Yachts in the USA

[DrWatson 374]

SO, while scanning the internet looking for more boats to spend my meagre income on I noticed that the boats in the US are SERIOUSLY cheap. Especially the classics which appear to be in outstanding condition.

 

A 42' schooner for 50k?? it looks quite nice in the photos, and many many glass boats in the 30-40' range. Thousands of 'em. Surely they're not all lemons. The economic downturn has really hammered them.

 

I know you'll pay lots in duties to import them into NZ, but what if you just want a boat to go cruising the world? Seems there are some exceptoinally good deals to be had. Anyone know what the deal is with a foreigner buying a boat there and just buggering off over the horizon? Do you need to deregister it in the States or what? Re-register it in Panama?

[Guest]

You are spot on. If you want to return to NZ a good rule of thumb is double the US price and call it NZ dollars.

 

But if you just want to pick a boat up wherever you find it and sail off into the blue the east coast of the US is the place to start looking.

 

We registered in the US but only state registration - good enough for Mexico but that's all, to go further afield register it as a NZ ship and you are ready to rack. Make sure you have the customs decal to prove it is duty paid in th eUS then you can resell it into the market where you bought it when you are finished.

[DrWatson 374]

So to register it as a NZ ship do you then need to get a Cat1 survey? And/or can you register it as a NZ ship without importing it to NZ? Then it's still techinically imported in the US and no need, as you say by making sure you have the customs decal, to reimport it.

 

Seems like the way to go wrt working for a couple more years and then buggering off for a few/indefinitely.

[AJ Oliver 154]

Don't forget to check out US boats on the Great Lakes too. They are even cheaper than on the East Coast, and tend to be in FAR better shape having spend their lives in fresh water. Fresh water boats last easily twice at long as salt water craft.

 

Here are some offerings from a brokerage co. near us. The S2 9.1's are great family boats, and race well too . . .

 

http://www.harbornorth.com/property_lis ... x?cat_id=5

 

Hope y'all are OK after the quake. I wonder what it's like being on a boat in a marina when the shaking starts . .

 

Fair Winds, AJ Oliver

[DrWatson 374]

That's a point AJ,

 

But would the wooden boats on the lakes hold up as well?

 

I assume one can sail right back out to the Atlantic via canals?

[wheels 543]

Keep your eye on the NZ market. There are some serious cheap deals to be found here and numbers are increasing as the economy becomes tighter. I don't think I have ever seen so many boats being sold so cheaply.

[JK 28]

I have noticed that over the last month or so as well Wheels - take this one http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Boats-marine/Yachts-sail-boats/Moored-boats/auction-314964891.htm. Needs a bit of work to complete but $39k ono for a 1986 34footer, tidy and with a lot of new gear, seems a good price.

[wheels 543]

We bought our boat in 2003 for $115K. At that time, anything of similar quality in Glass or Steel was $250K. Well outside our reach. Right now there are those boats for less than we paid for ours.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motor ... 862617.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motor ... 736884.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motor ... 414513.htm

Now sure, there are still those listed for big dollars and some for good reason. But my gosh there are some real steals on the market also.

[Guest]

You only need Cat1 to leave NZ. So buy it in the US (or elsewhere) and sail it somewhere not NZ and you won't need cat 1.

 

You can register it as a NZ vessel without physically bringing it to NZ, but if that is an issue, register in Panama, Grand Cayman........................

 

 

AJ - we had a feew shakes while living aboard in San fancisco, it feels like you have run aground, then you remember you are tied up in a marina.

 

In the US a lot of people are scared of wood so wood boats are cheap, also keep an eye on a site called certified sales.

 

http://www.certifiedsales.com/

[Guest]

Dr Watson I think you can get NZ reg for any yacht you own for about $500 for five years.You may even be able to do it by internet and google can find you the details.Early this year I went to California to look at boats.I failed to get one because my budget was too low and everything I could afford needed work and the 90days you get under the visa waiver isnt enough especially in winter.And taking it to Mexico isnt the answer unless you can anticipate most of the materials you will need and take them with you.If you know what boat you want and go right to it and its in decent shape and the weather is good,then 90days may work out ok.I think if you can get a better visa than the 90day one then the situation is more better.

[Fish 0]

I have noticed that over the last month or so as well Wheels - take this one http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Boats-marine/Yachts-sail-boats/Moored-boats/auction-314964891.htm. Needs a bit of work to complete but $39k ono for a 1986 34footer, tidy and with a lot of new gear, seems a good price.

 

Thats an absolute bargain for a Quality Birdsall - there aren't many boats around of that pedigree

[Guest]

90 days??? We were there less than that, bought a boat in three days , were in Mexico in 10.

[Guest]

From lat 38

 

 

There's an interesting trend in the sailboat market: Aussies and Kiwis are coming to California to buy boats. They figure they can buy them, take a year or two cruising them back home — and break even on the whole adventure. Patrick Bloomer of the Margaret River area south of Perth in Western Australia is one such guy, and he says he knows of six other Aussie boatbuyers who were doing the same thing six months ago.

 

Shopping online, Bloomer found a fully-equipped Ian Farrier 44 cat, the construction of which was supervised by Farrier himself in San Diego, for sale for $250,000. What got him really keen on the deal is that the price had just been dropped to $250,000 from $380,000. Figuring it would be hard to lose on a four-year-old cat that had only been sailed 18 times and was fully equipped, he bought her sight unseen for $220,000. While Tiger is a "beautiful ocean cat that really moves, and is structurally very sound," Bloomer now thinks buying a boat unseen is "not very bright."

 

"We've had problems with just about everything in getting Tiger sea safe," he explains. "The kick-up rudders weren't up to the job, so we had to build new ones. All the 12-volt stuff was really a mess. The engines needed to be realigned, but what's worse is that they are mounted right on the hulls so the whole boat vibrates like crazy when we run them. But worst of all, after sailing 100 miles in the direction of Hawaii, we discovered a major problem with the triad, which is where the upper shrouds and headstay meet on the rotating mast. We had to come back to San Diego and are having to take the rigging apart and go over it all. At least we didn't lose the mast. We'd had the rig inspected once, but the problems couldn't be seen without taking the turnbuckles apart."

 

Despite having to pour a bunch of time and money into the cat — he gives a big thanks to the Newport Harbor YC for putting them up for a month — Bloomer thinks he still might break even. A big factor will be what the Aussie officials value the cat at when she arrives in Bundaberg. The U.S. and Australia have a duty-free trade agreement, but the Aussie government slaps a 10% GSC or sales tax on boats new to Australia.

 

Because of the months of delays, Bloomer doubts he'll be able to get Tiger back to Western Australia this year as planned, and will only make it to the East Coast

[Atom Ant 0]

Bloomer found a fully-equipped Ian Farrier 44 cat

What? Where?

[Kestrahl 6]

Definately seems like a good option, imagine trying to sell a kiwi boat overseas, except for australia, you would be halfing your money!

[darkside 61]

I've been looking since selling my last boat a month ago.

 

How do you buy local when you have this:

 

http://au.yachtworld.com/boats/2002/Bav ... /St.-Lucia

 

against this?

 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motor ... 083857.htm

 

If you have to ship the boat, that takes all the fun and margin out of it.

If you have the time, why not buy offshore at present.

[wheels 543]

I have a friend that has just bought a 43ft Launch in the US and is shipping it here to NZ. It is coming as deck cargo on top of the containers. It is leaving from LA and the freight cost is a whopping $70K.

[darkside 61]

Wheels, I was quoted USD20,000 for deck cargo (Costa Rica) or USD28,000 for a float on (BVI) for the 36 footer

[AJ Oliver 154]

One of ya asked how to transport a US Great Lakes boat to NZ. Here is one way . . . It's a great, great trip - gotta do it with your mast down though.

 

Also check out Bruce Springsteen's version of the old song . . "Looooow Bridge, everybody down!! . ." We all learned that as kids.

 

Be sure to get a survey.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie_Canal

 

http://www.eriecanalvillage.net/pages/song.html

 

http://prosites-janrod.homestead.com/Er ... storal.jpg

[tuffyluffy 76]

Wheels, I was quoted USD20,000 for deck cargo (Costa Rica) or USD28,000 for a float on (BVI) for the 36 footer

 

Why would you bother. You could sail it back for a fraction of that cost and have a whole lotta fun. Mind you, if your looking at a non NZ Bravaria, you'll need to get it beefed up to the NZ standards so it'll handle the kiwi conditions.