Minimize Travel Expenses when Buying a Used Boat -

[Cheechako]

Yep! Brokers hate owners showing up!

[Wench'sCaptain]

Try Craigslist to find something you are looking for as well as the normal yachtworld and other routes. Then do a Google search for New Boat Buying Assistance List . There is a list of folks on another site that have signed up to assist folks that would like give an opinion and take current pictures ( possibly more) for you before you waste a trip.

[Boracay]

Try having much broader requirements.

Originally I was fixated on Bristols but now I'm very open-minded. I'll take anything that seem to be a good boat.

I'm only guessing at the state of your local market but you seem to want to buy a $60k boat for $25k.

I require a quarterberth for secure sleeping when at sea. I plan on following the warm sun so bimini and dodger are important.

Boats with quarterberths are common so no worries there. Bimini and dodger on a 37' boat in your area is not going to be so common, and will increase the asking price. Many use a tarpaulin over the boom for sun protection and a hat/sunglasses/etc. while at sea.

A computer is part of my life so I'd like the boat to have decent power, solar panels, and/or wind generator.

Again, these are expensive to buy and to install and few boats will have them.

I have two rabbits so netting to keep them aboard is vital. A centerboard is preferable but not required.

I'm 66 and planning on living aboard and cruising until I die unless health forces me to swallow the anchor. I have been looking for something between 30 and 37 feet. I am really not sure what size to get.

At 66 it's going to be hard to fix up a boat and there will be few that do not require major repairs in your price range.

Why not look at smaller boats. Your major requirements are live aboard for 1 (+2b) with some cruising capability. You don't need sail so maybe include powerboats in your search.

With broader requirements you will have a much better chance of finding something local in fair condition that you can afford.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by Boracay

At 66 it's going to be hard to fix up a boat...

Oh please! You sound like a 25-year-old who thinks that everyone over 40 is an invalid. Just because he is 66 doesn't mean it is going to be hard for him to fix up a boat. My father is in his 80s and he just finished re-building a cabin in the Colorado mountains--a project that most 25-year-olds would run away from, crying in fear and probably wetting their pants at the same time.

To the OP, if you feel confident to do this kind of work then don't let your age concern you. You are only too old for this if you BELIEVE that you are too old for this.

On the other hand, I will say to the OP that if you intend to hire someone to do anything and everything that needs to be done on this boat, then you don't have NEARLY enough money.

[Nicholson58]

We sail the Great Lakes. Lots of boats with only 3-5 month; summers & weekends only. Never seen salt. For Sale notices in every yacht club and marina. Start by internet searching and call the yacht clubs. Many marina yards have deals - better in small towns like Muskegon, White Lake, Saugatuck, Marquette, etc. Several charters in the North Channel (and other places) cycle their inventory. If I was looking for a gently used boat - especially older, I'd look on fresh water.

Here is the Torresen Marine used boats rows. I don't know the asking numbers. Many other boats not broker listed are probably for sale by owner. About 1/2 of the boats in the yard have not been in the water since the recession. I would do research and plan a camping road trip in the spring. Nice boat trip out of the lakes, North Channel, Georgian Bay, Apostle Islands, Erie canal. Possibly Trent Severn waterway.

Good luck on the search.

[Ramblingman]

Something like this?

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/boa/3643010665.html

[Nicholson58]

Great Idea Ramblingman.

One of our marina friends bought hsi 27 footer that way. He paid 2000 and got a sound hull with a few goodies. Needed a mit of clean-up as you can imagine. Cost him more to have it shipped than he paid for it.

[Usagi]

@ Ramblingman -- yes that would be just fine as long as it is being truthfully described and there isn't a later, "Oh by the way I forgot to mention..."

I am very impatient to get started on the quest but I agree with DOJ that I should not go looking right now. I should wait, quit my job, get my RV and then go looking until I find a boat that suits me. So for the moment I'm window shopping at yachtworld and other internet sites to get some ideas of what particular boats would interest me.

Today I've been looking at RV's in craigslist and RV parks, etc and they seem to be an excellent way for me to bridge the gap between living inland as I am and getting to where I can walk the docks and kick a few tires.

As for fresh-water boat: I lived on a sailboat for about 10 years so I'm aware of what salt-air does to boats, especially to wiring. However a fresh-water boat would require shipping or an arduous trek to get it to the ocean so I'm not planning on looking for one of those.

My age: I'm 66 but I'm not dead I have more energy than a lot of people who are younger than me. Still I don't want a project boat. I had one of those once, a 30' Clipper (Clipper Marine in Calif) The boat had a totally trashed out interior. A friend and I glassed in an all new interior. I wouldn't care to do that again. I also have no idea what my lifespan will be and I'd rather not waste a a significant part of my life on rebuilding.

As DOJ indicated, a lot will depend on just what is wrong with the boat I find that I like and want. I'm planning on this being my final boat so I want to shop carefully.

DOJ gave a link to living aboard for $500 per month. My income from retirement is more than double that amount so perhaps I would be able to add improvements to the boat over time.

I am working to save enough money but due to a disability, I have some monetary damages which some agencies are pursuing on my behalf right now. I'm not depending on that to finance the boat but it could add significantly to my savings, should the decisions go in my favor. This is another reason I can't go looking right now. I hope these get settled within the next few months.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Given your past experiances (as mentioned in the your latest post) are pretty extensive then you have a better chance than many of acheiving your goals - good luck

Originally Posted by Usagi

DOJ gave a link to living aboard for $500 per month. My income from retirement is more than double that amount so perhaps I would be able to add improvements to the boat over time.

A note of caution on that thread, the $500 is really an arbitary figure and I doubt many actually acheive that. The thread as much about living on a tight budget, the exact figure being a secondary consideration. But my gut says $1000 perfectly doable, how likely is up to you .

[nautical62]

Living in Iowa, I've always had to travel some distance to view and purchase cruising boats.

These are the things I think have helped me keep my travel costs to a minimum when looking:

1. Find out as much as I can about the boats ahead of time - Study the photos, learn about the history of that particular model, ask owners or brokers many questions. If there are not many photos or they are outdated, ask them to take some more.

2. View many different boats on the same trip, having some back ups in mind. - As you look at some boats, your priorities may change. The boat you are most sold on in your mind may not pan out, so have others to consider.

3. Have reasonable expectations about what you can get for your buck. If all of the boats you are looking at in a certain price range are in poorer condition than you would like, perhaps that's because you have an unreasonable expectation of what you can get for that price.

4. Factor in the opportunity cost. The reality is when you are shopping for boats farther away, you can't look at boats as spontaneously, and you probably can't do the work on them yourself as easily as if you lived nearby. The reality is this may mean you just have to pay a bit more for a boat in better condition.

[ArtM]

After shopping for sailboats in the seattle area, differences in regions are coming into sharp clarity.

In this area, most sailboats are old, small, and dumpy. The nicer ones are very, very pricey.

You may want to choose an area that is known to have a large selection of the style boat you want, and where local pricing is below the national market - then go there and make a very concerted effort to search and buy. With luck, planning, and ready access to cash you might be on board within two or three days.