How important is a genset?

[deeman]

Am I allowed to hijack my own thread?

Long story short; the owner made some offers he couldn't own up to. The price kept creeping up. The survey uncoverd a few more issues that were not disclosed further increasing the price. All in all it's probably still a good deal. I'm just having a hard time swallowing the price increase.

The boat is a 290DA. And yes, it does have A/C and heat built in.

Thanks for the update. Just remember, at this time of the year and for that sized boat you truly have him at your mercy. There is no way he will have another buyer before it goes into the fall winter season which, IIRC, may also be foreclosure season for him.

Would another Sea Trial be helpful? It may really make up your mind by taking the boat out for a second spin. Even if you need to drop $50 into the gas tank to appease the owner it might make your mind up for you.

 

[Gofirstclass]

Lake St. Clair, eh? Let's see--you always have low humidity and your temps never get above 75*, right? Oh wait, you mean THAT Lake St. Clair where it's always hot and humid all summer.

Do yourself a favor and run, don't walk away from a boat that doesn't have A/C and heat and genset. If you buy one without it you'll have a tough time selling it later.

There are a bazillion 290 Sundancers for sale on the Great Lakes...wait for one with heat and A/C and the genset. You will never be sorry.

 

[JVM225]

I've never had aboat with a genny so I don't miss it. I wouldn't walk away from an otherwise great boat because it didn't have one, and on the other hand I wouldn't not buy a boat that had a working one in good condition.
The key for me is that the genny would have to be in perfect working order and properly maintained. Otherwise it could get expensive.

 

[magstang1]

The offer is in on the boat with the genny.

Im waiting to hear back from the owner.

 

[Quint4]

Generator is a "must have" item for me.......my 2 cents.

 

[Woody]

There are alot of small cruisers up here without a genny. I don't have one either but if I boated anywhere that was warmer than here I would want one.

 

[plumbhappy]

For me my generator is a liability. I spent over $2K rebuilding the orig genny, and $10k replacing it... I hardly ever use it... I wish my boat had not come with a genny. We don't run the AC on the hook and don't spent many nights on the boat on the hook... I would consider putting an inverter on the boat without a genny. One less engine to winterize, and more space in the engine room...

New Jersey! I get it, but if you were boating farther south, you wouldn't feel the same way.

 

[plumbhappy]

The offer is in on the boat with the genny.

Im waiting to hear back from the owner.

Good luck! We just bought our 340 Sundancer and after making offers on four boats and paying for two surveys, we finally found the right boat. Don't forget the importance of a quality survey.

Rob

 

[magstang1]

The survey is done. The sea trial is done.

The boat needs some elbow grease, but I'm tired of chasing brokers.

Unanswered calls. Emails not returned. Vague answers.

I was ready to drive to New York to look at the next one. The deal was progressing well. Then, all of the sudden, no response from the broker.

Its a bit more than I was hoping to pay, but I know what I'm getting.

My time is worth more than I MIGHT save on another deal.

Im just waiting on the bank now.

I talked to the seller and the insurance company.

I might have a boat for labor day after all.

ETA:

Oh, and Deeman, it's the original boat. The seller is having financial issues. My wife told me to quit deliberating and just buy the boat already. It is what it is. I'm not going to let a few dollars take away another summer worth of memories.

 

[Subaru06]

Just on the generator question:

While there might be some outside factors such as a seller being willing to install a generator or an arrangment where the seller and I would split the cost of installing one, I would not look at a boat that did not have the appropriate sized generator.

In my view, not having a genny immediately limits what you can do with the boat and where you can go. Self-sufficiency leads to piece of mind.