First time buyer - Gib'sea? Najad?

[Pblais]

the owner of the Najad stated that there has been some major work done on the hull, so I've written it off.

Owners that have hull work done care more than those that don't. That isn't just Scandinavian. Anyone that comes forward at this point with disclosures is trying to be very honest. It usually means they are good to deal with even if you can't really make the deal you desire. They will think before they speak and not be impulsive or stupid. Owners that are not right in the head may kill a good deal for themselves. The "owner" can be a factor in buying a boat. The BS ratio

In any case, evaluating boats you have not seen personally is not a productive effort. You will spin your wheels for months on "paper" boats then get all excited into thinking some boat is great only to be really disappointed or worse have your mind made up before you get there to really see it.

You learn nothing at all when you put the boat on the list then decide some factor like
"they had hull work done" then move on. After being here many many years it's how it ends up. When you stop computing the perfect boat and go out there and walk the docks you will learn a lot, you will get smarter, and you will be confident about what you are buying and why. You won't buy the wrong boat! Smarter buyers get better boats!

[flyingsideways]

Originally Posted by Pblais

Owners that have hull work done care more than those that don't. That isn't just Scandinavian. Anyone that comes forward at this point with disclosures is trying to be very honest. It usually means they are good to deal with even if you can't really make the deal you desire. They will think before they speak and not be impulsive or stupid. Owners that are not right in the head may kill a good deal for themselves. The "owner" can be a factor in buying a boat. The BS ratio

Indeed, I agree. I was imprecise previously; the boat had "a major incident 10 years ago".

Originally Posted by Pblais

In any case, evaluating boats you have not seen personally is not a productive effort.

Agreed. But I can't afford travelling to every place evaluating it myself, which would be pointless in and of itself since I hardly know what to look for. My plan is to play it as safe as I can, meaning discarding any boat that has whatever I perceive as an issue - even though it may not be one from an experienced person's point of view - and narrowing it down to a reasonable few choices. Once that's done, I'll get someone knowledgeable involved, most probably offering to cover travelling fees and a bonus to evaluate the boat and having it sailed back to me.

Originally Posted by Pblais

You will spin your wheels for months on "paper" boats then get all excited into thinking some boat is great only to be really disappointed or worse have your mind made up before you get there to really see it.

see above.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by flyingsideways

No idea. It was described as "major repairs", which is enough to scare me off.

Norwegians are no less opportunistic than Joe average.

There are many kinds of repairs and before crossing a boat off a list I would first learn what the issue was and how it was addressed. If you are scary then best get a broker and a surveyor to buy you a boat.

Norwegians have plenty of oil, that's for sure. If they want to sell a boat they do it. Next spring they get another. If they priced the boat too high and she does not sell, they will lower the price.

Many boats on finn.no are sold by owners directly. Those on Yachtworld are all brokers' listings.

BTW it looks a 343 to me so there are other samples of same on finn.no and at yachtworld too. Look at their prices and conditions and you get a general idea of where the specific one is pricewise/conditionwise.

Go to the marina where you want to keep the boat anyways first: there will be a major difference in owning a 34 versus a 43 boat.

b.

[goboatingnow]

Give the OP a bit of space. Only he can evaluate what criteria To his purchase

Dave

[Pblais]

Agreed. But I can't afford traveling to every place evaluating it myself, which would be pointless in and of itself since I hardly know what to look for.

Don't look where you can't afford to go. Consider you buy some far away boat then need to do the serious work all new used boats require. Doing it long distance is hideously expensive. Our current boat was 200 miles away. I know it cost me an extra $1000 because it wasn't close by getting it ready and bringing it back. That didn't include the two weeks it took in time away spread over several trips. It added no value to the boat but we did get the boat we wanted. Adding more distance adds even more costs. Exhaust close options and you will be amazed how many more boats than you think exist.

It also means you cast a wider net too. You don't go computing up the perfect boat and try to find that one make on Yachtworld. You look in the pool of boats you can actually go see in person. You look at bigger ones and smaller ones and a few you can't afford. You learn to look at boats - by looking. You really will come up with good questions to bring back here and your abilities will grow far faster when you have shoe leather in the game.

Once that's done, I'll get someone knowledgeable involved, most probably offering to cover traveling fees and a bonus to evaluate the boat and having it sailed back to me.

Buying your boat yourself is something you need to learn how to do. Someone else is not you. Only the super rich hire people to buy boats for them. You will easily add $10,000 to the cost and if anything what so ever happens on the way back the liability could be without limit. This is a cost plus operation not a fix fee. Things that work at the sea trial often fail on the way home.

[stevensuf]

mines is a 2001 model, it has slab reefing, no issues there,the engine had 5500 hours on it, ive added another 500 to that in the last year, all fine no probs at all, ive done about 4000nm in her so far, replaced one shackle and one carbineer grip, thats all thats broke so far, much better build quality than a bavaria by far. Maintenance on a 10 yr old boat is going to be far less than a 30yr old boat.

Imagining cars, I'd say your argument is like a 3yr old large volvo versus a 10yr old compact mercedes for the same money, go newer , go bigger, it is a no brainer!

[Regatta]

Najad off course!!!