Realistic offers

[Trippin]

My first post so please be kind...

I am looking to buy my first yacht after years of power boats.
I have done a little bit of sailing and a sailing course but finding it near impossible to get the experience I would prefer to have before purchasing a boat.

Not getting any younger (55) so looking for opinions from experienced people on what size - the plan being for extended cruising and liveaboard eventually. I think i know what makes a good boat. Im thinking along the lines of Cavalier 32/phantom 32-33 etc.

Also on making an offer what is a realistic price adjustment? 10 %, 20%?? Obviously will do the survey etc.

Thanks.
AJ

[HankOnthewater]

You asked 3 questions:
How to get hands-on experience?
Best is to join a local sailing club. Most boats are looking for crew. Maybe start with the more relaxed twilight races, and when you get more experience, maybe try a bit more hardcore racing.
You did not say where you are in the world. So it is difficult for CF members to invite you for a daysail or so. But if you are in my neck of the woods, happy to take you out.

Second question was in regards to make offers on the asking price. Although it is still a seller's market, prices slowly going down for monohulls, but that trend is likely very much location dependent. For a boat that was brought to the market 12 months ago, and owner hoping to get to get top dollar, maybe you could offer substantial less if you liked the boat, but a realistic priced current listing might not offer much wiggle room.

Third question was about size. That choice is very individual. It depends on how you want to use the boat, where you want to sail, and with how many people, your budget, your mooring or docking possibilities.

Then you made a statement about your age. Hmmm, I think the majority of CF members are older than you are. Don't be in hurry to buy a boat.

Lastly, a welcome to cruisers forum.

[boatpoker]

NZ, AU ?

[Trippin]

Queensland, Australia

Solo at this point unless Margot Robbie wants to help...

Tried the sailing club thing. Wasn't my cup of tea. Crewbay seems to be a bit slow. Im thinking of getting on my own boat and teaching myself some bad habits.

Im trying to avoid being taken advantage of during the buying process so just wondering what the normal approach is regarding making an offer. Do you just assume about 15% under asking price for example? Just after opinions to get a feel for the market/process.

AJ

[Fore and Aft]

AJ there's no hard and fast rule when it comes to prices. Plenty of my clients only get a token discount when buying a boat. If the boats well priced, equipped and only been on the market a short time then you're not going to get much of a discount. The best you can do is look on yachthub etc and get a feel for the average price of the design you like. I have seen a Cav 32 sell for $6000 this year. She was a a bit of project but had excellent bones including a reconditioned diesel engine.
For me a low hour engine and newish standing rigging is what I would want. Those two items can be expensive to replace.
Cheers

[Trippin]

It seems like anything good is gone in days but others sit for months. I'd rather not be the next owner waiting for a year for it to sell or take a huge loss. I keep waiting for all the covid purchases to come back on the market but people seem to be hanging on to them.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, AJ.
I've written, and am now selling, a book, entitled: "How To Be An Expert Negotiator".
I'll accept the first offer [any price] for it.

[Fore and Aft]

AJ plenty of COVID boats have been sold since the pandemic ended. A few I know took a loss in price, but that's normal. Boats aren't an investment.
I can easily see $10,000 a year bill to keep a Cav 32 insured, in a marina and well maintained. That's money you will never recover on the selling price.
As for waiting for a long time to sell your boat, if she's priced right then she'll sell quickly. Plenty of people try and get top dollar for their boat and any gain they make is lost on marina berth fees.
Cheers

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

... Plenty of people try and get top dollar for their boat and any gain they make [if any] is lost on marina berth fees.
Cheers

And lost "opportunity" [use of cash, interest, etc].

[kendrickwallace]

Originally Posted by Trippin

Queensland, Australia

Solo at this point unless Margot Robbie wants to help...

AJ

Margot is in!

[Don C L]

Welcome aboard, Trippin!

I don't know what is available in your area, but there are many folks here who do, and who know realistic prices too. I always encourage folks to start in a small, simple and FUN boat to get the hang of it and see if they catch the bug. A boat like a Laser worked for me when I was a kid, and they are still fun when you are not a kid! But if you want something bigger, a boat with a fin keel and transom-hung or spade rudder is a good design to learn on because it will be responsive and give you immediate feedback; a boat like a Catalina 22, 25 or 27 comes to mind.

My suggestion then, no matter which model or size you prefer, is that you look around, see what's available and then bring what you have found here for members here to comment and advise on. You can learn a lot that way, and save yourself some potential pain and financial loss!
Good luck!

[ChrisJHC]

There are a number of companies that offer ocean passages or mile-builders.
Often sailing schools but also some specialist ones.
Generally around 5 to 14 days but there’s a wide range.
One I know of just did a voyage around Australia broken into 4 passages.

That will give you good general experience on a yacht and also help you decide whether you like the lifestyle.

[like-a-child]

Trippin,
Certainly for getting experience and also for your other objectives I highly recommend posting under Crews on this website as well as signing up for other services like FindaCrew.net. You can do more sailing for less money on other peoples boats than you will ever do on your own. And you will get to experience different boats and learn from different captains.

Before I bought my boat I did about 7000nm with 4 different boats/captains over the course of 15 months and I started at about your age. I have not approached those numbers since buying my boat. In fact I am about 2-3 years from selling my boat and I likely will return to crewing for others for a few years following that.

From my original post on Findacrew it took less than 1 week to get on a great boat in Belize that I spent a month on. My next boat I found in less than 3 hrs by getting on the vhf cruisers net one morning in Marina Paradiso in Isla Mujeres, MX. Then hooked up with a guy I'd met from findacrew and help him take his ketch on the outside from St. Augustine, FL to Portland Maine. Flew to Europe to Europe to visit family and friends and when I decided to return home I re-activated my profile and within 24 hrs found a catamaran a 2 hr train-ride away that I helped bring from Italy back to Florida.

If you want to own a boat, buy one. But if you really want to do some sailing you can't beat doing it on other peoples boats.

[David Mathis]

As to size, a 30' works well for one or two people but if you plan to take your kids, extended family, neighbors, etc. along on a regular basis, it might be to your advantage to add a few feet, especially if you want guests for overnights, weekends, or a couple weeks. Having a boat in the summer is a lot like getting a snowplow in the winter, you have many more friends than you realized.

[Trippin]

I appreciate your replies. Imagine paying covid prices only to see the market corrected next year! I joined findacrew. I think I will have more luck there. Be great to do some extended passage making up into Indonesia before committing to a boat of my own. Can save some more money over cyclone season anyway.