Buying a boat long distance

T

Tug

Active member
Joined
Jun 22, 2007
Messages
1,003
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6
C Dory Year
1985
C Dory Model
22 Angler
Hull Identification Number
DOR22241H585
Vessel Name
Drifter
I have a used C-Dory in mind that i want to buy. What are the pitfalls of paying for the boat in advance and than having it shipped to my location. The only discription that i have of the boat is from the seller and photographs that he has sent me. The boat is too far away for me to drive to pick up because of a back problem...i know it sounds risky but has anyone done this before and if so what precautions did you take. Thanks
 
Hire a surveyor in the area and have them inspect the boat. an inspection for a few hundred to identify a few thousand dollar problem is money well spent.
 
Unless it's Dr. Bob's boat!

I suppose even then that due diligence would require a careful inspection. I don't want to speak for him, but I imagine Dr. Bob would be appalled if anyone were to buy a boat without taking care of the necessary details. This is one case, however, where I would feel very comfortable.

iggy
 
I guess your right...better be safe than sorry...thanks for the advise. Thanks
 
We did that in 2003 with our 32' Sundowner Tug. We purchased the boat via e-bay and then hired a surveyor in Orange Beach, AL. Once the survey was done and I reviewed it -- we sent the money. We had the boat trucked to us in Sturgeon Bay, WI. Six years later we sold it for the same price that we paid in 2003.

We purchased the boat from a great guy that was just getting too old for the boat. Would I do it again, yes - as long as you get a good surveyor.

Good luck hope all works out.
 
Along this same line of thought - when buying my next boat , I'd like to take it out on the water for a quick sea trial. However, when asking about taking a boat out today the Broker acted kind of indignent, like I was a freeloader, and made the comment "we only do sea trials with a purchase agreement in our hands. "
Is this the normal attitude I should expect ? I can climb on board and look, but it aint leaving the dock until I'm writing the check ?

Cheers,
Tom
 
I bought mine ~ a month ago, I'm in S. Texas, the boat is in Connecticut. I committed, with the offer of a cash deposit (declined by the seller) based on an acceptable inspection by myself, or survey. I inspected it myself and bought it. Now the boat is still in COnnecticut, I'm again in S. Texas. We're headed that way in about a month to spend some time using the boat in the N.E., where it was found, before bringing it back this way.
 
tom&shan":17rooy6m said:
Along this same line of thought - when buying my next boat , I'd like to take it out on the water for a quick sea trial. However, when asking about taking a boat out today the Broker acted kind of indignent, like I was a freeloader, and made the comment "we only do sea trials with a purchase agreement in our hands. "
Is this the normal attitude I should expect ? I can climb on board and look, but it aint leaving the dock until I'm writing the check ?

Cheers,
Tom
Click to expand...
You need to find another dealer. I just returned from spending three hours aboard a 2009 21 ec Ranger tug at Wefings Marine. We have not made a commitment and we have not put up a deposit. Marc and his Wife Anita gave us a nice tour of the river and the bay. We plan to go back tomorrow to spend more time on the bay to see how the tug will work in the similar water of the Laguna Madre in Deep South Texas. Marc has even offered to let us have some C-Dory 22 time to make sure the tug is our right choice.
 
Thanks Herb , it was our pleasure ! Thats what we do. We want our customers comfortable in their purchase and with their dealer . Very few things go perfectly well , it's how you deal with them that counts.Tomorrow , we ride some more !
Marc
 
Tom, I think it depends on what type and size of boat. I know that you are looking for a larger boat. Just as in my business, you don't get to do a inspection until you make a deposit and have a contract in hand. As long as your offer is written to allow for a sea trial and for you to with draw if you are not happy then I don't see a big problem.
 
Tug,

I just recently purchased, on E-Bay, from long distance. I was in Az., the boat was in Fla. and I wanted it in Alaska.

I hired a surveyor to do the inspection. Cost was $525. He did an acceptable job but missed some things and was wrong on a few.
I hired a transport company that transports C-Dorys from the factory and also other boats. That worked out very well and at a reasonable price. W. Palm Beach, Fla. to Wenatchee, Wash.
I then hooked up to it in Wash. and towed it home to Alaska.

I had the advantage of a friend having a boat exactly like it so I knew how it performs therefore did not need a test drive.

There is a lot of trust and expectations of honesty involved.

Good luck.

Jack
 
I'll offer another idea.

If there is another knowledgeable C-Brat in the area where the boat is, have him or her go over the boat for you.

Better yet, if there are two or three C-Brats, have them do the job together. One may spot something the other misses.

And no one knows the boat like an owner.

The surveyor may be more knowledgeable in some areas, but the owners know the particular weak and trouble spots of the various models, and can judge the boat's condition, the work required to correct, and the cost factors, better than anyone. They've BT,DT!!!

We did this for prospective fleet members in our sailboat racing days, and could do an excellent evaluation as well as a value determination.

Could even bring along an experienced hard-line negotiator for the price deal, if desired, or necessary.

Then, after buying the boat, we'd tow it home with the new owner and go out to dinner and hoist a few to celebrate the new boat and fleet member!

Everybody wins! (At least on the buying side!)

As always, gotta' out think 'em!

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
I bought a 22 sight unseen, but I knew the seller's wife's brother and trusted him; also Marc at Wefings had serviced the boat and had good things to say about it. When I saw it in person I was even happier with the deal.

Warren
 
Tug, I just did this last year. I decided to fly a surveyor to teh small town the boat was in ($100) to survey the vessel ($200). It was good peace of mind money.

The surveyor missed some minor things, and was not asked to asses others (e.g., the extras with the boat) but all in all I am happy I have the boat. And the nice grandlady that sold the boat badly mischaracterized things (either deliberately or out of lack of knowledge), despite seeming charming and knowledgeable over the phone and in email. Yes, the boat came with a new trailer, but the wiring was wrong. yes, the boat came with "all the electronics", except some did not have the add-ons that made them serviceable. Etc, etc.

One thing I'm glad I did was ask for an email list of all items that came with the boat. Not all of them ended up coming my way, but at least I got 90% of 'em.

This gets tough when the price is a "good deal" and you risk losing the boat by not acting quickly (or by asking the owner to do things like type up a list). But sight unseen, I'd rather be sure.....

Let us know how it works out!
 
Wefings has the reputation for going the extra mile for their customer and I am looking forward to the chance to look over their boats...
 
Hi Tug,

If you cross the river you can visit with a couple of 22s (maybe more?) on June 26, 27. We will be at Kemp marina. Not for sale and Not For Hire either but sometimes a guest ride.

Mark
 
Just this past month, I almost bought a C-dory 22 sight unseen, based on photos and the seller's description.

As I got closer to the purchase, I asked the seller these questions:

1. Since you live in a deep freeze climate, did you winterize the motor?

2. If you did winterize the motor, has it been started since?

3. When was the last time the motor was started, and when was the last time the boat was on the water?

4. When was the last time the boat was serviced at a dealer?

5. Are the hours on the motor also the total hours on the boat, or is there a difference?

The answers I got:

1. No, the boat has never been winterized.

2. The motor hasn't been started in two years

3. The boat hasn't been in the water for two years. The motor has not been cranked in the past two years.

4. The last service was when the motor was rebuilt at the dealer - four years ago.

5. The motor has 300 hours on it. But the boat has many more. The motor was rebuilt three years ago, and thats when the 300 hours started.

Those answers caused me to not buy the boat.

If the boat has been sitting for two years, without any service and without the motor being cranked, and through several deep freezes, it likely will need some work.

And there may be a reason the boat hasn't been used in the past two years . . . and the hours on the motor don't add up. 300 hours in just two years, and then no usage for two additional years?

Maybe the boat is perfect. But, it would not be a boat I'd consider buying sight unseen and shipping across the country.

I learned an important lesson. Ask the right questions. And never consider buying a boat sight unseen.

Bill
 
I bought both my C Dory 22 and 25 sight un seen--but from photographs, and from C brats. The 25 had a survey on it and I talked to the surveyor.

For the most part the C Dories are so well built that you are not going to find a problem which cannot be fairly easily fixed. But I agree that you want some one to look at the boat--and it may not even be a surveyor.

I look at boats for folks on other forums--mainly I take a lot of detailed photographs, and give a general impression. Plus looking at the potential problem areas carefully.

Wefings does go the extra mile. Any new boat dealer should give sea trials. For used, especially private boats, it is customary for a 10% refundable deposit before a seatrial and survey--and yes, it does protect against tire kickers. There are lots of those.

I expect when selling a boat from a distance that it is subject to inspection and sea trial, at the place of the seller's convience. If you have a boat transported, then it is a bit different--generally that would be a negotiation. An example was when I sold the 22, the oil pump on the engine was not working properly. We tried to get a mechanic to work on it, but to no avial (Evinrude oil injected). Finally we adjusted the price, with the caviat I would pay for any repairs beyond a certain amount. I have always felt that dealing with people on this site was much different than dealing with the general public. People here have been researching the boats and understand them.
 
Walldog":2via1vyq said:
tom&shan":2via1vyq said:
Along this same line of thought - when buying my next boat , I'd like to take it out on the water for a quick sea trial. However, when asking about taking a boat out today the Broker acted kind of indignent, like I was a freeloader, and made the comment "we only do sea trials with a purchase agreement in our hands. "
Is this the normal attitude I should expect ? I can climb on board and look, but it aint leaving the dock until I'm writing the check ?

Cheers,
Tom
Click to expand...
You need to find another dealer. I just returned from spending three hours aboard a 2009 21 ec Ranger tug at Wefings Marine. We have not made a commitment and we have not put up a deposit. Marc and his Wife Anita gave us a nice tour of the river and the bay. We plan to go back tomorrow to spend more time on the bay to see how the tug will work in the similar water of the Laguna Madre in Deep South Texas. Marc has even offered to let us have some C-Dory 22 time to make sure the tug is our right choice.
Click to expand...

Key word in the first post is "Broker".

Brokers don't own the boats they represent, so they can't take them out without an agreed price between both parties (buyer and seller), and usually with a deposit check in trust.

A dealer can run any of the boats he owns, but it is not uncommon to want to have an agreement of some sort before launching the boat. If the boat is sitting at the dock already, it's much easier (and more likely) that you'll get a quick ride.

I've noticed on some websites that people use the term "broker" and "dealer" interchangably, but they are very different businesses. While we are a dealer, we do have brokerage boats as well (in fact the bulk of our used inventory is consigned).

Just wanting to clarify. Bottom line is- if the dealer doesn't own the boat, it is probably not leaving the slip until a sales agreement is in hand, as well as the 10% deposit. (make sure your offer has a "subject to sea trial" clause )
 
Alot of very usefull information, was in contact with the seller and he seemed like a very nice person....he will only sell his boat face to face with the buyer to make sure that the buyer is completly satisfied with the purchase. Sounds like a very good policy and i wish i could get there. I will have to look closer to home. P:S Passports or inhenced drivers liciences are required to enter the USA as of June 1st/009. Think that also means Americans visiting Canada need them to re-enter back to the USA. Thanks Again
 
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