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Help! Need to prep boat 4 sale & determine worth

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Aceguy
1st Mate

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USA
77 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/04/2007 : 19:40:56

I am seriously considering selling my 1985 Catalina 25 sksr. I caught the sailing bug about three years ago in some sailing classes that I took on a whim. I bought Charisma a year later and began working on her immediately. Then, however, came a new baby and a new home. Two years later I have only sailed her four times.

Unfortunately, when you catch the sailing bug it doesn’t come with a list of reasons why buying a boat might not make perfect sense at that point in your life. The only times we have been able to go out on her has been during a couple family vacations. I live very near Folsom lake (Sacramento, CA area), which has extensive wait lists for wet & dry slips. If I want to go out there, I have to step and un-step each time. That alone isn’t a huge deal to me, but add the powerboats on the weekends, and Monday thru Thursday is the only time sailing there would make much sense. I only have my step-daughters two of those days, and obviously they’re in school until the afternoon, then homework, blah blah blah. We could trailer out to the bay (around two hours) but then when we get there I still would have to step and launch, and I’m just not sure that my 9 month old, my 2 year old, or my 10 & 12 year old have the patience to wait almost four hours to get on the water. I’m pretty positive they wouldn’t have the patience to wait 3+ hours after we were done sailing before we got back home. None of these obstacles are insurmountable, just inconvenient. We can’t just “go sailing” on a whim. It’s a major endeavor any way I look at it.

Basically, I’m starting to really think that as much as I love sailing, it is not the recreation form of choice for my six member family at this juncture in life. So why sell? Well, I don’t have unlimited funds, and I do have a fair amount of money tied up in Charisma. I still would like to be doing something on the weekends with the family when we can, and I’m thinking that my first love of four wheel drives and camping may be a much better fit for the size and age family I have right now, given our time and geography restrictions. If I sold Charisma I would put the money back into a four wheel drive with third row seating and family camping gear.

All that being said, I am trying to figure out what Charisma is worth. I don’t want to be unrealistic, but I also want to get as much out of her as I possibly can, since I will be putting it right back into a different form of recreation for my family. I haven’t really found anything in the classifieds that I have seen that provides much of a comparable. Can you all help me zero in on a value, or a fair asking price, or something? Here’s the specs:

1985 Catalina 25 swing keel, standard rig #5033
-traditional interior layout
-pop top
-shore power setup
-porta pottie
-all cushions in good condition
-sails in good condition
-lots of extras and upgrades
1985 Trailrite double axle trailer w/ hydraulic brakes & sled for swing keel rest

Catalina 25 upgrades/features

By me-all new w/in last year

Mast stepper from Catalina Direct
Custom A-frame mast stepping accessory (emt electrical conduit construction-built w/ help from this board)
Fiberglass mast carrier (on bow pulpit) from Catalina Direct
Tohatsu 9.8 hp 4 stroke outboard w/ extra long shaft & electric start (a thing of beauty)
Four spring outboard motor mount from Catalina Direct (mounted w/ extended backer plates on inside)
Plastic outboard motor board from Catalina Direct
New marine battery
Complete keel hardware replacement: all from Catalina Direct
-winch
-winch cable
-turning ball & pin
-exhaust hose & clamps
-keel eyebolt retrofit
-keel hanger casting assembly
(the only thing I didn't change was the hanging pin, because it was in there tight! Why mess with a good thing?)
quick release levers on forestay and forward lowers from Catalina Direct
Garmin GPS Map 192c (not yet installed-still in box)
rubrail (not yet installed-still in roll) from Catalina Direct
bimini top (not yet installed-still in box) from Catalina Direct
pop top power lift kit (not yet installed-still in bag) from Catalina Direct
dual battery kit (not yet installed-still in box) from Catalina Direct

features & upgrades from p/o

mainsail, jib & genoa
bimini top
Split adjustable backstay
Propane stove w/ gas line led out to 2 gal. tank in cockpit locker
All lines led aft though three line rope clutch
VHF marine
Loran
Custom fuse/switch panel
Terrycloth covers for cockpit bench pads
Converted bathroom sink into storage cabinet
Some kind of easy reef kit that I don’t know how to use
A few neat custom teak features (shelves, radio holder, electrical panel, etc.) (I understand he was featured in a sailing magazine for his modifications, although I never saw the feature myself)

Trailer upgrades by me in the last year

New complete brake controller assembly
New complete hitch
New bearings w/ bearing buddies
New u-bolts
New valve stems (woo hoo!)
New wood keel guides & brackets

There’s a bunch of other stuff that she would come with that’s really too much to list: books, DVD’s, first aid, fire extinguishers, flare gun, cd player/stereo deck & speakers, dishes, life vests, cockpit table, tools, mainsail cover, poptop cover, lots of extra lines, dock bumpers, U life preserver, stuff I’m forgetting, etc. . . .

Thanks for any help anyone may be able to provide!!

Eric

Eric Freedman
1984 SR/WK #4671
Folsom, CA

Edited by - Aceguy on 01/06/2007 13:10:19

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2007 : 21:20:24

In our market that is an $8500. boat.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2007 : 22:52:10

Sounds like a pretty nice one--she was built right after mine (5032)! The key is the competition in your area (probably including at least CA, OR, and WA)... Have you looked at Yachtworld.com and Boattrader.com? Yachtworld is the biggest broker site, and Boattrader takes listings from anybody. BoatUS is also a resource. Check out boats in the 24-26 range, considering things like O'Days and other similar trailerable boats in your area. Also look at the similar C-25s nationwide--your potential buyers will use them as a baseline. A big plus is your engine--that could add almost a grand compared to a boat with an older 2-stroke.

Yes, upgrades and add-ons have limited resale impact. But "curb appeal" is important for getting a sale. Shine her up, unclutter the cabin, install the bimini, and give her a go. Then edit your post above to remove your little "discussion"--we won't tell.

Many potential buyers are lurking here.

There's always another time for a sailboat, and ways to sail without actually owning one and having to haul and rig her... Good luck!

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 01/04/2007 22:54:10

existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2007 : 04:35:48

Don't forget to advertise her in the cruising forums as well. Lots of wannabe cruisers who aren't yet in a position to buy the cruising boat, but would love to have a weekender for the time being. I'd start at $8900 and work from there. Over her on the east coast it is a buyers market at the moment, but spring is coming and you are in a better climate, so you might not have any difficulty.

Edited by - on

kevinmac
Admiral

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USA
732 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2007 : 09:00:04

I agree with Frank's assessment of value - around $8000. Unfortunately, you don't get money back for upgrades most of the time, you just get to enjoy them while you own the boat.

Edited by - on

frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 01/05/2007 : 20:17:18

IMHO the boat should be marketed at between 8500 and 9000. However, all the new items that have not been installed I would sell separately. If you install them or let them go with the boat it will not increase its value, but if advertised on this forum and sold you would at least get some return on your investment that is not available with the boat.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 01/06/2007 : 08:42:05

You've done some good things that should make a savvy buyer feel more comfortable buying her, but those things generally don't add much to the price. Keep in mind that boat buying is an emotional thing. My advice (worth about what you're paying for it): If your old bimini looks good, fine... if not, I'd put the new one on. Make sure she looks sharp--you'll be competing with boats that don't, and that can be the difference. Then sell the other stuff separately.

Best of luck!

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 01/06/2007 09:09:08

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