New Boat vs Used Boat?

[David Ess]

Originally Posted by Happ

As to new boat keep this in mind. What dealers call sail away packages are good if you are sailing the next harbor. Anything more add sails, electronics, dinghy with motor. I sailed a 57’ Jeanneau that the owner spent 6 months getting the finished after he took delivery! I will say this he did a great job. The first offshore passage everything worked perfectly.

Those costs are NOT maintenance costs, but add ons...options.

[R Hutcheson]

Difficult to say. I bought a well respected brand only six years old. Passed on surveyors recommended by the broker, and called various marinas, boatyards, and other brokers until I landed on one surveyor who was consistently recommended. He missed basically everything including a termite infestation. Well surveyed, is a shot in the dark. You’re going to have problems with new as well. Stay away from the largest/newest design of a manufacturer, and go with one who has a reputation of building strong reliable boats and your odds with a new boat are pretty good. A boat two or three years old which has been cruised relatively extensively is likely sorted out. At ten years a lot of things will need to be replaced.

Regardless, keep some money in reserve for problems, and good luck.

[Happ]

Originally Posted by David Ess

Those costs are NOT maintenance costs, but add ons...options.

You are absolutely correct. My point is there are still added costs after you buy a new boat. It all goes to cost of ownership which is what we are really talking about.

[desodave]

We decided that we wanted a new to us boat early last year and ended up purchasing a 5 yr old very well-equipped boat. Imo it was a budget no-brainer. We looked at new boats and were close to purchasing one but then started to add up the cost of desired "extras" like dodger/biminis, serious anchor tackle, larger battery banks, solar system, freezers, battery monitors, and possibly davits and watermakers. It put the new boat on or over our budget with very little maneuvering room for maintenance issues.

We live and moor our boat in a smaller coastal community, one that has lots of marine service providers but no new sailboat dealers. The dealerships are in Vancouver, at best a two day trip away, usually more. We would have had to use the dealer for regular service to maintain the 5 year warranty, Even the broker said we were unlikely to do so ... so we thought the new boat warranty was effectively worthless irrespective of how the manufacturer responded to issues.


We had resigned ourselves to keeping our 15 yr old boat but kept looking anyway. Then we found what is now our new boat. Very well equipped for cruising, all the extras that we wanted, fit our existing marina slip and had lots of headroom (I'm almost 6'6"). We believe that we "saved" over $150,000 CAD on the purchase, $$ that will more than address a couple of maintenance issues id'd in the survey and replacing a defective solar panel.


I believe that we were fortunate in finding a boat in our area that so closely matched our wants. Covid had effectively removed US boats from our list ... we weren't prepared to buy sight unseen ... so our market was really reduced. We put a good offer in the day after viewing ... no hesitation in a hot market. We had to own 2 boats for a few months (extra costs approx $2,000 and some nervous energy) and couldn't directly trade in as we could have with a new purchase. But working through the same brokerage allowed us the tax benefits of a trade-in. I'm in my early 70's so our time horizon for using a new to us boat is perhaps more limited than someone younger.


We think we were way ahead purchasing a well-equipped used boat over a new one. There's lots of $$ still in our bank account to deal with any maintenance issues or premature wear on it.

[Sea Student]

Originally Posted by jclark500

We are now 2 years out of the original 2 year warranty on our 2017 Xquisite X5. This was our first boat and I must say feeling very lucky to have stumbled on to this company in 2016 at the Annapolis boat show (my wife actually found them). Tamas is basically the exclusive dealer for the Phoenix catamaran builder in South Africa. Only one number to call for issues anywhere in the world and they were always very responsive in assisting to get support from OEM's where applicable or reimburse me if it was something else.

There was several weeks of warranty done in Miami after sailing from BVI's (cargo ship from Capetown to BVI) to Miami. Stayed pretty close to east coast USA and Bahamas for the first full year and a half before feeling comfortable to go further afield. Think I would do the same with any new boat.

There have been some design issues that came up last year when we were fully out of warranty that the factory felt were fit for purpose and denied. Tamas with Xquisite stepped up and reimbursed the majority of my expense after getting it all sorted. He is building a brand. Not just there to sell a boat and cash your check.

I watched the entire video that was attached as we had some inital issues with the same Yanmar engines. Turned out to be loose electrical connection on the batteries...sigh.

Please let me know when you are looking to sell your X5. Gorgeous and amazingly thought-out boats.

[Happ]

Originally Posted by desodave

We decided that we wanted a new to us boat early last year and ended up purchasing a 5 yr old very well-equipped boat. Imo it was a budget no-brainer. We looked at new boats and were close to purchasing one but then started to add up the cost of desired "extras" like dodger/biminis, serious anchor tackle, larger battery banks, solar system, freezers, battery monitors, and possibly davits and watermakers. It put the new boat on or over our budget with very little maneuvering room for maintenance issues.

We live and moor our boat in a smaller coastal community, one that has lots of marine service providers but no new sailboat dealers. The dealerships are in Vancouver, at best a two day trip away, usually more. We would have had to use the dealer for regular service to maintain the 5 year warranty, Even the broker said we were unlikely to do so ... so we thought the new boat warranty was effectively worthless irrespective of how the manufacturer responded to issues.


We had resigned ourselves to keeping our 15 yr old boat but kept looking anyway. Then we found what is now our new boat. Very well equipped for cruising, all the extras that we wanted, fit our existing marina slip and had lots of headroom (I'm almost 6'6"). We believe that we "saved" over $150,000 CAD on the purchase, $$ that will more than address a couple of maintenance issues id'd in the survey and replacing a defective solar panel.


I believe that we were fortunate in finding a boat in our area that so closely matched our wants. Covid had effectively removed US boats from our list ... we weren't prepared to buy sight unseen ... so our market was really reduced. We put a good offer in the day after viewing ... no hesitation in a hot market. We had to own 2 boats for a few months (extra costs approx $2,000 and some nervous energy) and couldn't directly trade in as we could have with a new purchase. But working through the same brokerage allowed us the tax benefits of a trade-in. I'm in my early 70's so our time horizon for using a new to us boat is perhaps more limited than someone younger.


We think we were way ahead purchasing a well-equipped used boat over a new one. There's lots of $$ still in our bank account to deal with any maintenance issues or premature wear on it.

You brilliantly made my point! I’m in the same age group as you. Hoping for 10 years with the next boat.

[Cheechako]

Based on my experience with boat workers and with boat companies, I would say "don't pay more than $.01 for a warranty" The likelihood they are going to work on your boat, be reliable, do a good job, and do it in any reasonable time frame is very low.
All the bells and whistles added to a boat are often done locally by the brokers "guy". I have seen terrible installations or those without completion or resolution of issues.
The "guy" probably says ; "I'll install that system for xxx dollars". He may give little thought to installing it in a manner that works well and is reliable. It may not even be done to marine specs. He may drill holes where experienced sailors would never do them etc.

[SteveSadler]

Since I'm not a 1%er, that decision has already been made for me.
But from Croatia to Tonga, we,ve met several new boats stuck in far away places waiting for warranty issues to be resolved. So many new boats are so complex with systems the owner simply can't touch or do without. No thanks!

[sv Stella Maris]

If you’re having to ask the answer is used. Only people that know the parameters of a new boat warranty can actually take advantage of it…and who are stationary to do so…

[MSgt]

I only bought new once [a Cataina 22 back in the 70s]. Could not believe how much I ended up spending for anchor & rode, dock lines and fenders, sail cover, outboard, portapotty and much more. My next two sloops, a Catalina 27 and Irwin Citation 34 were bought used and both came with a plethora of equipment [even a Wolter hot water/hot blown air system!], some which I would have not originally considered but benefitted from.

Retired now and wife plans to retire within the next two year and since we met as liveaboards in Boot Key Harbor, FL Keys back in the 90s [I on my Citation 23 and her on a Morgan Out-island 36] we are already perusing 'used' sloops in the 37-42 Ft category.

[David Ess]

Originally Posted by Happ

You are absolutely correct. My point is there are still added costs after you buy a new boat. It all goes to cost of ownership which is what we are really talking about.

Nice try, but they were talking about maintenance, and a new boat generally has less than a used one.

[goboatingnow]

Ultimately , folks , someone has to buy new .....

[markiobe]

We have been through the same process and ended up in the ‘new’ camp. However for numerous reasons (some mentioned in this thread) I wouldn’t touch any of the big builders with a bargepole.

We are buying from a small builder who builds their own designs and has over 20 built with rave reviews. We plan on being in the vicinity for at least a year to ensure that all is sorted, as mentioned by a number of commenters. Also we are speccing the simplest boat possible, the obvious idea being fewer systems to fail mean fewer things will fail!

Yes we will eat the depreciation but plan on keeping the boat for at least 10 yrs and we also get the boat we want rather than compromise on the unimaginative dross that most of the big manufacturers churn out.

[aa1bflyboy]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

We need people to buy new boats

Yes, this keeps the flow into the slightly used market plentiful.

[dc9loser]

Originally Posted by David Mathis

Perhaps the start to this question is a bit off. Rather than stating that you have a million to spend, it might be better to decide the size shape and flavor of the boat that best suits you. One might assume that if you have to ask this question, you might be lacking a bit in experience. Sailing a large cat in light air might be a pleasure but managing it in a serious storm might prove to be more of a challenge than you can safely handle.

Explain?

I can't muscle around my 40 foot houseboat that weighs 15,000 lbs, I can't muscle around a 45 foot Cat either.

So why is a bigger boat worse in bad weather?

Seriously thought the opposite?