by boone » Thu Aug 06, 1998 12:00 am
Ed, the price range you give seems reasonable. Besides the basics, look into other things:<P><UL><LI>Check the condition of the sails...new sails are very expensive.</LI><LI>Make sure that all of the side accessories are present with the boat...rudder, tiller, drain plugs, etc.</LI><LI>Are the lines/blocks in good condition or will they need to be replaced?</LI><LI>Crawl under the boat and look at the condition of the centerboard.</LI><LI>Check the condition of the "bow-eye", used to pull the boat with the crank on the trailer. If it's loose, you'll have some work ahead of you.</LI><LI>Check the trailer to see if the lights work, tires are in good condition, etc.</LI><LI>Does the boat have a cover? A good cover is expensive (~$300).</LI></UL></P>The condition or absence of anything above could sway your decision/offering price.
Since you're new to the game, try to get the owner to show you how to rig the boat properly. I had to figure this out for myself.
You might want to look into a "joint-ownership agreement" if you're going to buy this with your neighbor. A lot of groups who buy boats do this. Search the rec.boats archives on <A HREF='http://www.dejanews.com'>http://www.dejanews.com</A>.
Also, have a look at the forsale ads on this site to get an idea of what others are asking.