Looking at a boat this sunday: Beneteau Idylle 11.5

[MTang]

Good day all,

I posted another thread about this boat awhile back.

http://virgin.craigslist.org/boa/3721558675.html

Answers to a few of my questions from owner:
I bought the boat in Puerto Rico in 1999-I have lived aboard twice for about a year. very comfortable
-the sails are in good shape
-standing rigging is in good shape
-Yanmar 50 hp engine has around 800 hours and runs perfect
-Has swim ladder
-Huge comfortable cockpit
-Cockpit cushions in great shape
-New cabin sole in 2011
-90 gallons fresh water(2 bladders) with foot pump.(has accumulator tank but no dc pump)
-Windsurfing equipment included
-Salon cushions need recovered. V-berth cushions good. Aft cabin cushions good.
-bimini and sail cover could last another year but worn
-Interior needs varnish
-Located in the boatyard in Virgin Gorda
-Overall cosmetic condition is fair
-No electronics
-2 batteries 2 years old
-upwind sailing ability is decent but not as good as the First Series
-draft is 5.5' not the 4.5'

Some background info about intended use:

I live on St. Croix and actively searching for a boat for me, my wife, and 3 year old son to do some local island hopping from St. Croix to neighboring islands. In about 5 years I hope to have enough money saved up to do some long distance voyaging. In the meantime, we would like a boat that we can go island hopping with and hone our skills. Something pretty simple but fairly quick. Eventually we may even move out from our little cottage we rent and move onto the boat in an effort to save more money. I think when it comes time to do long distance voyaging we would consider selling this one in order to get something setup for that.

So it seems like this boat could fit the bill for the type of boat we want and it won't break the bank. It sounds like the important things are in good shape like the engine, sails, and rigging. No electronics is pretty appealing to me- less to break. Eventually I would add solar panels, some 6V Trojan batteries, and minimal electronics in order to make weekend trips more comfortable.

I am hoping for some input on this particular model of boat, what people think of the information posted above from the owner, and things I should be looking at when I go take a look. I have never bought a boat this big or expensive before so the process is new to me. I will definitely take the advice of having it surveyed before committing. What is a ballpark price for a survey?

For the record, my wife and I have grown up sailing dinghy's, and I owned a Columbia 21 in my college days. We both have done some crewing on charter boats as well. With that said, we both still have a lot to learn and by no means consider ourselves expert sailors. But we do know the ocean very well and quite experienced at studying weather maps and data since we are avid surfers, kiteboarders, and freedivers. We also both have our 6-pack and have pretty extensive experience working on powerboats (her dad owns the Ritz Carlton dive shop on STT and Caneel bay on STJ).

Sorry for the long winded post, and many thanks to any input, advice, suggestions you have.

Cheers

[Suijin]

You can find gobs of first-hand reviews of this boat through Google, so I won't bother with that aspect. For your intended use, however, it seems extremely well suited.

What you should be fully aware of, however, is the cost of ownership. A survey will run you @$700, give or take, and should include estimated service life of major systems as well as cost of refitting. That is your baseline for your expected costs going forward to which you can add in the usual and customary annual maintenance costs.

Since this is an expensive purchase for you and you do not have experience with the costs of boat ownership of a vessel this size be sure you are fully educated on what to expect. If nothing else it will give you a level of comfort and allow you to better enjoy the boat.

[MTang]

Unfortunately there is not too many reviews on google, but everything I was able to find was pretty positive.

So lets say I look at the boat and like it. The next step would be a survey I presume? Since the boat is on the hard, I assume a full survey would require the boat to be splashed to evaluate the condition of the engine?

[letsgetsailing3]

Surveys are often priced by the foot, so you should be able to get an exact quote on what a survey might cost from a local surveyor without any issue at all. You can also ask them for a sample in advance so you know what their product looks like.

Customary practice is to make an offer and agree to a price, which you should make conditional on a survey and a sea trial. I'm guessing you can find a sample boat sale contract online, which you can modify at will. Make sure your contract is contingent on the survey and sea trial. If you find big problems, you can either walk or renegotiate.

Seems like a really good price and a nice boat for your needs, if you're OK with the condition. For that price, I'd expect a few things that need to be fixed. If it's basically sound, go for it.

[MTang]

Thanks letsgetsailing3, that was really helpful.

Just finished reading boatpokers marine survey 101 in preparation for my preliminary inspection.

Marine Survey 101, how to do your own marine survey

[DDabs]

MTang, thanks for that link, really interesting reading.

[boatman61]

They're good boats and sail well enough for your needs...
You don't need to splash her to check the engine.. just shove a FW hose up the intake or connect direct for running and checking gear changes...