Timing on Buying a Boat

Looking to upgrade the 3m dinghy within the next 18 months and looking for an idea on the best time to look to pull the trigger. I am aware that you get better prices if you look to buying a boat during the winter but I am also mindful that the mining downturn is gaining momentum and there will be a lot of guys who spent a lot on toys and will be looking to offload items like boats, jetskis etc to keep their heads above water.

 

Did anyone buy a boat around the time of the GFC when we had the last big downturn and would it be worth waiting until this one really hits in the hope that there will be a glut of boats on the market to choose from and being really brutal in pushing the price down?

 

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I was looking all winter and

Wed, 2015-03-25 11:08

I was looking all winter and couldn't find anything, Once summer came there seemed to be heaps on the market. I think you have to search and if you find a good deal grab it. Everyones reason for selling and urgency will be different.

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 If you see a bargin grab it

Wed, 2015-03-25 12:12

 If you see a bargin grab it quick. My mates looking to buy and the good boats priced right get snapped up fast. 

Its a buyer market out there yet the prices people put on a second hand boat are unbelievably high. 15  year old boats with 2 strokes are up around the 35 to 40k mark.  I look at boats for sale every day and the overpriced boats arent selling, yet they wont drop the price.

I bought a new fibreglass 5.5mtr boat in 2006 for 44k. Same aged boat now there trying to sell for 38k. Dreaming.

 

 

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 Depends how much you want to

Wed, 2015-03-25 12:29

 Depends how much you want to spend. Biggest issues with blokes overcommitted will be with the high dollar rigs. Everything decent around the 50-60k mark is still moving pretty quickly but the rigs over the 100k mark is where the best deals will be. 

Cheaper rigs you just need to be ready to act straight away for the bargains. They pop up all the time.

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dodgy is right.If you want a

Wed, 2015-03-25 12:51

dodgy is right.

If you want a good price and make an offer (especially lowball) make sure you have your ducks in a row first.

Not when he accepts saying "oh, just got to see the bank and check with the missus, can I pay it off over a year"?

 

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The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.

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Dale's picture

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Wed, 2015-03-25 13:19

 Keep an eye out, there's going to be a lot of boats and HSV cars selling soon from the blokes losing their jobs.

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grantarctic1's picture

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Date Joined: 03/03/11

Spot on

Wed, 2015-03-25 13:25

Spot on, its already started and is a great time to be a buyer not a seller.

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Cheers guys, I am looking

Wed, 2015-03-25 13:48

Cheers guys, I am looking around the $15-20k mark so hoping to get a half decent 4.8-5m but one that someone has spent money on putting all the fruit on it and I'll have the cash ready to go in 12-18 months... and the Mrs is all over the idea. Not in any particular hurry as the 3m dinghy is great for me and my 5y old but want to upgrade to something bigger by the time my 2.5y old is ready to start coming out with us.

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pelagicyachts's picture

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as i tell my wife.......... -

Wed, 2015-03-25 14:00

as i tell my wife.......... - there is never a bad time to buy a boat :-)

Bruce's picture

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Date Joined: 11/04/12

 Just bought my 12th boat, a

Wed, 2015-03-25 14:26

 Just bought my 12th boat, a good little 4.6m ali with 4 stroke for just over 10k. Put my own new GPS and Fishfinder for $750, dual batteries for $250 and got it serviced for $600. Just need to touch up the trailer a bit and for about $12k I have a good reliable boat thats set up how I like it and I've done the stuff myself and learnt a few things along the way. 

I've seen a few bargains come and go so definetly be on your toes when you've got money available. Think of a low baller price and then take another grand off it. You'd be surprised what people are prepared to take. 

End of summer is generally a pretty good time but good things will pop up all year round.

Good luck mate!

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 I did the same as you.. I

Wed, 2015-03-25 17:35

 I did the same as you.. I got a 4.5m Ali tinny for 11k just over 12 months ago... The best thing is mine had hardly been used! The even better thing is the previous owner had the motor stollen off the back... So I ended up buying a pretty much new boat with a motor that had done 0 hours! Literally 0 hours on a 40hp 4 stroke elec start power trim & tilt... Mind u I had been looking for a while, just make sure u have the cash ready! 

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 can someone provide a

Wed, 2015-03-25 14:46

 can someone provide a breakdown of the cost to own a boat, 

Boat: 10k

trailer: 1k

service: ??

licence: ??

compliance to fisheries standards: ??

tow bar: ??

 

would be appreciated 

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 I've been told a few times

Wed, 2015-03-25 14:52

 I've been told a few times that a rough figure for owning/running a boat was about 10% of the boat's value per year

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that depends

Wed, 2015-03-25 18:29

 in the last 12 months mine has cost more in rego than fuel, the bloody thing never leaves the drive :)

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10% of purchase price

Wed, 2015-03-25 23:13

 10% of purchase price is a good starting point.  Trailer boats probably a bit less on an annual basis but at some point you'll be up for trailer maintenance.  ALso largely dependent on how many hours you use it. 

Service costs - depends on engine and usage

Licence - a few hundred a year for registration (not sure if this depends on boat/engine size?)

Do you mean fishing licence?  $30 per year

Tow bar - for most vehicles probably in the $300 - $500 range.

Assuming you are using the boat a reasonable amount then fuel will be the single biggest expense.

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Vinesh87's picture

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The only time you will find a

Wed, 2015-03-25 18:29

The only time you will find a boat you like is when you don't have the money haha!

 

There may be a few more on the market over winter but thats about it.

 

I put my boat on the market going into winter last year with a firm high price on it hoping i would still have it for a while. Wrong sold straight away for the full price haha!

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 The only other time you see

Wed, 2015-03-25 19:14

 The only other time you see a boat you like is after you bought the first one you liked 

Noxious's picture

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 I just bought a boat within

Wed, 2015-03-25 19:43

 I just bought a boat within the last two months. This is my second boat, and my mate who I bought the boat withs third.

 

The best advice I can give you is - 

If you see a boat that is priced right - MAKE the time to go see it, because it wont last. Have yours funds ready to go.

Don't be a twat and try negotiate the price before you have even see the boat!

Go see as many boats as you can, looking at boats online is fine, but until you go see them and sit in them, you really don't know shit.

 

Good luck man. It's a scary process but also exciting. Do it right and you will be rewarded, make mistakes and it hurts later on!

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 Cheers for the tips guys.

Wed, 2015-03-25 20:01

 Cheers for the tips guys. Looking forward to but also apprehensive about when the time comes but the other reason I am waiting 12-18 besides wanting to pay cash is to really do my research

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 Remember the old saying"more

Wed, 2015-03-25 20:39

 Remember the old saying

"more is lost thru indecision than wrong decision"

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 Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...

 

 

The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.

Everyone's just winging it.

 

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Date Joined: 07/05/12

Showed the Mrs a few ideas of

Wed, 2015-03-25 23:15

Showed the Mrs a few ideas of what I am aiming for and the convo went like this:

"Awesome I can't wait, I've always wanted a boat but don't we want something bigger with a cuddy cab for the kids and so we can go to Rotto"

"Yeah but it means we need to get something bigger which will be more expensive or older"

"I don't care about paying more if it means getting a better boat"

Geez I love this girl haha

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nek minit

Thu, 2015-03-26 01:21

nek minit

"I think I need new shoes, handbag and jewelry to match the boat"

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 Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...

 

 

The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.

Everyone's just winging it.

 

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Date Joined: 07/05/12

 Haha nah mate she doesn't

Thu, 2015-03-26 07:06

 Haha nah mate she doesn't waste money on all that crap. Unnecessary haircuts though... Now I just visit Tackle HQ after she has a haircut instead of being grumpy about it

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 Ive been looking at boats on

Sun, 2015-03-29 17:29

 Ive been looking at boats on and off for the last 2 years and seriously for the last 3-4months. There seems to be alot less boats for sale in general at the moment and alot of crap on the market. Seems like the downside to there being less mining money around is no one has cash to upgrade to something bigger at the moment and people holding on the the decent boats or wanting top dollar for them. Like a few people have said, if you see a decent boat for the right price jump on it ASAP especially if you want something newish with a 4 stroke. I boat I was keen on came up a couple weeks ago while I was on site, sold in 2 days and popped up again on a dealer site for a couple grand more 2 days after that, bloody bastards

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Bang On Another Thousand

Tue, 2015-03-31 22:11

Best time - anytime. Those selling in winter know people buying in winter expect a bargain, so up their price..

 

Cost of owning a slightly bigger boat?? I was looking at a 4.5 side console initially, ended up going a bit bigger because you can use it for more (basically go anywhere) and more family friendly with the twin Vberth and extra comfort ..

Mine = 2002 5.8 Ally, 2 stroke 115 Yami Saltwater

Per year:

Rego boat and trailer $300

Insurance $600

Servicing $600 inc water pump imp. and a carby clean etc

Maintenance/Oil/lubricants/general wear and tear and spares + break something, blow a tyre on a trip, lose an anchor, grease for bearings etc) $1,000

Endless trips to boat shops etc to get nice bits that you 'need' $1,000

Water bill (washing the thing after every trip) $100

 

So there's 10% of the value and I haven't gone anywhere or included the upgraded 1kw sounder/electrics/switch panels/lights and other general stuff etc.

 

Extra diesel for the tow rig per trip (~50% more than daily driving - maybe $10-20 depending on where I go, but can be up to an extra $60 for a 4hr return haul)

Boat fuel is about $1/per km (not going too slowly tho...)

 

As long as you know and appreciate the cost going into it, you (the wife) won't have a problem with it........ Except when you keep coming home with no fish.. That's a bitter pill!!