Dear Previous Owner/Surveyor

[CaptTom]

I called the next owner of my boat after the sale and provided him with (hopefully) helpful information on my planned upcoming projects (ie: things that should not be left too long undone) as well as walking him verbally around the boat to alert him to things that he might take a while to figure out.

That's great! I still feel bad that I wasn't able to do this with my last boat, since it was sold by a broker who never even told me the buyer's name. He did let slip that it was being shipped out of state, so it's unlikely I'd see the new owner out on my local waters.

It's pretty emotional, passing along something that you've put so many years of sweat equity into. It seems wrong that I never got closure. Plus, I had a lot of tips and hints I could have passed along.

I still wonder how the old girl is making out with her new owners.

 

[Jeff F]

Buying anything other than a brand new boat really means buying the seller's story about the boat. The older the boat, the more the seller's story matters. After asking questions and listening to the answers for a while, you develop a sense of how straightforward the person is willing to be. When a yacht broker declines to connect me directly with the seller, I walk.

That's my thinking. I wouldn't automatically discount brokers though. Some are wise enough to manage the introduction.

 

[Irish Rambler]

Patch. We bought our boat off a hire boat company and we had exactly the same problem, it took us a full day to identify each engine room wiring system and the amount of redundant, wrongly coloured/sized wire used was incredible. They never fixed anything and just ran a new wire of whatever colour was to hand.

High Wire. to get rid of the calcium build up in the toilet waste pipe use 12/14 % white vinegar from the supermarket, pour a quart down the toilet, pump until nearly all gone and leave it overnight. Do it everyday for badly built up pipes, once they're clean every couple of weeks will keep it clean.

 

[Wayfarer]

It may not be in the spirit of the thread, but I'd genuinely like to thank my PO for leaving the set of stainless steel pots in the galley. They're the nicest I've ever owned, and I absolutely love them.

 

[Mischief Managed]

I have to say that the POs of my boat have left me no horrible surprises, so far. Some of the electronics installation work could have been neater, but it's not bad or unsafe. There's some rot in non-structural wood used as spacers and trim backing on the fly bridge, but I was aware of that before I bought the boat and it's not a difficult or expensive repair. The bonding wire on the new battery charger that came with the boat was connected to the negative terminal on the charger, not the bonding post, but I think that was due to the bonding wire being really dark green and mistaken for black. I have not found anything nefarious or slapdash yet.

It may not be in the spirit of the thread, but I'd genuinely like to thank my PO for leaving the set of stainless steel pots in the galley. They're the nicest I've ever owned, and I absolutely love them.

Is it the Magma nesting set? My kids got those for us as a gift last year and I am astounded by how good they are.

 

[slowgoesit]

It may not be in the spirit of the thread, but I'd genuinely like to thank my PO for leaving the set of stainless steel pots in the galley. They're the nicest I've ever owned, and I absolutely love them.

That's because he kept the even NICER set for use in his home!

 

[Wayfarer]

Is it the Magma nesting set? My kids got those for us as a gift last year and I am astounded by how good they are.

I very nearly bought that set myself, but I'm glad I didn't. These ones are Lagostina. I dunno anything about the brand or it's reputation, but I feel like more of a grownup having replaced my cheap non stick jobs for these.

That's because he kept the even NICER set for use in his home!

I have no doubt that that's true, and I'm still calling it a win-win, lol.