TriStar Price Differences

[eiasu]

TriStar Price differences
Hi everybody,
I cannot understand this huge price difference comparing the price of these 2 ads of TriStar Trimaran:

S/V ¨Beachouse" Tri-Star 60'- Year 1984 - Trimaran-
Designed by Ed Horstman / Build in Texas by Beach Boats Builders of Port Bolivar.
Available in Rio Dulce
Asking US$ 695,000

and the other:

1987 Horstman 50 Tristar $115,000

Another ad of the same boat

Looks like the second one is home built and in a not so good conditions, but it is reasonable such a huge price difference?
Is the 60' too expensive, or the 50' is very cheap?

Ciao, thank you
Eiasu

[Sand crab]

The 60' is a complete boat, ready to sail. The 50 has had a major refit but still is not quite ready. I don't think it has had the sails up yet and has not sailed in years. Last I looked it still needed some hardware. I like it, though.
One of the common misconceptions about boats is length as a linear guideline to price. Boats have volume so it's length X width X height.
A 50' cat might be $1 mill new but the 60' cat will be closer to $2 mill.
I think the 60' is overpriced and has been up for sale for a couple of years. I like it, too.

[multihuler]

I believe David dropped his price on his 50' tristar to $99k. I once thought of buying her but I don't have that many friends, she is a piece of artwork and she will be a nice home for someone.

[Stumble]

There is also the different construction methods. The 60 is foam core glass, while the 50' is glass over plywood.

The difference in builder. The 60 from a major builder with a good rep, the 50' with nothing mentioned (likely meaning home built).

[smj]

Originally Posted by Stumble

There is also the different construction methods. The 60 is foam core glass, while the 50' is glass over plywood.

The difference in builder. The 60 from a major builder with a good rep, the 50' with nothing mentioned (likely meaning home built).

I don't think the builder of the 60'er was a major boat builder. In fact I would bet that was a company formed by the owner of the boat as he built the 60'er, probably the only boat built by that company.

[Sand crab]

And they say this about the 50:

"Her builder, a certified boat crafts man, used only top quality materials."

It is obvious that someone with skills far above the DIY type built the 50. I think it was only suffering from deferred maintenance and not poor build quality. I wonder if the previous owner passed away or had health issues.

[fishead]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

And they say this about the 50:

"Her builder, a certified boat crafts man, used only top quality materials."

It is obvious that someone with skills far above the DIY type built the 50. I think it was only suffering from deferred maintenance and not poor build quality. I wonder if the previous owner passed away or had health issues.

Have you had eyes and hands on experience on this boat? I have and I walked away after a surveyor and myself looked at her for 30 minutes.
If someone wants more info the can pm me.

[multihuler]

I would love to hear what you discovered. Thanks, Stephen multihuler@aol.com

[Sand crab]

I talked to Fishead by phone today and got the details. PM if you want. I'm not sure I want to talk about this in an open forum.

[multihuler]

I called the current owner and the boat has gone through an extensive survey last week, the boat has had some rot repairs that weren't a 10 but considering the boat was built by a master it might be hard to match it perfectly, Considering it would cost $500,000 to build that boat today ya gotta give a little, like $20 worth of latches. The boat would make an incredible hostel or a commune. It is going to take someone with big balls to own this boat, but nobody can convince me that it wouldn't make a classy home on the water. I sail racing trimarans and I don't have that many friends, but if my balls were bigger she would be mine. Stephen

[captaingregger]

I remember looking at this boat too. As other posters mentioned, she is a beautiful tri with some refit accomplished already... but plenty more required.

One thing that concerned me is that she had never been outside the bay. I'd need an extensive survey to know she'd hold together in big seas. My plan was to buy her and take her to the PI for a major refit but I figured I needed to put in another $30,000 just to make her sea-worthy for such a crossing. Then another $100K for the refit but she would have the interior and deck quality of a $750,000 yacht when all was said and done. My plan was to gut the interior and have a shipwright outfit her with a modern look, then to do the same with her the topsides. In the end I walked away though... and I continue to look for the right Horstman Tristar to refit. Still looking. It's all about finding the right boat at the right price, isn't it? I felt I could make her a $750,000 value in my eyes/ mind. But that I would never be able to recoup my investment. IOW, even if i paid $90,000 and put in another $130,000, I dont' feel she would have been re-sellable at $220,000. The market for trimarans is just too narrow. People with $220,000 to spend for a used multihull to spend typically look toward '98-2004 year production cats for that same price. And finding a bank that will finance a homebuilt tri made out of wood would be another variable. So it wasn't that I didn't think she was worth the investment, but rather whether I'd ever be able to get out of her if and when the time came. Just look at how long it's taken the owner of Desiderata to sell her and how much he's had to come down in price. (BTW, Desiderata, Horstman 46, is 10x the Tri in terms of build quality and accoutrements that I've ever seen in the many boats I've viewed to purchase. She is an outstanding tri but at the time I looked at her, shortly after the GFC market crash of '08-'09, I could't find a bank that would finance her (even with a 820+ FICO) and I didn't have the $200,000 the owner wanted just laying around. I

Whenever I purchase and asset like land, boat, cars, these days I always ask myself will I be able to unload this and for how much? Then I make my offer according to that answer. If I can't come to terms I walk away.

Does anyone know what the new owner has done with the 50' Horstman that this thread is about? I believe David traded her for some property. I'd love to see what has become of her by now. She was a beautiful tri regardless of current state at the time. She had tons of potential.