Purchasing Sea Ray - Newbie Price Negotiation Questions

Kasparp

New Member
Jun 7, 2021
7
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Boatless
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Hey everyone. I've wanted to get into boating for many years and finally have the financial and personal freedom to do so. I've been around boats quite often in my life and have gotten to drive/also rented a few smaller powerboats, but don't know much about them except how to drink a cold one while being the passenger ;) d

This Sundancer just got listed, and I'd like to check out it next week.

https://suncountrymarinegroup.com/inventory/details/2014-sea-ray-330-sundancer-tb2287rm-llc/

A few questions:
-What should I be looking for during my first time seeing the boat?
-I was looking at Sundancers a few years back and can definitely tell prices have gone up, but at this point in the market I'm clueless as to how much "it should cost". Is $185k too high (I know it is if comparing pre-covid, but at this point I'm beyond that). Whats a reasonable offer to give to the buyer? And of course, what things should I look for that can ding the offer?
-Say I do decide to move forward with the boat, after inspections, how have you guys handled problems that came up? Whats the best way for me to do price deductions if an issue comes up? And what are some issues that deserve a price deduction, and when do I just say "ah screw it, ill take care of that"

Thanks everyone! Really excited to finally get out onto the water and enjoy the boating life.
 
Get the boat surveyed both mechanical and structural. Don’t fall in love with the first boat you see or don’t let the seller see that you have.

Search the postings here. You will find some great info on buying your first boat. Good Luck

Good looking boat
 
Get the boat surveyed both mechanical and structural. Don’t fall in love with the first boat you see or don’t let the seller see that you have.

Search the postings here. You will find some great info on buying your first boat. Good Luck

Good looking boat
Thanks for the feedback! I' definitely going to get the boat surveyed if I decide to move forward. I was moreso wondering what sort of things I should be looking for when I initially check out the boat (before even deciding to move forward). I'm not under any pressure to buy - I've been searching through listings for well over 5 months now and still havent pulled the trigger. To be honest, the questions I had above is something I think about after each boat I've seen that I like. Would appreciate any insight on how you go through the process!
 
I know you will get mixed views, but you should do some research on I/O drives in salt water. V-drives are a lot easier to maintain and are not subect to the corrosion issues with O/O drives.

You will get good advice from others on buying strategy, but here are some thoughts. Get a survey and mechanical inspection, including getting the boat pulled out so you can inspect the drives and hull.

Do enough research to figure out the selling price range for the boat in your area. Once you have the survey, you can try a strategy of getting the seller to repair the expensive issues found and offer a higher price conditional on the repairs being made by a proper mechanic. Or, deduct the cost of the repairs from the market price and make an offer at that price.

However, all bets are off in this crazy market. I don’t know if SoCal is like other areas, but it seems like newbies are over-paying for boats and sometimes buying without surveys. Nothing good comes of that.

Good luck with the search. Exciting times.
 
Congrats on being able to get what you’ve wanted finally!!!
We recently did the same with a 410 sundancer, love it.
I would suggest having a list of contingencies for the offer you make, like contingent on visual inspection(pictures can make it look really good, then in person not so much), contingent on survey having no negative findings( there will be some but at least you would have an out of you needed it)
As long as there is no moisture readings found and mechanicals are sound then it’s like buying a vehicle with no rust, the other stuff is cosmetic and can be cleaned or made to your likings.
Good luck
 
Take your shoes off and walk all the decks. If you pay attention you may find areas that feel soft, slightly deflect, or just not like other areas. They could be wet core, delamination or manufacture defect. Your surveyor will help you figure out what they are. in 2004 it cost us 12,000 to fix a deck on a 28 footer.
 
It’s a really broad question but I think I understand what you’re getting at. I think you really need to do your homework on the model your looking at. For example search on yachtworld.com and boatrader.com which are probably the two biggest online marketplaces for boats. Read as many listings for the make/model as you can find. This will give you a sense of comparison as well as a feel for “the market” on that boat. It will also enlighten you to options available, ages, engine hours….in other words opening your eyes to how different available boats stack up against one another. Also, ask yourself (and your family) if the boat is right for the type of boating you want to do. Coastal vs. inland lake, Cruiser vs. pontoon, gas vs. diesel vs. runabout vs. go fast. There are lots of differences! And finally, as was stated, maintenance records is a must. Visit them, and drive them! Once you’ve done this homework you will be a lot more knowledgeable about making your purchase, asking the right questions and negotiating a fair price.
 
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When you say you don’t know much about boats; i would say allow your budget to include paying someone to maintain/fix it, which can be significant. That boat will not go a season with just an oil change like a car. some items you can learn to do, its part of the process, but sweating in the bilge in 98deg is not fun.
 
I have a boat with outdrives in fresh water and a boat with v drives in salt water,
I would NEVER let a boat outdrives sit in salt water based on my experience. Corrosion and barnacles.
 

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