cover me, I'm going in - first time buyer

Ok,

I think I have found "the" boat for me, it is down in the Ft Meyers Fl area.

Planning a trip later this week to look at it.

For now, I need a good recommendation for a surveyor in the Ft Meyers area. Hoping to make an offer on Thursday and pre-arrange for a survey for Friday.

The boat is a Florida Registration.

After this part is done, I will be back for nav tips to move this boat to Pensacola. Great boat from what I can tell in talking to owner but very very weak in the on board electronics....only an auto pilot and depth sounder. Will know more later when I see her.

You'll buy new electronics anyway so don't sweat that.
Good luck

Jeff Hahn, best in the business:

https://www.floridasurveyors.com/

Not sure what kind of boat you are looking at, but if you are going off of pics and the word of the owner or broker, be prepared to be disappointed.

South Florida is where boats go to die. Many boats being advertised down there are nowhere even close to being what is advertised or claimed.

I recently came back from Fort Lauderdale after going down to see a boat. The owner described it as "perfect" and I would be able to jump on this boat and take it back to Texas. I asked if the pics were recent to which I was assured they were.

When I got to the boat it was a floating derelict. It was obvious it hadn't moved in years (although the owner said he used it regularly), the inside was tore up, filthy. I could go on, but I left after 10 minutes of seeing it.

I've found a couple of other boats down there, had a friend go check them out and again, no where even close to what was advertised.

Best of luck on yours.

CaptRonn said:

Jeff Hahn, best in the business:

https://www.floridasurveyors.com/

Click to expand...

I have used Jeff also he is very good and realistic


I have also used these guys and found them also very good

Sarasota, Florida Certified Marine Surveyor - Bradenton Boat, Ship, and Yacht Inspections

CaptRonn said:

Not sure what kind of boat you are looking at, but if you are going off of pics and the word of the owner or broker, be prepared to be disappointed.

South Florida is where boats go to die. Many boats being advertised down there are nowhere even close to being what is advertised or claimed.

I recently came back from Fort Lauderdale after going down to see a boat. The owner described it as "perfect" and I would be able to jump on this boat and take it back to Texas. I asked if the pics were recent to which I was assured they were.

When I got to the boat it was a floating derelict. It was obvious it hadn't moved in years (although the owner said he used it regularly), the inside was tore up, filthy. I could go on, but I left after 10 minutes of seeing it.

I've found a couple of other boats down there, had a friend go check them out and again, no where even close to what was advertised.

Best of luck on yours.

Click to expand...

I hear you....I am able to make the trip with some business tied into it so not a complete loss if the boat is misrepresented. While am am hoping the boat is what is represented, I am torn between the knot in my stomach and the ache in my heart....not sure that made sense.

Fajah said:

I hear you....I am able to make the trip with some business tied into it so not a complete loss if the boat is misrepresented. While am am hoping the boat is what is represented, I am torn between the knot in my stomach and the ache in my heart....not sure that made sense.

Click to expand...

Makes perfect sense. Most will tell you to keep your heart as far away from the buying process as you can. Don’t let your dreams, emotions, and desires get in the way of your rational decision making when looking at a boat. Value the boat as it is, rather than how you picture it in your mind.

Good luck and keep us posted.

dhays said:

Makes perfect sense. Most will tell you to keep your heart as far away from the buying process as you can. Don’t let your dreams, emotions, and desires get in the way of your rational decision making when looking at a boat. Value the boat as it is, rather than how you picture it in your mind.

Click to expand...

Yes and how did WE ALL do with that? LOL

Its great advice but we are human after all.

Good luck with it. Hope it works out for you.

jleonard said:

Yes and how did WE ALL do with that? LOL

Its great advice but we are human after all.

Click to expand...

So true!

Fajah said:

....... Hoping to make an offer on Thursday and pre-arrange for a survey for Friday....... .

Click to expand...

A few recomendations:

Don't make an offer until you've seen multiple boats in your price range.

Do not get emotionally invested in a boat until the 2nd or 3rd visit

Don't make an offer on the day of the visit, unless its an incredible deal...and you won't know if its an incredible deal until you've seen a number of different boats.

Price flexibility will be based on how eager you appear. If you ask "who do I make the check out to ?" on the first interaction, that price is FIRM.

If you say "I have a few other boats I have to see first...I'll get back to you next week"......and he calls you first....that price just got VERY NEGOTIABLE.

A broker is really helpful in finding boats, but he or she wants you to pay full price for the boat, and they'd rather you bought this boat then asked them to see you a few more. At least that's the case with real estate agents.

It doesn't make that much difference to a broker if you buy/sell for $10k-$15K plus or minus....but for you, that's your new electronics right there!!

I'm not saying that you should be decietful or dishonest, but you don't want to be a lamb in a lion's den either.

Enjoy the process, and enjoy your boat !

https://fortmyers.craigslist.org/lee/boa/6531481250.html

This is her

Things not in the craigs list
twin 903 cummings 1700 hours 300hp each
3x400gal fuel tanks
2x150 fresh water
15'2" beam
38" draft
34tons
11K onan 800 hrs
2 mpg - according to owner at 8knts
Last month
haul out with new props, cutless, zinc, bottom pain

and the thing that trips my trigger the most 7' walk in engine room. The main stateroom is two single beds, gotta figure that out, and it is midship, one of the ways to the engine room is through the master bathroom.

will be headed down tomorrow for viewing on Thursday...penciled in survey on Friday....

the radar and arch are no longer on the boat that you see in first picture.

Benthic2 said:

A few recomendations:

Don't make an offer until you've seen multiple boats in your price range.

Do not get emotionally invested in a boat until the 2nd or 3rd visit

Don't make an offer on the day of the visit, unless its an incredible deal...and you won't know if its an incredible deal until you've seen a number of different boats.

Price flexibility will be based on how eager you appear. If you ask "who do I make the check out to ?" on the first interaction, that price is FIRM.

If you say "I have a few other boats I have to see first...I'll get back to you next week"......and he calls you first....that price just got VERY NEGOTIABLE.

A broker is really helpful in finding boats, but he or she wants you to pay full price for the boat, and they'd rather you bought this boat then asked them to see you a few more. At least that's the case with real estate agents.

It doesn't make that much difference to a broker if you buy/sell for $10k-$15K plus or minus....but for you, that's your new electronics right there!!

I'm not saying that you should be decietful or dishonest, but you don't want to be a lamb in a lion's den either.

Enjoy the process, and enjoy your boat !

Click to expand...

your right, the good news is I am way ahead of my timeline and if this does not go like I need it to, I can walk away, not retiring for 16 months....and then not really needing to hit the water for 6 months after that....so I have a good bit of time. If the boat is what I am hoping, I will have all that time to tweak her to suit me. I have sent the details in this thread....

thanks,

Did anyone else hear alarm bells when they read the following sentence in the ad ?

Everything below the water has been inspected and maintained.

Benthic2 said:

Did anyone else hear alarm bells when they read the following sentence in the ad ?

Everything below the water has been inspected and maintained.

Click to expand...

Yes it did and so did the title but maybe just me I have seen the boat but never been on it

jleonard said:

Yes and how did WE ALL do with that? LOL

Its great advice but we are human after all.

Click to expand...

Not only true, but if you approach the whole deal in too much of a cold-blooded attitude, where's the fun..? Where's the pleasure..? If I had described my boat's state on here before I bought her, I suspect from the tone of a lot of the advice given, I'd have run a mile. Yes, she was a doer upper, but I knew that. But it was the bringing of her back into a nice state of appearance and functionality I got the most pleasure from. I still love her, warts an'all..!

I suspect most of those rich folk who own the multi-million dollar pleasure yachts go into the buying deal like that. All cold calculating and business like, and what happens to their boats..? Left idle tied to docks most of their life in many cases, unless they live aboard and conduct their business from them - about the only way to justify their expense.

However, I bet even those owners don't have much of an emotional attachment to the vessel. It's just a business deal. I remember when Greg Norman, (the golfer), was having his megayacht built here in Oz, over in Fremantle, it appeared he was really loving the whole deal he spent so much time selecting everything personally. Then, when it was launched, he spent a short time on board, and in no time sold it. Once the fun of the 'money no object' build was over he lost interest.

I fell for mine before I set foot on it. The survey missed a bunch of problems and I saw only the good.

Still, I have no regrets at all. Even after I 've had to replace the engine, gearbox, prop, fuel tanks, windlass, anchor, re-core part of the deck, replace the standing and running rigging, replace all the batteries, and rewire 90% of the boat, all in the first 3 years. I still scan the new boat listings and have yet to see another boat in the same price range I would rather have.


It's good for the soul to fall in love. Maybe not the pocketbook. But which is more important?

siestakey said:

Yes it did and so did the title but maybe just me I have seen the boat but never been on it

Click to expand...

ok you two....cryptic comments....so what has your spidey senses tingling...spit it out.

Most curious about the "title" comment, what am I missing?

So, I was wrong, the owner was hiding things and he let me make a 600+ mile trip before he did a reveal. Now I will be jaded for sure. On top of that I found the previous listing for the boat where he must have paid about half of what he was asking and he hardly did anything to the boat.

Well he did let it loose the Bimini during hurricane and some gunnel damage, not revealed. Turd.


Back to kissing frogs I guess......


Boat name was "Door to Summer"

Sorry that it didn't work out. There's worse things than kissing frogs, and there's bound to be a prince in line eventually. Frankly, I found the search most entertaining and educational and was a little disappointed when it was over.

Fajah said:

So, I was wrong, the owner was hiding things and he let me make a 600+ mile trip before he did a reveal. Now I will be jaded for sure. On top of that I found the previous listing for the boat where he must have paid about half of what he was asking and he hardly did anything to the boat.

Well he did let it loose the Bimini during hurricane and some gunnel damage, not revealed. Turd.


Back to kissing frogs I guess......


Boat name was "Door to Summer"

Click to expand...

Remember this quote from Dr. House: "Everybody Lies".

Better luck in your search.

Ok, Funny thing, driving back from the misrepresented boat in South Florida...there was a new listing on craigslist of a 44' Marine Trader in my backyard near Pensacola.....we looked at it on Sunday and I think we are buying it....more to follow..

Must be this one. Looks pretty sweet. Best of luck with it. Keep us posted.

Fajah said:

So, I was wrong, the owner was hiding things and he let me make a 600+ mile trip before he did a reveal. Now I will be jaded for sure. On top of that I found the previous listing for the boat where he must have paid about half of what he was asking and he hardly did anything to the boat.

Well he did let it loose the Bimini during hurricane and some gunnel damage, not revealed. Turd.


Back to kissing frogs I guess......


Boat name was "Door to Summer"

Click to expand...

Wifey B: You passed the most important test you'll face. As Kenny Rogers says,

The one in Pensacola looks very nice. Probably a better choice overall.

GregBrannon said:

Must be this one. Looks pretty sweet. Best of luck with it. Keep us posted.

Click to expand...

It is, and trust me on this one, the pictures do not do it justice. This wife and I spent several hours on board and while walking away I says to her..."I really liked that boat", she says to me "yeah, me too"......then I says "I think we should make a move and try to buy", she agrees.......we turn around go back and made an offer, the owner agreed.

Survey this Friday.

Let us know how the survey goes today.

Initial verbal from Jeff Hahn was "above average" for the survey....so everything is a go. Jeff Hahn is the surveyor from Florida Surveyor recommended by many on this forum.

So everything is still a go. Hopefully we swap keys and money next Friday and spend our first night on the boat.

Ahhh, that's great! Glad for you that it went so well, and I hope the transfer goes as you've planned.