Sell my house for a Swan 48?

[PineyWoodsPete]

Originally Posted by heritage58

We always wanted a water view. At my age (69), this may be the time. I notice a severe drop in prices in all assets, boats and houses and equities alike. I'm sure this topic has been written about but I'm new. Regards.

If a view IS important - particularly an all-weather view - rather than pretty radical sailing qualities requiring much more than an approaching-elderly-years M&P crew, you couldn't do much worse than a Swan's modified flush deck and small portlights designed more for keeping the North Sea out rather than letting a nice view in!

[TomNH]

I’m not going to offer advice on the wisdom of the financial choices but I can talk about the boat. I own a Swan 43 from 1989. They are great boats and built like brick outhouses. But they are laden with complex expensive to maintain systems. For example our 43 as three hydraulic sail/rig controls. A few years ago I had what we came to call the year of the pump. I rebuilt 8 that year, but when I counted we had over 20 excluding the engine and refrigeration systems, and at heading for thirty years the diaphragms started to go. But she is very, very comfortable below.

I typically sail ours two handed cruising, though sometimes we have friends along and delivery crews can get to 5 or 6 - though often simply cos there are that many that want to come along. These boats are in their element at sea. Racing inshore, which I do little these days, we run with about 10. The kites are masthead symmetrics and properly big. Our poles are 100mm diameter and about 6m long. Ours isn’t the easiest boat of its size under power in a tight space. 14 tonnes, and a 40hp shaft prop somewhat offsets the maneoverabilty of the fin and blade underwater config. There’s another caution here though too: we’re pretty competent with multiple offshore races to our credit, mostly for me as skipper. I’ve raced quite competitively two handed offshore and am a Yachtmaster Instructor. If you know your stuff then these are extremely powerful seaworthy boats that will, when treated right, get you home through pretty much anything - though it might not be much fun.

Usual purchase advice applies: get a very good surveyor, take it for a test sail and be willing to walk away if it isn’t just right for you. Our was in beautiful condition with just two very loving owners and it still needs lots of time and money.

Oh, and I love her too much. She’s my most precious material possession.

[Michael Pope]

Hey wait a minute . Take a deep breath and consider one possible outcome
The boat is hit mid ocean by a container ship on a dark night. But you have been a good guy and your guardian angel is looking after you The big ship stops picks you and your crew up and takes you to Korea or China or wherever you did not really want to go Your Irridium credit card buys you some new clothes and phones and laptops and a fare back to your favourite town.------------WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT___ You are an adult adult not fun starting over.
Find a guy who wants to swallow the anchor for a while or needs long term parts replacement " Heart" whatever and lease his boat for a year in return for his use of your house. You will still have an address! The best Insurance Company in the world will find a million reasons not to pay you for a Yacht lost at sea with a novice Sailor. Or pay you only a token and make you sweat blood to get it.
That is not the way to spend these valuable years.!! Sailing is so much fun
and even better fun Reminiscing about those girls in Tahiti when you are sipping a hot Rum at your own old paid for fireplace. Mike Pope

Nautor Yachts are Great examples of yacht craftsmanship but do not keep them too long ----- Replacing those Skeg Rudders and leaking Teak on fiberglass decks is rich work for guys like me who will take 50K $ to make them like new again. And the Raven Quoth "Nevermore" Michael Pope

[Roshni]

I always dreamed of a Swan but purchased a modern 46 ft performance boat. Faster then a Swan, easy to sail short handed, code zero etc. Plus modern with much less to go wrong. People who bought Swans always needed crew and spend hours behind panels and floorboards updating the boat. Less space for davits on stern and solar panels. House is much better investment but keep your options wide and make some cheaply offers on boats! OLLI

[Shrew]

IMHO you need an exit plan. You will more than likely, eventually need to move back to land again. One good medical issue will change the dream into a nightmare.

Downsize, buy a condo or a small house. Keep an eye on HOA fees, shoot for as low as possible. Find something in a low tax area like Florida or NH. Rent out the condo or house, buy a boat you can afford with the difference. When the time comes, sell the boat and move into the condo or house.

[JPA Cate]

Find a guy who wants to swallow the anchor for a while or needs long term parts replacement " Heart" whatever and lease his boat for a year in return for his use of your house. You will still have an address! The best Insurance Company in the world will find a million reasons not to pay you for a Yacht lost at sea with a novice Sailor. Or pay you only a token and make you sweat blood to get it.
That is not the way to spend these valuable years.!! Sailing is so much fun
and even better fun Reminiscing about those girls in Tahiti when you are sipping a hot Rum at your own old paid for fireplace. Mike Pope

Honestly, I think this is a better plan, as long as you think you would be content to return to your present home. It provides for a "**** happens" possibility.

Unless you are mechanically adept, what you will find is that you will be spending a lot of your precious time waiting for people to fix things for you. During such waiting periods, you can get seasonally delayed and have to stay somewhere you didn't want. Boats require ongoing maintenance, and lose *condition* faster than houses that have been spruced up for sale.

I'm 80 this year, and still on our boat. But, due to various health issues, it is becoming harder for me, and Jim is having to do more than his fair share. And, we have the benefit of over 40 years cruising coastally and cross oceans in which to have worked out the ways of doing things that work for us. If you haven't been sailing for the last 10 yrs. or so, you're setting yourself up for failure. You will have a great deal to learn, and as people age **** happens, and their bodies lose efficiency and flexibility and durability, and learning new skills gets harder.

If you truly don't care where you live if you become ill and have big medical bills, that's one thing. Like other mammals, people live till they die. For me the thought of being impoverished while in that last phase is pretty darn scary. Last year, I watched my sister in law die in a fancy hospital in the US. 2-1/2 weeks in ICU. It was an extremely sobering experience. And, she had been a fine, proud, fierce, strong woman.

You wrote, "we had always wanted a water view". I'm suggesting that if you're single now, there are other ways to have a water view.

Ann, with Jim, one of CF's longest term cruisers

[Mike Banks]

I would never sell real estate that was my principal place of residence to buy a yacht. I would rather mortgage it, put in a good tenant, and have some income while I sail, or at least a place to live when sailing ceases to be practical.

Why such an expensive depreciating asset? Why so large a vessel? The sailors who travel furthest seem to have vessels around the thirty-five foot mark give or take a yard. Easier to sail, easier to maintain, cheaper to maintain, cheaper to buy, less loss when you sell, and if you like to go close to shore they draw a lot less water.

If you like big boats that cost $20 grand a year to own and use, you would have to find that money somehow. It is not a one-off. That is roughly what it costs all things considered. The bigger they are, the more they cost.

The cheapest option is a big trailer boat.

[flyingw]

I would not automatically assume that a house is an appreciating asset. For some parts of the country that has been fairly true for the past 50 years straight. Sellers have been able to recoup all of their maintenance/upgrade costs and still had a gain on top of it. But if you look at the demographics of the country the "always-increasing-prices" model has some headwinds in the future.


Figure out what the sailboat will cost you in maintenance and depreciation. Round up on all estimates. Is that number worth throwing away in trade for the lifestyle you want? If the answer is yes, owning a home is a completely separate issue whether it is the equity from a sale that you use or you mortgage the house and hang on to it , imo.

[foggysail]

Do you like living in cramped quarters? Heck, a Swan 48 at best has less than 700 square feet of living space and not every foot of that is going to be comfortable. Large bathrooms today have almost that space. Then there is climate control, that need which of course will vary widely depending on where you keep your new love.

And around here, boats of any kind much greater than 40’ have limited docking available and that which is available is pricey. My power boat is an old 40’ Silverton with an aft cabin, hard tops over the helm and rear deck with both the helm and rear deck canvas/vinyl enclosed for comfort. No way could I ever consider living in that thing especially when I have grown comfortable with my small (2500 sq. ft) home. Of course I agree with the above often stated reminders that homes have a better chance to appreciate; not many boats do!

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by heritage58

We always wanted a water view. At my age (69), this may be the time. I notice a severe drop in prices in all assets, boats and houses and equities alike. I'm sure this topic has been written about but I'm new. Regards.

Geez, who wouldn't want a Swan? That's a lot of boat and you haven't mentioned your sailing pedigree and your physical condition. One day on a monohull (even a Swan) and I guarantee you'll be feeling muscles you never knew existed You should consider a catamaran in the mid forties size - it'll be easier on you and a much easier transition from living in a house.

[Saleen411]

Originally Posted by OrinocoFlo

An entire thread of negativity, it figures. Well here is something positive, my husband and I are just a few years younger that the original poster, we don’t own a house and instead own an Oyster 53 and an Oyster 625 each with an ocean view. Yes it can be done, and we manage just fine just the two of us. If the original poster would like some sound, positive advice, please feel free to send me a private message, maybe I can help make your dream a reality.

Good luck

Pam

Would this be the Kenomac couple? Not sure the OP has TWO working incomes.

[Larry Florida]

There should be a post limit on these fishing expedition threads. Quite often a newbie pops in with their one post fantasy never to be heard from again. Even so the thread can go on for hundreds of meaningless posts

Set a ten post limit unless the dreamer ponies back in with additional details.

Ah nevermind

[PineyWoodsPete]

Originally Posted by joelhemington

Geez, who wouldn't want a Swan? That's a lot of boat and you haven't mentioned your sailing pedigree and your physical condition. One day on a monohull (even a Swan) and I guarantee you'll be feeling muscles you never knew existed You should consider a catamaran in the mid forties size - it'll be easier on you and a much easier transition from living in a house.

I've done a modest amount of "Swan time" on my daughter's and hubby's classic S&S 41 "Anthea" - in Fiji the past 18 months. I was only 70 when they bought i1 10 years ago, and you're right, Joel, it can be a workout on SF Bay and down in the Channel Is. of CA. It was pretty claustrophobic down below for me and mine for a 41' boat (a youngster now at only 79) in spite of its small cockpit.

We had lived the life of Riley for four years on a '93 37' F-P Antigua cat bought in '96, with its large open salon, and a complete cockpit enclosure if you needed it, covering over 20,000 almost trouble-free nm's. As a cruising couple with a long monohull history, it was a revelation in comfort, safety, and sailing ability.

The best news is that we sold it Annapolis in 2000 for $25,000 more than its $150,000 sale price in Seattle - but I had installed the usual cruising bits of windlass, AP, radar, SSB, watermaker, solar panels, and dual HVAC's.

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by PineyWoodsPete

I've done a modest amount of "Swan time" on my daughter's and hubby's classic S&S 41 "Anthea" - in Fiji the past 18 months. I was only 70 when they bought i1 10 years ago, and you're right, Joel, it can be a workout on SF Bay and down in the Channel Is. of CA. It was pretty claustrophobic down below for me and mine for a 41' boat (a youngster now at only 79) in spite of its small cockpit.

We had lived the life of Riley for four years on a '93 37' F-P Antigua cat bought in '96, with its large open salon, and a complete cockpit enclosure if you needed it, covering over 20,000 almost trouble-free nm's. As a cruising couple with a long monohull history, it was a revelation in comfort, safety, and sailing ability.

The best news is that we sold it Annapolis in 2000 for $25,000 more than its $150,000 sale price in Seattle - but I had installed the usual cruising bits of windlass, AP, radar, SSB, watermaker, solar panels, and dual HVAC's.

Yep Pete,

I had my heart set on a Hallberg 46' but have recently started seriously considering a Knysna 44' for about a hundred grand less and a couple of years newer (and no stinking teak decks to deal with). The upgrades you mentioned, to me are absolute necessities. I wonder how much cat the OP could get for the price of a Swan 48'? (or even half the price).

[witzgall]

I would second the comments by CaptRory. I knew a guy who ran charters on a Swan. After a night of constant sail changes, he decided to sell and build a much simpler boat to charter. Sadly, he did this just as catamarans took over the eyes of charterers. At your age, unless you can guarantee a young fit crew to help you sail, it is a nice dream but don't do it. If you must buy a boat, get one that you can manage.

Chris