Buying my first boat!!!

bbwhitejr said:
We started out with an '06 260DA and had all options except for the TV and DVD player which were outdated by 2014 anyway. We loved "camping on the hook." Having the gen meant we always had hot water, AC, and the battery charger. Maintenance on the gen was a once/year oil change, 2-plugs every 2 years, and an impeller every 2-3 years. We also kept it on a trailer. Loved the way we could go where we wanted and when we wanted. I miss that part.

Get a good hull surveryor and at a minimum, get a compression check on the engine and gen. We bought our 260 from a private sale and used the seller's broker for our 44DB.

I have never heard one good thing about POP YACHTS and would run away from them.

Bennett
Click to expand...
Such great info. Generator maintenance sounds doable. Have heard the hook referred to several times...where is that?
 
JVM225 said:
Scroll down the main forum page to listings by region.
Be careful with Pop yachts.
I listed my old boat for sale a few years ago and they contacted me once it was listed.
They must have a program or something that alerts them to new listings in other places.
Anyway, their deal was that I send them a bunch of pictures, info, and my asking price. Then they add their commission to my asking price and list it in their website sight unseen.
I suspect they have absolutely no first hand knowledge of the boats they list.
They are basically just an Internet listing service.
Also, it’s probably never a good idea to buy a boat sight unseen. Run, don’t walk, away from any broker who thinks that’s okay.
Surveys are expensive, but usually worth every penny.
But I would want to make sure any boat I was going to make an offer and have a survey done on passed my initial inspection first.
Even someone who isn’t particularly familiar with boats can determine if everything works by having the seller demonstrate all systems, and make a determination of condition based on personal observation.
If a seller offers a ride before you make an offer contingent on survey and sea trial, then that’s great, but I wouldn’t hold it against a seller who didn’t want to give away free boat rides to potential buyers who haven’t demonstrated how serious they were yet.
Generally, how it works is that you find a boat you like enough to make an offer to the seller through a broker or directly. That offer is contingent on Survey and sea trial, Once accepted, you give a deposit (generally around 10%) arrange for the surveyor yourself, pay their fee, and any cost to haul the boat for hull inspection and relaunch it for the seller.
Once the written survey report comes back you look for things that need repair or replacement that you weren’t aware of, assuming of course it all goes well with the survey, decide if you still want the boat, and negotiate with the seller over the things that the survey revealed that you didn’t know about.
I wouldn’t provide a seller with a copy of my written survey unless they wanted to pay for it, but I wouldn’t confront them about something that came up in a survey without having a written report either.
They usually know what to expect ecause their broker, or them personally, are present for the survey and sea trial.
Personally, if there are things I want addressed I prefer the seller address them at their expense and demonstrate the corrections before I would take delivery.
Once you’re satisfied, you close on the boat at the previously agreed upon price. It’s generally unreasonable to ask a seller to both address something at their expense, and then discount the boat on top of that. I wouldn’t do it, and I wouldn’t expect anyone else to do it either.
Others may feel differently, but my experience is that more often than not things wind up being more involved and costly than you initially think once you start to address them.
That’s why I prefer that the seller take care of the things the surveyor finds that I was unaware of when I made my accepted offer.
Click to expand...
Such a great description of how it all works. Really helps a lot as I had wondered about some of the process details. Sounds like the most important thing is finding a good surveyor - and not deciding to have any of the problems fixed yourself. The more I learn about boat costs, the scarier it gets. But I will NOT be deterred!! Too much fun to be had!
 
Sarah said:
I agree!!! That's just crazy! Not ALLOWED? Well anyway, I have my list of must haves and plan on as many options as possible. After the fact anything is expensive. Agree with you on size but for now I think it'll be the 260. Am I the only wife out there who says, "Hey, the boat has to be 10' longer?"
Click to expand...
Mine didn’t stipulate the 10’ longer rule, but she did insist on a separate shower stall. My big must have was the generator. We use both more than we even thought we would.
 
Sarah said:
Such a great description of how it all works. Really helps a lot as I had wondered about some of the process details. Sounds like the most important thing is finding a good surveyor - and not deciding to have any of the problems fixed yourself. The more I learn about boat costs, the scarier it gets. But I will NOT be deterred!! Too much fun to be had!
Click to expand...
The costs of a boat become more of a burden if you don’t use the boat. Other than fuel, the other costs of ownership are about the same regardless of how little or how much you use it. So if you enjoy it, and use it a lot, it’s well worth it.
Whenever people who are new to boating ask me what the best boat to start with is I always tell them it’s the one you’ll use them most.
 
Sorry to hijack the thread as I am also buying my first boat this Sunday! lol I tried to start a new thread but can't not sure why? Possibly because I'm a new member? A bit about the boat...it's a 290 sundancer 4.3 twins with bravo one in good condition although I will be having it checked over by a mate of mine. I have haggled the price down to £20k or $26.6 would this be a good deal? Thanks
 
Kennytwins said:
Sorry to hijack the thread as I am also buying my first boat this Sunday! lol I tried to start a new thread but can't not sure why? Possibly because I'm a new member? A bit about the boat...it's a 290 sundancer 4.3 twins with bravo one in good condition although I will be having it checked over by a mate of mine. I have haggled the price down to £20k or $26.6 would this be a good deal? Thanks
Click to expand...

That would depend a lot on the year, condition and options. In any case follow the other advice in this thread regarding surveys, and congrats!
 
I think when you go below and look closely, if the galley and variety and headliner look like the owner really really cared for the boat, your probably looking at a good boat. If it is a mess, just walk away.
 
Forgot to add the year sorry it's 1997 currently in fresh water and been told it has never been in salt water although the owner has only had it 2 years so impossible to tell. Yes everything looks in really good condition hardly any marks whatsoever. Engines sound sweet and only being 4.3 carb with three of us quarter tank fuel and half tank water it hit almost 40 and jumped up on plane quickly enough. I will look into getting a survey although my uncle who has had boats of this kind and done all the maintenance work himself are going to look on Sunday for a 2nd opinion. So given everything is in good condition and as described would 20k or $26.6k be a good deal? Just wondering if anyone can comment from the uk if possible? Thanks
 
Hard for even an experienced boater to discover hidden issues such as rot and wet foam

@Sarah...on the hook means anchored. No particular place, just somewhere you find to drop anchor and hang out
 
Thanks for the replies. Yes the two markets may be very different but it does seem a good deal....would the only sure way to know everything is 100 percent ok be to get it out the water to check underneath and hull etc?
 
importmonkey said:
screw that! i make a point of spending HOURS at a boat if i'm interested...and that's before the survey. we had the generator and loved it, although didn't use it as much as i thought i would. HOWEVER, to put one in after the fact costs stupid amounts of money and your resale value goes down if you don't have one. IMHO, get all the options you can afford. That said, if you're looking for a steal, finding a boat without certain options (e.g. radar arch, generator, trailer, et cetera) is a great way to get the price down. Just know you aren't going to be able to sell it as quickly, or for as much when the time comes to sell it. And trust me, you will sell it. It seems the 260 is a right of passage for SeaRays. you'll fall in love with it and want to do more boating, longer trips, and want to move up. you may find really quickly that the 260 might not give you the comfort level you want in your area, too - and by that i mean the size of water you frequently boat in. we quickly found the 260 (although adequate) for the chesapeake, was only enjoyable under optimal weather/sea conditions. it didn't take much for trips or days to turn "unpleasant."
Click to expand...
Btw I've really been eyeing the 280 DAs and found 2 in my area rigged for fishing. I was giddy! We'll see!
 
boatman37 said:
Hard for even an experienced boater to discover hidden issues such as rot and wet foam

@Sarah...on the hook means anchored. No particular place, just somewhere you find to drop anchor and hang out
Click to expand...
Lol! That's great! And a BIG area of interest to me. How do you know where it's ok to spend the night?
 
Sarah said:
Lol! That's great! And a BIG area of interest to me. How do you know where it's ok to spend the night?
Click to expand...
Check your area and see where others might stay. Obviously not in the center of your area. Find a quiet cove or off to the side. We boat on the Ohio river and as far as I know nobody stays overnight on the hook. Too much commercial traffic. There are some quieter tributaries that smaller boats might head to but I don't know of anybody that has. There are also apps that will notify you if you move too far from your anchor spot in case your anchor loses hold. Really an issue on the river! The one on my phone is called DragQueen.
 
boatman37 said:
Check your area and see where others might stay. Obviously not in the center of your area. Find a quiet cove or off to the side. We boat on the Ohio river and as far as I know nobody stays overnight on the hook. Too much commercial traffic. There are some quieter tributaries that smaller boats might head to but I don't know of anybody that has. There are also apps that will notify you if you move too far from your anchor spot in case your anchor loses hold. Really an issue on the river! The one on my phone is called DragQueen.
Click to expand...
What a great app name! That's good to know. I just wasn't sure if it was ok to drop anchor for the night in any old cove. You sure have a lot of navigational challenges where you live!
 
Sarah said:
Never considered emotionally attached owner. Unfortunately no Marinemax near me but will keep an eye on them. Good to know they have so much experience! I also didn't consider the oh I'll fix the little problem and end up with a disaster. Yes. Launch day = HAPPY DAY!! I love your idea of a partial ship and cruise the rest! That would be awesome. Can't thank you enough for all your advice! And you probably saved me a few bucks!! Thanks so much!!!
Click to expand...
There's a Marinemax in Baltimore but also look at Clark's Landing dealers. They have multiple locations on the Chesapeake and in NJ and are a great bunch of people. The closest location to you is Shady Side, MD which really isn't that far - a few hours by car or boat.
 
gmacd81 said:
There's a Marinemax in Baltimore but also look at Clark's Landing dealers. They have multiple locations on the Chesapeake and in NJ and are a great bunch of people. The closest location to you is Shady Side, MD which really isn't that far - a few hours by car or boat.
Click to expand...
Thank you! I hadn't come across Clark's Landing. Will do so. I love looking at the boats in your area! There are always pretty ones FSBO. I've been in your part of the woods many times...beautiful!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,177
Messages
1,428,003
Members
61,087
Latest member
SeaJD
Back
Top