Damage history on boat I may buy

TexasPilot, you did the right things to protect yourself, starting with googling the HIN, coming on here and explaining what you'd found, hiring the surveyor, etc.

What you learned is a valuable lesson on some things to do when looking for a boat. IMO you were smart to walk away from that boat. It's not your problem, that problem belongs to someone else and there was no sense in injecting yourself into it beyond what you did.

Now get your hiney back on YachtWorld, expand your search criteria to include a search of a much wider area and start over. Don't overlook searching in states that are many miles from your home area. The economy in the Great Lakes states is still not recovered and that could mean a good deal for you on a boat that is a freshwater boat, has a limited boating season, and they generally are pulled shortly after Labor Day and tucked safely away for the winter. Yes, it will cost you some $$$ to get it home, but when I bought mine out of the Detroit area, I figured that I saved somewhere between $50K-$75K even after paying the shipper.
 
Gofirstclass said:
Now get your hiney back on YachtWorld, expand your search criteria to include a search of a much wider area and start over. Don't overlook searching in states that are many miles from your home area. The economy in the Great Lakes states is still not recovered and that could mean a good deal for you on a boat that is a freshwater boat, has a limited boating season, and they generally are pulled shortly after Labor Day and tucked safely away for the winter. Yes, it will cost you some $$$ to get it home, but when I bought mine out of the Detroit area, I figured that I saved somewhere between $50K-$75K even after paying the shipper.
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Hey! Stay away from my future vessels...

TexasPilot,

You did a great job of being rational, all the way around. Keep looking and do not let this stop your search. GFC is correct, widen your search.

MM
 
Don't be discouraged. You took all the right steps and they worked for you. Keep looking, the right boat will find you. It always does.


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I spent $1900 deciding not to buy a particular boat just before I bought the one I have now. You were very responsible in the way you handled the purchase. It's all part of the process.
 
Stray Cat said:
Hump-T-Dumpty would've been a bad boat name anyway.
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LOL! No doubt.

I like the idea of looking up north, but none of those boats seem to have a generator which is a must in this Texas heat as I want to anchor on the lake and watch a baseball game topside (Go Rangers!) while the ladies and kids can go below and relax in the a/c. What we liked most about the 300 over other models is 1) The crescent dinette, 2) The seating configuration of the mid berth, and 3) The fact that I could fit it in a 30' slip (anything longer requires a longer slip). I don't like the 280, and unless I am missing something, the 310 doesn't have the configurable mid berth (plus it's longer).
 
Texas,
You did well on this boat search. You did your due diligence and uncovered serious issues that resulted in passing on a substandard vessel. Kudos to you! This is exactly why people do this research. Don't Let it turn you off to all used boats. Some will have issues & some won't. Do your homework and continue the search. You are farther ahead than most for the knowledge that you gained from this experience. Good luck!


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Todd
 
Texas Pilot,

Thank you for the idea of searching the HIN.
Seems obvious to do while shopping but, I never thought of it and you showed what's possible.

Wonder how many of us just searched our own boats HIN to see what comes up?
I did on mine......

Good luck in your search,
 
TexasPilot said:
I like the idea of looking up north, but none of those boats seem to have a generator
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Most of the dealers up the Mississippi River seemed to have equipped 300's with genny's for the reasons you mention. When I was looking for ours, (in 2006) I found a lot of the Great Lakes boats were not genny equipped. Made sense, I wouldn't want to anchor out on Lake Michigan for an overnighter. Many dealers / owners will say, "oh you can add a generator easily". Yeah, you can, if you want to tear your boat all to hell getting it installed. IMO, most dealers don't install them with any regularity to be very good at it.

The 300DA was a popular boat on the Upper Mississippi and the St Croix rivers. You may get some ideas from Google searching Scuttlebutt Minnesota. There you should find digital issues of boat classifieds for the upper Mississippi waters.

Good luck, have fun in the search, you've certainly have had quite a journey so far....you can't stop now!
 
A generator shouldn't stop you from buying the right boat. They are roughly $7500 installed. As long as the boat has air, then use the absence of a generator as a barganing tool and get the seller to cover the addition with smart negotiation.
 
I can't help you in Michigan...........Our marina puts in 4-5 generators a year in 260, 280 and 300DA's the generator costs about $6800 and the rest is labor and it is an easy job because the main panel is already wired. "rondds" bought and installed a generator for the low side of that in a 380DA (larger more expensive generator).

Your dealer very obviously didn't want to mess with it.
 
sfergson727 said:
Frank, WHERE???????????

My Sea Ray Dealer quoted me $22,000 to install a generator in my 340. If I could find a place to put one in for $7500, I'd do it in heartbeat.
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If your talking replacement, $7,500 to $14,000 are the numbers I got depending on brand, features and so on. New install never having a generator, that $22,000 may be right.
 
fwebster said:
I can't help you in Michigan...........Our marina puts in 4-5 generators a year in 260, 280 and 300DA's the generator costs about $6800 and the rest is labor and it is an easy job because the main panel is already wired. "rondds" bought and installed a generator for the low side of that in a 380DA (larger more expensive generator).

Your dealer very obviously didn't want to mess with it.
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Just use a honda on the swim platform. LOL......

I installed a 3.0BPMG westerbeke in by 300DA - it was a relativily straight forward job and there is plenty of room but there is still a lot to do - intake, exhaust, and the panel is NOT pre wired - shopping around, all the hose, wiring, transfer switch, seacocks, thru-hulls, muffler, strainer, etc cost about $1000 - I got a smokin deal on a used '06 genny with 40hrs on it - new a few years ago it was a $6800 unit - they have gone up quite a but due to emissions and safety standards (efi and catalytic converters) all in all it was a very worthwhile upgrade - the other big plus was it did not add a lot of weight, and a buddy and I were able to lift it into the bildge - it produces about the same amperage as the shore power
- PS you can have my '05 salt water 300 (gennie included) for 70k
 
A little birdie told a friend of mine that the boat in question sold....at asking price. Wow.
 
TexasPilot said:
A little birdie told a friend of mine that the boat in question sold....at asking price. Wow.
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sfergson727 said:
The old adage of "a sucker is born every minute" comes to mind. I'd hate to be the one who bought that boat......
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"That depends on what the definition of is is" Uh, meant sold. Did they accept offer and still have a survey etc. to complete or did they close it? I hate to classify an ignorant buyer as a sucker, however, a knowing seller and their broker are swindlers in the truest since of the word. EVEN if they were themselves, swindled on that boat purchase

MM
 
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