A couple of questions before I make a purchase!

[tpenfield]

Re: A couple of questions before I make a purchase!

Age, condition and brand of boat are going to be the variables in looking at boat of any size.

I would search 24 foot boats in the $10-15k range and see what you get for brands and age. You will have to determine condition and overall value

Hey, I happened to have a 24 foot boat. . . It is 21 years old and I was thinking of selling it, if I could get about $14k

 

[coastalrichard]

Re: A couple of questions before I make a purchase!

Laser...I picked up this boat last summer...2007 Mariah DX212/2007 Merc 150 Saltwater...it's nice and in your price range

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: A couple of questions before I make a purchase!

That's a pretty big assumption. We have a lakehouse that's been in the family for 4 generations now. I'm 53 and have had a collection of boats my entire life. Average length of ownership has been 10 - 15 years and we've never had to rebuild an engine. We did just get done rebuilding the 440 in our Century 2 years ago but it was running fine before we had it done. (and it's 37 years old now) Just did it as a part of the overall boat restoration.

The "budget to repower" strategy is based upon covering your worst (likely) case. When you own a boat for a long time you are less likely to have to repower (but trust me, it happens to the most careful) but when you are trading around used boats that may have traded hands many times, each time b/c someone didn't want the boat any more, the likelihood of major problems increases, and the economics of spending big $ on an old mystery motor decreases. if you never use that "repower reserve" happy day; if you do, you are ready for it. We see way too many people here who spend their last dime on an old boat, and then can't afford the big repairs that an experienced boater knows is no surprise. "Hope for the best but plan for the worst."

Also, you say "Average length of ownership has been 10 - 15 years." it's your boats that you have sold after 10-15 years that are the topic, and the ones this buyer might end up with. it's not a strategy for buying new or almost new boats. And I can walk down the pier and for every boater with a "never had a problem" story, there's one in the next slip with the opposite experience.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: A couple of questions before I make a purchase!

After some of the insight from reading this forum and from the posters here I've decided to look for a boat that is running and I'm going to make a smaller leap.

Is a 24' boat in the $10-$12k range realistic? I feel like in this crapped out economy I should be able to get a lot of boat for that price.

$10 - $12K does not come up with too many boats . . . but if you go to around $20K, something like this comes up

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1996/Formula-F-232-LS-2239021/Perris/CA/United-States

or this

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1998/Glastron-249-2445937/Dana-Point/CA/United-States

But it seems for all those people (peeps) you got in southern CA, there are not a lot of boats . . .

 

[laserbrn]

Re: A couple of questions before I make a purchase!

Seems like there's a plethora of boats on CL. I can't seem to find very many listed on yacht world, boat trader or any other listing sites. I really don't have the budget to buy a $20k boat AND have to consider that it could and would likely come with potential large expenses in the near future. That would really be stretching my current pocketbook. I may just have to sit tight and keep looking and saving.

 

[laserbrn]

Re: A couple of questions before I make a purchase!

........................................the wait/search begins!

 

[smclear]

Re: A couple of questions before I make a purchase!

@ Home Cookin'

I don't disagree with any of your response. All I was suggesting was that it was, in my opinion, a big assumption. There are as many people who take exceptional care of their boats as there are people who neglect them, with most falling somewhere in between.

Is it wise to anticipate and budget for a rebuild? I suppose it would be (especially in this economy). And I agree, it is not wise to spend "to the limit" on the purchase and not have anything left to cover unexpected issues.

I just think there are plenty of boats out there where an engine rebuild would not be necessary. You just have to "know" what to look for, or hire someone you trust who does.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: A couple of questions before I make a purchase!

........................................the wait/search begins!

Continually search, and look a bit higher than your price range. Then keep a list of the attractive boats, even if they are out of your range, as they may come down in price if they do not sell in the next few months. Fall & Winter are good times to buy. Lots of people buying in the Spring.

 

[laserbrn]

Re: A couple of questions before I make a purchase!

[SUP][/SUP]

Continually search, and look a bit higher than your price range. Then keep a list of the attractive boats, even if they are out of your range, as they may come down in price if they do not sell in the next few months. Fall & Winter are good times to buy. Lots of people buying in the Spring.

I have been an avid motorcyclist for years and this holds true for them too!

I found this....

http://www.boats.com/listing/galler...toPrice=12000&pszipcode=91350&sfm=false&pic=0

I'm not sure that link has any chance of working, lol, but what do you guys think? Should I stay away from b'liner altogether?

Or this...since I'm more of a fishing kind of guy...
http://www.boats.com/boat-details/Imp-220-Sportsman/123630511

I asked for more info on the engine/hrs/condition on this one as it doesn't do much in the way information on this listing. Both of these boats are a little smaller, but seem built well enough to handle some local/coastal fishing.

 

[laserbrn]

Re: A couple of questions before I make a purchase!

I am setting up my appointments for tomorrow to check out a couple of boats. For now I have my eye on two different 1970's era Skipjacks. I really like the design of these boats and they seem like EXACTLY what I'm looking for.

I am hoping to keep this next boat for quite some time, so I'm figuring on buying it at a price that will allow me to repower, replace stringers/deck, and have some room to upgrade and improve the boat over the next couple of years.

I have compiled a short list of items I want to look at on both boats to compare them side by side...Let me know if there's anything I'm missing and that I should make sure to check out!

Motor:
Compression Test
-Ensure clean bilge area with no leaks/slime, oil or just plain nastyness
-Test Charging system

Visual Inspection - Attempt to gain access to as many areas as possible to check for rotted out bulkheads and stringers. Ensure the deck is firm in all areas.
-Ensure all safety gear is on the boat and that all placards are properly placed

-Take the boat for a trial and make sure that it runs smooth and doesn't have any issues with the outdrive or prop.

Any other suggestions on what to look for? I know this isn't a super comprehensive list, but that's why I'm asking for help!

Thanks!