Transitioning from "Dreamer" to "Doer"

[Bryant]

Going from dreaming.

I've read several recent posts about new owners being given false information about the boat they're buying. Not just batteries but other maintenance work as well. If you can't verify it with accurate receipts and matching logs, take any owner's or broker's info with a dose of skepticism.

I was lied to by the previous owner and the broker. The boat was totally misrepresented to me by both, and to add insult to injury, I had an incompetent surveyor (or a dishonest one that was working with the seller unbeknownst). I was mislead by the physical appearance of the boat (particularly the engine room), my experience with large boats and the dishonesty of the seller and broker. I wound up with a boat where neither head worked, the V berth AC was inoperable and not even connected to a through hull, the cold plate fridge didn't work, the holding tank couldn't be pumped out and many other problems. I was even told that during the most recent bottom job, a barrier coat had been added. Not true. Some issues were apparent during my limited sea trials and were supposed to be fixed according to our contract and others were not discovered or reported by the survey that I trusted. I bought the boat from a remote location and had it delivered to me by a delivery captain, who gave me more accurate information about the condition of the boat than the surveyor did. I considered legal action but the boat was a lifetime dream of mine and I got it for a reasonable price so I decided to keep it, fix what was wrong and repair, refit and upgrade to make it mine. I'm just saying, be very wary of what the owner and broker's tell you. When money is involved, people will look you in the eye, smile , and lie to your face. That's why I say, get a really good surveyor.
BTW, my boat is now the beautiful, functioning trawler I always wanted (except for hurricane Sally damage) and will continue to serve as a member of the family for many years to come.

 

[D. Wilson]

Welcome! We bought our boat only a year ago. Still wide eyed and more than a bit nervous every time we move our boat for docking practice. Looking forward to sharing experiences.

 

[m10brink]

Again, thank you all for the great suggestions and things to watch out for. I'm going to try and reply to everyone, but if I missed you, please don't take it unkindly. Our survey is scheduled for tomorrow, so I'll probably have an update later this week.

 

[m10brink]

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I'm sorry to hear that your experience was not a pleasant one. Collusion between seller and surveyor to misrepresent the boat... I can't say I'm shocked, but rather disappointed that it happens at all.


We've been talking about the fuel tanks and the teak decks as things that we'll probably need to address even if they pass the survey. Although, fuel tanks may be a deal breaker if they need to be done now. I'm not sure either of us are willing to jump into a fuel tank re-do as our first boat project.

I hope your boat didn't suffer too much damage from Sally. And hopefully she'll be spared any more hurricane damage this season. Makes me glad we're farther north.

 

[m10brink]

The type of navigation you will get used to on the upper Miss. is far different that anything you will see if you move farther afield on the boat. Do you plan on doing that? Glad you are here.

Thanks! We're planning to stay here for the next couple summers to learn the boat. Our ideal plan is to eventually get her up to the St. Lawrence for a few years of exploring. (My in-laws live just east of the 1000 islands area.) The logistics of getting here there will definitely be putting us into different territory. I'm hoping that doing some chartering in different waters while we're stuck on land during the winter will help prepare us for the trip east. Although, I could definitely see hiring a skipper to help us with that trek. We would also love to do the Loop, but that's a 5-10 years out goal.

 

[m10brink]

Thanks for the advice! Someone mentioned bringing a borescope camera along to check tight spaces, so hopefully we'll be able to see into some of the tighter spaces while checking the fuel tank. Fingers crossed that it looks good.

I'll pass on the suggestions for the fuel additive and coolers since my husband is going to be head mechanic. I can see him belonging to the over-kill club when it comes to maintenance. And don't be surprised if I hit you up for suggestions on mechanical prep for the Loop in a couple years.

 

[m10brink]

Welcome! We bought our boat only a year ago. Still wide eyed and more than a bit nervous every time we move our boat for docking practice. Looking forward to sharing experiences.

I'm glad I won't be the only one feeling nervous. But that's better than being over-confident, right? I'll definitely be looking forward to sharing experiences. Cheers to being nervous and overwhelmed, but stubborn/brave enough to learn to do it anyways.

 

[m10brink]

Update:

The boat performed beautifully at her sea trial. I wasn't there, but I could hear my husband grinning on the phone afterwards. He always was a sucker for a good sounding engine.

The rest of the survey also went well. There were not any major surprises, and the big concerns (fuel tanks, decks, hull, engine, generator, batteries) were all in good condition. So, the plan is to enjoy, keep an eye on these, and tackle the larger preventative maintenance projects after getting to know and use the boat.

Of course, as I've gathered from reading other threads, all used boats come with projects. The only big unknown that we're facing is the head. The manual flush works just fine, but it isn't connected to electricity. (PO disconnected because the electric flush was incredibly loud.) Not making any plans for a project here until we've investigated this further.

Otherwise, we have a short laundry list of little projects like refreshing safety equipment. I am also going to try and spend some time this winter trying to restore the teak swim deck. It's still quite solid, but it looks like it could use a little love and some teak oil.

 

[Swfla]

If you didn't know, we have a member, Peggy, who published a book about heads, plumbing, etc. It should educate you as to the types of heads available and what system is best for you. It seems that with the boat being kept under cover in fresh water for so many years contributed greatly to the lack of serious issues. Of course the owners deserve great credit as well. Decks and windows that end up leaking will still need careful attention, they're known issues on GB. I would think that fuel tanks kept near full will minimize internal corrosion. I do suggest that you keep an eye on all the systems as they haven't been used a lot over the years and that cn cause failure as well. Your plan of boating in your home waters is a great way to proceed. Hoping all the paperwork goes well!

 

[av8r]

Good to hear things went well and looked good.

 

[Comodave]

Update:

The boat performed beautifully at her sea trial. I wasn't there, but I could hear my husband grinning on the phone afterwards. He always was a sucker for a good sounding engine.

The rest of the survey also went well. There were not any major surprises, and the big concerns (fuel tanks, decks, hull, engine, generator, batteries) were all in good condition. So, the plan is to enjoy, keep an eye on these, and tackle the larger preventative maintenance projects after getting to know and use the boat.

Of course, as I've gathered from reading other threads, all used boats come with projects. The only big unknown that we're facing is the head. The manual flush works just fine, but it isn't connected to electricity. (PO disconnected because the electric flush was incredibly loud.) Not making any plans for a project here until we've investigated this further.

Otherwise, we have a short laundry list of little projects like refreshing safety equipment. I am also going to try and spend some time this winter trying to restore the teak swim deck. It's still quite solid, but it looks like it could use a little love and some teak oil.

We have had Raritan Marine Elegance heads in several boats now. It is an electric head with a macerator in it. It is fairly quiet and has selectable flush options so you can save on water during flushes. You can get it in a high and low versions. Great head. If you are going to replace the old one, this is the one to go with. No affiliation.

 

[av8r]

Agree with this. We replaced an old electric Raritan with a Jabsco Quiet-flush, then changed that for a Marine Elegance. Much quieter.