Want To Buy: Who wants to meet some awesome kids from Illinois?

[Wookiee_King]

Hope everyone is having a good 4th. I'll be contacting people after the holiday. Have fun and be safe out there guys and gals.

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[Wookiee_King]

Well, we're headed to Florida with some cash in 81 days. My buddy and I are currently both employed by the same company and we'll will get laid off when winter hits. We plan on just walking marinas for the first month looking at boats and asking lots of questions. How do we do this without annoying people? Also are there a fair amount of campgrounds in Florida? We plan on living out of the car until we can live out of a boat.

[mstrebe]

Originally Posted by Wookiee_King

Well, we're headed to Florida with some cash in 81 days. My buddy and I are currently both employed by the same company and we'll will get laid off when winter hits. We plan on just walking marinas for the first month looking at boats and asking lots of questions. How do we do this without annoying people? Also are there a fair amount of campgrounds in Florida? We plan on living out of the car until we can live out of a boat.

I've never met a boater who didn't love to talk about his boat. Getting into Marinas without a keycard may be a bit of a trick however--they're usually gated.

You won't have any problem finding a floating boat in a reasonable size for $5K or so. I recommend scouring Craigslist as that's where many of the unusual deals wind up.

You should also consider getting a dinghy and rowing through mooring fields. You can get a close look at a lot of boats that way, many of which will be for sale for the right offer.

If the boat is documented, just go here:
Office of Science and Technology

And type in the boat's name and home port. Find the correct match by size and type, and click the link to find the owner's contact information. If it looks like it hasn't been used for a while, it's likely the owner would accept an offer on it.

[AlwaysFORSAIL]

It seems to me that the boat you are looking for is not going to be at one the premier marinas so you probably will be nosing around the smaller less expensive marinas and mooring fields. Check in with the marina office and other individuals that may be hanging out near the marina or boatyard. Many marinas storage yards have a bulletin board that can give you a lot of info. Check in at boating stores and repair shops.

My boat is for sale at $81k with very little work needing to be done. 2001 Hunter 380. If you can come up with the money it may be a better deal than some other options. Virtually zero repair/upgrade/prep expense.

[laika]

Good luck in the search. Stating the obvious, boatyards are full of boats going nowhere. Though on average they may require a bit more work and from what I've gathered SE Florida DIY yards are few and far between. A road trip west or up to SC/NC/VA might be more fruitful in that regard. A trip down in and out of the ICW before making the jump across would be a great shakedown.

No shortage of boats lying around though in general. Perseverance will surely bring luck.

[MBWhite]

Wookie if you are in Illinois right now I'd suggest going through the marinas in the N. Chicago burbs and lakefront, don't forget Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee too.

In general the boats will be in better shape as they cannot be left in the water over the winter, like in Florida. Also you have freshwater and not salt which as you know makes a huge difference. Plus it is expensive to keep a boat there so people who want a boat gone are willing to take a hit so they aren't bled every month. Might even be able to find one in the water now or next month the owner doesn't want to haul out, then you can just putt down the Illinois River to the Mississippi and head to Florida that way.

[esarratt]

Originally Posted by Wookiee_King

Well, we're headed to Florida with some cash in 81 days. My buddy and I are currently both employed by the same company and we'll will get laid off when winter hits. We plan on just walking marinas for the first month looking at boats and asking lots of questions. How do we do this without annoying people? Also are there a fair amount of campgrounds in Florida? We plan on living out of the car until we can live out of a boat.

It is hard to get into marina's in any big city. With smaller cities it is easier, just strike up a conversation.

I have had good luck with locked/gated marinas walking in to the dock master/owner and asking if I could see their boat sales list. I then picked a few that looked interesting and asked if I could go see them--usually the manager doesn't accompany you. Then if I saw other for sale signs while walking around I jotted down the numbers. Many, many marinas have a few derelict boats for sale. These are boats who's owners have died or quit paying "rent" and abandoned them--so now the marina owns them and usually the price is very negotiable. Like $500 or less and "please get it off our lot".

If the marina is big like...Aqualand near Atlanta, GA you are supposed to have a boat dealer show you the boats that they have for sale. Many, many dealers have boats at larger marinas, including the marina itself. In these instances asking about derelict boats, or the marina's own for sale list, is not as good a strategy. What you want to do here is be "looking for dock space" to line up before you make purchase. This trick works very well. Say a boat size--just about anything works. 30' is a good number. And tell them: "I want to make sure I have dock space before I purchase so I am not stuck with a boat and nowhere to put it." They will then show you all their available docks on a map and give you a pass to look around the facility. Be sure to ask about docks with and without electricity, the ones with good protection from the weather, etc. etc. You want an excuse to look at as many slips as possible. Then when you walk the slips TALK WITH PEOPLE--everyone knows someone who has a boat for sale at the docks. Then go over and check out a slip near the boat that is for sale. You get the idea. I also used to put sticky notes in zip lock bags with a rock or two inside (so they wouldn't blow away) and then I placed this in the cockpits of boats I was interested in--especially if the boat did not look loved.

Don't know which way you are driving, but there are a lot of really good docks with old boats on all coastal areas and near all inland lakes--not just Florida. Google "marinas" for the area you are visiting then look on Google maps to see if the yard has a lot of boats. That way you maximize your looking time instead of just going to a "marina" that is actually just a small mom and pop with little available or a marine mechanic.

Don't let small size dissuade you. Looks like they had a good time.

[esarratt]

PM me if you are interested. I have a friend with a Bayfield 25 in North Georgia. I think he wanted $800 for it, but he may take less.

It needs to be put back together--he started working on it then got busy with non-boat work; it would only take a few weeks for 3 people to fix up. It has been garage stored. The engine is good (per my friend).

He has a truck with which to tow it to the coast and will probably just want gas money. I'm sure he can send you pictures if you are interested.

[irenepsyhogios]

Wanna sail before you leave? I am at Southport Marina in Kenosha. And maybe you have time to do a little work for me.

I live in Des Plaines and I plan on trailering the boat to Clearwater, FL, late November.

PM your telephone number if interested.