| A few thoughts about your query.....
UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR NEEDS IN A BOAT ARE.
Things to consider might include size, price range, performance and your
own cruising goals. You didn't mention what type of boat you are considering..
but a barge in a marina is one thing and an offshore cruiser is another.
UNDERSTAND THE MARKET FOR VESSELS OF THAT TYPE
Presently there is a glut of sailboats on the market and you can get some
great values. You might read the ads in the back of the boating magazines
to get an idea of what the range of prices are.
Be sure to consider the quality, condition, age, equipment and present location.
ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR NEEDS AND THE MARKET it might be safe to go to a show
(with a checkbook in you pocket).
LIVEABOARD BOATS GENERALLY ARE NOT A COMMODITY
Its easy to say you should get 50% off of wrinkled tomatoes or
20% off of a new car. Realize that you might be buying someone's home.
A home that has provided safety under adverse conditions and helped
someone realize a dream.
If you would like a rule of thumb...an offer of 10% below what you
feel the boat is actually worth based on the boats condition and market value
might allow you negotiate well. The asking price might be inflated by the amount
that the owner has invested and the glut of used sailboats on the market...
knowing the market ahead of time is critical.
MAKE ANY OFFER CONTINGENT ON A SURVEY, SEA TRIALS, FINANCING AND YOUR ABILITY
TO FIND A PLACE TO KEEP THE BOAT.
Depending on where you live, finding dockage that will allow you
to liveaboard can be difficult. Some areas have waiting lists of several years.
ONE FINAL THOUGHT.....
Before you make a major financial commitment to a liveaboard boat
realize that the romantic vision of what life might be like on a liveaboard
boat is quite different from the reality. Consider chartering a boat of the
type you're considering for a few weeks prior to taking the leap.
Good luck...............Rich
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| Some thoughts:
Production boats are designed for casual use by casual sailors.
Relatively few owners ever really equip their boats well or make the
modifications needed to make their boats safe and comfortable in any
weather or sea condition.
A comfortable liveaboard boat has almost certainly been greatly modified
by its owner(s), past and present. The modifications probably took much
thought, time, effort, and expense to implement and make the boat more
valuable. I would expect that a liveaboard boat would be priced at, and
should sell for, considerably more than a non-liveaboard sistership.
There are a number of good books available that describe modifications
that make a boat more liveable. Reading them will give an idea of the
amount of effort it takes to make a boat truly liveable. And I would
suspect that most owners did the work themselves, yard labor rates being
what they are.
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