Fourth time lucky? Struggling to find the right sailboat...

[cr180]

Originally Posted by svtickles

The market in Europe has gone crazy. I signed to buy a boat then the agent sold it to someone else. Apparently the other party was the same nationality as the agent (so told me the owner later). The owner told me he hadn't signed the agreement, yet the agent informed it me at was all done. Maybe it was just a very bad broker. Who knows.

Crazy in US as well. Hard enough to find the boat you want in decent condition. Overlay the human element takes the craziness to exponential levels. Found that For Sale by Owner worth pursuing (some are crazy too, but less so). Can be some challenges, but there are some boat closing services that can handle escrow, transfer of funds, and title transfer. Take a look at Boat Trader. Good resource in US for FSBO, don’t know about Europe.

[cr180]

Originally Posted by off-piste

Respectfully, the wording you use and anecdotes shared indicate your inexperience. There's nothing wrong with being inexperienced. You're an intelligent person but be cautious of the hubris that often comes with intelligence

Whoa! This post Extremely bad form.

[off-piste]

Originally Posted by cr180

Whoa! This post Extremely bad form.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by svtickles

I'm shopping for my first sailboat

You need to inspect the boat before hiring a surveyor, it will save you a lot of money.

This will show you how to do it.
Marine Survey 101, pre-survey inspection

You should also learn a little about Moisture Meters ...
Moisture Meter Mythology and Flir thermal imager

You also mention doing elelectrical schematics. Be aware that there are many serious differences between domestic electricity, US marine electricity and Euro marine electricity.