What has happened to the boat market?

[Refueler]

I want the romance of casting off and heading away to who knows where, for days and weeks at a time. Spending hours idling at anchor or test driving new pubs in new places.

Thats sailing for me, the exploration side of it, the time out free feeling. It just cant be beaten, and its worth all the hassle and pita expense of ownership to be abl to just do that on your own terms, beholden to no-one.

I work hard ... 24/7 ... ships don't 'park at night / weekends' ... so my job has me occupied at all sorts of times ...

The act of stepping on board .. casting off and doing something away from the job is a huge thing for me. Whether its the speedboat on the river - or the larger 38 out into the Baltic ...

But I do like to have a destination ... to give it some reason other than to just while away a day or so ..

I cannot imagine being without a boat ...

 

[Alicatt]

One of the ones we viewed had an over powering smell of diesel inside.

Oh boy did that hit home!
our motorboat had an overpowering smell of diesel in it, after removing 20 litres of the stuff from the bilge the smell is a lot less and slowly going, getting rid of the ballast and wood that was soaked in diesel made a huge difference.
First thing we do when we get to the boat is open the tent and sniff to see what smell is left. The wife commented yesterday that I no longer smell like diesel when coming home from working on her.

€6k boat, so far we have spent just over €2k in refurbishing her, a big chunk of that was the servicing of the engine and replacing parts that had worn out

 

[Refueler]

One of the ones we viewed had an over powering smell of diesel inside.

A boat I bought many moons ago .. stank of gasoline ... even though she hadn't seen water for a few years ...

Fuel tank has corroded and gasoline had seeped into bilges ... evaporated by left the stench to fester ...

I still bought her though ... loads of Oven Spray Cleaner ... Multi Purpose cleaners ... and she was soon clear of it ...

Diesel though has a persistence that defies most !!

 

[lustyd]

I find fairy liquid clears diesel pretty quickly. Use it neat at first then add a small amount of water and rub then add water to rinse. sometimes needs a couple of attempts but usually not more than that. Have to remember that it removes all oils and grease though so any bare metal then needs a bit of attention to stop rust.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

The last boat I bought had been on the hard for nearly 2 years and a combination of leaking crankshaft rear oil seal and poor changing of the fuel filters ensured the bilge was a real mess. A pressure washer, industrial degreaser, multiple bottles of Bilgex and wash and rinse cycles followed a period with a deodorant and absorbant mats to catch the oil until I bit the bullet and sorted the leak ensured a fresh smelling boat. We had to treat all the upholstery with pet deodorant to get rid of the lingering MAB smell although the boat was only 6 years old.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Currently looking to buy a retirement boat after selling my trusty Bavaria 36 at the beginning of 2022 and then getting stuck in a very, very, long frustrating wait for probate. Watching the market it does seem that mediteranean boats in the 40-45ft range are constantly seeing price reductions.

Will spend the next few years in employment fitting a boat out with all the "usual stuff" these days, solar arch, davits, outboard hoist, lithium, new electronics, electric winches, watermaker, freezer, washing machine, starlink, as well as replacing matresses, upholstery, sails, running rigging, standing rigging, all safety equipment, ground tackle, exterior canvas and anything else that looks aged, grubby or is on its way out - re-fit budget will be about 40% of the purchase price - maybe more. Then in a few years stop work and go exploring.

Hoping to get something new enough that doesn't have any serious lurking age-related issues - which makes it all a bit of a dilema .... get something around 3-7 years old and fit the goodies over time, or get something around 10-15 years old and throw money at it to get it up to scratch. I guess it all depends what is available when the cash becomes available.

Looking forward to the search.

Two quotes stick in my mind which sum up my enjoyment of boating ... ...

“Believe me my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” - Ratty says to Mole in ‘The Wind in the Willows’.

and ...

"Not just the Spanish Main, love. The entire ocean. The entire wo'ld. Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that's what a ship needs but what a ship is... what the Black Pearl really is... is freedom." - Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean.

PS: If anyone has a nice Jeanneau SO 409,419,439,449,45DS , a Beneteau Oceanis 41,41.1 or an Elan Impression 434,444, or 45 or anything similar to these that they want to pass on to a good home at the end of this season then I'm all ears.

 

[Refueler]

I am always smiling when I see the 3 - 4yrs old ... maybe 10yrs old and need lot of work comments ....

Boats are not like cars - where a 10yr old can cost you a fair bit putting back straight ... many 20yr old boats I see are good and owners could quite happily sail away on ...

 

[dancrane]

I wondered about that, myself.

What kind of work is it that needs doing aboard a yacht less than seven years old? Is it purely cosmetic, or kit that was no good from new, needing overdue upgrading?

I suppose the mindset that happily pays to keep unused boats in marinas, also lays out to keep them looking "showroom".

 

[lustyd]

What kind of work is it that needs doing aboard a yacht less than seven years old?

Depends on the owner. I've viewed boats in better than new condition and I've viewed boats with cupboard doors hanging off. It's down to the owner to look after and maintain the boat and some seem to choose not to, or are oblivious to how bad their boat is. Some of us investigate the tiniest drip of oil while others let it be and go sailing. As this thread has shown though, some owners sell their boats in minutes for full asking price while others remain on the market wondering what the problem is "with the market".

 

[Baggywrinkle]

I am always smiling when I see the 3 - 4yrs old ... maybe 10yrs old and need lot of work comments ....

Boats are not like cars - where a 10yr old can cost you a fair bit putting back straight ... many 20yr old boats I see are good and owners could quite happily sail away on ...

I wondered about that, myself.

What kind of work is it that needs doing aboard a yacht less than seven years old? Is it purely cosmetic, or kit that was no good from new, needing overdue upgrading?

I suppose the mindset that happily pays to keep unused boats in marinas, also lays out to keep them looking "showroom".

A lot is cosmetic, but it depends on what you want out of your boat. I'm a bit OCD with mine, and I can't abide things that don't work exactly as they should.

Examples you will certainly find on your average 10 year old boat are:

Buttons with the symbols or labels rubbed off
Buttons that need to be pressed in a particular way to get them to work.
Toilet pumps that weep.
Outdated tech.
Door handles that have disintegrated, as well as latches that are no longer robust.
Leaks
Holding tanks with calcified pipework.
Engines that don't keep their fluids in.
Crazed windows.
Corroded aluminium hatch frames.
Rusting anchor chains.
Damaged interior joinery.
Poorly fitted accessories/mish mash of components.
Stained upholstery/matresses.
Worn sprayhoods and biminis.
Through hulls starting to show their age.
Exhaust elbows corroding.
Stained teak/wood
Sails nearing end of life.
DIY Electrical repairs that don't quite work 100% or are hazardous.
Exterior nav lights that are on the blink.
Seals on deck fittings and windows beginning to fail.
Running rigging starting to harden up.
Grotty fridge interiors.
DIY interior modifications (disasters) or brackets/clamps for obsolete equipment (or perhaps the screw holes left by their removal).

It's my boat and my requirements .... and even when a boat is sitting on a mooring or in a marina - it is constantly moving which has a wear and tear effect over the years.

... sure I may find a gem that someone has treasured that is factory fresh but that is very unlikely or very costly. I'm looking for a blank canvas in as good a condition as I can afford and I have a very clear idea what I want it to end up like.

 

[dancrane]

Wow - your long list of examples of less-than-perfect kit reminds me how depressing it can be, looking at boats I can afford.

 

[Supertramp]

Put it right when it goes wrong, or put it on the winter list and then make sure you do it. It takes time, money and effort. I keep my boat watered, fueled and victualled so I can turn up and go off for a week with minimum preparation.

I like her to look good but in commission rather than a shiny toy. I agree with Baggywrinkles list - those would be on my fixed or to fix list.

Every boat I looked at when buying had numerous things to fix but some were superficial versus deeper issues. Ages ranged from 40 to 15 years. I am much happier knowing my boat intimately than just assuming it's new enough to not worry (yet). I could not afford the new route on an offshore capable yacht.

There will always be people who love to sail and they (we) will find a way. I think the market will continue to polarise into very cheap, old (but sometimes very good) boats and increasingly expensive new boats.

 

[Alicatt]

A lot is cosmetic, but it depends on what you want out of your boat. I'm a bit OCD with mine, and I can't abide things that don't work exactly as they should.

Examples you will certainly find on your average 10 year old boat are:

<snip>
... sure I may find a gem that someone has treasured that is factory fresh but that is very unlikely or very costly. I'm looking for a blank canvas in as good a condition as I can afford and I have a very clear idea what I want it to end up like.

A few of those tick the boxes on our 45 year old boat, it is well past show room condition, the previous owner had the boat partially rewired - and I am still looking at the wiring in horror- he had a little work done and pasted over a few anomalies in the interior woodwork which I'm having a look at tonight, there is a 4 week lead time on the stainless steel counter top for the sink and hob but that is no real problem at the moment.
The owner prior to that really let the boat go but she is coming on back to life.
Dinner finished and back to the boat

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

There are so many boats 28 ft and smaller out there; but people nowadays are looking for boats 33ft and over that provide much more accommodation and comfort for a few more £thousands. Unfortunately, If you want to sell a smaller boat, you would need to drop the price.

 

[Refueler]

Wow - your long list of examples of less-than-perfect kit reminds me how depressing it can be, looking at boats I can afford.

I am just gobsmacked at such a list ... sort of list I'd expect at a junk yard !

 

[Tranona]

I am just gobsmacked at such a list ... sort of list I'd expect at a junk yard !

That is not all on one boat but the sort of things that you see if you look at a lot of 10 year old boats, particularly if you are looking in the same location as Baggywrinkle where there s a high proportion of ex charter or absentee owner boats. climate and pattern of usage plays a part as well.

 

[srm]

I would usually take three years from buying a used boat to getting it how I wanted.
Initial prep after buying before passage home would take around a month, just to be comfortable with a circa 600 mile passage from S England to Shetland or Orkney. This would show up a number of things I wanted to change such as getting rid of the dripping toilet and installing a Lavac, improving deck layout, etc.
The boat would be sailed each season, usually logging 1000 nm plus with required work during winter. After three seasons I was down to basic maintenance and the odd replacement/upgrade.