1977-81 Seaton Durbeck 48 Long Range Trawler

[Namaste 48]

Back on the market after 2 deals fell through. !!!!Make me an offer!!!!!
My sad story!! In 2022 my health forced me to reluctantly put Namaste up for sale. The buyer, listed here as MORK, convinced me to carry a note. Long story short, I repossessed the boat in 2024. I have spent the last six months correcting most of MORK'S "improvements". My wife and I moved back aboard and intended to make Namaste or home until one of us croaked. Alas, that was not to be, as my wife passed awayin January. Now Namaste is once again up for sale. I have a write up from my initial listing with updates in RED that you can request (too large to attach here). I have scores of pictures and will provide pictures of current conditions as I clean up remodeling/boat work clutter.
She will make someone with time and energy a great liveaboard or cruiser. Price is $85,000 US Dollars
Currently in Marina Makax Isla Mujeres, but planning a move to Progreso, Yucatan. Details and many pictures available. Message me ontno1@gmail.com Call me 830 318 6455

 

[CharlieO.]

Nice looking vessel, sympathies on the passing of your wife.

 

[ofer]

i wish i could handle another vessel. got three already

 

[bountyhunter44]

Interesting.

I'm the MORK seller is referring to. 2 sides to every story isn't there? Seller, I'll refer to Richard or "Dick", has created an emotionally telling story.

When my wife and I considered purchasing the boat from Dick, we discussed payment options. "Dick" OFFERED to carry the note, he wasn't forced to as he would lead one to believe. Dick also told both of us, several times, said he "didn't need the money", and monthly payments where set up and an agreement was established. We supplied a hefty down payment and NEVER skipped a payment.

During the initial sale of the boat, I asked Dick about insurance. After telling me "he didn't have insurance" on the boat and that "insurance" was "almost impossible" to obtain on a boat that old and in Mexico, I thought there was an understanding that I would be treated the same way.

After about 6 months into our purchase Dick started to ask me about getting insurance. All I could find was a stateside policy, so we purchased it. The policy would only cover about 100 miles from shore. 9 months later, Dick told us to get proper insurance or we are in breach of contract. At this point, the only way to get insurance was to take her back to the States, like Key West.

Dick's wife told us not to move out of the marina without first obtaining insurance. Up to now, every insurance company I tried asked for the boat to be hauled out and surveyed by an American Certified Surveyor.

So we were stuck in Mexico, with an old boat and inadequate insurance, yet in a known-protected Hurricane hole of a marina. Imagine being pushed into a corner, either intentionally or unknowingly.

Meanwhile, ALMOST ALL major systems onboard were NOT AS DESCRIBED and either were serviced or replaced. We were told the generator worked, it did not and Dick knew about it and lied to us. The bow thruster did not work, the hydraulic pump and system were off-line. Dick said it just needed to be hooked up. It needed to be rebuilt. The hydraulic pump had to be rebuilt. Bow thruster was rebuilt, the batteries were "new" per Dick, but somehow, I had to replace all 4 within within 2 months of our ownership. A/C's needed service, etc. The list goes on from small things to big things all described as "working fine" or "I didn't know that was in issue". The biggest issue was the engine. After being told it had "only a few hours on it", being rebuilt in Rio Dulce, the engine seized and had to be rebuilt "again". I was told it was due to a poor quality rebuild.

Without adding more to Dick's sad story, I'm already in the boat for another over 40k just with repairs that should have not been!

Dick then boarded the boat without permission while we were gone, with all our personal stuff on board. This was caught on camera and witnessed by the marina staff (a crime in the States by the way). He sent a text saying he was going to "repo" the boat. This was not because a breach of contract or skipping payments, it was for not haveing adequate insurance.

I spoke to attorneys back in the States and said we have a case, but not in Mexico. Talks are underway for a lein placed against the vessel for our losses and fraudulent statements, trespassing, etc, by Dick.

Down payment, monthly payments (all made on time), and then with repairs, we have experienced approximately 60k in losses.

I don't why "Dick" is "sad" about the boat. He has it, with all the improvements, along with all our money.

A huge learning lesson to us, always get a professional survey, and don't accept someone's initial nice-ness for honesty!

 

[Captain DJ]

It is good to hear your side of the story. Not saying I believe one party over the other. I will remain neutral.

My wife and I did recently travel to Isla Mujeres to see the boat. Dan allowed us to spend a night on the boat. The engine does run now. The thruster works as it should. Story on stabilization system by Naiad is that port side ram leaks.

Many of the reported improvements are not something I would have chosen.

1) switching from propane oven and cook top to electric makes the vessel less cruiser-friendly and more dock-dependant without a Gen set .

2) removing marine reverse cycle hvac system and going with mini splits is a bandaid solution that also makes it more dock bound.

3) removing washer and dryer was a negative in my opinion.

4) removal of custom crafted nameplates and professional lettering on transom of original name from 1977 "Namaste " to big vinyl letters of "Ceaseless Adventures " and "C/A" was not a great move in my opinion.

5) I do believe you were trying to make the boat like you wanted it and cannot fault that. But when building or having the settee built, why not get angles and proportions correct for comfort? They look good but are not comfortable in my assessment.

Lastly, my attention would have been primarily focused on mechanical and electrical systems over cosmetic issues. I am so sorry for your bad outcome and for Dan's loss and his situation.

The threat of going after a future owner makes me and my wife feel like we dodged a bullet. That seems irrational and unfair. If you feel you have been wronged go after Dan/Dick, not some innocent future owners that had nothing to do with this fiasco.

Dan should focus on what the boat is now. Stop talking about Mork and take the time to show current photos and retype a new listing, stop redlining an old survey with red marks of what "Mork" did. Nobody needs to get involved in that war as a potential buyer.

In the long assessment it is still a bargain base price on a well designed, well executed Steve Seaton passage making vessel that was built like a tank by Durbeck, a pinnacle of US quality from 1973 to 1983. It was refit in same yard by original owner and had stabilization and hydraulic bow thruster installed at the original yard as well as many other upgrades and resplashed in 1981. That doesn't mean you should advertise it as a 1981 vessel.

We almost bought this boat. The location and history of dispute were the two biggest hold backs. It is not a bad boat by any stretch of the imagination. It has a Seller that really needs to move on and enjoy what he can in his life. We wish you the best future Dan.

Mark, thanks for chiming in with your side of the story. What did you do with those nameplates? I would buy those, just as a decorative momento of the dream Seaton Boat we "almost bought". If we didn't already have a great Pilothouse Trawler in Washington State and enjoy cruising the Salish Sea so much more than the humid tropical areas, we might be smack dab in the middle of something like a legal battle that we would have been blindsided by. Thank God we were spared that injustice.

 

[bountyhunter44]

DJ,

The nameplates were wood and were sun rot and cracked almost beyond repair. They were stored dockside in the Bodega. I did not need them as we renamed the boat once we purchased it, and it was registered to us.

The genset that "was working", did not work. The estimates outpriced the unit itself. It had to be parted out, then taken out in pieces. I purchased a 3500 Generac that should still be onboard. We were told it was in working order.

The mini-split was Dick's recommendation to me. The marine airs all needed servicing, which we did, but we did not remove them, the one forward was removed by the seller, not us.

The washer was working and was still on board when we sold it back to Dick. Dryer died a few months after we purchased the boat.

Dick says the "deal fell through" and he had to "repo" the boat. Funny, how I have a bill of sale back to the owner for what we owed. This is not factual information and I wish Dick would stop lying.

I wish Dick the best and I too feel he needs to simply move on. I would have not chimed in at all, but when you are called out by someone for things that are not all factual, I am standing my ground.



Cheers Capt. DJ

M

 

[Adopo]

Helpful advice in life, not meant to be political. Trust but Verify.

 

[mvweebles]

Question- up thread one of the parties said the boat was difficult to insure. Can someone shed light on the issue? Not looking for fingerpointing, just trying to understand insurance issues in Mexico. I was able to get liability insurance in Mexico very easily (Chubb) so curious what type of insurance was sought and the limitations.

Thanks in advance

Peter

 

[ksanders]

Wow!!! What a story!

The big takeaway I get from this is to get your paperwork in order on any deal.
Document the boat with the USCG, and file any liens with them at the time of sale.

That way you have a clear trail of ownership.

This is so messed up nobody would in their right mind buy the boat because of potential claims against the boat, and any potential buyer needs to understand the issues and risks if they choose to get in the middle of this mess.

 

[Mako]

"This is so messed up nobody would in their right mind buy the boat because of potential claims against the boat, and any potential buyer needs to understand the issues and risks if they choose to get in the middle of this mess."

This is exactly what I was thinking also. Not a criticism to the OP, but the ownership very well may be clouded, so until everything is cleared up and squared away, perhaps take it off the market. Also if you can sail her back to the States (south Florida) then you'll sell her much easier.

 

[Capt Pappy]

Interesting, but sad tale with several lessons noted by this hopeful future buyer of a somewhat similar vessel.

I certainly hope the involved parties resolve their differences prior to expending too much on legal fees - most always the best route. Don’t ‘dig in’ — I know easy for an outsider to say, but compromise / solution seems in order. No one likely touches this vessel after hearing the recent legal issues

Calmer seas to both

 

[bountyhunter44]

Question- up thread one of the parties said the boat was difficult to insure. Can someone shed light on the issue? Not looking for fingerpointing, just trying to understand insurance issues in Mexico. I was able to get liability insurance in Mexico very easily (Chubb) so curious what type of insurance was sought and the limitations.

Thanks in advance

Peter

Peter, what year is your boat?

 

[bountyhunter44]

Hey Peter,

I'm Mark, the guy who bought that Seaton in Mexico. What year is your boat?

I tried all the "older boat friendly" insurance companies I could find in the states, all wanted a recent US Survey for that old of boat.

I tried 3 companies that insure boats in Baja, and the Caribbean parts of Mexico, both US and Mexican companies, none of those panned out either.

When I explained all this to the seller, I made a promise to just keep the boat at the marina until we sold one of our homes and paid off the remaining balance on the boat. Dick seemed ok with it, but I think his wife was getting sick at the time, she was not. That situation put us between a rock and a hard place.

 

[mvweebles]

Peter, what year is your boat?

1970 Willard 36. Currently in Chiapas MX. I originally received liability through BajaBound.com. Cost is $503/yr for $100k/$300k/$100k liability coverage.

Peter

 

[bountyhunter44]

1970 Willard 36. Currently in Chiapas MX. I originally received liability through BajaBound.com. Cost is $503/yr for $100k/$300k/$100k liability coverage.

View attachment 164915

Peter

Copy,

I just answered you above as well. I missed your last sentence earlier. You have Liability Insurance.

With a Preferred Ship's Mortgage Contract, apparently, you have to have full comprehensive coverage and show that your sellers as additionally insured. This requires a haul-out survey and the use of a US-licensed Surveyor. This is where we got jammed up.

 

[bountyhunter44]

Interesting, but sad tale with several lessons noted by this hopeful future buyer of a somewhat similar vessel.

I certainly hope the involved parties resolve their differences prior to expending too much on legal fees - most always the best route. Don’t ‘dig in’ — I know easy for an outsider to say, but compromise / solution seems in order. No one likely touches this vessel after hearing the recent legal issues

Calmer seas to both

We were going to cut our losses and leave the issue until I found the boat listed for sale. This was quite unerving because Dick promised us first right of refusal when he wished to sell it again.

This boat was not a "repo", nor did any deal "fell through". We sold the boat back to Dick due to his threats to repo it for not having adequate insurance. This, I learned later cannot be enforced and it was completely illegal for Dick to board our boat while we were away, take possession, and then threaten would "repo" the boat.

We felt we were against the corner and decided it best to simply sell it back to him for what we owed.

Very sad for us as we loved that boat and used it for taking Vets out diving for PTSD Therapy.

 

[mvweebles]

Peter, I just caught the last sentence. You got Liability coverage. With a Ships Mortgage Contract, you have to have full coverage, etc.

If the seller is carrying the note, it's his choice whether they require full coverage.

Current asking price on this boat is $85k and given the recent history, the boat is essentially frozen. The quotes I received for full coverage were ridiculous ($5k/yr), carried difficult restrictions for me (headed south through Central America), and yes, required a recent survey. So I opted for Liability Insurance.

Mark, here's the brutal truth of where you and the seller are: Seller wants full coverage insurance. Instead, they are reposessing the boat and will not have insurance nor will they be able to get insurance ---- and can only sell to someone who pays cash and doesn't seek insurance and is willing to look the other way on all the BS you both describe. Sounds like you have really rubbed each other the wrong way but the practical truth here is you two really need to set aside some of the emotions and figure out a happy place. The seller can't sell, and you've invested a bunch already. You're the best buyer he has, he's the best seller you have. WORK IT OUT!!! Maybe you have another asset you can securitize.

Good luck -

Peter

 

[mvweebles]

We were going to cut our losses and leave the issue until I found the boat listed for sale. This was quite unerving because Dick promised us first right of refusal when he wished to sell it again.

This boat was not a "repo", nor did any deal "fell through". We sold the boat back to Dick due to his threats to repo it for not having adequate insurance. This, I learned later cannot be enforced and it was completely illegal for Dick to board our boat while we were away, take possession, and then threaten that he could "repo" the boat.

We felt we were against the corner and decided it best to simply sell it back to him for what we owed.

Very sad for us as we loved that boat and used it for taking Vets out diving for PTSD Therapy.

Neither of you want any part of the Mexican civil legal system. It bears no resemblance to the US one.

You guys really need to work this out. Hope you do - looks like the boat has plenty of potential.

Peter

 

[bountyhunter44]

Neither of you want any part of the Mexican civil legal system. It bears no resemblance to the US one.

You guys really need to work this out. Hope you do - looks like the boat has plenty of potential.

Peter

Thank you for the kind words. I hope it does work out for both of us.

 

[bountyhunter44]

If the seller is carrying the note, it's his choice whether they require full coverage.

Current asking price on this boat is $85k and given the recent history, the boat is essentially frozen. The quotes I received for full coverage were ridiculous ($5k/yr), carried difficult restrictions for me (headed south through Central America), and yes, required a recent survey. So I opted for Liability Insurance.

Mark, here's the brutal truth of where you and the seller are: Seller wants full coverage insurance. Instead, they are reposessing the boat and will not have insurance nor will they be able to get insurance ---- and can only sell to someone who pays cash and doesn't seek insurance and is willing to look the other way on all the BS you both describe. Sounds like you have really rubbed each other the wrong way but the practical truth here is you two really need to set aside some of the emotions and figure out a happy place. The seller can't sell, and you've invested a bunch already. You're the best buyer he has, he's the best seller you have. WORK IT OUT!!! Maybe you have another asset you can securitize.

Good luck -

Peter

Peter, good advice.

I would take the boat again. I'd have to get past feelings of mistrust and repeated lies.

We even asked if we could purchase it back.

When Dick came to visit once, I offered him to stay on the boat for free. It was after this that he wanted to have it back and live on it again. I had completed a lot of essential upgrades at this point, rebuilt the engine, the bow thruster, the hydraulic pump, etc, etc. This seemed to be part of the agenda.

Dick initially agreed to sell it back to us when he was done living on board again. I thought this was a better solution to a "repo". I figured I'd just pay off what we owed, and we would be all happy and clear.

However, Dick never contacted us since about him selling the boat back to us. In fact, my friend was the one who sent the classified ad after he saw it on Facebook.

I now believe Dick never had any intentions of selling the boat back to us. It seems more likely he would rather make some monetary gains off us.

Just puts a bad taste in our mouths. We, as boaters and sailors, are supposed to be a different breed.

 

[slowgoesit]

RIO DULCE MARINE SURVEYORS
Aldea Rio Dulce Livingston Izabal, GUATEMALA
(502) 5732-0219
john@riodulcemarina.com

Captain John M. Brandes, AMS
Member of SAMS
(Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors)

John traveled to our boat in in Chiapas, MX to do a full survey that the insurance company required. It wasn't inexpensive, but it was fair. Once we got his survey, the insurance company bound us with a full coverage insurance policy on our boat, which was made in 1982. This was in February of last year (2024).

The insurance was bound through Peter Ricks of Novamar insurance in Seattle Washington.
2100 Westlake Ave N, Ste 103, Seattle, WA 98109, Seattle, WA, United States, Washington
(206) 281-8144
info@novamar.net

The surveyors are out there. So insurance is available.