WeGoLook.com, anyone have comments

When I had my sailboat for sale I was on YW constantly looking at other sailboats and trawlers . I wasn’t sure which way I was gonna go but I knew I wanted something different. During the YW search I would stay locked in on about 5 different boats at a time that I liked . After a while the same boat continued to show up in every mix. Finally I sold my boat and bought a plane ticket and spent two long days looking hard at the boat , fortunately the owner was the broker and the boat was on a canal behind his house . He even allowed me to stay on the boat overnight before flying out the next day. The boat needed a bunch of work but it was mostly stuff I knew I could handle myself . We made a deal and I had the boat trucked home the next week .

I know I am coming off as very naive, but I really don't think so. Of course it will be a project boat. I don't have all the knowledge and experience but ya know what, I have built a house from the ground up, by myself. I cut trees off my property and sawed them into lumber on my bandsaw mill. I did all plumbing and electrical too and I learned as I went. I drove a tractor trailer all over the country, but hey, before I started driving, I had to learn, and learn I did, with zero accidents in well over one million miles. I worked as a self-employed handyman for over 10 years, and did many many jobs doing things I had never done before, but I educated myself and got it done. Until I am dead, I will never stop learning. If it takes a year to head out, fine. I have found many boats in my price range that I want to look at, I just cant hit the road yet. If I can't insure it, oh well, I will only go to marinas to fuel, pumpout, etc. I am way past letting others tell me what I can and can not do. If I am about to crash and burn, please tell me, but at this point, I believe I can navigate around the obstacles and go for our dream.

I rebuilt the 32ft sailboat I had before William. I lived in midtown Memphis next to a railroad track. There was a tiny access road that ran between my house and the railroad . I had the boat trucked home and hired a crane to set ( sneak ) the boat in my backyard next to my shop. The boat and shop took up our postage stamp size midtown back yard . It took me seven years to rebuild that boat , mostly because I didn’t have enough money all at once for materials. I almost gave up a time or two but I was determined to get it done.
I didn’t have any prior boat building or boat repair experience either but I had built a couple houses ,had some woodworking experience and had the tools . I could only work on it after work and weekends . Having it at the house was a big deal. My wife got sick of it and I was kinda the joke around family . But I got it done and so can you if you want it bad enough.

I do engine surveys as part of my business. Often a client will ask me to do a "quick look" prior to getting deep into the survey process. It works out well for everybody. Take a walk around and 90% of the time you can tell in five minutes whether the boat is a POS or it looks good enough to proceed.

If you see a boat that looks possible, post up a request here and someone may be local and able to do a quick look. The website may be a good resource too.

A budget of 15-20k sounds a good bit skinny. A boat for that price is going to be a mess. A decent functional boat that can move on its own feet with functional systems with some warts and zits is probably going to start in the 40-50k range, guessing there, but I have been around this biz for a long time.

FF said:

...35 ft- 55ft , big difference, seagoing ? 300% more than inshore.

Live aboard ? In what climate .Hot? Cold? Cruise? Anchor out or Marina to Marina...

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I prefer closer to 30', regardless of price.
Live aboard, full time.
Only warm/hot climates.
Anchor out.

Hi Oakbuilder, welcome to TF. There are many who have started where you are, and have made a dock Queen into a very nice boat, also there have been those that have failed badly. One thing to keep in the FRONT of your mind, is building a house on the dirt will not sink..... If you make a mistake on the boat it could cost you your life, just saying....

oakbuilder said:

I know I am coming off as very naive, but I really don't think so. Of course it will be a project boat. I don't have all the knowledge and experience but ya know what, I have built a house from the ground up, by myself. I cut trees off my property and sawed them into lumber on my bandsaw mill. I did all plumbing and electrical too and I learned as I went. I drove a tractor trailer all over the country, but hey, before I started driving, I had to learn, and learn I did, with zero accidents in well over one million miles. I worked as a self-employed handyman for over 10 years, and did many many jobs doing things I had never done before, but I educated myself and got it done. Until I am dead, I will never stop learning. If it takes a year to head out, fine. I have found many boats in my price range that I want to look at, I just cant hit the road yet. If I can't insure it, oh well, I will only go to marinas to fuel, pumpout, etc. I am way past letting others tell me what I can and can not do. If I am about to crash and burn, please tell me, but at this point, I believe I can navigate around the obstacles and go for our dream.

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Just apply the commen sense that you have acquired over the years. Read up on stuff and you will be fine

oakbuilder said:

I know I am coming off as very naive, but I really don't think so. Of course it will be a project boat. I don't have all the knowledge and experience but ya know what, I have built a house from the ground up, by myself. I cut trees off my property and sawed them into lumber on my bandsaw mill. I did all plumbing and electrical too and I learned as I went. I drove a tractor trailer all over the country, but hey, before I started driving, I had to learn, and learn I did, with zero accidents in well over one million miles. I worked as a self-employed handyman for over 10 years, and did many many jobs doing things I had never done before, but I educated myself and got it done. Until I am dead, I will never stop learning. If it takes a year to head out, fine. I have found many boats in my price range that I want to look at, I just cant hit the road yet. If I can't insure it, oh well, I will only go to marinas to fuel, pumpout, etc. I am way past letting others tell me what I can and can not do. If I am about to crash and burn, please tell me, but at this point, I believe I can navigate around the obstacles and go for our dream.

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Glad to hear this. You sure don't want to pay someone to do all the repairs needed.All of those skills are needed to maintain a boat. Good luck

Check your P,M,

Looks like you have skills, and more important, attitude, which can be easily transferred to working on a boat. Some of the systems are different, as are the risks. The costs are significantly higher on most hardware, for good reason. But being willing to learn how things work, to get dirty, and to endure bloodied knuckles once in a while, will serve you well.

I think failure can come from two opposite directions. One is when you never finish what you start, can never afford to do it right, and never take enough pride in your work to keep it looking decent. It would not only snowball into a never-ending and soul-sucking project, but you'd be giving all of us a bad name by living as "trawler trash."

The other side of the coin is when you need everything 100% perfect. Nothing is ever good enough. Again, you drive yourself to despair and bankruptcy.

Find the Goldilocks spot in between. Take pride in your work, but be realistic, and you'll be fine.

CaptTom said:

Find the Goldilocks spot in between. Take pride in your work, but be realistic, and you'll be fine.

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I think I fall in that category. Right now I'm just soaking up all I can.

The work is different, but not unusual. There's a lot to soak up but the info is out there. If you're the type who wants to do it yourself and spends the time doing the research, you'll get it done.

Ken

kchace said:

The work is different, but not unusual. There's a lot to soak up but the info is out there. If you're the type who wants to do it yourself and spends the time doing the research, you'll get it done.

Ken

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I'm a firm believer in learning from other people's mistakes. With the internet and a willingness to spend time researching, I feel I can make it happen. Thanks.

I dunno yall... I think it is worth $100 to have someone just run and take a look to see if the pictures on YachtWold even remotely represent the reality. When we were shopping, there were a few boats in FL we were interested in where it would have been worth something for me to have a remote set of eyeballs to take a look. Of course, they would have to be current boat owners and give me somewhat of a thorough report. Then if you see something, that would be the time to call a broker. I didn’t look at the site. Do these lookers just looks from the dock or get permission to actually board?

oakbuilder,

A boat broker will help you find a boat or sell your boat. Then deal with the sale paperwork. That's about it.

Hire a captain to walk you through every step of the buying process. A captain will be your representative and your counselor. They will be able to tell you how the different hulls handle and which kind will be most appropriate for your needs. Most captains are (at the very least) knowledgable enough to give the hull and systems a good look. The captain can hire the surveyor and check their report. Also, use the captain to help you choose the electronics. An older boat will probably need at least some of the electronics updated. If you have work done to the boat the captain can interface with the boatyard. He/she will make sure the work was done and done properly.

When you finally get the boat of your dreams the captain will teach you how to use it and especially dock it. My captain worked with me all day in the harbor repeatedly docking the boat until I had it down.

Maybe not all captains will do much more than boat delivery but there are captains that will do all of the above.

I think a captain's job is pretty cool and I have a lot of respect for them, (real licensed captains) not skippers (like me).

Cheers!

dirtdoc1 said:

oakbuilder,

...Hire a captain to walk you through every step of the buying process...
Cheers!

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That sounds good. Where can one find Captains willing to hire out for such a job? I assume this forum would be one such place. Thanks.

oakbuilder said:

That sounds good. Where can one find Captains willing to hire out for such a job? I assume this forum would be one such place. Thanks.

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After I looked at a couple of boats I found one that I thought I might be truly interested in buying. I paid a fairly well known Captain and trawler trainer to come and run through the boat with me. See what he thought. It cost me $500 for the day but I learned more in that one day than I could have in a month of reading. Inspecting decks, plumbing, engines, electrical, raw water cooling system, water pumps, impellers, bonding, on and on. It was nothing short of amazing how he just looked at things and could tell what was good and what was bad. The boat I thought I was interested in buying wasn't even close to a good buy and he helped me learn what I should be looking for. Actually the best thing was that the boat was in TERRIBLE shape. Lots to learn about on that one. Without a doubt the best money I spent during the purchase process.

My background is somewhat similar to yours. A lot of self teaching and hard earned experience both on land and on the water. I quickly learned that a marine electrical system is not like the one in my home. Making mistakes on grounds and neutrals and bonding in a boat will help it get eaten alive. Marine plumbing is NOT like it is in a home. Lack of a vented loop in the right place can sink the boat. That fresh water connection on deck that lets me use water from the marina rather than from my tanks when I'm in the slip can sink it as well if left on and unattended. Just a couple of examples of things I didn't know I didn't know. I paid a total of about $1,500 in "education" days with this Captain. One of them was helping me on the delivery. Education isn't real cheap but the lack of education would have cost me a lot more. Just my $.02 as they say! Good luck!

Boats are cheap to buy, but

oakbuilder said:

I know I am coming off as very naive, but I really don't think so. Of course it will be a project boat. I don't have all the knowledge and experience but ya know what, I have built a house from the ground up, by myself. I cut trees off my property and sawed them into lumber on my bandsaw mill. I did all plumbing and electrical too and I learned as I went. I drove a tractor trailer all over the country, but hey, before I started driving, I had to learn, and learn I did, with zero accidents in well over one million miles. I worked as a self-employed handyman for over 10 years, and did many many jobs doing things I had never done before, but I educated myself and got it done. Until I am dead, I will never stop learning. If it takes a year to head out, fine. I have found many boats in my price range that I want to look at, I just cant hit the road yet. If I can't insure it, oh well, I will only go to marinas to fuel, pumpout, etc. I am way past letting others tell me what I can and can not do. If I am about to crash and burn, please tell me, but at this point, I believe I can navigate around the obstacles and go for our dream.

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Expensive to maintain. Buying boats is easy, and you probably can learn all you need to make repairs, but, rehabbing a boat is expensive in both time and money. If you spend $25k buying a boat, you could easily spend two to three times that making it reliable and safe. I. The end, you will still have a $25k boat.

Be careful can not be said too many times.

oakbuilder said:

That sounds good. Where can one find Captains willing to hire out for such a job? I assume this forum would be one such place. Thanks.

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Word of mouth is the best way. First thing, go online and look up "ship captain requirements" and educate yourself about what a captain is before you start interviewing them. I have had some luck looking for captains online but when you start dealing with brokers and other people in the boating industry everyone knows at least two captains. The captain that i'm using I found through a fellow that is working on my boat. The gentleman that I bought the boat from said that he could refer me to a few. Call any marina and ask if they know of any captains. Those little buggers seem to be all over the place when you start asking people in the boating industry.

oakbuilder,

What is your budget?

Be nice to have someone, not necessarily a surveyor, but someone with boat knowledge, give a preliminary assessment. I've just started looking and I live in south central UT, not exactly a boating Mecca. I see boats on both coasts that could fit the bill, but I don't want to spend a fortune on airfare trying to find a boat. Luckily my brother in law lives in SD, so I'll start there.

Sugardog said:

Be nice to have someone, not necessarily a surveyor, but someone with boat knowledge, give a preliminary assessment. I've just started looking and I live in south central UT, not exactly a boating Mecca. I see boats on both coasts that could fit the bill, but I don't want to spend a fortune on airfare trying to find a boat. Luckily my brother in law lives in SD, so I'll start there.

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Finding a sizable boat can be difficult even if you live on one of the coasts. I live in the San Francisco bay area. I wanted a trawler but there aren't a lot of trawlers for sale in this area for some reason. There are a lot of Grand Banks but very few Defevers, Selenes, Nordhavns and many others that I didn't even know existed. The internet is the only way to start the search. Then you might find something you like in another state. Then you have to fly out to look at it. Or (in my case) I liked the North Pacific and had to drive down to San Diego to look at one that was not for sale. I was going to buy a new one and had to wait several months while it was being built. It's not an easy process whether you're buying new or used.

Good Luck,

Most surveyors will attend boat look at most important stuff and call by noon with the major issues ....u chose to complete or not ...if u pass its half fee.you make the call.

30 ft is a good size and easy to live aboard.

A boat is wider and than a travel trailer and boat builders have 5000 years of practice in packing a quart into a pint pot.

The one skill that is probably missing from your skill set is GRP repair.

With luck you can avoid this buy careful observation before purchase.

GRP is almost always strong enough , but it is difficult to have it stiff enough , without engineering and costs.

Cracked gel coat is a sign of structural (too much flex) problem that can frequently be difficult to repair .

Look for a vessel that is the 3rd or 4th version of a production boat , most of the structural and interior hassles will have been already re engineered by the factory.

Good hunting.

We agree about a buyer's broker, but beware, they are not created equal.

We fired one that was supposedly the cream of the crop - but after a lengthy educational phone call that narrowed in on what we were looking for, for the next three months, he ONLY recommended listings that he was also the selling broker. This was a nationally highly reputable brokerage. We were very disappointed.

We then switched to a different broker that we'd interviewed via phone previous to selecting the wrong choice. He worked hard and found us the perfect boat. So don't be afraid to fire someone if it's not working out to your satisfaction.

It's especially frustrating if you don't live close to a coast - we were in Illinois - looked at boats in Wisconsin, Alabama and finally Florida.

Good luck & enjoy the journey!

JSI said:

We agree about a buyer's broker, but beware, they are not created equal.

We fired one that was supposedly the cream of the crop - but after a lengthy educational phone call that narrowed in on what we were looking for, for the next three months, he ONLY recommended listings that he was also the selling broker. This was a nationally highly reputable brokerage. We were very disappointed.

We then switched to a different broker that we'd interviewed via phone previous to selecting the wrong choice. He worked hard and found us the perfect boat. So don't be afraid to fire someone if it's not working out to your satisfaction.

It's especially frustrating if you don't live close to a coast - we were in Illinois - looked at boats in Wisconsin, Alabama and finally Florida.

Good luck & enjoy the journey!

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Couldn't agree more.