selling a boat in need of an A-4

[lat 64]

I don't think you are unrealistic. Luck will play a part though.

Perhaps if you got a running engine sitting in your garage to sell with the boat, it would attract more interest.

[TomG]

What I would really like to do is to sell the boat to someone who wants to put in an engine themselves. I'm paying storage fees and I was hoping to find someone who wants a great boat at a great price that they can customize. Think I'm unrealistic?

Hi Katie, just a few thoughts from a fellow Eastern Shorean. It's now prime sailing season here, so those buyers looking to buy are mostly looking for "turn key" situations rather than projects. Your engine-less boat sits in Cambridge, so your potential buyer will take that into account when comparing boats as well. When I bought my current boat, I did it the other way round than what you have going on: I bought a brand new MMI rebuild inside a very worn Tartan 30. I made the deal in November with new storage fees on the horizon for the seller and like Neil, the $16,000 asking price dropped to $4 grand.

Project boats are peculiar things. The fact is, this boat doesn't sound as much like a true project boat as it does a simple re-power. Just drop another A-4 in the old girl. Kinda like the transmission going out on a vintage and well-kept '67 Ford Mustang doesn't make it a project so much as it means finding the right buyer. You said you took out the old A-4 so I'm guessing you could put another one back in? Here's one up the road in Chester that is on Craigslist for $1,500.

Atomic 4 for Sale Chester, MD

Strip the cracked block and sell the parts here or on Ebay/Craigslist and maybe you'll not be too deep into a used A-4?

If it were me, I'd put an ad on Craigslist and see what happens. You never know! I sold my last boat on Craigslist at asking price in about 15 minutes on Craigslist. In December!

[ndutton]

I'd also post flyers on the bulletin boards of local sailing schools, marinas, marine hardware stores. Folks likely to see the flyers in those areas already have an interest.

[joe_db]

IMHO it would be well worth the time and money to install the engine.
If I were the buyer, this is how I would think:
1. I need to tow the boat home.
2. I then need to install the engine.
3. Since the engine is not in the boat, I have no real way to test it.
4. See #3, the uninstalled engine is potentially not useable.
5. See #4, I am going to spend a lot of time finding this out.
6. See #5, I would think who has a non-working boat and a good uninstalled engine? If it actually worked, it would be installed and the boat would be working.

Kind of like the ever-popular Craigslist ad "Car for sale, AC not working, easy fix". If it was easy, YOU would have done it

[joe_db]

Hi Katie, just a few thoughts from a fellow Eastern Shorean. It's now prime sailing season here, so those buyers looking to buy are mostly looking for "turn key" situations rather than projects. Your engine-less boat sits in Cambridge, so your potential buyer will take that into account when comparing boats as well. When I bought my current boat, I did it the other way round than what you have going on: I bought a brand new MMI rebuild inside a very worn Tartan 30. I made the deal in November with new storage fees on the horizon for the seller and like Neil, the $16,000 asking price dropped to $4 grand.

Project boats are peculiar things. The fact is, this boat doesn't sound as much like a true project boat as it does a simple re-power. Just drop another A-4 in the old girl. Kinda like the transmission going out on a vintage and well-kept '67 Ford Mustang doesn't make it a project so much as it means finding the right buyer. You said you took out the old A-4 so I'm guessing you could put another one back in? Here's one up the road in Chester that is on Craigslist for $1,500.

Atomic 4 for Sale Chester, MD

Strip the cracked block and sell the parts here or on Ebay/Craigslist and maybe you'll not be too deep into a used A-4?

If it were me, I'd put an ad on Craigslist and see what happens. You never know! I sold my last boat on Craigslist at asking price in about 15 minutes on Craigslist. In December!

Wow - if that engine is rebuilt, I would hate to see a non-rebuilt one
Even so it may run fine. It is probably about 2 miles from my house too.

[TomG]

Wow - if that engine is rebuilt, I would hate to see a non-rebuilt one
Even so it may run fine. It is probably about 2 miles from my house too.

This brings up a good point - The asking price is one thing and the offered price might be something else. "Rebuilt" could also mean any number of things. Would this A4, considering it is sound and running, at $700 be a good option? This example was the result of a single 5 second search of the Eastern Shore Craigslist. A broader search could reveal anything from free to 5 grand. Dunno. Caveat emptor I suppose.

If it were me and I were trying to sell a production 30 foot sailboat in otherwise excellent condition, I'd find a used, running A4 and drop that baby in the boat, and sell it. As it is, you have a boat that isn't very desirable, even though it's in excellent condition. A Moyer rebuild would be the buyers dream, but you'd never get your return out of a fresh engine I think.

[Al Schober]

Regarding that engine in Chester, MD - I've NEVER seen an A4 with a 'Velvet Drive' transmission. Suspect the seller is suffering from 'photo mixup'. Which also makes me leery of the first picture. Buyer beware.

[wristwister]

A Moyer rebuild would be the buyers dream, but you'd never get your return out of a fresh engine I think.

Not sure I agree with this. Up here in the PNW, a well equipped, good condition C30 sells for $15K to $20K. Based on what I'm reading in this thread, it seems that $6K Moyer engine might not be a bad investment.

Yes, a good running used engine for ~$1K might be a better investment, but also riskier. Unless that engine can be run and tested for compression etc. prior to buying it, it's like Gump's box of chocolates. I've heard too many horror stories that begin with "I think it ran when we pulled it out" and "a previous owner told me it had been rebuilt".

Good luck! If that Cat 30 were here on the left coast, I'd snap it up for a song, rebuild an A4 in my garage for about $1500, toss that puppy in there and flip that boat (for profit, not literally in the water).

[TomG]

Not sure I agree with this. Up here in the PNW, a well equipped, good condition C30 sells for $15K to $20K. Based on what I'm reading in this thread, it seems that $6K Moyer engine might not be a bad investment.

Yes, a good running used engine for ~$1K might be a better investment, but also riskier. Unless that engine can be run and tested for compression etc. prior to buying it, it's like Gump's box of chocolates. I've heard too many horror stories that begin with "I think it ran when we pulled it out" and "a previous owner told me it had been rebuilt".

Good luck! If that Cat 30 were here on the left coast, I'd snap it up for a song, rebuild an A4 in my garage for about $1500, toss that puppy in there and flip that boat (for profit, not literally in the water).

I'm confused - you say you disagree with the point that a Moyer rebuild might not get the return on value but close by saying you'd do exactly as I mentioned and put in a rebuilt A4 and sell it.

Here on the Chesapeake, there are many sailboats in the 28 to 32 foot range that are in good or better condition that can be had for $6,000 that do not need an engine. This is who Katy is competing with. I do wish her luck and hope she lets us know how it goes!

[wristwister]

I'm confused - you say you disagree with the point that a Moyer rebuild might not get the return on value but close by saying you'd do exactly as I mentioned and put in a rebuilt A4 and sell it.

What I'm saying is that in my opinion a $6K motor from Moyer might have payback in this particular case. I'm also saying an even better solution would be to do a garage rebuild of an A4 for $1500 and drop that in, but that's not feasible for many people

Here on the Chesapeake, there are many sailboats in the 28 to 32 foot range that are in good or better condition that can be had for $6,000 that do not need an engine. This is who Katy is competing with. I do wish her luck and hope she lets us know how it goes!

Up here in the PNW, Catalina 30's seem to command a higher price than other 30 footers of that vintage. Might just be because of the interior roominess of the C30 compared to others Vs our weather. Things might be different on the Chesapeake.