Hi all, maybe a dumb question but today a second hand cat dealer told me a test sail of any of their cats was absolutely out of the question. Their policy was also "no returns, under any circumstances".

I'm buying my first used cat soon, so I'm in doubt.
Is it normal for me to want to test sail a very cheap cat, like say below $1000? And below $2500??
Or do you normally just buy a second hand cat "off the shelf" so to speak..

I am not sure about a test sail but I would say you should rig it for sure.

I don't know what the customs are in the Netherlands but if it were me, I would at least want to see the boat rigged, sails up, rudders in place, ready to sail, just so you know all the parts are there and fit together!

If it's your first boat, you probably don't have enough experience to know what should be included and I would be very careful. If the guy is honest, he should at least offer you a test sail or to replace anything that is missing. Be careful, and try to get someone who knows that type of boat and what it should have to go look it over on the trailer before you put out any money. OR...find a local racer looking to move up, buy his boat, at least you know the parts are all there.

Also it is alwyas a good idea to take someone that has been doing this for a few years along with you.

Whenever I've bought or sold my used boats a "test drive" was not part of the deal. But a full rigging is always part of the deal. Unless you have a deep understanding of the boat you are buying, the only way to know if it's all there and the parts are correct is to set up the rigging.
I would also recommend taking a friend that't not emotionally tied to the purchase.

I think you won't get a test sail from anyone, but when buying from a dealer you'll usually get a three month warranty. Check with the dealer what is covered by the warranty and decide for yourself whether it is enough for you. I understand that the terms of the warranty given by the dealers over here in the good old Netherlands are usually quite fair. You can also decide to buy privately, the risk is a bit greater (no warranty) but the price should be lower and you might be able to get an eager seller to give you a test sail. I think your of idea of trying to go out on different boats to see what they're like is great, look around on the various club websites, go out on the beaches. Another idea might be to look out for boats that obviously haven't moved from their place for a long time if you can trace the owner you might make him an offer. If you're still looking in april, PM me, maybe I can take you out on my old barge.

I have sold numerous used cats, at least 25+ and if the buyer wanted a test sail I charged them $50 and if they bought the boat they got the money back. I decided to do this after setting the boat up and taking the prospective buyers for a sail and have them just walk away, it weeds out the tire kickers real fast. If they are a serious buyer they will understand. So maybe offer him something along these lines.

Hullflyer,
that sounds like a very fair deal. I have never been to the dealer in question though, it could well be that his place of business is not very near the beach. That would be a show-stopper.

Genealex,
thanks for your info. I think that, if the boat I am looking for is in good shape, I'll buy it without a test sail. Thanks for your offer for a sail. I sure hope to be able to invite you to sail with by April though!

All,
it seems I was expecting too much. Fair enough then. I hadn't even thought to ask him if I could inspect the boat in it's fully rigged state!
I'll give the guy a second chance then.

Thanks everyone,
Dennis

When I bought my last used boat, the seller showed me how to rig it and took me out as crew, showing me the function of each control and line. After a while we traded places, and I sailed it back in and unrigged it. I used this same procedure when I sold the boat. I thought this was fair, since even one-design boats can vary slightly, and it showed I had nothing to hide.

I am with this post. I don't think a sail is needed but rig and sails up etc. If the guy is dealing boats he should follow up with replacing any missing or broken parts. No returns etc etc sounds dodgy. You must realize the boat he is selling you cost him less than half what you are going to pay.

I don't know about the dealer charging more than double what he paid for the boat. That might be a bit extreme. The dealer I sold my boat to marked it up about 30% what he paid for it (but he also got money from selling me a new boat).

Regarding the no returns policy, I think that may be fairly standard on used equipment. Especially if the boat is on consignment. It should definitely be a complete boat though - no missing parts. And he should rig it, or at the very least, be willing to answer any questions that you have.

sm

We are talking about cheap boats here. I am clear that boats selling up over 6K would attract a different mark up but no one is going to make money out of a $450 mark up on a $1,500 sale.