# Used sailboat prices



## stroudw (Aug 22, 2008)

OK, the economy is in the tank. With the price of gas going up the way it did this past season we've seen the price of used power boats sink (pun intended). With the stock market crash and the mess in the credit market I'm guess there will be a number of power boat makers out of business this by the end of the year. I guess I wouldn't invest too much in a sailboat manufactures either. My question is, what's happening to the sale prices for used sailboats? I've followed the asking price for my boat, a Pearosn 36-2, on Yacht World and it seems to be holding steady. Are selling prices holding steady too, or are sellers finding it necessary to accept offers well below asking price to make the deal?


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## WouldaShoulda (Oct 7, 2008)

Good economy or bad, it depends on the financial condition of the seller more than anything else.

The adage is not "buy high sell low" yet people do it all the time!!


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

When i bought my current boat this spring there were only 2 in the Long Island area and none of the current money mess 


The owner had more money than you could shake a stick at BUT the boat had been in the driveway 3 years and with the termites eating the tiller  it had pretty limited curb appeal  


I got it for 1000 under the asking price and we were both happy because he had and empty driveway and i did not have to start driving 100 to 400 miles to look at beat up boats 

Having looked at yachtworld all summer a LOT of the same boats are still sitting and my price is still looking good


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## vadimgo (Feb 23, 2007)

The thing is,
sailboats, and used sailboats in particular, are not a fast turning commodity. And even more to the point, the decision to buy or sell a boat is almost never rational financial decision. Add to it the difficulties to transport a sailboat even small distance compared to the price of storage and/or the price of the boat itself and... I believe for somebody going trough hard time the idea to sell the boat is not the first to occur. Plus, it is not easy to sell a boat fast regarless the price.
I would say, the price of the used boats is more connected to the sales of the new boats, where the owner does not need/want the old anymore and storage/moorings are in limited supply. It looks to me, there would be more used boats for sale in good economic conditions. Whether your individual chance for a great find/deal is bigger, that would correlate more to the amount of time you could spend looking, I think.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

stroud...I've reduced my price 3 times...my broker says prices are down significantly from a year or two ago on the bluewater boats he deals in. Not sure how smaller production boats are holding up. There are some very desireable boats that had short production runs and if in good condition, they are still very much in demand...but I think most bot have been affected. 
This does NOT mean you can negotiate big price reductions...it means your final price will be lower than a year ago. If the asking price has already been lowered to match the market the price ain't coming down that much. The place where big discounts should be available is where the owner has had the same price for a year or more and it is out of touch with the market.


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## Boasun (Feb 10, 2007)

Have seen some price reductions here in the south land. But mostly due to Hurricane damage. 
Have yet to notice any real reductions on the other boats.


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## TackBoston (Oct 11, 2008)

From what we have seen, it depends heavily on the age of the boat. Used sailboats have been selling well, though it is mostly the older ones. Young used sailboats have to compete with the strong discounts that manufacturers are offering on new boats. So if you have a 4 year old boat, you have to be willing to lower the price. An older boat should do well, however, as some are searching for a less-expensive boat rather than buying new. Generally, you should be prepared for offers to come in at 10% below asking.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

Check for Repo sailboats. Part of my 6 month search included searching Yachtworld for keywords related to that. Use the advance search and put words like these into the Keyword field: bank, repo, repossessed, repossession. (I used to do mis-spelling variations, if memory serves, but now YW corrects my intentional mis-spellings. My theory is that better deals may be found when you're one of the few people finding the misspelled listings. ) 

I think you have to use one keyword at a time. I don't remember if there's a way to OR them.

I just tested out some keywords:
- Using "bank", I got 148 sailboats
- Using "repo", I got 10 sailboats
- Using "repossessed", I got 1 sailboat
- Using "repossession", I got 2 sailboats

Try other keywords too:
- Using "motivated", I got 334 sailboats
- Using "bankruptcy", I got 1 sailboat (and a different one for "bankrupt")
- Using "forced", I got 55 sailboats

Hope that helps.


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## MtnMike (Mar 5, 2007)

I've been looking at several used boats lately. The boats that I'm looking at are in the $100,000 to $150,000 range. They don't seem to be coming down in that range. However, one of the brokers that I'm dealing with email the other day and said that because of the stockmarket, one of the owners may be willing to negotiate on his boat. Now how far down he'd come is hard to tell. Cash in hand might go a long way.


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## stroudw (Aug 22, 2008)

Thanks for the replies. 

I bought my boat about three years ago, a 36 Pearson, so I'm not in the market at this time, except that the Admiral has been getting very nervouse about the stock market and has started to talk about selling the boat. I have no plans to sell, but then I'm only the Captain. 

It is nice to know, or at least dilude myself into thinking, that I might get almost as much as I paid for it if I do have to sell. But perish the thought. We've had a great season on the Chesapeake with two more weekend outings planned before we haul out for the winter. 

Whenever the Admiral starts talking about selling I take her out for a weekend on the water with one of her best friends and her best friend's husband. She's smiling from ear to ear when we get back in on Sunday night.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

That's a great plan, having her friends go for a sail.

I wonder, with inflation where it could be this year, it may be wise to hold onto our sailboats. At least you can keep using them. And they aren't made of paper (with pictures of Presidents on them) that can have questionable value.


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

I reckon the volume builders are not seeing a lot of volume and will forego profit for turnover. Their fixed costs are not reducing because of a market crash.

So the price of new boats will become very negotiable and used boat prices will probably take a beating. But I agree with an earlier post, older boats 15yrs+ will not shift much unless there are financially desperate owners out there. But then again, with the sub-prime crisis in the US, there may be a whole heap of mortgagees who could be getting desperate :-(


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## L124C (Oct 4, 2007)

This thread reminds me of an lesson I learned about boat value. I was interested in buying a boat that had a new Yanmar, was structurally sound, had a good sail inventory, but needed a lot of work. The motor alone was worth the asking price of 15k. I found that asking prices for comparable boats in "good condition" ranged from around 80k to 150k. I figured, I can buy the boat for 15k, put about 30k, and a lot of work into it, and have a 80k boat! The surveyor and I had been going over the boat for about an hour, when he put his clipboard down, looked me in the eye and asked me what my objective was in buying this boat. He pointed out that his list of selling prices (BUC, etc.) for comparable boats in fair to good condition indicated the boats were selling for around 35k. He said, "you can invest 45k, and a lot of hard work, and have a boat worth 35k, or you can buy one for 35k without the work". Point made, survey over! I now realize that this boat was a flotation device for a nice motor! Very sad really. Many owners and brokers have inflated ideas of what their boats are worth. Find out what boats are actually selling for before wasting too much time and money on a deal.


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## stroudw (Aug 22, 2008)

L124C,
I remember reading an article in one of the sailing magazines about a guy who hired a yard to convert an old Pearson Triton into a day sailor. They did a gorgeous job and the finished product was beautiful. The owner said it cost about as much as buying a new boat of similar dimension. So, how will this boat list on Yacht World when the owner decides to sell? "1962 Pearson Triton, modifed to knowledgable owners specifications by reputable yard. Offered at $85,000."


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## northbay (Aug 6, 2008)

For what it's worth, my two cents, brand has a lot to do with the price one will get or pay for a boat, i.e. when one is attempting to sell a Catalina or Hunter there are so many to select from that the price is open. On the other hand a Tartan or Sabre will tend to hold a price as there are not many on the market. 

One also needs to look at general market for boats. We are a sailing school and charter company. In any given year we see many folks planning to live the dream of moving aboard. This trend continues but for different reasons, now to lower costs/down size vs. the adventure of it all.

Potential live aboards were looking to take their land accomodations with them, now they're tending to down size their expectations. But they are finding that tough to do with older boats as they lack things like tankage, refrig, and overall volum/space down below. They're between a rock and hard place; can't afford big and they can't live on small (38 and below). Add the loss of discretionary income and you WILL see prices taking a hit across the board. Not as many are willing to spend the money for a boat that can be sailed only on short trips and others can't afford the big $$$ that will give them live aboard comfort and over the horizon adventure.

Things have changed from the time when we first started sailing (35 years). Peoples expectations have also. Our culture wants more and they are less willing to take the trade offs. It's a new world. Why else would we be so willing to redistribute the wealth, if we didn't expect to get something for nothing. 

Sail on sailor.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

IIRC, this boat was sold, for a pretty decent price, and there have been further orders for similar conversions. 


stroudw said:


> L124C,
> I remember reading an article in one of the sailing magazines about a guy who hired a yard to convert an old Pearson Triton into a day sailor. They did a gorgeous job and the finished product was beautiful. The owner said it cost about as much as buying a new boat of similar dimension. So, how will this boat list on Yacht World when the owner decides to sell? "1962 Pearson Triton, modifed to knowledgable owners specifications by reputable yard. Offered at $85,000."


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## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

northbay said:


> For what it's worth, my two cents, brand has a lot to do with the price one will get or pay for a boat, i.e. when one is attempting to sell a Catalina or Hunter there are so many to select from that the price is open. On the other hand a Tartan or Sabre will tend to hold a price as there are not many on the market.
> 
> Sail on sailor.


On the other hand, Catalina's, Beneteau's and Hunters are well known and generally well regarded for their intended purpose, so the market for them may be larger as well. It seems to me that a lot of folks will look to step up within whatever brand they started with. Several folks in my marina are on their second or third Hunter.

Keeping your boat cleaner and better maintained is probably the key to making sure your production boat is the first among its peers to sell.


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

*Buyer's perspective*

Interesting that you should be following the Pearson 36-2. I have been looking at the same boats, from a buying perspective for over two years. There always seem to be about 10-15 of them in YW at any one time.

Prices of boats that I have looked at have ranged from $50K to $84K, excluding a couple of dreamers. There is one boat that I have _not _seen, listed for $97K for over two years (since before I started looking). Maybe it is pristine... maybe it is gold plated, but it is not selling... And, at that asking price I'm not even looking... 

Yes, I too have noticed that the prices in YW are holding steady. However, every time that I have looked at a boat this year, the broker has politely encouraged me to make an offer. Last year the price was the price. I suspect that there is some softness in the demand side of the market, and the brokers know this. They get paid when the boat is sold.

I have not bit the bullet yet because, my boat bucks were invested in mutual funds , and _every _Pearson 36-2 that I have looked at has had a moisture problem (particularly on the port side near the stanchions), and I'm not looking to buy a deck re-core project. (The $84K boat was a real doozy - it was a later year boat that had run aground in a hurricane, and then been poorly repaired!) Also, many of these boats have been sorely neglected (one broker threw out all the cushions because of the mold, and hired a cleaner to go through the boat before I saw it. That boat was still a mess.)

I suspect that a well maintained boat would sell quickly, if realistically priced.


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## northbay (Aug 6, 2008)

For the most part once in a Hunter it's hard to redirect to another make... for the most part. I agree a well maintained boat is the best way to obtain the best price. 

We have a couple of Catalina's that have been for sale for going on two years. We also had a Tartan that sold in three weeks. Not a scientific test but based on other dealers in the East it would seem so, the more mass produced boats, not that Tartan such not be considered massed produced, are moving more slowly and not getting the asking price. Just my two cents.


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## Pamlicotraveler (Aug 13, 2006)

eherlihy said:


> I have not bit the bullet yet because, my boat bucks were invested in mutual funds


Go ahead an bite that bullet eherlihy....for the first time in humanity boats have outperformed mutual funds as an investment over the last month or two!!!! Invest in sailboats for the Long Term.


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

*That boat sailed...*



Pamlicotraveler said:


> Go ahead an bite that bullet eherlihy....for the first time in humanity boats have outperformed mutual funds as an investment over the last month or two!!!! Invest in sailboats for the Long Term.


PT - You are right! I should have had _you _speak to the Admiral.

Wouldda, shouldda... didn't.


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