Spreadsheet Help (Needed)!!! For me, & ultimately Newby boat buyers.

[HankOnthewater]

I got quite a few spreadsheets, that my may help you in your decision process of buying a boat, I used it extensively in my boat buying. Note: such is just a tool that helps you in the emotional charged process, it won't make a decision for you, it assists. If (recreational) boat buying was a pure clinical/mathematical/economical process then no one would buy a boat anymore.
No time to elaborate right now, I have to mow the lawn first.

[thunderhoof]

As others are showing you spreadsheets are multidimensional lists with the ability to compare entries. The important thing is to prioritize the discriminants and to throw away the rest. Use Open Office unless you have already paid for Excel. There are many tutorials. Just keep it simple and make columns for what you are interested in and rows for each candidate.

[Rising Tide]

Good post and responses. I am sure you will, but please share when you have something.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

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You might be able to create a standard range of values for various standard items, but I’m not sure what good that would do. I do think you could create a generic sheet similar to the one I and others have described, but I don’t see how you can pre-populate it with usable values.

Good advice from Mike.

For this, what I did for one of my clients was to develop a ss with all the items and then make two columns for estimated costs, one high and one low. In some cases the $$ were WAGs, and were 100% divergent (i.e., one was twice the other), until I could get real costs and then they became closer together in later drafts as time went on. That's where Version 1, Verson 2, Version 3, etc., come in really handy.

[Snore]

Uncivilized,



Like some of the other folks who have posted I was somewhat of a spreadsheet geek before retiring.





When I was boat shopping I did a spreadsheet that allowed one to enter the boats dimensions and calculated the SA/D, D/WL and all sorts of nifty stuff. Big factor for me was draft, and air draft. If you wish a copy get me back-channel.

The issue with trying to place a value on electronics, etc.- is that that value is very subjective. To the point where the weight you give it is irrelevant. For example- boat "A" has a 5 year old chart plotter, boat "B" has a 1 year old one. If "A's" plotter works, and the charts can be updated for $200, is worth $200 less?

If you are focused on doing the spreadsheet, may I respectfully suggest that you itemize out the adjustments? For example, include in the spreadsheet adjustment factors using inputs for [asking price], [fair market price as-is], [electronics needed], [electronics wanted],[standing rigging repairs needed], [running rigging replacements needed], [other repairs needed]. The true cost of the vessel would be [asking price] or [fair market price as-is] plus the various adjustment factors. Having separate adjustment factors also lets you take a second look at it and review your inputs.

A huge issue to consider if you are rendering a professional opinion, you are doing a de facto survey. So an appropriate disclaimer should appear that the figures are estimates pending a formal survey.


Almost forgot--- this can all fit on one sheet with a line for each boat. This would allow for easier comparisons.

Thanks for the morning brain-teaser

[Dave22q]

If you can handle basic math you can do excel. It looks a lot harder than it is. Keep your variables specific, label your columns and figure out exactly what you want before starting. Computers can be great tools but are not for the fuzzy minded. You really need to know exactly what you want to do. Later on you can change up if you forgot something. PM me on what you are trying to do and I'll try to help you.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Snore

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Almost forgot--- this can all fit on one sheet with a line for each boat. This would allow for easier comparisons.

Good advice.

You will soon learn whether to use columns or lines for comparisons.

[Steven UK]

I think you have everything you need, I use spreadsheets everyday as an engineer but they are the simplest of the simple, and every other engineer is the same. You do get the odd excel 'enthusiast' but not very often. I have a whole lot of work I have done on boat spec, expected rework cost, cruising costs, electrical installations e.t.c. If you need anything just pm me. Like I said they are simple and maybe a good place to build from.

[Scott Berg]

All good advice; before purchasing our last boat I made a rather detailed spreadsheet with our requirements as a left column with comments and then multiple columns with each boat's characteristics and, in subsequent columns, a list of what project/item/estimated cost. We also added in the distance and put in delivery cost/etc.

The bottom line was great; Boat A might cost $200 but need a new radar and electrical panel, Boat B might need a new engine but brand new besides, Boat C much cheaper but needs a refit. The sheet showed each, with what she'd need to match our desires, with cost numbers. We ended up going for the full refit as the price was right and everything we looked at needed more work that advertised (surprise). YMMV... our goal was to get a good estimate of total cost to launch; we werre within 10% which was a victory in my book.

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by nelsmay

Thought I would be able to insert the spreadsheet into the thread. Obviously didn't work.

Maybe as an attachment?

[hellosailor]

Uncivilized- If you are going to get fancy with macros and such, then which software you are using matters. But a rash guess is that you will be doing the basics, adding columns of costs, multiplying hours of labor, basic "math" stuff. Any of the programs will do that pretty much the same way. They all have extensive built-in help that explains specifics of how to use functions, but "you can see the forest for the trees" applies and sometimes the best way to get started is your local library, where they either will have "for dummies" and other spreadsheet books, or they can get them on loan for free. I've never met an online resource that was as good as a real book for getting a good view of a new forest. (Program.) Even Lotus 1-2-3 version 1.0 for DOS would do enough for most "which boat" spreadsheets. The various freeware stuff (OpenOffice, Libre, etc.) and Excel all just make it prettier, until you start getting into really fancy stuff (like conditional macros and beyond) and at that point, each version seems to have different glitches and changes. Which shouldn't matter to you. But if you can get a book that matches the software you'll be running, that's best of all. Then just give it a shot. When it comes to comparing costs, I used to set up three "prices" for things. For instance, this boat has self-tailing winches, that boat needs them. So, cost of winch, cost of labor to install, and often a minimum cost (optimistic labor estimate), a maximum cost (list price plus yard labor), and a "probably" cost, somewhere in between, where you think it could be. When you total up the price on one boat (sailaway condition, sure) ersus the other (needs wiring, electronics, sails, rigging) those three variations on each price can really add up. Plus of course, the cost of keeping the boat someplace, insuring it or tying up your money, whatever, while the work is being done. Itemizing the number of hours of labor for each "part" and letting those columns total up (min-middle-max) and maybe having another one for labor cost at min-middle-max) can also be useful. But first, a #2 pencil and eraser to roughly lay things out, so you can sort, re-arrange, and print with less paging around.

[HankOnthewater]

I used spreadsheets since the early 80s, programmed my own in basic, then in Lotus 123, a little while in Quattro (for those who remember), now mainly Excel. I have used databases (like Access), but it is much more complicated to design and more difficult to use.

So, I was looking to buy a boat, I made a few spreadsheets, so I could compare dissimilar boats, boats in varying ages, and condition.

I made a list of all major equipment, and all the stuff I believed my new (old) boat should have. I allocated points and I weighted the scoring according to the importance I felt was needed. For instance, a new engine scored high, and every year of age the score diminished, to zero when major repair/replacement was close. The same with some other major items like sails, rigging, electronics etc.

Then I added the asking price vs “my” price, must-do-repairs before suitable for delivery, delivery costs itself, taxes, import duties, all taken into account.
Such scoring system allowed me to compare boats from 42 to 54 ft. The maximum score possible was around 350 points. Most boats, that is boats I liked, scored between 200 and 300 points.

So a boat that scored 300 points was clearly better, or better equipped than a boat with a score of 200. Then I divided the score into a reasonable (to me) selling price, including the add-on costs. That gave me the ability to compare boats at different price points and a figure of ‘value for money’: The boat with the lowest cost per point could be a winner. I scored about a 50 boats that way, and I inspected about 20 of them.

In fact I purchased a boat that I scored at 320 points (boat with the highest score in my list), but did not buy the boat that was the best value for money.

I also made some spreadsheets that I used for calculating costs to bring the various boats up to my standards, and a spreadsheet for maintenance. I should not have made these last 2 spreadsheets….. as with that knowledge buying/owning a boat becomes a good reason for clinical depression, and possibly financial ruin. But heh, I like messing with boats and sailing!
If anyone is interested in those spreadsheets, just PM your email address, let me know if you want the ‘XLS’ or ‘XLSX’ or ‘XLSM’ format.
Some spreadsheets are more complicated with pivot tables and macros.

on edit: why is the font so large??? can not change that on edit, sorry.

[meirriba]

https://capdtron.files.wordpress.com...or-dummies.pdf

Free book for Excel 2010.
You may find similar for different Excel versions.
Basics are identical. Higher Excel versions have extra functionality, probably you do not need latest additions.