Boat Shopping Etiquette ?

[Seevee]

I think that people that "look" at liveaboard sized boats can be broken down into two very distinct categories.

For lack of a better descriptive term I'll label them as "dreamers" and "doers"

...........................

Good description,

The dreamers are often found at boat shows, not meeting with brokers, which is a lot more work. When the start calling brokers, they drift over to the doers side. I really don't believe there's a lot of dreamers looking at specific boats.

Also, you're right with the dreamers having never owned a boat and no clue how they work. A good question for a broker who thinks he's got a dreamer is what boat do you currently have now? But if I were selling, I'd still show him the boat. You never know the dreamers real capability to own a boat.

 

[JLD]

Respectfully, I would disagree with the statement, "'not what we were looking for' response should never arise" as this could also be a polite way of saying "we just don't like your boat." Could be the layout just doesn't seem to work for the buyer, maybe the boat seems very dated, maybe there is too much wood, maybe too little wood, maybe the boat seems to dark, maybe there is damage to the gel coat, etc.

While many on the adds I see on line are very good and seem to fairly represent the boat for sale, other adds seem to be poorly done. Some have few photos, some have downright crappy photos (zero excuse for this). Some have scanty descriptions of how the boat is equipment and the current state of the accessories.

I'll also add that you can look at a well prepared ad, but until you actually get on the boat you may not know if it is comfortable for your body type (short, tall, thin, wide, older, younger) and how much room there might be for you and your significant other to do things at the same time.

Jim

 

[smitty477]

"I`ve had my boat on the market,no broker. Don`t mind if it sells or not, the difficulty finding a good replacement reminds me, what I have is still good."


Unless the boat market is totally dead in your area the problem is most likely within your statement above. If you are not concerned if it sells or not certainly no one else will be either. That leads to a small (or large) amount of wasted time and energy over the years.

 

[mramoo]

I have learned over the time that my wife and I have been researching our next boat that you can not trust the ad's. We have seen boats that are twenty to twenty-five years old where the broker have only used the photo's from the builders sales brochure, or photo's that were taken ten or more years ago. When we get to the boat, we ask each other "Is this the same boat from the ad".

 

[smitty477]

"When we get to the boat, we ask each other "Is this the same boat from the ad"."


This is a cut and paste from an older post I made....




I actually have an initial setof boat questions for when I call a boat for sale myself. YMMV but these haveworked well for me to sift out the ones I was more interested in pursuing...

- Are all those pictures ofyour boat?
- Are the machinery hours TT?
- Do you have a full list ofall items and options that convey with the boat?
- Are there maintenance recordsand are they up to date?
- Do you have a full history ofthe boat? Has it been damaged, partially submerged or seen heavy repairs?
- Can you send me 40-50 hi-resphotos of the boat including all of the machinery?
- What is your cruise and maxspeeds and at what rpm do you see those?
- What currently does not workon the boat?
- Where is the boat currentlyand in what condition is it stored?
- Do you own this boat or maybeis it under an LLC or partnership? Do you have 100% rights to sell the boatunencumbered?

 

[mramoo]

smitty477,

This is a great list of questions. I have a couple of them on my list, I also have made a spreadsheet with options to help me to better compare the value of the different boats. I think that this helps me to be able to compare apples to apples.
Head, Tender, Water maker, Washer Dryer, Life Raft, Bow Thruster, Satellite TV dome, Dish Washer, Trash compactor, Water heater, Sanitation system, Central Vacuum, Stabilizers, cockpit controls, Oil Change.

 

[smitty477]

"I also have made a spreadsheet with options to help me to better compare the value of the different boats. I think that this helps me to be able to compare apples to apples."


Yes - I agree if you get that far then spreadsheets work out great. We have used one that captures many items including but not limited to:
- # heads, usefulness
- Fuel capacity/range
- Water capacity
- Holding
- Steering station
- Ease of moving fwd and line handling
- Access and egress at various height docks
- Usefulness of bunks/beds
- Storage
- Access to machinery
- Ability to carry tender
- etc


We also have a separate list to review the engines and collect pictures and data if it gets that far along.

 

[gftrawler]

If you are interested in trawlers, Virginia Yacht Brokers in Great Bridge is a good place to look.

Try Virginia yacht sales in Chesapeake

Thanks for the recommendations ! Will see if we can get down that way next weekend

 

[BandB]

"I also have made a spreadsheet with options to help me to better compare the value of the different boats. I think that this helps me to be able to compare apples to apples."


Yes - I agree if you get that far then spreadsheets work out great. We have used one that captures many items including but not limited to:
- # heads, usefulness
- Fuel capacity/range
- Water capacity
- Holding
- Steering station
- Ease of moving fwd and line handling
- Access and egress at various height docks
- Usefulness of bunks/beds
- Storage
- Access to machinery
- Ability to carry tender
- etc


We also have a separate list to review the engines and collect pictures and data if it gets that far along.

While we buy new boats, we use spreadsheets as well, covering each aspect of the boat and emphasizing those things important to us.

 

[Wxx3]

I think the proper thing to do is to be honest with the broker before he drives 1.5 hours. If he feels you are a good prospect for the future he may elect to meet you. You should give him the option.

I was pretty much in this same situation.
I'd gotten to the point where we had pretty much decided on the Kadey Krogen, but had never been in one.

I was just up front and made sure they understood I was still a couple years away from anything.

 

[rwidman]

A few people have commented about "firing" a broker. The only way to fire a broker is to take your boat off the market. Unless the broker is an idiot, the contract will state that if the boat sells within the time frame of the contract, he is entitled to his commission even if you find the buyer yourself. Too many people have used a broker to find a buyer and then tried to close the deal behind the broker's back to save the commission.

 

[rwidman]

I think it's dishonest to tie up a broker and an owner to show you a boat when you know that you have no intention of buying it.


Go to boat shows where you pay to look at boats. Go to marinas and talk to boat owners. If you're nice, they may offer to show you their boat.


Put yourself in the broker's position. To him/her, time is money. You are wasting their money.