Custom vs. production

[Tim francis]

GI bought a new to me 2000 39.9 Ted Brewer custom design, 48 Perkins 4.108 a couple months ago. I’ve gotten to know her quite a bit and have started sailing her on trips on my two days off work. Two and a half days two nights. As I’m learning more about sailboats a question keeps popping up in my head. Did I buy the right boat with the budget I had. 25000 US dollars. I think I got an awesome deal. Bought on Oahu and living on her off Maui. I didn’t have too many options on boat buying since it’s hawaii. I’ve got most everything up to standard of what I’d expect as a professional captain. Only spent about three grand.
The survey that was done three years ago estimated replacement value at 200000 and actual value at 55000.

What are pros and cons of owning a custom compared to production. I don’t have enough experience with sailboats to know what I really have. I lived in my van two years to save enough to pay cash for her. Don’t like debt. So far she sails great and living aboard is going great so I figured I’ve already got a good deal and won. Just curious on others opinions on custom designs vs production. Thankshttps://www.popyachts.com/sloop-sailboats-for-sale/brewer-custom-build-brewer-design-39-in-honolulu-hawaii-149661https://www.popyachts.com/sloop-sailboats-for-sale/brewer-custom-build-brewer-design-39-in-honolulu-hawaii-149661

[Jim Cate]

IMO, this boils down to finding a boat that meets your requirements. If a production boat does, well, that's fine! But if you can not find such, then looking at other folks one-off boats is worth while.

For us, the one-off has worked out very well... she's got what we wanted, doesn't have stuff we didn't want and is of a build quality better than any but the very best level of production boats (the result of a very talented shipwright building her for his own use, and wanting her to be a sort of advertisement of his skills). Such vessels are not easy to find... took us three years of searching and kissing some pretty ugly frogs (bloody brokers...) but eventually, there she was!

For the well heeled and very experienced types, commissioning your own design with a good NA and having her built in a good yard... well, that's the ultimate way to get a great boat, but note the two caveats of experience and money to burn. They are not trivial concerns!

So... you say your new love sails well and is being a good liveaboard, you got her for what YOU thought was a good price and she makes you happy. What's not to like? Ya done good, mate! Don't worry about the production/one off aspect... simply does not matter.

Jim

PS Don't pay too much attention to survey "replacement values". IME they are not very meaningful.

[Fore and Aft]

Nice yacht, you might want to put a solid stripe where the portholes are on the top sides. Google Halberg Rassey image and you will see what I mean.That would really make her look better.
Teds a good designer and as long as the builder followed the plans I think you have a winner.
Cheers

[Bruce Beard]

https://www.popyachts.com/sloop-sail...49661?Redirect

[LoudMusic]

Once you've made a purchase, it's time to stop shopping and comparing. Fall in love with your boat. Learn everything there is to know about it. Become her Master.

With my rather limited exposure to boats, I'd say a custom is almost universally going to be a better boat, but slightly more expensive, and the community support is going to be limited. A production boat is going to be less refined, but cheaper, and there is likely a support community online to help you with problems specific to your boat.

[S/V Illusion]

My understanding is that the Brewer 40 (39.9) isn't really a custom design except perhaps in interior layout. There were many hulls built and I've seen quite a few over the years. Regardless, at $25k USD, if it's in good shape, that certainly sounds like a fair price.

[Tim francis]

That’s another question I have. It was built and built very well by the original owner builder. From what I understand, he bought the design and built it. So is it a homemade kit boat or custom built or I don’t know. I’ll be the third owner. The previous owner was no help and the builder passed. Overall it’s a solid boat coming from a captain with mostly all power boat experience on several fishing boats. I never liked sailboats but since I bought Kolea, I totally did a 180. Absolutely fell in love with sailing. So far. Thanks for the replies. Aloha

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Tim,

I'm Jim Cate's other half. My suggestion is to take her out sailing every time it is suitable (I mean, sometimes there's something else one must do). But, when you're new to sailing, you're on the steep part of the learning curve, you're paying close attention, and trying to learn how to do things better. If you enter her in club races, and follow the fleet around the course, trying to catch up, you'll learn about sail trim, and meet folks who will talk about boats with you all day and half the night. Local sailors will become your friend, and local crew will become your help at haulout time. It's hard to race your liveaboard, firstly because you have to put everythng away, or find it on the cabin sole at the end of the day, and secondly, because organizing volunteer race crew can be difficult if you have high expectations.

Enjoy, you only have your first boat once.

Ann

[valhalla360]

If you are very experienced and have unusual features you must have...custom is a good options. You likely won't care if it kills the resale value because you got what you need.

If you are inexperienced, you likely have unrealistic ideas of what you need and it's easy to build an albatross that isn't functional and tough to sell.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Tim francis

GI bought a new to me 2000 39.9 Ted Brewer custom design, 48 Perkins 4.108 a couple months ago. I’ve gotten to know her quite a bit and have started sailing her on trips on my two days off work. Two and a half days two nights. As I’m learning more about sailboats a question keeps popping up in my head. Did I buy the right boat with the budget I had. 25000 US dollars. I think I got an awesome deal. Bought on Oahu and living on her off Maui. I didn’t have too many options on boat buying since it’s hawaii. I’ve got most everything up to standard of what I’d expect as a professional captain. Only spent about three grand.
The survey that was done three years ago estimated replacement value at 200000 and actual value at 55000.

What are pros and cons of owning a custom compared to production. I don’t have enough experience with sailboats to know what I really have. I lived in my van two years to save enough to pay cash for her. Don’t like debt. So far she sails great and living aboard is going great so I figured I’ve already got a good deal and won. Just curious on others opinions on custom designs vs production. Thankshttps://www.popyachts.com/sloop-sailboats-for-sale/brewer-custom-build-brewer-design-39-in-honolulu-hawaii-149661https://www.popyachts.com/sloop-sailboats-for-sale/brewer-custom-build-brewer-design-39-in-honolulu-hawaii-149661

Sounds like something that happened in the UK when builders found rising costs/prices were reducing sales back in the 70's.
They started offering boats for sale at various stages of build at lower price set.. Hull and deck only, hull and deck plus basic interior, etc.. they also offered completion kits for the various stages.
This in no way affected hull and deck integrity just led to the same design of boat ending up with a variety of interiors from basic home built to owners desire interiors to everything up to beautiful custom interiors by tradesmen owners..
Seems you have found a pearl in the mussel bed.. Enjoy.