somewhat iffy in terms of title, registration, and ownership. You have to be very careful to make sure all the paperwork is legit. It might not be outright fraud, but you might very well encounter a boat that is not easy to get titled and/or documented back home.

[ernie_m]

Thanks for your opinions guys. Being with limited resources (retired) I think I'll confine my search to where I can physically see the boat and do my add- ons myself. Ernie

[Bash]

Originally Posted by ernie_m

Thanks for your opinions guys. Being with limited resources (retired) I think I'll confine my search to where I can physically see the boat and do my add- ons myself. Ernie

That sounds smart.

Welcome to the forum.

[Jon Hacking]

We bought our first boat in the Carib (offshore) & probably paid a bit too much, but we were very new to cruising. We bought Ocelot from Sunsail in St. Martin & everything was fine. The surveyor we hired (only one to reply to our email) was a nitwit, but our broker & I did a survey ourselves.