By the time you start viewing a shortlist of boats, you should already have a clear idea of how you plan to use your new vessel. You’ll have assessed its essential attributes and those aspects you’re happy to compromise on. In addition, you’ll have a realistic budget – one that allows for upfront expenses such as insurance, survey costs, the first year’s mooring fees and any essential upgrades.
Is winter a good time?
It may seem odd to look for boats during the winter, but I’ve bought as many during the dark days of December and January as sparkling summer months – and there are compelling reasons for doing so.
A key reason is it often takes time to set up a new boat with the equipment you want and confirm there are no unexpected problems. Given that marine tradespeople tend to be flat out from March to mid-summer, buying a boat early can give a chance to beat the queues and avoid missing much of the first season of cruising.
Another benefit is that vendors may be more pliable on price, especially if it means they have more chance of getting their own next boat before the following season, or avoid having to sign up for a further 12 months of mooring fees. In any case, for most of us buying a boat is a long-term decision and therefore not one that is switched on and off depending on the season.
We also now tend to sail more in the winter than ever before. In the past, most boats came out of the water for much of the off-season, but that’s no longer the case. A poll of owners a couple of years ago by PBO editor Rob Melotti found that more than 70% stay afloat for most of the year, with the majority of these coming out of the water for less then three weeks.
First impressions
A challenge in viewing a boat is that you have to make an impartial assessment of its condition in each of its many departments, as well as figuring out whether it’s intrinsically the right make and model of boat for your needs.
Given the many different boat models of the past 50 years – most of which only number a few dozen or, at best, a few hundred – you’ll need to decide if it’s the right model, in good condition and whether the inventory and equipment matches the asking price.
As with a used car, or a house, presentation can reveal much. Sadly all too many boats on the market are not well cared for in this respect, while a few are so bad they are positively unpleasant.
In a soft market a poorly tended boat might appear to be a route to a bargain, but be careful. I’ve certainly done well buying boats with a couple of feet of kelp growing on the bottom (but an epoxy construction, so no osmosis worries), or a bilge full of rainwater and muck (but clear of any structural woodwork).
A bit of probing showed that both these could be easily cleaned up, though emptying and drying the bilge of someone else’s boat so that I could unveil enough to figure out whether a survey was worthwhile was not a pleasant task.
In his excellent talks at the Southampton Boat Show yacht surveyor and PBO writer Ben Sutcliffe-Davies cautioned that some boats are so bad in this respect there’s no chance of either a prospective owner or a surveyor being able to see enough behind the dirt or chaos to ascertain whether the structure is sound. In these cases he says the only sensible option is to walk away.
It’s often thought that the market for used boats, particularly those significantly more than 20 years old, is a soft one in which buyers hold all the cards. However, the reality is different – if a boat is realistically priced, well presented, carefully maintained and well equipped it will often sell relatively quickly.
This leaves the bulk of the craft on the market at any given time as being those that are less well presented and may have deteriorated further during an extended period of time.
Don’t waste your time – or the broker’s or vendor’s – once you’ve seen enough to know it’s not the boat for you. Obviously this may be harder to identify if it’s the first boat you look at, but that judgement gets easier after you’ve seen a couple. In any case, you can always ask for a second viewing at a later date.
Incidentally, don’t think you need to view every boat in person. Obviously it makes sense to do so if they are local to you, or if a number can be lined up on the same day. However, if your needs are very specific and there’s a contender a long distance away it’s possible to get a surveyor to take an initial look.
Next impressions
After the first impressions it’s worth taking a bit of time to get a general feel for the boat, particularly if it’s a model you’ve not been aboard before. Is there the space and stowage inside that you were expecting? What about the deck layout – does the cockpit layout look as though it will work for you? Are side decks wide enough to get forward easily?
If the basics of the boat are OK but it’s lacking in attributes such as good natural light and ventilation, or the ability to reef the mainsail from the cockpit, for instance, these can be improved.
However, it costs time and money, to do so, which ought to be reflected in the price. Vinyl headlinings are notoriously expensive, time-consuming and messy to replace, while re-upholstering is also not cheap.
The cost of replacing electronics on a lower-value boat can be significant, but be realistic about what you need. This may be no more than depth, boat speed and a DSC VHF set, plus an iPad or tablet in a waterproof and shock-proof case to use as a chartplotter. In any case, it’s worth turning on all the instruments, lights and so on and making a quick list of anything that doesn’t work.
The engine is a critical piece of kit that can quickly rack up big bills for remedial work or replacement. Fortunately, if well looked after marine diesels are robust and long-lasting – there are many 40-year-old motors with well over 10,000 hours of use still giving good service.
It’s therefore worth checking any service history, even if this has been carried out by the owner; there may still be receipts for oil, filters, impellers and so on.
Beyond that, does the engine bay look clean and tidy? Are there any fluid leaks? What does the paint on the motor look like? If the boat’s afloat you may be able to see it running, but if not, then this can be a condition of an offer.
Standing rigging generally needs to be replaced after around 10-15 years, or after 25-40,000 miles of sailing. However, this is one aspect that many owners leave for longer. If there’s no paperwork showing the age of the rigging, then this will need to be factored in.
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