Questions to ask when buying a sailboat

[meirriba]

List of safety equipment.
Age and last service wherever applicable (e.g. for liferaft or epirb).

[meirriba]

If in EC - VAT status.

[barnakiel]

1. Is the seller the sole owner of the boat?
2. Is the boat free from all and any debt towards any person or institution?
3. Has the boat ever sank?
etc.

I am clearly asking the other questions.

Number and age of batteries are pretty irrelevant, imho.

b.

[zedpassway]

If you are paying more than $5000 to a person you don't know and will never see again for the boat, pay to have a boat inspector guy to give you a report. Then at least you have some idea of what you are looking at.

Research the seller. If they don't have a business that you can research(if they do and people have bad comments about their honesty, then don't buy the boat). If they don't have something that you can research, then pay for one of those services that traces down their problems. if you find that they have multiple DUI's, and failure to pay bills, then you may want to think again about them.

Its not stalking to research someone who you are giving a lot of money to.

[jamesdavis]

I would make any offer or down payment, contingent upon a reputable, licensed sea trial.
This way you can focus on the very important, "auxiliary power". The engine and drive train.

[Dave22q]

Before traveling to see I would want to know: how long owned, year of last survey and is it available, equipment list with dates if known, make, model, year and hull number, how and where titled. Comments about general condition might be helpful but assume exaggeration. Photos are nice but can be very deceptive.
My offer would be conditional on good survey and sea trial. Unless you are an expert it is money well spent.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by jamesdavis

contingent upon a reputable, licensed sea trial.

Huh ?

[MyStars]

Certainly, questions about the soundness and title of the boat are important. But it is also important to clearly identify your intended use as well as the costs and logistics related to care, keeping and storage of your new vessel. Eg.
- Do I (we) want the boat for day trips, weekends, or passages?
- Will the boat I'm looking at be good for that use?
- How much does storage, haul out, etc. cost per foot in my area, and am I ready to bear that cost year after year.
- Are the sails stored in place, or do I have to hank/slide them each time? And can I lift all of the sails? (An all weather main on a 42-footer can weigh a lot.)
For the use I have in mind, is there enough of the right kind of locker space?

You get the picture, be sure that you check whether or not the boat you are looking at will do what you want, (need), (hope for), AND that you won't end up not using it because of cost, service charges, use ability issues.

Fair winds

[barnakiel]

I think, one question well worth answering is also this one:

How much annual cost of ownership does the boat bring?

I say this as I have seen some nice boats bought then quickly sold when the new owner discovered the slip / boatyard / insurance / licensing / otherwise costs.

Cheers,
b.

[Divevac]

Some great responses I will incorporate into my list of questions I send to a broker when a new boat of interest pops up on the internet:


1. How was the boat used? Where has it been?
2. Why are you selling?
3. How long have you owned the boat?
4. What are upgrades you would do if you were not selling?
5. Has there EVER been any issues of osmosis?
6. What do you like best about the boat? Least?
7. Significant events from a mechanical log?
8. Diesel hours and maintenance?
9. Water or fuel Tank replacements?
10. Groundings or collisions?
11. Survey available form the past ten years?
12. Age and condition of each sail in inventory?
13. What equipment on the boat is presently not serviceable?


Happy hunting!

[Cheechako]

I'm afraid you will little of those questions answered by a broker. It's good you are thinking about them though. I once called a broker and asked him to call me when he was at the boat next time. He actually did. I had questions like "is the gel coat shiny and good or flat and sun baked/porous?" He said it looked good. When I flew to the boat it would make your hand look like chalk by wiping it.

[Zven]

Originally Posted by MyStars

- Do I (we) want the boat for day trips, weekends, or passages?
- Will the boat I'm looking at be good for that use?
- How much does storage, haul out, etc. cost per foot in my area, and am I ready to bear that cost year after year...

That's nothing to do with the seller or the broker though. Better not to bother them with details that you should work out on your own.

[Zven]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I think, one question well worth answering is also this one:

How much annual cost of ownership does the boat bring?

I say this as I have seen some nice boats bought then quickly sold when the new owner discovered the slip / boatyard / insurance / licensing / otherwise costs...

The seller cannot help you with most of this.
It's entirely up to you where you keep the boat, if it will stay full time in a marina, how well you wish to maintain it, and so on.
About insurance - that's going to depend on your personalia, experience, competence, claims history, intended sailing grounds, desired type of cover and all sorts of other things that have absolutely nothing with the seller to do.

[KiwiKen]

Originally Posted by Yellowtulip

I would expect most or all of that information to be provided by the owner or broker. I or a surveyor would then verify it as far as possible. I wouldn't expect more than one trial sail before purchase. If you're lucky after purchase the previous owner may wish to maintain contact, but don't count on it.

the current owner is the guy laughing hysterically as you sail off in it.

[Terra Nova]

"Questions to ask yourself when buying a sailboat"

Should I have my head examined?