Disappointed !

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by Bash

I see. You want collective opinions? Here's one: don't buy a boat on the other side of the world.

The grass isn't always greener on the other side.

Hey Bash, it might not be much greener, but there's a hell of a lot more of it... and for a lot less money.

But the colour depends on where you're standing. Sausalito... Alcatraz

[noelex 77]

I am from Australia and purchased a boat in Italy a few years ago. I know the work and effort that goes into researching a boat overseas so I feel your pain and frustration.
If you start a thread here on XYZ and Google XYZ you will find the thread comes up near the top of list. You don’t have to be a member to read the posts.

The person that purchased the boat may well not have been a member here.

When I was looking at boats I asked a lot of technical enquires, but was careful not to include details that would lead directly to the boat in question.

Good luck. I know you will find a better boat soon.

[Aussie_Sequoia]

Firstly and foremost - that sucks James. I'm sorry about that.

But it got me thinking. I have been asking questions about specific boats and posting links to the online 'ads' here. What's to stop someone telling me it's a horrible boat (when really it's a good deal!) and then going and grabbing it before I had a chance to even consider the flight.

And conversely... what if someone reads a bunch of the 5 star guys (and gals) saying how great a boat is in response to a query post... and then they sideswipe the poster and contact the broker and pay 10k more than it's worth (as stated above) and yet... when on site it might have turned out to be a bad deal after all.

This forum is amazing and it has educated me in so many ways... but this thread serves me as a reminder that no amount of favorable talk (or unfavorable!) about a boat by someone else based on an ad is enough to make or break my purchasing decision. I'll have to be there and decide for myself.

This is no reflection on your experience James... just something I was thinking about... and for your sake, I hope that the silver lining might be that the boat in question had a massive hidden flaw that you luckily avoided. Wishful thinking?

[beneteau-500]

james dont give up and if i can be of any help before you jump on a plane send me a pm next time you find something i may be able to help as am always floating around the med

[Johnathon123]

Thanks Everyone.

At the end of the day it was entirely my stupidity - fair and square.

There will be another boat - I know and I am looking forward to it.

I may very well PM many of you with specific questions and will apologize in advance for the intrusion. Feel free to tell me to go away, or some local version of a similar greeting.

Cruisers selling to cruisers - works for me.

Thanks again for all the support, I realize 98% of us are just here to help.

[Blue Crab]

It is your bad, James. No question. That's what deposits are for and Bash's comment rings true as well. There was a post not long ago from a guy who bought a boat in Italy. (He was from the US, I think.) The boat needed a new engine. What a can of worms with that as a starter! In a foreign country, language issues. What else will it need to sail home? The mind boggles. How good a deal would something have to be to be worth that much hassle?

I think it's interesting how many of us believe in karma, or similar beliefs that things work out. Guess most of us have lived long enough to see it in action repeatedly.

[SkiprJohn]

Good luck in finding your next "true love." She's out there, just have to find her.
kind regards,

[Bash]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

Hey Bash, it might not be much greener, but there's a hell of a lot more of it... and for a lot less money.

But the colour depends on where you're standing. Sausalito... Alcatraz

Funny. But Alcatraz is sooooooooo far from here we can't even see it when the fog thickens up.

[simonmd]

Wow, I've just asked for opinons on four different boats on my short list, glad I didn't put locations or links now!

[zeta]

Too many boats out there for amazingly good prices to worry over the one that got away. Stuff happens for a reason. There is not anything consisting of wood, plastic, material, and metal that cannot be replaced.

Oh yea, puts yo money down.

[bstreep]

Wow. Folks around here think we are a small community. What I find fascinating is when I "google" something I'm looking for, and CF comes in at or near the top, ALL OF THE TIME. This place looks & feels like a small community - but, it's insanely huge.

I'd suggest in the future talking just about the model, not a specific boat. When you get a couple of responses, then PM those folks - making sure they already own a boat!

I can't tell you how many unsolicited requests we've received about our boat. With only 16 made, and 1 on the bottom in Samoa...

[Blue Crab]

Congrats Simonmd on selling that runabout. I thought that would REALLY take awhile.

[CharlieCobra]

Better luck next time James. The interweb can be that way at times.

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by zeta

Too many boats out there for amazingly good prices to worry over the one that got away. Stuff happens for a reason. There is not anything consisting of wood, plastic, material, and metal that cannot be replaced.

Oh yea, puts yo money down.

I agree, stuff happens for a reason. Sorry about the loss of the boat, but perhaps karma will kick in too...

[S/V_Surya]

To bad, but here is my kick in the pants. I bought a boat off of ebay, a fanatasia 35, a few years back on a "buy it now" transaction. The seller "honest matt" told me that two people hit the "buy it now" at the same time and he could not sell it. I do not know what was really going on cause I did not believe it. But any way lost the deal. Did see the boat return to ebay about a year later in same condition under different seller. But, never lament over a lost deal because there are plenty out there.
Great marketing idea though.