The Sellers Broker (May I say?) Sucks

[LostDog88]

We are like coming up on two months for this boat and it is still not a done deal.
This boat is without a doubt a fixer but fixable. The broker keeps dismissing me as if I was a child at the adults table during Thanksgiving dinner.
I saw a thread before about going past him to the seller. But that feels awkward.
Any advice?

[rbk]

Have you put a deposit down? Paid for a survey?

[LostDog88]

Originally Posted by rbk

Have you put a deposit down? Paid for a survey?

Both.

And put a dehumidifier in it because it does have a few stanchions leaking. Not terribly, but enough to make it moist in that area.

[LostDog88]

Originally Posted by LostDog88

Both.

And put a dehumidifier in it because it does have a few stanchions leaking. Not terribly, but enough to make it moist in that area.

And asked the dealer to check it out and make sure it is still running several times. Only to be dismissed with excuses of why he couldn't.

During the sea trial he actually started complaining that his son needed paper and he had to cut the trial short.

Ugh.....Seriously.

[CarlF]

What reason do they give for not closing? Have they not agreed to discounts or repairs you asked for after the survey?

[LostDog88]

Originally Posted by CarlF

What reason do they give for not closing? Have they not agreed to discounts or repairs you asked for after the survey?

we accepted everything else as it is in our mind a good price. Sails need service, stanchions, rigging needs tuning, etc.

But we like it...........except.

It has a freaking major rumble/vibrations at low speed when cruising. I am certain it is a cutless. My surveyor said, yup, cutless has play. I asked how much. He said. Enough.

the dealer is trying some Bull Pucks about it is engine mounts and is normal.

I call Horse Pitoty. In the words of Col. Potter.

[stulk75]

Why not move on? The broker... more than you, more than the seller should want to close. Why so hard? Always be prepared to walk. Find a different boat.

[LostDog88]

Originally Posted by stulk75

Why not move on? The broker... more than you, more than the seller should want to close. Why so hard? Always be prepared to walk. Find a different boat.

We are looking at other boats, but this one is really a one-off and very unique Built by a man who had a vision. I love it.

But you are right. I have to prepare to move on........I was just grasping at straws that we might have an opportunity I had over looked.

Thanks for the advice.

<sigh>

[JPA Cate]

LostDog88,

Fwiw, when we destroyed our cutless bearing, it was under load that it made the most noise. It definitely had too much play. It is not a difficult job to replace, when you have the right sized one in your pocket. If your surveyor said the play was enough to account for the noise, that's quite possibly right.

If the boat really makes your heart go pitty-pat, maybe you could take a good firm grip on your temper, don't let it even show in tense muscles, just relax, the actions of the past are all out of your hands. Ask what you need to do now to close the deal. If there's more delays, you can always walk away, but I'm thinking you could give it another go, especially if it's a super one-off. Once you get her squared away, all this preliminary angst will be gone.

Ann

[LostDog88]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Once you get her squared away, all this preliminary angst will be gone.

Ann

Ann:

The whole thing you typed is awesome advice and exactly what I needed.

The last part I quoted because I believe this to be the best advice ever. You are right. Once I am out there sailing and enjoying life. It all goes away and becomes a distant memory.

Thank you!!

[SV Trillium]

Those all sound like warning signs to me.

With an older boat, there will always be work to be done. But when you pull one thing out, it’s not uncommon to run into other problems. That’s fine as long as you have the time and money, along with the desire to deal with it. It’s all part of the ride.

There is something romantic about a unique boat - the problem you may find is that “custom” often means you have to have parts fabricated when doing repairs. I’ve lived through this and would never do it again.

Lots of fish in the ocean and lots of used boats for sale. Good luck - enjoy the ride

[newhaul]

What broker i have dealt with most of them in tacoma, gig harbor, and several in seattle

[LostDog88]

Originally Posted by newhaul

What broker i have dealt with most of them in tacoma, gig harbor, and several in seattle

I'm not sure that I want to blast it on a public forum as of yet.

But I will give you a hint. They are in the (Capital City) of Olympia.

[LostDog88]

Looks like the wife may have found one that is acceptable in San Diego.
She has some time off (nurse) because of her strange weird schedule.
So I think we are going to pack up Ellen (our 32 foot Grand Design) and take her and Joel (2009 Dodge 2500 MEGA) down south to go look at a boat!
ROAD TRIP!!!!

[Discovery 15797]

Ann's advice to hold your temper is spot on.

But, as other's noted...there are a lot of red flags here.

The broker has a deposit and you had a survey. So, obviously the survey report has revealed defects and I assume that you are negotiating for a lower price on the boat, or waiting for the seller to decide whether he/she wants to fix or lower his/her asking price.

Since you have survey in hand, you can back out of the deal, or you can email the broker and state you require a response to your counter offer within 72 hours. You always have the option at this point to back out of the deal and receive a refund of your deposit. I would also recommend that all communication be in email, or verbal conversations followed up with email detailing key points in case things deteriorate further. CYA!

IMHO, multiple deck leaks mean you'll have to rebed all deck hardware and probably fix soft spots in the deck (which should be noted on the survey), saggy sails, possible bad engine mounts, worn cutless bearing, (if the cutless bearing has been shot for some time and the boat motored a lot your prop shaft could be gouged...you may also need a new prop shaft) and it sounds like other additional work.

Are you sure this is your ideal boat...or is it a pending nightmare?