What Do I Bring When Traveling Far to Buy a Boat?

[KetoNomad]

Hello fellow enthusiasts

I am having difficulty finding a boat I like in my own region and am thus considering traveling to the United States to make a purchase.

Being a novice sailor I am not entirely sure what to bring for the trip. I mean bedding, food, water, nav tools etc yeah but what about tools? The tools I have are your standard automotive repair tools in the typical oversized bulky boxes but I don't want to bring all that junk with me (what are the odds of needing a 24mm combo wrench on a 30' boat?) so what do you suggest when you are headed far away to potentially buy a used boat?

It's worthy of mention that I am on a very limited budget. The purchase price of a boat and all the taxes/fees associated will eat up much of what I have left. I'll probably only have about $12'000 CAD once I sail away so the fewer trips to the shops the better.

Saw some other posts here about using tool bags rather than boxes and I think that's a great idea. Problem is I never see tool bags at stores it's always bulky boxes. Any recommendations for stuff I can get online that is good quality? Do they even make bags that hold sockets in such a way you can find what you need fast instead of sifting through a pile of metal?

Also, what kind of proof of competence do the various regulating bodies require of skippers on private cruising vessels in California, Oregon and Washington? I have looked online a bit and it seems like requirements are minimal to nonexistent beyond the marine radio operator's license (ROC-M in Canada). Does the Canadian PCOC (Pleasure Craft Operator's Card) satisfy the powers that be?

[boatpoker]

I suggest you reconsider your priorities.
Try this first Marine Survey 101

[meatservo]

You need to find a mentor... Do not proceed without one.


meatservo

[KetoNomad]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

I suggest you reconsider your priorities.
Try this first Marine Survey 101

Reconsider my priorities how?

Thanks for the link, much more helpful than others I have read. If I go down and like the boat I will get the boat surveyed by a pro, for sure.

Just waiting on replies from several sellers.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Yes, a mentor would be a help. As to tools, if you're buying a boat somewhere, you can often find tools anywhere many boats congregate. That, or even negotiate to buy some as part of the boat purchase. Though in the US you'll have zero trouble finding tools. Both new, & quality used ones.

For the soft stowage of sockets, there are "trees" that hold the whole array of sockets, by pressing them onto the male "spud" that sticks out from the flat body of the "tree". So that they're held in place on what's essentially a piece of flat metal stock with lots of (faux) square tips projecting from it that hold them in place.
Simply stow the tree with the sockets in a soft tool bag or tote, ditto the wrench itself.
Though in reality you're better off to keep the whole kit in the plastic case that everything comes in, & rig up a keeper strap to doubly secure it shut. Thus nothing can come loose, or get misplaced.

On boats, post your; level of experience, sailing desires/goals, boat features wish list, & budget, and folks here will be more than happy to help you to boat shop. Primarily online tips & boat ads, though sometimes they'll also help you in to find something via live help. As at times it's as fun to mentor, as it is to discover saiing for the first time.

[Tessellate]

Are you asking what to bring for touring / inspecting boats, or what to bring to work on the boat once you've bought it and are (presumably) living on it?

For buying a boat, assuming that you're still going to get a professional survey done (recommended), the most important thing I'd bring is a high powered LED flashlight. I like the Smith & Wesson ones that go for around $30 on Amazon, but anything with 400-600 lumens or more should do. And fresh / spare batteries. A bright flashlight will reveal many issues on a boat that you wouldn't see otherwise - crevice corrosion in chainplates, dark water spots on bulkheads, mold, etc.

Since you're in BC I'm surprised you want to buy in the US now. The CAD-USD exchange rate isn't very favorable for that. There are a lot of boats in the Vancouver, Nanaimo, Victoria area.

US regulations are mostly just follow the US Coast Guard regs. Individual states can have their own regulations on top of that, and Washington does, for certain types of boats (based on your age and whether the motor is >15hp). Look up Washington boater's license. It's an easy online course. I've never heard of it being checked or enforced against a sailor, afaik it's mainly intended for preventing lake boaters from doing stupid things, like jet skiing while drunk or teak surfing.

You'd also need to keep in mind state sales tax (WA or CA). If you intend to bring it back to BC, you wouldn't want to pay both US and BC sales tax. This is something you should question the broker on.

[helise]

Originally Posted by KetoNomad

Hello fellow enthusiasts

I am having difficulty finding a boat I like in my own region and am thus considering traveling to the United States to make a purchase.

Being a novice sailor I am not entirely sure what to bring for the trip. I mean bedding, food, water, nav tools etc yeah but what about tools? The tools I have are your standard automotive repair tools in the typical oversized bulky boxes but I don't want to bring all that junk with me (what are the odds of needing a 24mm combo wrench on a 30' boat?) so what do you suggest when you are headed far away to potentially buy a used boat?

It's worthy of mention that I am on a very limited budget. The purchase price of a boat and all the taxes/fees associated will eat up much of what I have left. I'll probably only have about $12'000 CAD once I sail away so the fewer trips to the shops the better.

Saw some other posts here about using tool bags rather than boxes and I think that's a great idea. Problem is I never see tool bags at stores it's always bulky boxes. Any recommendations for stuff I can get online that is good quality? Do they even make bags that hold sockets in such a way you can find what you need fast instead of sifting through a pile of metal?

Also, what kind of proof of competence do the various regulating bodies require of skippers on private cruising vessels in California, Oregon and Washington? I have looked online a bit and it seems like requirements are minimal to nonexistent beyond the marine radio operator's license (ROC-M in Canada). Does the Canadian PCOC (Pleasure Craft Operator's Card) satisfy the powers that be?

Knowledge and enough money.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by KetoNomad

...I am having difficulty finding a boat I like in my own region and am thus considering traveling to the United States to make a purchase.

Being a novice sailor I am not entirely sure what to bring for the trip...

Bring along a friend with lots of common sense...if he'll go along with this plan.

[KetoNomad]

Originally Posted by Tessellate

Are you asking what to bring for touring / inspecting boats, or what to bring to work on the boat once you've bought it and are (presumably) living on it?

For buying a boat, assuming that you're still going to get a professional survey done (recommended), the most important thing I'd bring is a high powered LED flashlight. I like the Smith & Wesson ones that go for around $30 on Amazon, but anything with 400-600 lumens or more should do. And fresh / spare batteries. A bright flashlight will reveal many issues on a boat that you wouldn't see otherwise - crevice corrosion in chainplates, dark water spots on bulkheads, mold, etc.

Since you're in BC I'm surprised you want to buy in the US now. The CAD-USD exchange rate isn't very favorable for that. There are a lot of boats in the Vancouver, Nanaimo, Victoria area.

US regulations are mostly just follow the US Coast Guard regs. Individual states can have their own regulations on top of that, and Washington does, for certain types of boats (based on your age and whether the motor is >15hp). Look up Washington boater's license. It's an easy online course. I've never heard of it being checked or enforced against a sailor, afaik it's mainly intended for preventing lake boaters from doing stupid things, like jet skiing while drunk or teak surfing.

You'd also need to keep in mind state sales tax (WA or CA). If you intend to bring it back to BC, you wouldn't want to pay both US and BC sales tax. This is something you should question the broker on.

I'm wondering what to bring for the initial return trip to BC and for the inspection although after doing some more reading on inspecting used boats I'm starting to get the impression the odds of finding a boat that is ready to sail are not good, not good enough to justify the expense of the airfare. Also, The boats I was looking at have sold and the brokers haven't taken down the listings.

Yes I will definitely get a pro survey done on anything I buy, that's the plan anyway. The last boat I wanted to buy in B.C. to buy was sold within a weekend (Alberg 30) I guess people are so hard up for that kind of boat they just get bought immediately. In that kind of time frame I'm guessing no surveyor was called in. Kind of hard to be objective.

I definitely do NOT want to buy a boat in the USA, the exchange rate and long return trip in an unknown vessel does not appeal however there are few boats available here of a kind I like. Everything I've seen for sale here recently has a fin keel with an unprotected rudder and I'm after a full or 3/4 keel (or similar) with a rudder that's protected by at least a skeg or, better yet, the keel. I have to go back to work in April so it'd be nice to get some sailing done and have a boat to come back to once I get sick of working again.

Thanks for the tip on the good flashlight, I will pick one up. My headlamp doesn't quite cut it plus it's good to have spares.

[hamburking]

When I bought a Hunter 35.5 in Annapolis, I brought a trunk full of tools, and thats where they stayed. Even though I pulled the mast, and prepped the whole boat for trucking, I never needed anything more than my pocket multi-tool.

And while aboard on my many boats, I used to bring many, many tools, including power tools and spare lumber. After a few years of storing these on the boat, I was able to reduce the amount of tools to what I actually used, which easily fit into a canvas tool bag my wife made at home.

I prefer individual screw drivers, but one multi-driver will usually suffice (stubby and regular). I also like on really big slot screwdriver...you never know. A few adjustable wrenches, especially the small ones for the rigging. And electrical tools...wire stripper, crimper, etc. And of course the normal stuff like a hammer, small saw, etc. Unless you are starting a big project, you don't really need a ton of tools on a 30 foot boat.

[hamburking]

You mentioned you were looking at an Alberg 30. Here is one in a small town on Lake Ontario...cheap canadian dollars...and look at that price! One problem...atomic 4.

ALBERG 30..FREDAWN | sailboats | Belleville | Kijiji

If you are looking for a real deal, I am loving this morgan...new wiring, new engine, looks awesome...but what do I know? Its been on ebay for at least a month...old boats are hard to sell around here:

1972 Morgan 42 MK II Used | eBay

[seabreez]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

I suggest you reconsider your priorities.
Try this first Marine Survey 101

Wow! What an eye opener to see Marine Survey 101. I had noticed many of the items, on new boats, mentioned in your survey and took it for granted that these irregularities were inspected and safe. Thanks for sharing.

[KetoNomad]

Originally Posted by hamburking

When I bought a Hunter 35.5 in Annapolis, I brought a trunk full of tools, and thats where they stayed. Even though I pulled the mast, and prepped the whole boat for trucking, I never needed anything more than my pocket multi-tool.

And while aboard on my many boats, I used to bring many, many tools, including power tools and spare lumber. After a few years of storing these on the boat, I was able to reduce the amount of tools to what I actually used, which easily fit into a canvas tool bag my wife made at home.

I prefer individual screw drivers, but one multi-driver will usually suffice (stubby and regular). I also like on really big slot screwdriver...you never know. A few adjustable wrenches, especially the small ones for the rigging. And electrical tools...wire stripper, crimper, etc. And of course the normal stuff like a hammer, small saw, etc. Unless you are starting a big project, you don't really need a ton of tools on a 30 foot boat.

Good advice, thank you. I suppose I will have serious limitations on what I can bring with me wherever I go given the bulk of clothing and a sleeping bag, I'm sure someone out there has posted specific wrench requirements for the common engines etc and I have adjustable wrenches for the rest.

Re: The Alberg in Ontario: Unfortunately boats in the East are out of the question for me right now, not only are the waterways choked with ice but so are the roads. So even if I wanted to pay thousands to relocate a boat barely worth the tow it'd probably be a rollover waiting to happen, lol. To buy in the East I'd need much more time and money and I think if I go through the trouble of buying down there I will probably wait til I can afford an Island Packet, love the look of those, no so much the wheel steering though :/

Anyway after all my worrying I've actually found a boat I like in BC! It's probably 60km away too! Too bad the seller posted only two photos and one is at night wish me luck

[Hudson Force]

When I read your inquiry about soft bags used for tools instead of bulky boxes I recognized that this is my habit aboard my own boat. My choice for the cloth bags is not for travel with tools, but for the ease of storage in various lockers on my boat. I have about a dozen different bags of up to about a liter volume that hold items by type: wrenches, metric wrenches, allen wrenches, drill and bits, screw drivers, multi-meter, sockets, fasteners, etc. These bags include socks, plastic, old "fanny packs", canvass totes, cloth grocery bags, lobster bait bags, even an old lady's purse. (sorry, the purse is old,- I don't know the lady!) Good bags abound! I don't use designated "tool bags".

[JPA Cate]

Ketonomad, don't know if this will help, but... I have turned countless jeans legs into tool bags. Cut 'em off just below the tear, then open on one seam, and stitch pockets therein, affix a tie, and you're home free. This can be done with a simple basting stitch and sail twine, run up and then come back. Or, use a sewing machine, but it can be easily done with a sailor's palm and twine. In a pinch, you can use supermarket carry bags to contain things, then later address better storage.

Wait till you actually have a boat. Sometimes airtight storage boxes work better, and use an air "blanket" extractor (available in a spray can) to eliminate (moist) air.

Good luck with it all, mate.

Ann