I was looking at buying a little convertible this evening and the guy wouldn't let me drive it. I sat in the passenger seat while he gingerly drove it around the block. That wasn't a very good sales tactic.
Jake Kohl
-- Have You Seen This? --
Re: Buying a boat... Merits of a test sail?
[Re: Jake]
#239628 11/01/1110:17 PM11/01/1110:17 PM
Before buying any cat again I would want to see it rigged first. There is often not enough good design engineering. Good design engineering = ease of setup and efficiency of use in all aspects of the boat. You can see those things when rigging. Some you can decide to live with and some not. Plus you will see how heavy the rigging and boat is that way too.
Re: Buying a boat... Merits of a test sail?
[Re: JJ_]
#239631 11/02/1106:53 AM11/02/1106:53 AM
I would recommend a test sail. Sometimes you have to go thru the setup and sail of a boat you are not familar with to see if it is exactly what you are looking for. And yes you feel bad if in the end you put the owner thru this and do not buy the boat but better that then you owning a boat that is not for you. I even recommend this on a used boat unless you are really familar with the boat or the owner. It is amazing what you find out about a boat when it is off the trailer and on the water with the rig fully loaded.
Re: Buying a boat... Merits of a test sail?
[Re: daniel_t]
#239633 11/02/1108:33 AM11/02/1108:33 AM
I just looked a jon boat 2 weeks ago. I didn't make him take me out on the water with it (but i wish i had). It looked good, he talked a good game (said it was recently and often used by his son, they were looking for a bigger boat for more people etc). One tire was almost flat, so i filled it with my portable air compressor.
the lights were not working, there was a missing bulb visible and some broken wires.
I purchased it regardless, but i also have a welder friend who told me what to look for and assured me that we/he could repair most any small issues with a jon boat)
I did not get more than 1 mile down the road before the trailer tire was shredded and off the rim. I had to park it and go to the local walmart and get a replacement. When i got home i worked on the lights, they were rigged incorrectly and could have never worked as wired.
I have yet to put it in the water (tomorrow), but i would not be surprised if there are ... more surprises.
Had we met at the water... he would have had to replace the tire (instead of me), and it would have been more apparent the lights didn't work at all (not a big deal, but just extra money and time i had to spend instead of him)
I stand by my suggestion of trying to get a boat in the water (especially one with dozens and dozens of little specialty parts), or dry rigged at the least before making a purchase so you know what you are getting. Buyer beware
Last edited by MN3; 11/02/1108:42 AM.
Re: Buying a boat... Merits of a test sail?
[Re: arbo06]
#239634 11/02/1108:39 AM11/02/1108:39 AM
I just bought a John Deere riding mower.... I should have had the seller cut my grass first!
If you bought it new, then no, you can trust the reputation of that company and their products and warranty.
If you bought it used and didn't try it first.... and it had mechanical issues... then you have little recourse and few grounds for return or refund as most used items are assumed "as is"
Re: Buying a boat... Merits of a test sail?
[Re: catman]
#239645 11/02/1112:01 PM11/02/1112:01 PM
If the boats local then having the owner take you out should be no problem. I wouldn't let anyone I didn't know take my boat for a sail without me.
What boat are you looking at?
It is interesting to see how the different answers in this thread assume different contexts. Have I sailed that particular brand of boat before? Am I buying new or used? From a reputable company or a stranger? I can see that the answers to these questions, and possibly others, strongly affect the answer to my main question.
In my specific case, I am talking about a make of boat I have never sailed before, it's used, and I'm buying from a stranger. The owner says that the wheel bearings need repacked and the trailer isn't even usable until that is done, so if I were to buy it, I wouldn't even be able to drive it home that day. The owner also says the hulls need to be pressure washed.
I'm supposed to go see it this weekend. If I don't see any reason to reject the boat outright, I'm planing on telling the owner that she will have to repack the bearings and get the boat to the nearby sailing center for me to test sail it (at least to make sure there are no nasty leaks.)
The boat is a Mystere 5.0 XL...
Daniel T. Taipan F16 - USA 213
Re: Buying a boat... Merits of a test sail?
[Re: daniel_t]
#239646 11/02/1112:11 PM11/02/1112:11 PM
If the boats local then having the owner take you out should be no problem. I wouldn't let anyone I didn't know take my boat for a sail without me.
What boat are you looking at?
It is interesting to see how the different answers in this thread assume different contexts. Have I sailed that particular brand of boat before? Am I buying new or used? From a reputable company or a stranger? I can see that the answers to these questions, and possibly others, strongly affect the answer to my main question.
In my specific case, I am talking about a make of boat I have never sailed before, it's used, and I'm buying from a stranger. The owner says that the wheel bearings need repacked and the trailer isn't even usable until that is done, so if I were to buy it, I wouldn't even be able to drive it home that day. The owner also says the hulls need to be pressure washed.
I'm supposed to go see it this weekend. If I don't see any reason to reject the boat outright, I'm planing on telling the owner that she will have to repack the bearings and get the boat to the nearby sailing center for me to test sail it (at least to make sure there are no nasty leaks.)
The boat is a Mystere 5.0 XL...
Ahh, I know the boat you speak of, quite well. Check your PM.
Have Fun
Re: Buying a boat... Merits of a test sail?
[Re: catman]
#239650 11/02/1104:09 PM11/02/1104:09 PM
Ive got a boat for sale and would let people take if for a test sail, its already rigged, mast up storeage, so it would be easy, plus its not a brand new boat, so a little more wear won't hurt it. I think its good to get as much info on a boat if you are not familiar with either the boat/brand or seller. At the very least see how it is rigged. A lot of times, you get a boat home and cant figure out the pile of strings you have and it can be a real headscratcher.
When I sold my last boat, I was approached by a buyer, he wanted me to drive from CT to VA, let him race it in a regatta and then he would decide.
Anyone care to guess my response?
Re: Buying a boat... Merits of a test sail?
[Re: Jake]
#239651 11/02/1104:35 PM11/02/1104:35 PM
Some boats are just slow, so yes test sail it!! you don't wanna end up making alot of overhauls/changes to a boat you thought looked fast or taking the word of some "skipper" who just had the cash to buy big. you never REALLY know someone till you have sailed with them...same rules apply for the boat..atleast in my book.
I disagree with that. There is very little variance from boat to boat from any of the manufacturers. Things like clean and fair bottoms, clean foils, decent sails, proper boat setup, and - most importantly - proper sailing technique are what make them fast - there's no magic from boat to boat that makes one faster than the other.
I used to hear the same thing during the Alter Cup Championship where we have 10 new boats and 20 sailors rotating on the boats. The fleet would generally arrive at a conclusion that a couple of boats were the "faster" boats in the fleet. Once we started using a digital scoring and boat assignment system (to make sure everyone was getting rotated evenly on all the boats), I started putting together statistics on finishes by boat number...there was less than a 1.1% deviation in finish positions by boat - and that was consistent over the three years I was involved with the event.
John,
I have several hundred acres of PRIME Florida swamp land that I would love to sell ya!! Comes complete with a mosquito farm and Boar Hog infestation!!
Live Slow, Sail Fast!! --roger-- Bimare Javelin 18HT 2
Re: Buying a boat... Merits of a test sail?
[Re: bvining]
#239652 11/02/1104:36 PM11/02/1104:36 PM
Ive got a boat for sale and would let people take if for a test sail, its already rigged, mast up storeage, so it would be easy, plus its not a brand new boat, so a little more wear won't hurt it. I think its good to get as much info on a boat if you are not familiar with either the boat/brand or seller. At the very least see how it is rigged. A lot of times, you get a boat home and cant figure out the pile of strings you have and it can be a real headscratcher.
When I sold my last boat, I was approached by a buyer, he wanted me to drive from CT to VA, let him race it in a regatta and then he would decide.
Anyone care to guess my response?
Uhhhh, I'll be right there??? Just wait for me.
Re: Buying a boat... Merits of a test sail?
[Re: daniel_t]
#239678 11/03/1108:47 AM11/03/1108:47 AM
With a brand new boat, from a dealer, I wouldn't need a test sail, but any Used boat, yeah, I want to be sure all the pieces are there, see that everything works, and see what the sails look like, in the breeze.
Oh, and there's the fun of actually sailing it!
Blade F16 #777
Re: Buying a boat... Merits of a test sail?
[Re: daniel_t]
#239747 11/04/1111:47 AM11/04/1111:47 AM
too many variables for a definitive answer. new vs. used, stated condition, previous experience with cats, etc. etc.
I bought my last one used, sight unseen, from 1500 miles away. Why? because the price was right even if everything needed attention...as I suspected it did and I was well-prepared to fix/replace everything.
Re: Buying a boat... Merits of a test sail?
[Re: Headhunter]
#239753 11/04/1104:59 PM11/04/1104:59 PM
you had many high res images (and inspected them in detail), and the guy delivered it (1500 miles/free). Also you know the boat/brand inside and out and have local resources to repair just about anything.
Originally Posted by Headhunter
too many variables for a definitive answer. new vs. used, stated condition, previous experience with cats, etc. etc.
I bought my last one used, sight unseen, from 1500 miles away. Why? because the price was right even if everything needed attention...as I suspected it did and I was well-prepared to fix/replace everything.