Boat Listing Photos

[gr8trn]

Perhaps I can get a few opinions about what you like to see when you look at a boat listing. As a part time broker I have occasion to list a boat and I have just posted photos in no particular order. I try to get what I would want to see before driving to see a boat...
Please give me your top 10 must see photos....
Much appreciated,
Greg

[Fiveslide]

For me, initially, photos aren't a big deal and, I imagine, they aren't for a great deal of people. As long as they are current photos and include interior pics. If I ask for more, then just give me what I ask for. This shouldn't be a problem because if you're selling the boat you should be near it.

Most people I hope have done their research and are interested in the design you're selling, not because it is pretty.

I want honesty, if a system doesn't work, tell me before we get to survey and sea trial stage. I'm not going to test the head on a boat if I'm just looking at it while it is docked, if you include it in the ad, I expect it to work. If you've priced a boat below market value because a system requires repair, let us know. I'm not scared to work on a boat but I want to know what needs work. Anyone buying a boat shouldn't be scared to work on it.

So there is your answer... honesty. It will get you a long way in business, I feel.

[speciald@ocens.]

When my boat was listed by Harel in St. Maarten, the broker took 100 pictures for his add on the net. He took pictures as if he was walking thriugh the boat as a potential buyer. That is what is needed to show a boat to a biyer withiut that buyer needing to come to the Caribbean to see the boat. We showed the boat last weekend in Annapolis and the family comented favorably on the numerous pictures on that site. A video tour may have been better. What bugs me is adds of boats that show picture s from years earlier when the boat was new, not current pictures. Unless the cushions are still covered with plastic, the oictures are not current to the sale.

[Boracay]

What I really like to see is:-
1) Dream shot - overall view of boat in idyllic anchorage or sailing perfectly.
2) Shot of salon table set for dinner for two.
3) Forward cabin with glamorous model.
4) Interior layout plan.(not strictly a photo, but very nice).
5) Shots of best and worst interior woodwork
6) Wide angle main cabin shot
7) Foredeck
8) Cockpit-several shots including bimini and dodger.
9) Stern close up
10) Several shots of engine that show general condition.

If you take a look at what I'm going to buy with my lottery winnings (here) you may be able to see what I mean.

[Chuteman]

This is a hot button as I look at various YW or other sites with boat ads.
This is one case where Less is NOT more. Yet too many examples of much less than 10 shots often poor quality that raise more questions than they answer.

If we use your B49 as an example with costs more than a few dollars, I do not want to see only 10 photos. As mentioned by S@O, many buyers are not around the corner, so You want your Boat Ad to stand out from the hundreds floating in cyberspace. Sure video is great but often too short.

NEVER use brochure or stupid Sister (if the sister looks that good why would I date you?) boat shots that some do

Quality - so many photos look like a last/quick thought or taken by a 5yr old with a disposable camera ie; a shot of the head should be more than the sink thru the door at 20 paces or 1/4 of the cockpit

Now back to your question:
1) Interior Layout Diagram
2) Exterior - every section of the boat - at least 4 shots
3) Cabins - each one from different angles to get the FULL picture
4) Salon - same as #3
5) Galley - same as #3
6) Engine - same as #3
7) Nav Station - same as #3
8) Cockpit/Helm(s) - same as #3
9) Windlass/Anchor Rode
10) Rig - with spreaders

20 pictures are much better than 10 but a Wide Angle lens & a thoughtful photographer (even amateur) would make the 10 valuable

Give the prospective buyer a FULL picture of what the boat looks & "feels" like. You do want to sell it, don't You

[gr8trn]

Originally Posted by Fiveslide

For me, initially, photos aren't a big deal and, I imagine, they aren't for a great deal of people. As long as they are current photos and include interior pics. If I ask for more, then just give me what I ask for. This shouldn't be a problem because if you're selling the boat you should be near it.

Most people I hope have done their research and are interested in the design you're selling, not because it is pretty.

I want honesty, if a system doesn't work, tell me before we get to survey and sea trial stage. I'm not going to test the head on a boat if I'm just looking at it while it is docked, if you include it in the ad, I expect it to work. If you've priced a boat below market value because a system requires repair, let us know. I'm not scared to work on a boat but I want to know what needs work. Anyone buying a boat shouldn't be scared to work on it.

So there is your answer... honesty. It will get you a long way in business, I feel.

One of the first questions I ask an owner is what are the known problems, what does not work? You should know this up front as well, I agree. Knowing what needs work is a good start. Funny thing, not all buyers seem to have the same ambition about working on it...

Thanks for your reminders and insight!
Greg

[gr8trn]

Originally Posted by speciald@ocens.

When my boat was listed by Harel in St. Maarten, the broker took 100 pictures for his add on the net. He took pictures as if he was walking thriugh the boat as a potential buyer. That is what is needed to show a boat to a biyer withiut that buyer needing to come to the Caribbean to see the boat. We showed the boat last weekend in Annapolis and the family comented favorably on the numerous pictures on that site. A video tour may have been better. What bugs me is adds of boats that show picture s from years earlier when the boat was new, not current pictures. Unless the cushions are still covered with plastic, the oictures are not current to the sale.

Agreed, old pictures from the boats glory days sailing in the bright sunshine or shot of a sister ship...BooHoo!
Thanks,
Greg

[shadow]

Hey, that's cool that you like the Nordhavn's too!! We looked at them for a while and perhaps even their 56Motorsailor.. Anyway, like mentioned earlier, I love up-front honesty and very detailed photos. Please no fuzzy, out of focus shots or even having a dirty room. It takes no time to clean up. I can't tell you how many shots I've seen with everything strewn about, like they just arrived from a 2 year circumnavigation that morning?!?! Plus, I hate seeing old photos of the boat, there is no excuse, especially in today's age to take nice recent, crisp shots of a yacht. And please don't use "sistership" lingo or pics.... I would I wan to see the sistership?? Why can't I see the very ship that I may want to purchase??

Any of those points mentioned would turn me off quickly as I can't trust what the seller or broker is doing, or what they are trying to hide. I would love detailed shots of everything and all items in the inventory. I also appreciate shots of the yacht on the hard so I can see the overall state of the hull, rudder, etc.. Bottom line, the more information, the better..

I even saw one yacht that only showed scanned shots of the brochure?!!? What are these people thinking?!?

[Pau Hana Daz]

Here are my opinions (as a current prospective looker/buyer):

A plan view is always good. I'm still in the "narrowing" phase - seeing the overhead view of the layout helps.

Pictures need to be large enough to see things; postage-sized pics are worthless to me.

Pictures should be in focus. A blurry cellphone shot tells me you don't care.

Use a normal lens or at least a nominal wide-angle. Fisheyes may cover a lot of real estate, but they don't necessarily show much to the viewer.

Another vote for currency. Pics from six years ago don't help me much (so turn off the time/date stamp)...

I don't really need all close-ups. A few general pics showing major items and/or the layout work better than 50 showing only details. Give me the big picture in a medium sized shot.

Clean the place up a bit too - You keep the cockpit cusions in the vee berth? Laundry day?

I'm jus' sayin'

Daz

[gr8trn]

Originally Posted by Boracay

What I really like to see is:-
1) Dream shot - overall view of boat in idyllic anchorage or sailing perfectly.
2) Shot of salon table set for dinner for two.
3) Forward cabin with glamorous model.
4) Interior layout plan.(not strictly a photo, but very nice).
5) Shots of best and worst interior woodwork
6) Wide angle main cabin shot
7) Foredeck
8) Cockpit-several shots including bimini and dodger.
9) Stern close up
10) Several shots of engine that show general condition.

If you take a look at what I'm going to buy with my lottery winnings (here) you may be able to see what I mean.

Where was the model in the foreward berth???

Just what I asked for...but way more that I expected! Thank you so much!
Greg

ps. I printed this post for my listing folder

[gr8trn]

More, check
Quality, check
No sisters, check
Galley and all boat areas from all vantage points, great suggestion.
I only want to sell it if it is the right boat at the right price for you

BTW, asked for 10 just to make sure I wasn't asking for too much work on y'all's part. I figured with a few responses I should have a good idea of how to represent the boat well for the seller and give the potential buyer what they need and deserve!

Thanks,
Greg

[Surveyor]

I find that I pass on boats that do not have sufficient pictures with details.
I like to see:
The bowsprit from the top and from below
The forward deck in enough detail to determine shape of rigging
The stern/transom from behind it (and above/below if boomkin)
The rudder/prop/hull in detail if on the hard
Several shots of the cockpit from different angles
Shots looking forward and aft along the decks
The base of the mast(s)
Several engine shots from different angles if possible

Enough interior to get an idea of the layout and how well it has been maintained.

If there is something missing from the pics of a boat, I always assume the seller is hiding something.

[Fiveslide]

Originally Posted by gr8trn

Agreed, old pictures from the boats glory days sailing in the bright sunshine or shot of a sister ship...BooHoo!
Thanks,
Greg

I just looked at sailboattrader.com and browsed by the state of Maine. It's like people from Maine don't know how to work a camera. Literally, 4 out of 32 ads had photos. Does that mean there are no boat worth buying in Maine? No. But if the listing describes a reputable boat with the systems I want, I'll email and ask for photos. I'm not shopping for a pretty boat. I'm shopping for one that will do what I want to do with it.

Do not pass over an ad just because it doesn't have pics. We are in a transitional stage where older brokers, with fine boats, just will not adapt and use the Internet for its full potential. Do not let one pass you by when a simple email will get you the pics you desire.

[Winter River]

I'll second (or is that fourth?) the layout. There are so many different layouts, even on what seems like the same boat, that it is often very hard to figure out how a particular boat is laid out. When we were searching for a boat, one absolute requirement was a berth for two and two separate berths for the kids that were not settees in the main cabin. It was surprisingly, frustratingly, difficult to discern if a boat would work at all from many of the listings.

[denverd0n]

Ditto on the layout! Especially if the boat is one of the many that came with multiple different layouts!

Good pictures of a clean boat. I am absolutely AMAZED when I see ads on Yachtworld of a boat that someone expects to get $50k or $60k for, and you can't tell anything about the galley because of all the dirty dishes on the counter! Clean out the crap before you take the pictures! And make sure the pictures are clear. Again, amazed at the number of fuzzy pictures that get posted.

So, beyond the layout, I want to see how the cockpit is laid out. I want to see the condition of the upholstery below. I want to see the accommodations in the head(s). I want to see the engine, the batteries, the wiring (all to tell if they are clean and well-kept, or a dirty, messy, rats nest). I also want an overall picture of the boat, so that I can see how it is rigged.