People selling boats.

[Rohan]

Originally Posted by dofthesea

..
These pics I have taken of the boat have a date stamp from 2011. Seriously?
I have no time so I'm not even going to bother with decent pics of some of the basic info needed to sell a sailboat.

My pet peeves:

1. Stock photos from the manufacturer. What the hell? If I wanted to see how the brand new boat looked, I would be looking at new boats. The original layout diagram is very useful though.

2. Clutter. Why are you taking a photo of a boat interior with pill bottles, dirty dishes in the sink, etc? Clear out the junk, or at least make it look tidy.

[ranchero76]

Originally Posted by Rohan

My pet peeves:

1. Stock photos from the manufacturer. What the hell? If I wanted to see how the brand new boat looked, I would be looking at new boats. The original layout diagram is very useful though.

2. Clutter. Why are you taking a photo of a boat interior with pill bottles, dirty dishes in the sink, etc? Clear out the junk, or at least make it look tidy.

Yea, stock photos in 1M boat listing - that's just beginning! )))
Clutter - not very often, but also amazes me. I think, in many cases it indicates that owner had abandoned boat for years and now trying to get rid of it, but still, often at premium price!
No information about equipment
No information about condition of different systems (should I assume that EVERYTHING works?)
No information about work required
If additional photos requested - takes forever to get, if at all.

All of above doesn't really matter if boat is located 5 kilometers away, right? But how often this is the case?

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Rohan

My pet peeves:

1. Stock photos from the manufacturer. What the hell? If I wanted to see how the brand new boat looked, I would be looking at new boats. The original layout diagram is very useful though.

2. Clutter. Why are you taking a photo of a boat interior with pill bottles, dirty dishes in the sink, etc? Clear out the junk, or at least make it look tidy.

Agreed.

We're sort of looking for our next boat, with no deadline or pressure. While I'm not quite as picky as the OP, I do hope for a few things at a minimum:

• make, model, year, price
• engine type and age
• confirmation that it has all the sails etc, and an indication of general condition. Mention of anything upgraded/repaired/replaced appreciated
• listing of significant included stuff. All used boats have stuff. I don't need to have a count of the steak knives. But a dink, trailer etc are important
• And - several real photos. the seller who omits photos, or posts stock photos, or just a couple of bad photos... or worst of all - uses other people's photos - that's the worst! I just saw one ad where the boat had three different reg numbers.

All of this goes together in the mind of the potential buyer, which results in a decision to contact the seller... or not.


Of course the lousy ad conveys alot too. The seller doesn't give a damn, or is lazy... or someone is stuck with the job of liquidating their late Grandad's boat... in which case you could be looking at a great deal on a well-loved boat.

[Kita]

Do your research on the brand first,I looked at the wildcat,nice boat,looks GREAT! Read about Bumfuzzels experience with them. not sure if I spelled bumfuzzle right. But those guys had a lot of trouble with the wildcat and with the people that built it. From what bumfuzzle was sayin those guys are Crooks and I'm not saying that because I know because I don't but the point is do the research on the boat you want and then go decide which one so you have to go look! At several ! If you don't have the time to do the proper research or to go look at the boats then maybe you don't have the time to go sailing. After I made up my mind what boat that I wanted I spent almost two years looking at over a half a dozen and got very discouraged until I found one and that's just the way it is. Have fun with looking around at different boats and learning while you're doing it don't complain about it it's absolutely educational. After you get that education and you find the right boat there will be no buyer's remorse because you will know the difference between a good deal and a bad deal.

[Razoo]

Originally Posted by dofthesea

Ok so whats the deal? Quite a few ads say something like this........

Too much gear to list........
Too many new items to list........
This refit has been so extensive I can't take the time to list any of the work completed........
I don't have enough time to put together a spec sheet.....
These pics I have taken of the boat have a date stamp from 2011. Seriously?
I have no time so I'm not even going to bother with decent pics of some of the basic info needed to sell a sailboat.

What is it with people? I've been in the market for awhile now. I am sick and tired of peeps with bs ads like this. Do you have any idea how frustrating this is as a buyer? I don't have the time to drive around and look at boats constantly people. make it easier on the buyer folks. It ain't that hard. Take some decent pics and give a spec sheet. Jesus I'm going to pay cash and Im a serious buyer but a lot of sailboat ads look like they don't even want to sail the boat let alone inform the consumer of the basic details .....

This is what I want as a buyer. Pull it together.

A detailed spec sheet or the following.

Boat
Designer, model number/ maker, age if there are different designs associated with boat a brief description of the design. ei: sail plan keel type

Imagine this not every boat type in on Sail Boat Data

Spars
condition
upgrades?

Motor
a. What kind. and age, what kind of work has been

Ground Tackle
types and rode and is there a windlass

Sails
Type, size and basic condition

Electronics
Condition and age
up grades?

Plumbing
condition and age
upgrades?

safety
whats included, age and condition

Dingy
basic info

accessories
list of basics

Gee this might take all of 15 minutes. it will save the seller a lot of time in the long run.

Do you know how many sellers I've emailed about spec sheets and photos? They all respond oh come out and look at it. It cracks me up. If you can't put 30 minutes into a decent listing I'm probably not going to buy you boat.

Ok I'm done ranting back to the circus. lol

You forgot to add they usually want 25% more than it's worth.

[KetoNomad]

I kind of like these type of adverts, they save me from bothering to go look at the boat. If they don't even have the time to type up a proper ad, what are the odds they maintained the boat well? How long does it take to type up a detailed ad? Half an hour at worst? Seems worthwhile considering even a "cheap" boat is about 20-30k USD.

Your time's limited too, unless you're set on a rare model, pass it by IMO.

[Kita]

Wow, I would sure spend more than 30 min with my add listing everything that was done,I could see alot of time & effort there...sounds more like a lazy buyer that wants all the info in his office to compare ...you want, get off your lazy butt & go get it! If you want to complain, how bout this,you travel across the country after reading the add & you like,you buy...then while you are doing inventory you realize there are things missing, but then there are some things that were not listed. Not the surveyors job to inventory but to inspect....it's YOURS! Problem here is somebody is LAZY! I will bet money they will have buyer's remorse because they really won't be sure what they have is a good deal,who you gonna trust more yourself or a broker that's trying to sell a boat...yeah I know it's harsh, but do your own research, I really am trying to help you understand this for your own good even if I sound like a well,,nevermind ...

[Razoo]

Originally Posted by westpac78

Wildcat 35,
Beautiful boat! But I couldn't find your asking price.

Generally, what I have found, is when a seller doesn't put a price in it's because they want 25-30% more than anyone in their right mind would pay for it.

[Kita]

Originally Posted by Razoo

Generally, what I have found, is when a seller doesn't put a price in it's because they want 25-30% more than anyone in their right mind would pay for it.

True! I really liked the Wildcat,almost bought one till I did my research on the boat & the builder....all the bad press scared me away...it's a shame. But I was afraid of what you can't see & had no confidence in the builder or the boat...& that is like trust in a relationship it really is necessary

[DavidLGCrawford]

Originally Posted by derek lambert

I couldn't find a price with all that detail. Is it there or not ?

Well of course.. I had to leave something out, didn't I!

It's $208,500 US

[DavidLGCrawford]

Originally Posted by ranchero76

Yea, stock photos in 1M boat listing - that's just beginning! )))
Clutter - not very often, but also amazes me.

I totally agree with you. The amount of clutter in most boat photos is tremendous.
I didn't post the photos for my boat here, but if you go and look at them on the website (New Photos (interior)) you will see that I cleaned up the boat before photographing it.

Seriously, how long does it take to clean up a boat and photo it... an hour, maybe 2? Heck, let's say it took you all day (maybe your boat was a disaster), you're asking how much money for it? Isn't that worth a day's work?

A lot of my ad and photos comes from my frustration at looking at other boats for sale. So I decided that I was going to tell people just about everything that I could tell, and show the best of my boat.

[DavidLGCrawford]

Originally Posted by Kita

Do your research on the brand first,I looked at the wildcat,nice boat,looks GREAT! Read about Bumfuzzels experience with them.

But don't just limit your reading to their blog. Read their book too. And read between the lines. Here is a couple that bought a boat in Florida and got it surveyed. It passed (with a good surveyor) with flying colours. Six months later they are in Panama and fork out for a new survey? Who does that?

And why, in Panama, did they need new electronics? Ohh, did someone say lighting strike?

And then when they reached Australia (or was it New Zealand?), they found a yard to do the work and the yard guy saw these newbies a mile away. He claimed that he had to cut off the keels and build new ones because the keels are just "tacked on afterwards". Excuse me, but they are NOT. The keels are part of the main hull mold and not added afterwards. My keel is open and I have access to it and it's part of the hull.

Originally Posted by Kita

But those guys had a lot of trouble with the wildcat and with the people that built it. From what bumfuzzle was sayin those guys are Crooks

I totally agree that Charter Cats dropped the ball with these guys. They totally screwed up, no doubt about it. The customer service was slow and unresponsive. But don't let that knock down the original work. Anyway, Charter Cats is long gone, but their boats live on.

I agree with your comments about doing your research. Then, get a good survey.

[hamburking]

Totally agree.

So many ads with almost no info except..."wife says sell" or "must sell". Maybe one picture (taken 5 years ago), and they expect us to spend $50,000 ????

My personal peeve is when they don't even say what kind of engine it has...usually that means atomic 4, LOL!

Sailboat | sailboats | Grand Bend | Kijiji

[PortClydeMe]

Originally Posted by YachtBroker

This is why brokers charge 10%. We do all the legwork few sellers will do. Hey wildcat seller., nice listing but where is the asking price , engine hours etc. maybe I missed it. If I dropped a listing in a forum like this as a broker I'd catch hell. Asking price. Engine hours. Condition. All info good brokers get in the listing so buyers can make good decisions.

Also the other fellow selling a boat with incorrect info and 4K min broker fee, if your broker won't get your listing right , find another broker!!

On a slightly different topic, and since you're a pro broker, please do me big favor and start pushing every prospective buyer towards a catamaran. Today, many prospective buyers are watching YouTube, and they all wish to be catamaran video stars ... mostly anchored, not sailing.

Why do I ask this favor? It's simple. I've been looking at a 1989 Little Harbor 58-footer for a while now. It's a honey! It was at $975K. Then, it dropped to $925K. A few months back, I noticed it was down to $750K. Today, they are asking $599K.

That's right, it has dropped almost $400K over the last year or so. Fantastic! It's a great classic yacht. I want it! When it reaches $399K, I'll snag it. Cold hard cash. Thus, please pump everyone towards a cat, as it will keep reducing the price of classic used sloops.

Thanks!

Ps; There was a thread here some time back about how much to offer on a used yacht. I stated, "Start with 50% of the asking price." Many people laughed, and wrote "How dare you write such offending nonsense?" Now, we see that I am right. It's a buyer's market. Offer 50%, then negotiate from there.

[danielamartindm]

One of my favorites is "The hour meter on the engine(s) stopped working, but I've kept a careful log ever since."