We have now had a couple days with the survey results. I have had time to make a few calls.
Sure I paid for a survey, but what does it all mean?
I have attempted to sort out what is normal wear and tear on a 11 year old boat and what is broken or abnormal wear. I have tried to sort out neglect vs. sh*t happens.
After all that, I have attempted to put a dollar value on stuff that just ain't right. I will benefit from the corrective maintenance. They should have done it earlier. I have negotiated 50 cents on the dollar for everything that I feel is above and beyond normal wear.
So, it is now up to them. We have signed back a Conditional Acceptance letter. We adjust our offer by a few thousand dollars. They have to decide if our offer is fair or not.
Our latest deadline is 5PM Friday.
She is a good boat. We are just trying to put a fair value on her.
Ian
A cruising family's chronicals into their 2012-13 sabbatical.
28 April 2011
24 April 2011
Our first bad news
The oil samples came back from the lab on Friday.
The motor and transmissions came back with clean bill of health. The generator... not so much.
Potassium, sodium, and wear metals of the cylinder, pistons and bearings all very high.
Lab suggests that either this genny is in need of a major overhaul or just a bad sample. Recommends that the oil and filter be changed, the genny be run for 25hrs and then resampled.
So, what does this all mean? Well, now we have to come back with a conditional offer. The genny has had its raw water pump, jacket cooling pump and heat exchanger replaced. There may have been a problem that has been fixed and there are lingering contaminants. The new parts may have been defective or improperly installed.
Irregardless, our offer is based on a healthy genny with the normal wear of a 1600hr engine, not an engine on it's dying legs. On the bright side, the genny ran well through out the sea trial. So, it is in good shape for now.
So, now we wait for the maintenance and oil samples
Ian
The motor and transmissions came back with clean bill of health. The generator... not so much.
Potassium, sodium, and wear metals of the cylinder, pistons and bearings all very high.
Lab suggests that either this genny is in need of a major overhaul or just a bad sample. Recommends that the oil and filter be changed, the genny be run for 25hrs and then resampled.
So, what does this all mean? Well, now we have to come back with a conditional offer. The genny has had its raw water pump, jacket cooling pump and heat exchanger replaced. There may have been a problem that has been fixed and there are lingering contaminants. The new parts may have been defective or improperly installed.
Irregardless, our offer is based on a healthy genny with the normal wear of a 1600hr engine, not an engine on it's dying legs. On the bright side, the genny ran well through out the sea trial. So, it is in good shape for now.
So, now we wait for the maintenance and oil samples
Ian
22 April 2011
Survey and Sea Trial
The day of reckoning.
I have bought boats in the past and have possibly taken too many things at face value. Not this time. I assembled a survey team of my own choosing. They were working for me!
I called the Caterpillar Dealer in West Palm Beach (Pantropic) and they recommended Tim Caruso.
Caterpillar engine surveyor - Tim Caruso timcat10@att.blackberry.net
After several conversations with Tim, he recommended I contact Ed Rowe. Ed has plenty of experience surveying cored boats. Ocean Yachts manufacture a solid fibreglass bottom, but use a divinycell foam core on the sides and decks to reduce weight.
Marine Surveyor - Ed Rowe eroweassoc@comcast.net
Thanks to both Tim and Ed! I feel that I am making a very educated purchase.
The results.
Ocean Club is a recommended buy.
The engines.
The Caterpillar 3196s (660hp) ran right to spec. They have a few small maintenance issues, gaskets and filters. I will get those cleared up before we leave Florida.
The boat.
The hull is rock solid. Only one high moisture reading on the whole boat. The hardtop, the furthest place from the water?!?!? The bottom was clean, the props were clean. Let me loose with my buffer and she will look like she just came off the show room floor.
The windows need to be removed and rebedded. We knew that going in. This will be our high dollar fix.
The sea trial.
The weather was exactly what I was hoping for. Any boat will perform well in calm conditions. Not today, we had solid 3 footers coming in from the south-east. The captain got splashed on the flybridge while going out the inlet. He was not amused!!!! But, I was. I got to see this boat perform on a marginal day. At wide open throttle we achieved our 2300rpm, and 30knots! Ye haw!!! All temperatures and pressures within Caterpillar specifications.
Now it is time to itemize the survey recommendations, get a quote, make a counter-offer and close this deal!
I have bought boats in the past and have possibly taken too many things at face value. Not this time. I assembled a survey team of my own choosing. They were working for me!
I called the Caterpillar Dealer in West Palm Beach (Pantropic) and they recommended Tim Caruso.
Caterpillar engine surveyor - Tim Caruso timcat10@att.blackberry.net
After several conversations with Tim, he recommended I contact Ed Rowe. Ed has plenty of experience surveying cored boats. Ocean Yachts manufacture a solid fibreglass bottom, but use a divinycell foam core on the sides and decks to reduce weight.
Marine Surveyor - Ed Rowe eroweassoc@comcast.net
Thanks to both Tim and Ed! I feel that I am making a very educated purchase.
The results.
Ocean Club is a recommended buy.
The engines.
The Caterpillar 3196s (660hp) ran right to spec. They have a few small maintenance issues, gaskets and filters. I will get those cleared up before we leave Florida.
The boat.
The hull is rock solid. Only one high moisture reading on the whole boat. The hardtop, the furthest place from the water?!?!? The bottom was clean, the props were clean. Let me loose with my buffer and she will look like she just came off the show room floor.
The windows need to be removed and rebedded. We knew that going in. This will be our high dollar fix.
The sea trial.
The weather was exactly what I was hoping for. Any boat will perform well in calm conditions. Not today, we had solid 3 footers coming in from the south-east. The captain got splashed on the flybridge while going out the inlet. He was not amused!!!! But, I was. I got to see this boat perform on a marginal day. At wide open throttle we achieved our 2300rpm, and 30knots! Ye haw!!! All temperatures and pressures within Caterpillar specifications.
Now it is time to itemize the survey recommendations, get a quote, make a counter-offer and close this deal!
19 April 2011
First look
Monday was our first look at Ocean Club (2000 48' Ocean Super Sport) since signing the contract.
She is a nice boat in need of a little bit of a face lift. We are a little disappointed with her presentation. You would think that a person trying to get full value out of their boat would put a little shine on her. She needs a wash and a wax. She has a couple broken mirrors. She has more than a few scratches in her wood work. A damaged door latch. A stain in the carpet. None of this is major, I just would have expected all of this to have been cleaned up before the buyers arrive. It makes me wonder, what else will we find.
Oh well, the survey is on Wednesday. That is when we find out what kind of boat she really is.
And the weather is nice!
She is a nice boat in need of a little bit of a face lift. We are a little disappointed with her presentation. You would think that a person trying to get full value out of their boat would put a little shine on her. She needs a wash and a wax. She has a couple broken mirrors. She has more than a few scratches in her wood work. A damaged door latch. A stain in the carpet. None of this is major, I just would have expected all of this to have been cleaned up before the buyers arrive. It makes me wonder, what else will we find.
Oh well, the survey is on Wednesday. That is when we find out what kind of boat she really is.
And the weather is nice!
10 April 2011
We have a name, but still no boat.
Aug 1st 2012 is our departure date.
Internally we set a timetable that our new boat would be on the Great Lakes for one full cruising season before we leave.
We started shopping in June of 2009 with a trip to New Bedford, Mass. and Freeport, Maine to look at 2004 40' Mainships.
March 2010 we charter a 1997 39' Mainship in the Virgin Islands and decide that out on the ocean, that was not the boat for us.
So in late March I fly back down to Florida to start shopping for a new boat. I find a beat up old 48' Ocean in at a Liquidator. I call Kerri back home to get on the internet and find me a nicer one. The search for our cruising sportfish begins.
Well... after offers on:
1. 2001 48' Ocean - miles apart
2. 2001 52' Ocean - very close on Christmas eve
3. 2001 52' Ocean - repoed during our getting approval for financing
4. 2003 52' Ocean - bank agent comes to us and then senior lending officer decides it is worth way more
5. 2003 52' Ocean - got close, too much money to turn this fishing boat into cruising boat
6. 2001 52' Ocean - dock talk convinced owner he shouldn't settle, so he raises his counter $25k?
7. 2000 48' Ocean - we have a contract
Fingers are crossed, hoping the survey goes well on April 20th (my birthday).
Ian
Internally we set a timetable that our new boat would be on the Great Lakes for one full cruising season before we leave.
We started shopping in June of 2009 with a trip to New Bedford, Mass. and Freeport, Maine to look at 2004 40' Mainships.
March 2010 we charter a 1997 39' Mainship in the Virgin Islands and decide that out on the ocean, that was not the boat for us.
So in late March I fly back down to Florida to start shopping for a new boat. I find a beat up old 48' Ocean in at a Liquidator. I call Kerri back home to get on the internet and find me a nicer one. The search for our cruising sportfish begins.
Well... after offers on:
1. 2001 48' Ocean - miles apart
2. 2001 52' Ocean - very close on Christmas eve
3. 2001 52' Ocean - repoed during our getting approval for financing
4. 2003 52' Ocean - bank agent comes to us and then senior lending officer decides it is worth way more
5. 2003 52' Ocean - got close, too much money to turn this fishing boat into cruising boat
6. 2001 52' Ocean - dock talk convinced owner he shouldn't settle, so he raises his counter $25k?
7. 2000 48' Ocean - we have a contract
Fingers are crossed, hoping the survey goes well on April 20th (my birthday).
Ian
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