For Sale: Special Blue Water Cruiser Ready To Take You Anywhere You Want

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by flyboyerich

The fact that the other one on the market is not in the same league makes it’s half price point irrelevant. If you’re in the market for a boat and compare two (or even several) always, ALWAYS buy the one that has been meticulously maintained. The fact that this one is a one owner/original owner vessel is a huge amount of ‘peace-of-mind’ icing on the cake and is well worth the additional $30K.

Right or wrong, that's not how the market works.

Reality is assuming the cheaper boat isn't a steam pile of @%#$#, most buyers will gravitate toward the lower purchase price figuring they have $30k to spend on upgrades that matter to them. This assumes the boat is reasonably clean and functional.

If the higher price boat is a better deal depends greatly on what the potential buyer is after. Having a top of the line wind vane (no idea of the OP's boat has one), is great if the buyer is planning a lot of offshore passages and prefers windvane over autopilot. For a weekend/coastal cruiser planning almost exclusively day sails, it adds no real value and may be seen as something they need to pay to remove thus detracting from the value.

[yachtmirage]

Hi, just a little food for thought. When I shipped my boat home from New Zealand now 10 years ago (2013) to Seattle on a commercial freighter, it went on a "flat rack" 5 ton rectangular piece of steel beams that was 40 foot long and 12 foot wide. My boat was just under 40 feet(documented 33.5 ft.) and the cost was $17,000. If I exceeded 40 feet the price tripled to $51,000. To get it from the yard in NZ to the ship, and from the ship (in Tacoma) to the yard was $18,000. That was a total $35,000 for my boat, So if you are really going cruising in your 40 footer plus make sure you love it or you may be looking at $75,000 to get it home . Needless to say most people just sell it or give it away overseas.
Any rate didn't want anyone to think my boat MIRAGE 34 foot Gale Force was a piece of trash as the 3/8 inch headstay, ProFurl NC42 (big boat), with brand new jib (Schattauer) cost $12,000. Everything on the boat was done right spare no expense. Thanks for all your thoughts, Spring is coming soon. THX Myles

[yachtmirage]

Hi, just had a little spare time today for you folks who are thinking of buying a sailboat to run the inside passage thru British Columbia to Alaska. We carefully tracked our first 5 month trip North. It turned out to be 3500 Nautical miles of which 3000 was powering and 500 was sailing. This is an expedition where things are very expensive so the more you can carry the better. (Note check diesel prices in Canada). If you can do the West Coast of Vancouver, you will be rewarded for your efforts and especially if you can get to Haida Guai Islands. There are nice Hot Springs many places to visit. The scenery in SE Alaska will blow your mind. Try to get to Glacier Bay and spend a week there. Also take a run out to the Katmai, Kenai, Columbia Glacier, and return under Mt. FairWeather (15,000 feet) high a few miles from shore at Cape Spencer,

Just be sure to watch the 25 foot tides, 10+ know currents, and high winds. The weather reporting is much better these days. For those of you that probably laughed at a small boat carrying 300+ feet of chain, We had to sit out 50 knots on a lee shore with a rock wall behind us with no way out of our anchorage, so be prepared!! That said summer is on the way and for those of you going North, MIRAGE would love to join you!! THX Myles and Sandy

[yachtmirage]

Hi, don't know where all the buyers went. Its Spring here, saw a lot of nice cruisers very low prices on boats and nobody is either listing or buying. It would be interesting to get some input from blue water cruisers and buyers. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts. Happy sailing Myles

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by yachtmirage

Hi, don't know where all the buyers went. Its Spring here, saw a lot of nice cruisers very low prices on boats and nobody is either listing or buying. It would be interesting to get some input from blue water cruisers and buyers. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts. Happy sailing Myles

The Fed Rate has gone from near 0% to near 5%. This has pushed up loan rates.
- For folks taking out loans, it means they afford far less. At 4% for 8yr a $1200monthlly payment would cover a $100k boat. At 9% same payment only covers an $82k loan.
- For folks sitting on cash, they know prices are likely to go down, so they can wait out boats that haven't capitulated to the current market.

Then you have an economy that looks like its going into inflation overdrive and/or a market crash, so a lot of people are likely sitting on the sidelines waiting to see what happens and if they will still have a job next month. Boats are luxury purchases that lose money for 99% of buyers, so there isn't a lot of pressure to jump in quick.

As far as fewer sellers, with prices dropping, many are probably under water (they owe more on the loan than they could sell the boat for). The bank won't let you sell unless the loan gets fully paid off. This creates a bind for the seller if they don't have enough cash to cover the difference.

Of course a lot of this is speculative but perception can drive the market in times like this.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by yachtmirage

Hi, don't know where all the buyers went. Its Spring here, saw a lot of nice cruisers very low prices on boats and nobody is either listing or buying. It would be interesting to get some input from blue water cruisers and buyers. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts. Happy sailing Myles

i’m not sure it’s sailors you need for the input.

The economy has tanked. It hasn’t really made the news but it’s out there. I can feel it very hard right now.

It’s funny how it takes the news weeks or months to actually report on it. A recession has started for sure.

Right now people are nervous. They are not buying things. They are not making any big plans because they don’t know what’s coming next. That’s where we are right now.

[picklesandjesse]

Originally Posted by Chotu

i’m not sure it’s sailors you need for the input.

The economy has tanked. It hasn’t really made the news but it’s out there. I can feel it very hard right now.

It’s funny how it takes the news weeks or months to actually report on it. A recession has started for sure.

Right now people are nervous. They are not buying things. They are not making any big plans because they don’t know what’s coming next. That’s where we are right now.

You're not kidding. It's hit Australia for sure. Prices on collector cars and used boats have been dropping for the past few months. This might still be early days on this one. Bananas more than $4 a kilo, and they grow them locally.

[yachtmirage]

Hi Valhalla360. thanks for your comments. I believe you are spot on with your comments. The one thing I can point out is that when I bought the boat new in 1979, it cost $80K, which would buy a nice 3 bed/ 2 bath. I had a miserable Rule of 78's loan at 9% for 15 years (over $800 month) which very slowly amortized. Today if it sells it would be worth less than 10 percent making a house down payment and probably less on a new boat of comparable size. My only thought is keep lowering the price until a buyer steps forward. At least it is cheaper as a liveaboard than an apartment and ready to go cruising when someone is ready. Thanks again for your imput Myles

[yachtmirage]

Hi Chotu, I think you are right about the recession. My guess this will be a rolling recession in many areas to help bring supply and demand back into equilibrium and hopefully getting a lot of debt out of the system. Thanks Myles

[yachtmirage]

Hello pickles and juice, having been to Australia I appreciate your insight on the bananas. Recently made a trip to Kauai Hawaii and stopped at a Farmers Market. I picked up a nice Avocado for which they wanted $5 US (probably 50 cents in Mexico). Thought I would checkout real estate and found a small house(looked like an apartment) on a small waterfront lot which was only $4 million US (until the Tsunami hits). At least in the middle of the ocean cruising you can't spend a dime until Starlink goes commercial or you find your virtual real estate in the metaverse. Ha. Myles

[yachtmirage]

HI pickles and jesse, guess my eyesight is gone since I thought it was pickles and juice. Sorry for the slight. See you are in Tasmania which we really loved. Hope we will getdown your way soon once we send our yacht MIRAGE onto bluer pastures. HA. Cheers Myles

[picklesandjesse]

Thanks Miles, hope to fly down and bring the boat north very soon before winter really hits down there. Rgds. John.

[yachtmirage]

Hi John, sorry I am slow to reply. We had friends that survived the Queens Birthday Storm in May off New Zealand. They had a rough time in a 50 foot steel boat, but it was blowing 80 to 90 knots as I recall. We survived a similar storm which thankfully only lasted 8 hours (not fun in a 34 footer). By the way our friends boat is named "HornPiper" from Auckland NZ. Any chance you ever ran into them in your part of the world?? Thanks Myles

[picklesandjesse]

Originally Posted by yachtmirage

Hi John, sorry I am slow to reply. We had friends that survived the Queens Birthday Storm in May off New Zealand. They had a rough time in a 50 foot steel boat, but it was blowing 80 to 90 knots as I recall. We survived a similar storm which thankfully only lasted 8 hours (not fun in a 34 footer). By the way our friends boat is named "HornPiper" from Auckland NZ. Any chance you ever ran into them in your part of the world?? Thanks Myles

Hi Miles, I never saw them but until the last few years I've been living in BC Canada. I was based there for 25 years. I came back to Australia to see the sun and birds and swim in warm water before I fall off the perch. The boat I bought in Tasmania would not survive more than 50 kts so I have to pick the right weather window for crossing Bass Strait. The SE corner of Australia can be a very nasty place at times as the current often exceeds 3 kts and a southerly wind against that can be deadly.

[Driven85]

You have a beautiful boat Miles. Hope you find her a proper home!