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How far would you go

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TEM58
Navigator

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USA
113 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/14/2014 : 09:17:07

to buy a boat? Several folks have commented that they would not buy a boat without inspecting it first (eg online auction). That makes sense, but how far are you willing to travel once you find a boat you are considering buying? Are you willing to make multiple trips if necessary, and what about scheduling a survey? For folks who live in coastal areas, the market may not force you to make these decisions; but living in central Texas the market is less than robust.

I've been casually shopping for a C250 WK and have realized it may be difficult to find one nearby. I'm curious how others have dealt with similar situations.

Tim M
�Perfect Match II�
2003 C350 #35
Cruising FL
PO "Wine Down"
2000 C250 WK #453
PO "Perfect Match"
1983 C25 SR/SK #3932
Lake Belton
Belton, TX

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2014 : 09:31:23

Depends on availability. If nothing is close, filter possibilities as much as you can via phone and internet. Next, line up some likely suspects and take a road trip to look at all of them. Take copious notes and photos of each to review at home. How far? No real answer. When you find one or two winners, then pursue a more advanced evaluation.

Edit: my lest boat was about 100 miles away; Pearl was next door, really.

Edited by - Dave5041 on 04/14/2014 09:37:11

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2014 : 09:34:31

Follow the drought stricken lakes and take some weekend drives. I would think you have a 3-500 mile radius because so much of that area is flat and an easy tow.

Edited by - on

kc5dlo
1st Mate

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USA
71 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2014 : 09:53:04

I was in a similar situation almost 2 years ago. When I got ready to spend the money, There were no boats available in the DFW area. I ended up making a trip to Corpus to buy the boat. Went down the next weekend and loaded the boat up and brought it home. It was almost a fun trip. Would have been easier but the guy helping me was on a tight schedule.

We spent alot of time taking the boat apart and repairing lights on the trailer.

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2014 : 10:38:06

Repacking wheel bearings is a very simple reasonably clean event. I would not tow someone else' trailer more than a couple of miles with out packing the bearings my self or seeing a receipt from a trailer service that did it.

Edited by - on

DavidCrosby
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USA
240 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2014 : 10:47:08

I went about 900 miles to get my C250 WK. There was a different C250 WK only 250 miles away at the time, but the price was significantly higher than my boat.

I was planning to arrive, look and either buy on the spot or walk away. My intentions were to do it all in one trip. In the end, two trips were required. The trailer brakes and tires needed a lot of help. So, I bought the boat. Moved it to a place to have the trailer problems resolved and came back a week later to haul her home.

No regrets on the distance traveled.

Edited by - on

shnool
Former Capri-25 Tech Editor

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USA
1032 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2014 : 11:44:16

I took a 1200 mile round trip to sell my old boat, and pickup my new (used Capri 25) this last go around.

We drove 1100 miles ONE WAY to get our horse trailer (and trade our old one in).. the trip was actually more like 2400 round trip as we stopped off in southern OH to get financing, and buy a (bigger dually diesel) truck on our way. We did this trip to MN in February (-8degrees F when we got there)... I'd easily drive as far again for the right boat.

Most of the boats I look for aren't real common.

Edited by - on

Cerulean II
Deckhand

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USA
19 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2014 : 13:19:34

Last November I made the trip (4,300 miles round trip) from Tulsa, OK to Eugene, OR and down through California and back to Tulsa for a 2000 C250 WK. I could not find one that had the options on it that I wanted. I did not want to have to do any major upgrades.

My last boat made the trek from Durango, CO to Tulsa, OK.

Not many newer well kept Catalina's in the Midwestern states at the times I was looking.

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2014 : 18:10:59

We live in the Ohio Valley. Drove to Boston to inspect/purchase a C25. Ordered a trailer from Trail-Rite in Santa Ana. Flew out, purchased a pick-up truck on Craigslist, drove back to Boston to marry boat to trailer - then back home.

Ta-da!

Our insanity should justify anything you take-on in the continental United States. Good luck and keep us posted on your search!

Edited by - OJ on 04/14/2014 19:11:45

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2272 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2014 : 19:33:40

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by DavidCrosby
 I went about 900 miles to get my C250 WK. There was a different C250 WK only 250 miles away at the time, but the price was significantly higher than my boat.

I was planning to arrive, look and either buy on the spot or walk away. My intentions were to do it all in one trip. In the end, two trips were required. The trailer brakes and tires needed a lot of help. So, I bought the boat. Moved it to a place to have the trailer problems resolved and came back a week later to haul her home.

No regrets on the distance traveled.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I know your boat. His asking price was amazingly low, and it was worth your travel distance to snatch it up.

Edited by - on

GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4304 Posts

Response Posted - 04/14/2014 : 20:09:40

My wife always looks at things as an adventure. Go into looking for your boat with that in mind and it won't matter how far you have to go.

When I was looking for my boat I could not find anything worth looking at here in the Houston area. I made 3 or 4 trips to the DFW area negotiating on one boat and looking at several others. Went to Lake Travis a couple of times looking. One of the times was on my honeymoon! Never found anything.

I ended up finding my boat on this site from a PO here in the Houston area.

After looking at 12 - 15 boats over at least a years time frame I walked up to my boat and knew instantly that this was the boat I'd been looking for. You just "know" when you find the right one for you!

Edited by - on

hewebb
Admiral

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USA
761 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2014 : 03:33:28

We were scheduled to jump on a plane and go to Illinois to look at a boat. We had been shopping for a boat in the local (DFW) area for 11 months. The day before departure I ran across the ad for the boat we bought. It was about 200 miles from home. One trip to look at and sail the boat. Next trip to purchase and bring home. Being that it was my first cabin style sail boat I wasn't sure what I wanted until I was on it.

Edited by - hewebb on 04/15/2014 03:33:53

TEM58
Navigator

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USA
113 Posts

Response Posted - 04/15/2014 : 06:31:27

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by TakeFive
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by DavidCrosby
 I went about 900 miles to get my C250 WK. There was a different C250 WK only 250 miles away at the time, but the price was significantly higher than my boat.

I was planning to arrive, look and either buy on the spot or walk away. My intentions were to do it all in one trip. In the end, two trips were required. The trailer brakes and tires needed a lot of help. So, I bought the boat. Moved it to a place to have the trailer problems resolved and came back a week later to haul her home.

No regrets on the distance traveled.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I know your boat. His asking price was amazingly low, and it was worth your travel distance to snatch it up.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

A situation like this would definitely be worth the trip.

Thanks for all of the feedback. I'm comfortable with the distances involved in traveling around Texas-- couple of hours to either DFW or Houston, and Austin only an hour away-- these would be the easy trips. I do like the idea of an adventure traveling to buy a boat, and with some thorough planning I suppose the costs can be minimized. I'm not rushing into this, and know that a boat will eventually become available that is exactly what I'm looking for. BTW, I showed my wife the responses and she pretty much thinks everyone is slightly nuts! Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 04/15/2014 : 14:17:17

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by GaryB
 My wife always looks at things as an adventure . . .

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Exactly!

Edited by - OJ on 04/15/2014 18:52:28

dasreboot
Admiral

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804 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2014 : 08:29:11

last october 600 mile round trip. did first week to look and buy it. second week to haul it back. I needed to get down there first before the rest of the vultures on this site bought it! :)

Edited by - on

kc5dlo
1st Mate

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USA
71 Posts

Response Posted - 04/21/2014 : 07:24:22

There is a 250 WK In the Dallas Craigslist now. It is at Joe Pool lake.

Edited by - on

TEM58
Navigator

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USA
113 Posts

Response Posted - 04/22/2014 : 06:07:39

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by kc5dlo
 There is a 250 WK In the Dallas Craigslist now. It is at Joe Pool lake.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Thanks, looks interesting.

Edited by - on

BBJonbo
Deckhand

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Canada
6 Posts

Response Posted - 05/04/2014 : 10:40:56

Last November I made a 4900+ round trip to pick up my 2009 Catalina 250 MKII WK. I had previously flown down to participate in the marine survey and also perform a sea trial. Once I committed to purchasing it the planning started for the journey home.

I live in northern Alberta Canada and the boat was in upstate NY. It also did not have a trailer so I had one custom built by Loadmaster Trailers. I took my 82yr old dad on the long round trip for company.

I kept missing out on boats on the west coast as they were snapped up within days of being listed if they were priced to sell. There are too many 250s overpriced and when priced fairly they move too quickly. I had the burning desire to have a boat in the water thi season so settled on the boat I found in NY.

It was a grueling trip and we hit snow and ice the very last day of travel. I used air miles for the flight down for the survey and sea trial. Driving almost 5K miles round trip and towing a C250 for half of that cost a pretty penny but for me was well worth it.

The ice has just cleared up on our lake this weekend. Docs go in the water next week and the following week the boats all go into the water. Our season is short enough up here and we lost 3 weeks this season due to the weather. In fact it snowed last night. Just a skiff and likely will melt today but this has been on crazy winter.

Will be glad in a couple of weeks when I can get Windsong in the water for my first time.

For me the long journey was well worth it and would do it again.

Jonathan

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 05/04/2014 : 13:41:23

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by BBJonbo
 . . . I took my 82yr old dad on the long round trip for company . . . we hit snow and ice the very last day of travel . . . Driving almost 5K miles round trip . . . For me the long journey was well worth it and would do it again.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yepper, driving to and/or from both coasts was half the fun of acquiring our boat. Memories that will last a lifetime.

Edited by - on

ct95949
Captain

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Aruba
300 Posts

Response Posted - 05/06/2014 : 21:53:16

These replies make me feel a little better about driving and ferrying about 1000 miles one way to bring home a '90 C25 wing I just bought in Canada. I ran want ads for months in all the western states and the only replies I got were for C250s and swing keels. I too would go very far for a boat with all the goodies, much cheaper than buying and installing all that stuff new.

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 05/08/2014 : 10:19:43

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ct95949
 These replies make me feel a little better about driving and ferrying about 1000 miles one way to bring home a '90 C25 wing I just bought in Canada. I ran want ads for months in all the western states and the only replies I got were for C250s and swing keels. I too would go very far for a boat with all the goodies, much cheaper than buying and installing all that stuff new.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Atta boy Craig!

The only obligation you have is pix of your new boat!

Have fun, safe trip!

Edited by - OJ on 05/08/2014 10:42:09

Arlington
Navigator

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USA
196 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2014 : 21:56:33

Tim a couple of years ago, there was a new 250 on Joe Pool, at the State Park Marina. The story was that two women bought it, sailed it once and it had just sat there ever since. The irony is that there are boats for sail at almost all of the marinas. Might be worth a few phone calls.

On the other hand with the help of a hungry Broker, a willing seller, and a decent surveyor-I drove from Fort Worth to Oriental NC and brought a boat home one weekend in January. It was 70 degrees and sunny on the day of the sea trial and snowing the next day before I got it out of town. Worth every dollar and minute.

Doug

Edited by - on

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1776 Posts

Response Posted - 05/22/2014 : 19:21:12

Ok, I've never done the fool hearty ( but darned, sounds like fun) travel some here have done for a boat (OJ I think you take the prize) BUT if you really want a nice anything, and know what you are looking for, distance should not be the issue. The time and cost to find the right boat will be far less than to get and fix up a local "sorta works" local boat. Flow your instincts on this one!

Edited by - on

TEM58
Navigator

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USA
113 Posts

Response Posted - 05/23/2014 : 06:14:24

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Arlington
 Tim a couple of years ago, there was a new 250 on Joe Pool, at the State Park Marina. The story was that two women bought it, sailed it once and it had just sat there ever since. The irony is that there are boats for sail at almost all of the marinas. Might be worth a few phone calls.

Doug

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Coincidentally a WK on Joe Pool came on the market a few weeks ago. The owner didn't respond when I contacted him, now I see it listed with a broker for a significantly higher price!

From the responses I can see that maybe it's not all that crazy to travel a long distance for the right boat. Agree that making it an adventure would be the key.

Edited by - on

Chief RA
Chief Technical Advisor

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USA
191 Posts

Response Posted - 05/24/2014 : 06:25:32

Last Sept. my wife and I spent considerable money to go from N. Cal to N. Wash. to MAYBE buy a 1998 250 wing keel.This boat had never been in the sea and came from a lake in Arizona. The trailer had NO rust, sails crispy from inside storage and no use, boat pristine inside & out. Bought it for $15,600 with no motor but got great buy on 9.8 new Tohatsu, electric start, 25" shaft. Lived on boat/trailer st Elks Club storage yard for week in Sequim WA waiting on motor. Great fun w/ Elks club co-located nearby, bathrooms, water, etc. Did launch her at Bodega Bay for a couple months in a marina for her first ocean dunk last fall. I am in the process of setting it all up now before relaunching. (Reefer, solar, electrical install, etc.) I do have it home in its own boat house for the work. Anyway, trip was 1600 miles and a fantastic experience! I would do it again! Chief

Edited by - on

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