Help, Headed to Fla to Look for a Boat

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Some really crappy surveyors in Florida be cautious and never use one a broker recommends.

Excellent advise and I would second this 99.9% of the time. It was a fairly common practice when I was in the business for certain brokers to recommend certain surveyors, and not just because they were drinking buddies.

But if you know and trust the broker he might be steering you to a good surveyor. After all, there are also plenty of surveyors, broker recommended or not, that don't know their aft from a hole in the ground, so buyer beware always.

[Cheechako]

Keep in mind that if your budget is 50k, then in many cases (not all) you can be looking at boats that start out in the 70-80k range.

I agree with not using a broker's surveyor. Even if it's a legitimate surveyor.... there is always a slight tendency to not kill a deal when the broker sends you business... natural human inclination...

[Greenhand]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Keep in mind that if your budget is 50k, then in many cases (not all) you can be looking at boats that start out in the 70-80k range.

I agree with not using a broker's surveyor. Even if it's a legitimate surveyor.... there is always a slight tendency to not kill a deal when the broker sends you business... natural human inclination...

I think I would look in the 50k range, bargain down and use the rest for final outfitting.

[Eddiefuego]

All good advice. I used my Iowa yacht club membership to get a guest membership into the St Petes club a couple of days ago. WOW...what a place. Two for one happy hours...smilin...and an excellent dinner special...more smiles. It's a little rich for my coming fixed income I'm thinking, but met some fun people and it's a beautiful place. One ole salt there gave me the advice...buy the boat (after survey) and sail the boat and don't put a damn dime in it for six months. Then figure out what you need to buy. That advice kind of felt right to me. (could have been the gin) That said, I do take the advice on buying a 30K boat and keeping 20K in my pocket ....very seriously. There are a lot of very nice boats in that price range. Resale is a consideration at this point even though it may not happen for a long time. Production boats seem to be marketable somewhat easier in good times and bad. Marinas...I liked Marathon and St Petes. The bay at St Petes looked a little more friendly than open ocean...at this stage. The city marina seemed very good and the Harborage seemed even more friendly. Several places to work on boats nearby...a good thing. Marathon was a little cheaper and had a lot of character(s)...a positive. Renting a condo in St Petes and boat shopping for a month might not be a bad idea. I've got some recommendations on brokers and after looking at boats on my own, can certainly see some advantages there. Now, I've got to sell some "stuff" and build the kitty. I still like the aft cabins...but still open at this point.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by Eddiefuego

...sail the boat and don't put a damn dime in it for six months. Then figure out what you need to buy.

I'd say that's pretty good advice in general, with the caveat that there will probably be some things that you know right away definitely need to fixed and/or changed. Go ahead and do those things.

But in general, yeah, don't get in too big of a hurry to change things until you've had enough time in the boat to figure out how it works and how you are really using it (which is almost never exactly how you PLANNED to use it, before you bought it).

By the way, if you're hanging around the Tampa Bay area, the boat show is the end of this month at the state fairgrounds. Mostly fishing and powerboats, but fun nonetheless, and sometimes good deals on various accessories.

Official Site of the Tampa Boat Show | Tampa, FL

[denverd0n]

My mistake. The Tampa boat show is at the Convention Center in downtown Tampa, not the fairgrounds.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

I'd say that's pretty good advice in general, with the caveat that there will probably be some things that you know right away definitely need to fixed and/or changed. Go ahead and do those things.

But in general, yeah, don't get in too big of a hurry to change things until you've had enough time in the boat to figure out how it works and how you are really using it (which is almost never exactly how you PLANNED to use it, before you bought it).

By the way, if you're hanging around the Tampa Bay area, the boat show is the end of this month at the state fairgrounds. Mostly fishing and powerboats, but fun nonetheless, and sometimes good deals on various accessories.

Official Site of the Tampa Boat Show | Tampa, FL

[Eddiefuego]

Yeah...Ok...so i bought a 41 O/I Morgan in Panama. Ha...no survey...cheap...haha...so I say now. I've hauled it at the boatyard and have pulled the engine and transmission. I have a used Perkins 4108 with 400hrs coming down and I'll use the same tranny. I'm replacing two thru hulls/seacocks. I'm looking at Garmin 740 series charter, radar at some point. So I'll have depth, speed, gps into the Garmin. I'll have a couple of backup systems...Navionics on a P.C. and handheld backup...and maps. The girl will get a new mainsail, running rigging and fuel cleaning system. New packing on the prop shaft.... What safety issues should I NOT miss prior to splashing...next March...hopefully. ???

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Eddiefuego

Yeah...Ok...so i bought a 41 O/I Morgan in Panama. Ha...no survey...cheap...haha...so I say now.
....
What safety issues should I NOT miss prior to splashing...next March...hopefully. ???

Thorough check of the keel, rudder, spars and standing rigging.

[mariano0614]

Catalina 30's and above solid reasonably priced. Good entry cruising boat in my opinion; I've been sailing for 15 years + and just purchased my first sail boat, have had a few fishing boats but never owned a sailboat. I shopped around for about a year and found an entry level cruiser cheaper than a car and solid well kept and fast. A 1987 Catalina 27; although not that big I wanted this size to start ownership so I could get my wife accustomed to sailing.
Love it! think I will keep it for about a year or so then move up to a 30-35.


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[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, mariano0614.