If you were buying a used boat, would you rather?

[mvweebles]

Definitely prefer zero electronics. 9 of 10 older boats have DIY butcher jobs. Gimme a "survivor" any day. New electronic packages are relatively inexpensive and easy to install.

Peter

[Jdege]

In truth, I don't think I'd be comfortable with any systems on my boat that I hadn't torn down and rebuilt, at the least.

What I put in, I understand. What the last 40 years of owners put in? Not hardly.

[sail4evr]

Originally Posted by Jdege

If you were buying a used boat, would you rather have obsolete electronics, that you'd either need to

• Figure out how to keep working,
• Ignore and work around until you could replace it, or
• replace it?

Or would you rather have a boat with no electronics in it at all?

Ultomately it is your budget that would decide. If you have the $ installing new wheree none exists would be best.
If you're figuring how to keep working implies they are not working could be lots of reasons which may add up to throwing away money.
Replacing might lead you to reuse preexisting wiring to save time and money which might be a mistake in the long run with wiring issues deveoping along the way as well as wiring errors by previous installer.
Putting all new in a boat with existing gear may save time in drilling new holes and allow you to pull new wiring with the old wiring saving even more grief.
I've used starboard to cover wrong size holes when installing new gear. Looks fine.

[oceanluvr]

I have always sold, given away or scrapped most of the electronics on any boat I bought. At least those that may be called on to insure a safe passage or hail rescue. I want my own wiring and new up to date electronics not someones bad solder job/connection, on the way out GPS/VHF etc. There is plenty of stuff to worry about offshore, the last thing I want to do is hunt down a short or wonder why my chart-plotter is not working.

[mcon12000]

I don’t care or rather they have zero effect on the purchase. Only time I notice is when they are brand new and even then they dont effect the offer or price. They’re disposable items on a boat and rapidly being rendered obsolete by phones and tablets that offer better viewing at a fraction of the price. We’re moments away from every sensor on the boat being wireless other than power and connected to anything that will run the app.

[j.g.evans]

Some old electronics can be useful. I have put in new Garmin instruments and was able to use the old Raymarine autopilot motor and clutch.

Keeping the old fixed through hull transducers may save a lot of work. In another boat I have mostly new Raymarine SeaTalk ng instruments. Their answer to Depth, Speed, Temperature and Wind is analog transducers connecting to an ITC-5 which puts the transducer information onto their SeaTalk ng bus ( Raymarine's version of Nema 2000). My old transducers work with the ITC-5. Raymarine also makes a converter from SeaTalk ng to the old SeaTalk 1. I have an old ST60 Multi ( SeaTalk 1) below that remotes the readings of the new instruments at the helm.
Making everything work will force you to know a new boat.

[Amapola]

Either way, I'd buy my own.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Jdege

If you were buying a used boat, would you rather have obsolete electronics, that you'd either need to

• Figure out how to keep working,
• Ignore and work around until you could replace it, or
• replace it?

Or would you rather have a boat with no electronics in it at all?

The latest electronics will be outdated next year. Having the basics aboard that work is really all you need. However, there are those individuals that must have the latest and greatest to make themselves happy. I suppose that is good for the economy but to replace fully functional and reliable electronics for that reason is not good personal economics.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[BlueH2Obound]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Any electronics unless bang up to date have value = zero

So you have no issues whatsoever with the seller removing ALL the electronics just prior to closing, correct? I mean you DID say it has a value of zero, correct?
For me, the boat as presented is worth X$ to me. That is what I will offer. Trying to figure out what value a 5 year old radio/radar, or marine head is of the total purchase price is kind of silly, don't you think? I may not pay EXTRA for the VHF radio, but if offered with the boat, and contract is signed, I will want it to be present so I can use the boat until I decide whether or not to replace/upgrade. So for me, any installed electronics have value to me, maybe not much, and maybe not as much as the seller values the items, but that's really immaterial as I'm purchasing the package, and the "package price" is the only price we're bargaining over.

[merrydolphin]

I have done both. If they are not functioning fully, and badly obsolete, replace them. With NMEA2000 not hard to do.

I have done this to several cruising boats. The only exception was a 1973 Cal 2-46 that I bought in the early 2000’s that had fully functioning old electronics and appliances including an old device that looked like a dish washer. It was called a Radar Range! Yes, an antique micro-wave oven. Worked fine, it was built in so kept it! Also came with an antique Raytheon radar that was so old that it has a round CRT green display with a black rubber viewing hood!! (Like in the old WW II movies.) It worked fine so never replaced it in 7 Yrs full time cruising. It was probable originals equipment. Same with the old sprocket driven Benmar autopilot. All of it worked the whole time that I owned the boat. Also had an old 110V fridge and separate freezer. Always worked. When I bought this boat I had already completely re-fitted 2 cruising boats and said with this one “ if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”! I lucked out! Also had an original Onan diesel generator 7.5kw. I has to completely rebuild ALL of the cooling components, both fresh and salt, and bypass all of the electronic safeties and jury rig my own. It ran flawless after that. I installed solar and inverter new. That’s just about it. Yes, this was a real exception. Exceptional cruising boat. Original Perkins 4-236 ran great! Sea of Cortez to Vancouver, crossed Pacific twice. Old gear kept going till boat sold.

[merrydolphin]

I have done both. If they are not functioning fully, and badly obsolete, replace them. With NMEA2000 not hard to do.

I have done this to several cruising boats. The only exception was a 1973 Cal 2-46 that I bought in the early 2000’s that had fully functioning old electronics and appliances including an old device that looked like a dish washer. It was called a Radar Range! Yes, an antique micro-wave oven. Worked fine, it was built in so kept it! Also came with an antique Raytheon radar that was so old that it has a round CRT green display with a black rubber viewing hood!! (Like in the old WW II movies.) It worked fine so never replaced it in 7 Yrs full time cruising. It was probable originals equipment. Same with the old sprocket driven Benmar autopilot. All of it worked the whole time that I owned the boat. Also had an old 110V fridge and separate freezer. Always worked. When I bought this boat I had already completely re-fitted 2 cruising boats and said with this one “ if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”! I lucked out! Also had an original Onan diesel generator 7.5kw. I have to completely rebuild ALL of the cooling components, both fresh and salt, and bypass all of the electronic safeties and jury rig my own. It ran flawless after that. I installed solar and inverter new. That’s just about it. Yes, this was a real exception. Exceptional cruising boat. Original Perkins 4-236 ran great! Sea of Cortez to Vancouver, crossed Pacific twice. Old gear kept going till boat sold.

[GrowleyMonster]

You can do an awful lot with just a vintage Android phablet (like my Note 3, which I have four of!) or a Raspberry Pi or an old PC running Ubuntu. You can interface that with radar, etc pretty easy in many cases. I haven't really looked into it but if you need a sounder more technologically advanced than a lead, I bet it could be mostly a DIY project and compatible with any platform running OCPN. A LOT of your electronics can be very simple, flexible, and portable. I HATE purpose built chart plotters. OCPN will run practically any official chart these days. You can even construct your own, from Google Earth images, and add relevant hydrographic and navigation aid data as needed though that won't satisfy any applicable chart carriage requirements. Most phones have very capable GPS built in, and tablets or laptops without, can use very cheap USB units. Too bad a DIY radar isn't a thing, or AIS transponder, but you got to draw a line somewhere. But as far as electronic chartplotters go, there is no reason to spend a nickel for one, and no reason to pay for charts you don't use, and in some cases no need to pay for charts at all. Turnkey systems using proprietary charts? Not for me.

[Jammer]

Some of the old advice is no longer true. Product lifespans have improved and there is better interoperability than was once the case


e.g. Why would you replace a good NMEA2000 wind instrument?

[john manning]

If the electronic units are more than 3 years old I would say they had very little value in a sale. I would prefer new gear bought immediately after buying the boat.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by BlueH2Obound

So you have no issues whatsoever with the seller removing ALL the electronics just prior to closing, correct? I mean you DID say it has a value of zero, correct?
For me, the boat as presented is worth X$ to me. That is what I will offer. Trying to figure out what value a 5 year old radio/radar, or marine head is of the total purchase price is kind of silly, don't you think? I may not pay EXTRA for the VHF radio, but if offered with the boat, and contract is signed, I will want it to be present so I can use the boat until I decide whether or not to replace/upgrade. So for me, any installed electronics have value to me, maybe not much, and maybe not as much as the seller values the items, but that's really immaterial as I'm purchasing the package, and the "package price" is the only price we're bargaining over.

That’s a reducto ab absurdism argument

In my case a boat purchase is a value of X. What I mean by electronics having no value is that they in no way influence me to raise or lower the offer and in my experience electronics are almost never reflected in the selling price unless absolutely bang up to date

Of course I’d object to any removal of gear after it’s advertised

But I’ve regularly removed chartplottets and radars before I offered my boat for sale or replacement them with the original old units etc the selling price remained the same and the sellers didn’t bat an eye lid.

It I was selling my boat tomorrow you can be dammed sure the quantum radar is coming off the mast before I advertise the boat.