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Boat buying advice please


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Hi all, I've been checking out the boards and loads of info!

 

Having settled in Whangarei I'm looking for a small, low maintenance family cruiser, Ideally a decent trailer sailer to park up at Parua (to keep ongoing maintenance down) but maybe a keeler.

 

Budget is pretty much $9k including a mooring if needed (so I'd have say $7,500 for a keeler) Not looking at setting records for speed or making massive passages (maybe up the bay or across to GBI). I'm after a small starter yacht, get the wife comfortable sailing, do a little harbour racing and cruising, maybe some fishing.

 

Just wondering what you would recommend really.

 

Also I've seen a lot of boats that have been on Trade me for over a year, just wondering what the go is with low ball offers - will it be decidedly offensive if I offered the owners what I thought the boat was worth or am I better just to keep looking for a different boat? How is the market right now for buying anyhow? It's actually quite confusing and I'm on a tight budget. I'd want to be sure I'm not going to need to spend buckets of cash straight away on a "project"!

 

Anyhow any advice much appreciated!

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in the market at the moment it seems to me that 9k will get you quite a lot of small keeler, probably quite a good time to be buying. you might even be able to manage a tracker or a raven 26?

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Yes, heaps of stuff available at the moment! Maybe even this;

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-m ... 866105.htm

 

Certainly a Raven http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-m ... 749444.htm

 

Or this Tracker http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-m ... 409123.htm

 

From a brief look, good trailer boats are a bit more expensive. The Keeler will be more expensive to keep (mooring fees etc), but less expensive to buy.

 

If you post up here anything you are keen on, I'm sure you'll get some constructive comments! :D

Good luck with your search!

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Cheers and so quick!

 

I've kind of got a hard limit of around 9k all up, so including a mooring ($1200-1500) and any small bits and pieces to get her ready for the summer. I can deal with ongoing maintenance from there.

 

I like Trackers/reactors and Ravens and could probably manage bringing one up from Auckland.

 

Is my budget to low (i.e. dreaming) for something half decent ex. Auckland. The Raven on the trademe ad looks good but at 5K it's not at reserve. What do these boats go for, for say a tidyish jump on and sail type model?

 

I think I'd rather get a smaller but tidier boat than something bigger but that will turn into a money pit.

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If your keen on a keeler, or actually whatever start saving and watching them. I'd suggest making an offer as many sit there for ages.

 

Motoring back with that KM last weekend and was surprised at the number sitting there abandoned, and some still in good nick.

 

Family cruiser, how many how old.

Are you new to cruising ?

 

My thoughts, if your new and keen to get her-in-doors out on the water a trailer sailor. Like Island Time says this will be a lot cheaper in the long run, and if things get tight can be parked up with possibly no expense and a lot easier to maintain.

 

Whangarei harbour, Hen & Chickens Ngunguru would possibly all be better suited to a trailer sailor or something with a low draft. Further afield a keeler.

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Is my budget to low (i.e. dreaming) for something half decent ex. Auckland. The Raven on the trademe ad looks good but at 5K it's not at reserve. What do these boats go for, for say a tidyish jump on and sail type model?

 

the previous auction had a reserve of 12k, with bidding reaching the 6s. so i would say not entirely out of the question.

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I purchased a Raven 26 this year and love it, my first keeler.

 

It was a boat in pretty good condition and I ended up paying $11 for it after it originally being advertised for $15.

 

You need to bear in mind that anything that sort of price is a probably close to a 40 year old boat, and no matter how well maintained it has been, you will always have something to spend money on, either improvements you want to make or stuff just wearing out, breaking or being subject to the sun! Even doing it yourself can be costly. Anything "marine" costs at least twice as much as what you think it should.

 

I certainly don't want to put you off, but ongoing maintainence will always have costs associated with it.

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I'm not expecting something perfect but rather something that is fine and safe for now but perhaps could do with a freshen up next winter. I've owned a trailer yacht in canterbury and know how quickly a Burnsco shop can add up!

 

So with the added cost of buying a mooring it leaves a budget of circa $7,500 - I'd need to leave some in the kitty for any immediate mods. I could get a wee Tasman or Coronet keeler or a southerly/variant for that I guess. There's a Harmonic on Trade me that may be worth a cheeky offer too. I could probably sustain around $1K- 1.5K for annual maintenance so a few boats that I'd look at possibly and make some pretty cheeky offers on are:

 

 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-m ... 741855.htm

 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-m ... 816306.htm

 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-m ... 892073.htm

 

Would any off these be "gettable" in the $7.5 K range???

 

 

Otherwise there are a few Tasman and Coronet Keelers around too, but may as well get a trailer version aye????

 

It's for me and my 8 and 5 year old and sometimes wifey and the odd guest, harbour cruising mostly and maybe GBI or BOI for a week max. We don't mind roughing it a bit.

 

One final thing, how long is a trip up from Auckland to Whangarei going to take me and is it pretty straight forward (pick the right weather window and stick to my own limits)?

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If you want a hand to look at any boats in the area flick me a message. I am lazy student who is bumming around studying till mid October and then away for a month.

 

Cool offer and yes please! Just need to get together a shortlist.

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One piece of advise would be to go with a known design. Boats like the Mummery and the Clark will always have more trouble selling than a Harmonic for example as they are an unknown. Unknown performance, unknown sea handling, unknown build etc. Out of the three above i would be looking at the Harmonic to be honest.

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If you want a hand to look at any boats in the area flick me a message. I am lazy student who is bumming around studying till mid October and then away for a month.

 

Cool offer and yes please! Just need to get together a shortlist.

 

No worries, I have had a jim young 20, farr 7.5 and farr 40 over the years. Currently have hartely 32 in town basin that I will be moving onto soon

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If you want a hand to look at any boats in the area flick me a message. I am lazy student who is bumming around studying till mid October and then away for a month.

 

Cool offer and yes please! Just need to get together a shortlist.

 

No worries, I have had a jim young 20, farr 7.5 and farr 40 over the years. Currently have hartely 32 in town basin that I will be moving onto soon

 

 

Cheers Mate- will definietly call on your assistance and advice-in exchange for rum?

 

There's a boat at Ngunguru, a 20 foot Coronet Keeler, needs a couple of grand spent on her (Outboard, electric systems and plotter sounder etc, but what would that be like? There's also a cheap as Southerly in Kerikeri, but it looks pretty rough inside.

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My grandfather always said that buying a boat is the cheapest bit - I've kept this in mind and found it to be true.

 

I think that there's a magic equation that give a net cost to a boat... you can buy it cheap but you will spend the equivalent dosh bringing it up to a seaworthy state.

 

I wouldn't bother with a keeler under 24'. If you're looking at a coronet or a southerly IMO you may as well stick with a TS - just as big and can be just as seaworthy and sooo much cheaper in the long run.

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Just one more question, how hard is it to sail/motor a boat up from Auckland?

 

I've sailed plenty before (Canterbury harbour racing in a TY) and driven powerboats but never made a coastal passage - With the right weather window is this fairly easily doable. I'm figuring AKL to Kawau on day 1 then Kawau to Whangarei day 2?

 

It would certainly broaden my search somewhat!

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One piece of advise would be to go with a known design. Boats like the Mummery and the Clark will always have more trouble selling than a Harmonic for example as they are an unknown. Unknown performance, unknown sea handling, unknown build etc. Out of the three above i would be looking at the Harmonic to be honest.

 

I'd agree with that

That mummery doesn't quite feel right, not all pics are of the boat so why have them.

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One piece of advise would be to go with a known design. Boats like the Mummery and the Clark will always have more trouble selling than a Harmonic for example as they are an unknown. Unknown performance, unknown sea handling, unknown build etc. Out of the three above i would be looking at the Harmonic to be honest.

 

I'd agree with that

That mummery doesn't quite feel right, not all pics are of the boat so why have them.

 

 

It's been on there for ages too. So I'm kind of thinking Bargain Tracker, 727, 747, S and S 24, Harmonic if I go the keeler route. Am I on the right track?

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