First phone call with a boat owner - what to ask?

[aboatman]

Before you pick up the phone and call, it's best have these issues sorted out.
1. Where are you going to keep the vessel? Slip availability is always an issue. Many marinas have "lists' and no, slips don't come with the boat.They belong to the marina and each facility has their own policy.
2. Have your funding in line. No seller, private or broker want to deal with someone that is not prepared to take action and to expect them to wait 2-4 weeks for a loan to process is unrealistic.
3. Be honest with yourself as to your level of experience, both with seamanship and mechanical. As a boater, you'll have to pick up either a tool or a pen.
4. Be sure to read the ad and look at the photos and videos if in the ad. Yes, ask if they are current!
5.Surveys are the responsibility of the buyer, not the seller. Yes sometimes a seller will have a "recent survey" but keep in mind, that was good for that day and time. It does give you a bit of history but do not rely on it totally.
Some questions of caution are "what's the condition"? Now as a broker, I'm on 20-40 boats per week so my appraisal of condition is different that someone that's only been on new boats at a show.
"How long has it been on the market". Folks sell a car within 2 weeks, houses with in 3 months, but boat, on average takes about 10 months currently! So expecting the seller to be desperate after 2 months and willing to take "cents on the dollar" is not realistic.
"Is the seller negotiable"? This is annoying as you are trying to negotiate something you haven't seen,know nothing about and may not even want once you've seen it!
As a CPYB broker, I am available to consult anytime so just message me. Thanks

[Cheechako]

.. and when the discussion moves further, or face to face happens, ask pointed questions.

I bought a used smallish powerboat (23-25 ft) several years ago. One thing became apparent: "engine was rebuilt" or "overhauled engine" in the ads doesn't mean that at all. When I pressed one seller if he had receipts for the engine rebuild, he said: "Well, the guy I bought it from said the previous owner had it rebuilt" !

[petermjdavies]

More info please about your purchase ambitions and budget. Also your personal experience of sailing.

One question is if the boat is in the water or out. This will help and hinder. If in the water you can go sailing and try her out. If out of the water, will be easier for a survey. For expensive boats certainly you should pay to have her put in the water and take her out for a sale.

If you are thinking of a boat from a sizeable broker, they will already have many of the answers in the boat particulars.

Certainly a question about the maintenance records is worth asking, but frankly the answers may not help you in deciding to buy. Some people are paranoid about keeping every invoice and noting everything down. Some are more informal. So for example if we were asked that question we would give them three pages of notes that are on the inside of a log. This covers us for the major work over the lifetime of the boat (30 years from new) but doesnt give a lot of detail. But you would know when the major engine work was done, when the coppercoat was applied, the sail purchases, etc.

The question about damage, repairs, grounding may help a bit, but what you really want to know is whether the work was home repaired or done under an insurance claim. Not that there aren't expert repairers who own a boat, but it is certainly eaiser to know that a repair was done by a yard to an agreed standard.

Ultimately, if you want a boat, then the survey will help reveal most major issues.

[aboatman]

I'm always cautious with "rebuilds". No, new risers & manifolds are not a rebuild.If the seller mentions "rebuild" then I need to see either an invoice or parts list. Often it feels like a "rebuild" dollar wise, but often it's just maintenance or repairs.

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by petermjdavies

One question is if the boat is in the water or out. This will help and hinder. If in the water you can go sailing and try her out. If out of the water, will be easier for a survey. For expensive boats certainly you should pay to have her put in the water and take her out for a sale.

The order is typically:

1) View/Inspect
2) Offer/Acceptance (P&S)
3) Survey
4) Seatrial
5) Purchase

If the first question you ask is to take the boat out, you're almost guaranteed to be perceived as a tire kicker and disregarded. My boat doesn't leave the slip without a signed P&S.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Shrew

The order is typically:

1) View/Inspect
2) Offer/Acceptance (P&S)
3) Survey
4) Seatrial
5) Purchase

If the first question you ask is to take the boat out, you're almost guaranteed to be perceived as a tire kicker and disregarded. My boat doesn't leave the slip without a signed P&S.

If the boat is in the water, i.e., in its slip, I would shift the sequence / order above to have the seatrial completed before paying for a full survey and any haul out expenses are incurred. You can learn a lot about the running condition, and identify issues without costs. A complete survey likely will require the surveyor also participating in a seatrial which surveyor could join you on the first go or later if you desire to continue with pursuing the next step of a purchase.

If the boat is on the hard, then a survey can start while on the hard and proceed to a seatrial.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Fidu666

I'm talking general. Questions you could/should ask for most boats.

- Why the sale?
- Where has the boat travelled to?
- General condition of the hull
- Condition of rig & sails
- Condition of electrics & engine

etc. etc.

Seems you've covered the initial points..

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by Montanan

If the boat is in the water, i.e., in its slip, I would shift the sequence / order above to have the seatrial completed before paying for a full survey and any haul out expenses are incurred. .

You are correct in that what you've described is the most cost and time effective for the buyer. For the seller, you're exposing them to series of 'free rides'.

You can certainly ask, but don't be surprised to get a lot of refusals. What you describe is not the norm.

[billdomb]

Originally Posted by Fidu666

Hey guys

What questions do you think are of the most importance when making the first contact with the owner/broker?.

And RECORD the conversation. You get to choose whether to tell the seller.

[ferrailleur]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

A good question is just to ask "what things have you done to the boat over the years?" to get the conversation going.
"What would you change? What didn't you like?"
But just generally, talking with an owner is a very good thing. Just let them talk as much as possible. It's amazing what they will bring up sometimes that you would never learn otherwise. Often they say way too much. Letting things out that they probably wish they hadn't.
Finally:"has the boat ever had any blisters on the bottom". How he responds is key, does he seem evasive?

Blisters???
My seller was blank... My "reputed" $$ Annapolis based surveyor
ignored the issue.... THAT I MYSELF DISCOVERED AFTER I PAID FOR SODA BLASTING.

Don't trust any seller or surveyor.... Be your own surveyor..... read and learn!

[ferrailleur]

Originally Posted by aboatman

I'm always cautious with "rebuilds". No, new risers & manifolds are not a rebuild.If the seller mentions "rebuild" then I need to see either an invoice or parts list. Often it feels like a "rebuild" dollar wise, but often it's just maintenance or repairs.

"Rebuilds" are worth nothing..... everybody can claim that they have rebuilt this and that..... As an owner of heavy duty trucks I have bought "rebuilt" parts just to find out that some basically just "repainted" the old core.....
Never to be trusted again!

[LittleWing77]

One interesting question I asked was, "what is the most recent maintenance you've done on the boat?" Answer: None. I've never done any maintenance on this boat.

Told me everything I needed to know!
LittleWing