View Single Post
Old 08-14-2013, 07:21 AM   #23
Robster_in_edmonds
Senior Member
 
City: Edmonds
Vessel Name: Miss Maui
Vessel Model: Bayliner 4788
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 237
When we were looking for a bigger boat we looked at lots of boats and settled on the brand and model we wanted. In our case it was a Bayliner 4788 with Cummins diesels, built in 1997-2002. Once we chose that we looked at half a dozen in person and looked at every listing on yachtworld.com. After you have walked through six versions of the same boat you get a very good idea of what is good and bad and what you'll need to do.

I made a spreadsheet list of all suitable boats including options like dinghy, electronics, watermaker, diesel heat, etc. I called brokers with pending sales and asked if they wanted a backup offer. In each case they told me the sale price. This gave us a very realistic guideline for making our offers.

We did not use a buyer's broker. When we made our offers we found that a broker worked harder to get a deal done if there was no shared commission. When you make your offer stipulate that everything stays on the boat. The first boat we bought, the seller stripped out lines, fenders, lifejackets, map cards, charts and more, which cost us well over a thousand dollars in unexpected purchases

I brought three friends who were very knowledgable about Cummins engines, electronics, and the other systems. They caught several issues on the sea trial that saved me at least $5,000.

We made a realistic budget of work the boat would require. We have spent about $25,000 on diesel heat, bottom paint, batteries, electrical repairs, etc. A big yard did all the work for the PO during the prior six years and virtually everything they did they did badly. Talk with lots of people and make your list of mechanics to avoid as well as mechanics that are recommended by multiple people. My go-to mechanic is slow and underestimates how long his work will take. On the positive side he is thorough, meticulous, and does beautiful work. I always mentally double his estimated work times, pay him promptly, and treat him well. As a result he likes working with me and will prioritize my boat if I have a deadline on a repair.

Good luck!
Robster_in_edmonds is offline   Reply With Quote