Frustrated Seller - Tartan 37

[taoist]

Would appreciate any advice from those who have sold boats. I have a Ted Hood designed 1969 Tartan 37 (Classic series) that I spent 10 yrs, refitting. This is a really nice looking boat with many new parts and a Westerbeke 35 with only 297 hrs. Decided 2 years ago to downsize and put it on the market with a reputable broker, listed at $24,900. I know that there is a limited market for older boats but I'm surprised and disappointed that it hasn't sold. It can be viewed at www.breweryacht.com/profile/dmckenney. Reverie Tartan 37.
Any ideas regarding change in game plan? Lower price, etc.

[BCCLover]

Good Old Boat magazine has a classified section that might be a good place to post this boat. Have you had any nibbles at all?

[Shrew]

Is this your boat?

https://www.breweryacht.com/boat/196...-classic/1450/

The link you provided is to a specific broker and your boat doesn't appear on that page.

[taoist]

Thanks for the reply. Have been a GOB subscriber for years and ran some ads last year that elicited a few scam responses. According to the broker there have been nibbles with one offer of $16000 - much too low. So, kind of dead in the water right now.

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by taoist

Would appreciate any advice from those who have sold boats. I have a Ted Hood designed 1969 Tartan 37 (Classic series) that I spent 10 yrs, refitting. This is a really nice looking boat with many new parts and a Westerbeke 35 with only 297 hrs. Decided 2 years ago to downsize and put it on the market with a reputable broker, listed at $24,900. I know that there is a limited market for older boats but I'm surprised and disappointed that it hasn't sold. It can be viewed at www.breweryacht.com/profile/dmckenney. Reverie Tartan 37.
Any ideas regarding change in game plan? Lower price, etc.

I've never purchased a yacht but I've been shopping for them for decades. I'm very experienced at being turned off by boats just from what I see on the internet.

I found a few cosmetic things about your listing that you could improve right away if you were trying to get me to stay a little longer.

In no particular order:

If you want to sell anything old, you have to go out of your way to make it so that I visualize myself sailing it and living on it. That means put in the extra hours of effort to clear out all your junk (sneakers? really?). You did all that work to upkeep the boat; you could remove or replace that ratty netting. See, if I'm thinking about the thoroughness of your repairs that are going to matter, I want to get a sense that you have keen attention to detail...and this listing doesn't convey that.

Which brings me to your choice of pictures. I guess on a 50-year-old vessel, I want to see the condition of the hull and keel and rudder. Otherwise, I just click away to the next listing.

As for your listing: Why, if you are trying to attract attention, do you post a link that sends me to a picture of some guy and other people's boats? I have to search to find yours. Again, if I'm clicking along the internet, that's two too many steps.

Also, call me a land-lubber WAFI, but how do you steer this thing? I didn't notice a wheel, but I did notice that the main traveler is really close to the helmsman's position. That's an advantage for shorthanded sailing, but I'd want a few more perspective shots to get an idea how I fit into this cockpit when I'm sailing.

Ditto with living quarters. I appreciate the shots of the salon and the galley, but I have no sense of the layout of the staterooms. You're up against some nicely outfitted and quartered boats; again, you should make an effort to tell me what I'm getting.

I'm always a little bummed out when I read a listing and pieces of information are left out. Bridge clearance, for example. That's an easy fix.

Finally, for a vessel I might want to use for long passages, given its build and size, your boat has remarkably light fuel and water tankage.

Sorry, you asked why, and I'm giving it to you straight.

[taoist]

Many thanks for the insights and feedback. Some good points that I'll bring up with the broker. Thanks for taking the time.

[BCCLover]

Originally Posted by taoist

Thanks for the reply. Have been a GOB subscriber for years and ran some ads last year that elicited a few scam responses. According to the broker there have been nibbles with one offer of $16000 - much too low. So, kind of dead in the water right now.

What is it costing you to keep it, in term of insurance and storage and even the intangible mental toll? You say it's been on the market for 2 years. Have you spent more than $9k on the above in 2 years? (Hopefully not, but I have no idea what storage costs are in Rhode Island.)

I'm sorry that GOB wasn't fruitful as a place to list the boat.

Good luck

[taoist]

Haven't reached the 9 grand mark YET. Insurance out of water is low but storage is becoming an issue of course. Thanks for the good wishes.

[Ded reckoner]

I recommend you try listing on sailingtexas.com . Despite the website name, they list and sell boats across the country.

[Bill Seal]

24k will barely buy a used BMW. I think what's killing sailboating is the outrageous cost of marina slips, and the fact you can legally only be aboard a few nights a month. Cities view them as a cash cow.

[Orion Jim]

Just took a quick look at the listing. Fuel 20 gallons (2 tanks). A quick glance and someone says to themselves....very small capacity for a 32 HP diesel.....or does that mean there are two 20 gallon tanks for a total capacity of 40 gallons? There is the same issue with the fresh water capacity. Is it 35 or 70 gallons? A capacity of 35 gallons sends prospective buyers looking elsewhere.....or they have to do the math. The total berths are listed as 2. A 37 footer with two berths.....why would anyone give this a second glance. A 51 year old diesel with 297 engine hours....this is unbelievable....if true this should be clearly detailed in the description. Once again at first glance this is a non-starter.
You have a very poorly written listing.

[rphdiego]

Could also be the age of the boat. Its getting more difficult to obtain insurance for boats over 40 years old and most marinas and storage yards require atleast liability insurance.

[Rohan]

I bought my first boat a year and a half ago, after a LONG search looking at so many boats, so I have some experience here. I found your boat on Yachtworld which is good. That's generally the only place I check. I can't possibly check the web sites of every brokerage.

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/196...assic-3256667/

I think the boat is gorgeous, and that's a good price. Two things working against you are that covid probably slowed down the market and now it's still winter so not many people looking to buy now, especialy up north in cold Rhode Island. Spring should be different. The only small advice I could give you is a better photo of your tiller (I assume there's a tiller) because that's a little confusing, and seat covers on some of the stained/faded seats (or dye them or flip them over). And maybe a more flattering photo of the engine too. You say it has low engine hours, but its surrounding compartment just looks sort of - shaky. I don't know how else to describe it.

[guyrj33]

yep, there are a couple of things about your listing that aren't very good. Does your Tartan 37 really only have 2 berths?
But it clear the price is too high, it's been on the market for two years and you've had one inquiry at 16k. Try an asking price below 20K, then people might feel better about making an offer. Many will not make an offer that's too far below the asking price, they think the'll hurt the sellers feelings.

[Tsuru]

We sold our Catalina 28 a while ago. We handled the transaction ourselves without a broker and this is the general procedure.

We started by removing all of our personal and unnecessary items from the boat. We cleaned our already clean boat end to end. Every locker, cabinet, bilges, engine, everything was clean, uncluttered, it looked and smelled good. Every time I visited the boat, I made sure the boat was clean and orderly.

Take good photos showing the interior and exterior of the boat. Make sure the boat is not cluttered.

Make a detailed inventory of the boat gear. Consider a free web page, photos of the boat and happy people sailing. Inventory, list of upgrades, price, boat design details, independent reviews. Instead of listing boat items as “New” detail when they were installed. E.g. whatever engine, low hours, well maintained (sorry but your engine does not look new to me), standing rigging =date replaced. Be honest and transparent. People generally are pretty smart.

Price the boat realistically. No need to give the boat away, but think value when you determine the price. Also consider waiting 12 months to find the top price buyer may cause you to loose money on the overall transaction.

Protect yourself and the buyer during the transaction. Write up a sales agreement, use a title/escrow agency, be prudent, ect.

Place an add with photos in every free, boat classifieds, or forum. Make sure to link your web page. Place the add with photos in every Crags List in your area. The bulk of our responses were from Craigslist. Distance yourself from any questionable inquiries.

We had about 20 responses over the first 2 weeks. 6 people made appointments to view the boat. The boat sold after the first or second viewing.

Brokers generally do a good job representing your boat. They help ensure a smooth sale. For that they charge a fee. Going without a broker is more effort.

Good luck with your boat sale.