newbies

[mainewahine]

Hi everyone - my hubby and I just joined. No boat, yet - still in search of. Looks like a great group, looking forward to all of the insights. Plan on cruising from Maine/Florida/Caribbean.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

 

[gonesailing13]

Welcome, you came to the right place.

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard.

 

[Jmk2000]

Welcome, wealth of knowledge here. Do not be afraid to ask questions

 

[MakingMoves]

We should meet up?

 

[Pete Meisinger]

Welcome Aboard. Be aware there is a difference between owning a boat of almost any size in Maine and Florida and cruising the bahamas.

pete

 

[kehoff]

welcome

 

[Mischief Managed]

Welcome.

 

[steelydon]

Glad to have you aboard! What is your timeline for purchase and cruising?

Steelydon

 

[Leo Reise]

Welcome aboard. We were all newbies at one time.

 

[Rusty Scupper]

Welcome aboard.

 

[Art]

Welcome - I love Penobscot Bay!

 

[mainewahine]

Thank you! We'd like to get something by the Summer, depending on where she is, cruising by Fall. At least, that's the plan.

 

[Nepidae]

Newbie

To find what you think you might want but don't realize it now, start with the boat sites online. Yacht World being 1.

When you find a boat you like the looks of, start centering on that and go see it in person.

IF it is still the boat you like then you start shopping.

It's an exciting time and then all of a sudden you hear yourself say, did I actually just buy a boat?

Welcome to the fun.

 

[Slainte 1]

Welcome guys! Glad to see yet another "Mainer" here!
Good luck in your search for a boat! Look carefully!

PM me any time!

John

 

[mainewahine]

Agree with you completely, we started looking about a year ago just to get a better idea of what we wanted. Both online and in person. We have a pretty good idea now, just need to find her!

 

[Lollygag1]

Consider a broker. Worked for us

 

[Lollygag1]

Consider a broker. Worked for us

 

[Art]

Welcome guys! Glad to see yet another "Mainer" here!
Good luck in your search for a boat! Look carefully!

PM me any time!

John

S 1 - Really like the avatar showing your Krogen Express 49. First time I've seen one like that. Got closeups you might like to share? - Thanks, Art

 

[PhilPB]

I can only add, when you think you have a budget..triple it! I am speaking from experience from buying an older boat. Not a complaint at all, just a little reality then you won't be shocked. There will always be more upgrades as you go along.

 

[CharlieO.]

I can only add, when you think you have a budget..triple it! I am speaking from experience from buying an older boat. Not a complaint at all, just a little reality then you won't be shocked. There will always be more upgrades as you go along.

I think we were about double, from purchase to getting her to the home slip through the first year of ownership/caretaking...

 

[PhilPB]

I think we were about double, from purchase to getting her to the home slip through the first year of ownership/caretaking...

We bought ours on the Gulf coast of Florida and then took four days to bring her over to the east coast via Lake Okeechobee. Before leaving I found a great technician who knew Perkins well and had a full service and had him repair/replace anything that needed attention, that was a few thousand. After bringing her to our marina I scheduled a new bow thruster install, awlgrip the decks and house, and rebuild of rudder and new running gear (due to needing a new cutlass bearing and driveshaft coupling was frozen to tranny). The new driveshaft, midbearing & alignment was an unexpected $13k on top of the yard fees, bow thruster and incidentals. Now I am replacing the 40 yr old water system.

 

[Art]

On the other side of the coin...err "boat's after-purchase additional investment conundrum":

If you SHOP Carefully and know about boats... you could/might/maybe-will/sometimes-can/often-do-locate a used boat that is in really good condition and needs little further $$$ spent on her.

Also, once you feel good enough about a boat to make an offer be sure to discount any costs of immediate further investment from the purchase price. If the seller does not accept the offer - IMO - hold tight to your offer and move on to make another offer on another boat... if the seller will not meet your terms.

Of course either you need to be [or have someone on our side that is - e.g. a friend, surveyor etc.] a person who knows and understands boats.

For buying a boat at the correct price... You need to be a good "Horse Trader" that gets the "Fee of The Deal" and knows how to "Cut A Deal"!

 

[PhilPB]

Couldn't agree more. "Eyes wide open" for sure. I have owned quite a few boats and have rebuilt a few, I haven't been shocked yet. I have always found there are always changes to be made. I've only bought one boat brand new and that was the most disappointing of all!

 

[PhilPB]

When we were shopping a few of the sellers had current surveys for reasons of insurance as well as added information for the sale. The boat that we did buy had a current survey that: A) Seller used to fix all deficiencies noted, and B) Insurance allowed the survey for approval. It worked out very well for us

 

[Lazy Susan]

Yacht World worked for me!
I live in NYC and bought a 2006 Four Winns Vista 278 in 2020. My wife, Lazy Susan, told me it would be the perfect way to battle the pandemic. After 2 seasons, my wife told me we needed to get a bigger boat. How could I deny her.
I registered on Yacht World and found my Mainship Pilot in Florida. I signed a contract to buy right away and flew down to Pompano Beach with my trusted mechanic the following week. We took it for a trial run and closed the deal.
Don't drag your feet. Go for it!
After we bought it, we took it up the Intracoastal from Pompano to NY.
Good Luck!!
Yacht World is great

 

[Comodave]

My wife calls Yachtworld boat porn…

 

[Simi 60]

I can only add, when you think you have a budget..triple it! I am speaking from experience from buying an older boat. Not a complaint at all, just a little reality then you won't be shocked. There will always be more upgrades as you go along.

Yes, no, maybe.

We got our old boat and threw about 15% of purchase price at her immediately so we could move aboard and cruise from day 1( House batteries, inverter charger, solar panels and mppt charger)

I guess I could have gone silly and ripped out and replace old stuff that worked but why?
6 years later and it's all still working apart from a handful of water pumps, again maintenance not upgrade and last year a new $1500 fridge freezer to replace dead one and the year before $4000 lifepo4 bank to replace the dead AGM bought in the first week of ownership.

Add: $2000 watermaker was an upgrade, she never had one
$400 hot water system was an upgrade as it uses a lot less power but the old one was still working fine.

 

[Iggy]

I can only add, when you think you have a budget..triple it! I am speaking from experience from buying an older boat. Not a complaint at all, just a little reality then you won't be shocked. There will always be more upgrades as you go along.

I would have to agree! As good as shape as my boat was when I bought it, it is still 20 years old. And that guy had his own ideas or ways to do boating.

I first spent close to 10K on her and not even putting the boat in the water. Not counting the sea trial. Had the heat exchanger cleaned and test after taking the end cap off and finding sea weed in it. Also replaced exhaust manifold gasket. The engine work was $2.5k The engine work is the only thing that I did not do myself.

Added more chain to the rode, needed a bigger anchor, I made outside window covers, added grab handles, placed 6 breaker DC panel with a 12 breaker panel at the helm, installed better stereo speakers, removed dead wires, replaced spot light, painted bilge, added USB charging ports, bought TZ software, added fuel shut off at the genset, replaced and added LED lighting in the bulge half of which was not working.

My 2nd yr, I replaced the house batteries with Li. The old AGMs were dying. $5k Replaced rub rail added 2nd VHF, added auto pilot control to fly bridge.

Now starting my 3rd year. Replacing the rudder lip seal and life lines.

Other than the engine, all small stuff and it all adds up. I know I left things out too and I did expect to spend about 10 to 15k going into this so I had the money set aside, thank GOD!! It also helped that my wife wanted this boat more than me. Just ask her.