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Old 12-04-2020, 02:51   #1
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1975 Downeast Downeaster 32'

Hello folks,


I have found a 1975 Downeast Downeaster 32' on yachtworld: https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/197...aster-3653451/


I live in Europe and my idea is to get a liveaboard to use a few months a year for cruising around Florida and the Caribbean and rent it as an B&B for the rest of the year.


My questions are:


1) What do you think about the boat?
2) A touristic but still affordable Marina in FL?
3)Which cost should I plan to refit the boat , I know I need a survey first but just an idea of average costs.


Thanks a lot for your comments!


Happy easter from Europe

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Old 12-04-2020, 04:55   #2
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Re: 1975 Downeast Downeaster 32'

Quote:
Originally Posted by chatwin70 View Post
1) What do you think about the boat?
2) A touristic but still affordable Marina in FL?
3)Which cost should I plan to refit the boat , I know I need a survey first but just an idea of average costs.
Happy Easter to you, too!

1) I think it's a money pit.
2) No clue. There are a lot of legalities involved, and the regulations are highly local to the municipality and marina.
3) Depends on what level of restoration you want to do.

You didn't ask, but here's where my thinking on short-term boat rental always leads me: The average customer has no clue about boats. They don't know or care how to work the head, and they don't understand the limits and fragility of all the boat systems and components. The boat will be trashed, even if unintentionally. And if someone who doesn't know what they're doing gets it in their head to get underway, you may have bigger problems.

Finally, when did you plan to use the boat? Obviously the best time to use the boat is also the time people are looking for vacation rentals. There's not much of a market for short-term rentals in the off-season. If you've ever been to Florida in the summer, you'll know why.

Where I've seen short-term rentals work is with houseboats. Fit them out with regular dirt home hardware and systems, remove or disable the motors and just keep them tied up all the time.

I'm sorry this came out so negative, and I won't say it's not possible. But these are the kinds of things I'd want to hear if I was considering a purchase like this.
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Old 12-04-2020, 04:56   #3
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Re: 1975 Downeast Downeaster 32'

From the pictures, she looks pretty good. At that price, I would have it surveyed. If the survey looks good, I would consider it.
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Old 12-04-2020, 06:07   #4
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Re: 1975 Downeast Downeaster 32'

My personal opinion on:

1 if you are a proven handy person willing to do your own work and the survey on the hull, deck, and rigging are OK then a big maybe.

2 you can have a touristy marina for $$$ or a cheap marina. I do not know of both in Florida

The trick question is about Air BB the boat. Lots of marinas will not allow you to do this but maybe you can find a waterfront owner willing to rent and allowing for live-aboard. Is hard but not impossible. My guess is that you would want it to be close to a metropolitan area. You would have to change the head as tourists will not understand how to navigate the current head
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Old 12-04-2020, 06:23   #5
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Re: 1975 Downeast Downeaster 32'

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Originally Posted by carlosproa View Post
My personal opinion on:

1 if you are a proven handy person willing to do your own work and the survey on the hull, deck, and rigging are OK then a big maybe.

2 you can have a touristy marina for $$$ or a cheap marina. I do not know of both in Florida

The trick question is about Air BB the boat. Lots of marinas will not allow you to do this but maybe you can find a waterfront owner willing to rent and allowing for live-aboard. Is hard but not impossible. My guess is that you would want it to be close to a metropolitan area. You would have to change the head as tourists will not understand how to navigate the current head


I see Ruskin is SE of Tampa, maybe looking at the St. Pete area will land you the place for Air B&B.
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Old 12-04-2020, 08:08   #6
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Re: 1975 Downeast Downeaster 32'

Costs depend on condition but if no refit since construction assume at least $30,000. Here in the tourist friendly Keys assume at least $1000/month and you would need to negotiate specific permissions to rent out. I suspect you might need to find a private dock for your B&B. Talk to a lawyer about relevant local and state regulations and an insurance agent about coverage possibilities.
Bottom line I suspect that if you proceed, some nasty surprises are in store. It is seldom smart to assume that violations will be not noticed in the long run.
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Old 12-04-2020, 09:05   #7
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Re: 1975 Downeast Downeaster 32'

I can’t see the rental part working. To many unsolved problems. The head being the first. Guests will clog a marine head in a minute. Who will pump out the holding tank? A thirty foot boat will have a very small holding tank. Who cleans the boat, who does maintenance? Finding anyone dependable will be close to impossible.
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Old 12-04-2020, 09:12   #8
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Re: 1975 Downeast Downeaster 32'

Go onto Air B&B and look for sailboats in St Augustine. Also any other boats just for perspective. Last time I looked there was a sailboat in St Augustine just walking distance to the downtown tourist area that got many terrific reviews.


Now look closer. All the running rigging has been removed. All of it. Almost forgot, no sails. This boat will probably never sail again. The interior is beautiful, as a B&B should be. Nice A/C unit with a big thermostat control panel on the side of the galley counter. The people who own this have other Air B&B properties. For them it is no different than owning and renting an apartment, except more lucrative. Probably much more lucrative if you check the prices. Their business is to go around finding unique properties in heavily touristic locations and Air B&B them out for big nightly bucks. So the question is, do you want a sailboat or a rental property?
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Old 12-04-2020, 09:13   #9
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Re: 1975 Downeast Downeaster 32'

Downeasters are very well built. I have a 1975 DE38 and love it.
Survey makes sense as for any older boat.
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Old 12-04-2020, 10:07   #10
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Re: 1975 Downeast Downeaster 32'

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tingum View Post
I can’t see the rental part working. To many unsolved problems. The head being the first. Guests will clog a marine head in a minute. Who will pump out the holding tank? A thirty foot boat will have a very small holding tank. Who cleans the boat, who does maintenance? Finding anyone dependable will be close to impossible.
I cannot see rental working either.
As far as clogging the head it is a composting unit.
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Old 12-04-2020, 10:09   #11
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Re: 1975 Downeast Downeaster 32'

Quote:
Originally Posted by iyamwhatiyam View Post
Go onto Air B&B and look for sailboats in St Augustine. Also any other boats just for perspective. Last time I looked there was a sailboat in St Augustine just walking distance to the downtown tourist area that got many terrific reviews.


Almost forgot, no sails. This boat will probably never sail again.
According to the listing there are serviceable sails.
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Old 12-04-2020, 10:10   #12
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Re: 1975 Downeast Downeaster 32'

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Originally Posted by CaptTom View Post
They don't know or care how to work the head, and they don't understand the limits and fragility of all the boat systems and components. The boat will be trashed, even if unintentionally.
I let some friends, a well educated couple, stay on my boat at my home dock as a sort of guest room one time when visiting us. Although I had shown them how to use the head, they somehow thought they had to turn the pump handle, rather than pump up and down. They continued to turn until the handle completely un-threaded and came out in their hands. I cannot describe the effort and unpleasantness required for me to repair this.

Another time, while sailing, a well intentioned guest left the head flush valve open after using the head below (even after proper instruction, of course). I realized what had happened soon after going below to find ankle deep sea water everywhere. On the bright side, I found the problem before the yanmar became submerged, and the bilge got a good wash too.
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Old 12-04-2020, 10:57   #13
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Re: 1975 Downeast Downeaster 32'

Our Downeaster 38 is a solid boat but a lot of work needs to be done. Good boat if you plan on using it. I think as a rental there are plenty of ways it could get trashed.
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Old 12-04-2020, 10:58   #14
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Re: 1975 Downeast Downeaster 32'

bobmcd625 I sent you a PM.
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Old 12-04-2020, 10:58   #15
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Re: 1975 Downeast Downeaster 32'

Quote:
Originally Posted by chatwin70 View Post
Hello folks,


I have found a 1975 Downeast Downeaster 32' on yachtworld: https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/197...aster-3653451/


I live in Europe and my idea is to get a liveaboard to use a few months a year for cruising around Florida and the Caribbean and rent it as an B&B for the rest of the year.


My questions are:


1) What do you think about the boat?
2) A touristic but still affordable Marina in FL?
3)Which cost should I plan to refit the boat , I know I need a survey first but just an idea of average costs.


Thanks a lot for your comments!


Happy easter from Europe

Boat looks to be in nice shape, price seems fair, but a survey would definitely be in order with a boat this old (or any boat really) Not too sure about the composting toilet for B&B use. But you will need A/C in Florida. Seems like it's got a decent heater (which will be of little use in the area you're talking about). I think trying to do a B&B would be a PITA with such a small boat - how much rent could you really expect?
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