selling a boat in need of an A-4

[Kday]

Hi all,
I have a great 30' Catalina, tall rig (1982) in great shape except.....I took out the A-4 engine that had a cracked block. I was going to put in a reconditioned one, but then ended up buying another boat before I could repower it. I need advice on how to sell my boat (where to advertise, how much it is worth, etc). It would be a wonderful opportunity for someone who wants to repower it. I'm new to all this and am in awe of your expertise. I'm just not a motor head! Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.
Katie (Cambridge, Md.)

[ndutton]

A vintage Catalina 30 in tip top shape is worth somewhere in the mid-to-high teens, maybe low twenties on its best day if the sun is shining. An Atomic 4 affects the value negatively and no engine makes it a project boat regardless of its condition. Certain widely known boats with a pedigree can command higher prices. Sojourn out of the Silver Gate Yacht Club in San Diego comes to mind (legendary Ensenada Race winner in 2009). Catalina 30 #1 would command a higher price too.

Since you admit to mechanical limitations and apparently there isn't mechanical help available, you're left with selling the boat as-is (ouch). To this end I suggest a strategy that the broker who sold my boat to me used. After chatting about my boating history and experience - and knowing that the boat was pretty tired (a real project), he kept repeating that this boat and I were a perfect match. After saying it more times than I could count it became obnoxious, clearly a ploy of a pushy salesman. I didn't consider and would not accept at the time that he was absolutely right.

So the question is, where can you find your boat's perfect match?

Oops, I left out the most important part. The boat I bought was a complete boat with a working engine. Listed price was $15K. With a single one time offer (no back and forth haggling), I bought it for $5K. Total elapsed time between offer and acceptance was about 60 seconds.

[joe_db]

In general, an old non-running boat is going to sell for scrap value at best and "please get this thing out of here it's free take it I don't want to pay the slip" at worst.
You certainly can see who bites, a buddy just sold a boat that ran well but needed some significant glass work in about a day for $4K. I thought for sure I was going to be taking it to the Maritime Museam for donation in the fall.
You just might meet up with the person that wants a Catalina 30 and has an engine.

[JOHN COOKSON]

You certainly can see who bites, a buddy just sold a boat that ran well but needed some significant glass work in about a day for $4K. I thought for sure I was going to be taking it to the Maritime Museam for donation in the fall.
You just might meet up with the person that wants a Catalina 30 and has an engine.

Yes.
If you don't troll bait you won't catch fish. As with fishing it can take patience to make a catch.

TRUE GRIT

[edwardc]

Oops, I left out the most important part. The boat I bought was a complete boat with a working engine. Listed price was $15K. With a single one time offer (no back and forth haggling), I bought it for $5K. Total elapsed time between offer and acceptance was about 60 seconds.

So... since a Moyer rebuilt is about $5k, the net value of the engineless hull is...zero?

[ndutton]

You could do the math that way but if you invested a $5K engine into a $5K boat you'd have a $10K Catalina 30 with a fresh engine. If the boat is as nice as we are told (mine wasn't), the numbers still work pretty well, even better if the buyer finds a running take out to drop in.

[edwardc]

I like your math better!

[Kday]

Math you can use!

That's sort of what I was thinking....$5K for the boat and then they would need $5K for a reconditioned A-4. What about just putting an outboard on it? Do you think that would help sell it?

[ndutton]

Re: outboard, I wouldn't. I think a boat the size of a Catalina 30 looks ridiculous with an outboard. If your boat is as nice as you say, an outboard would make the situation worse in my opinion plus probably come close to the same expense as an A4 replacement by the time you add up the cost of the outboard, a mounting system, fuel system, throttle, shift and electrical plus what are you going to do with the existing prop, shaft and strut sticking through the bottom of the hull? You might list it for $6K to have a little room to fall back to, avoid spending anything further on the boat that you'll have to recover in a higher price and let the buyer, if he is the perfect match for a project, decide on a repower for himself? Again, I'm remembering that mechanical labor is off the table for you.

There are two A4s on ebay right now, both complete running engines. One is $3950, the other is $3000. With a little patience a buyer for your boat could probably find a used engine for under $1000 as a parts donor for a Moyer short block. There are lots of possibilities.

[joe_db]

That's sort of what I was thinking....$5K for the boat and then they would need $5K for a reconditioned A-4. What about just putting an outboard on it? Do you think that would help sell it?

In a word, NO.
It is the boating equivalent of doing this to help sell a car with a broken air conditioner:

[joe_db]

https://www.facebook.com/anchorsoars

This place is in Grasonville MD and has about 5 A4s sitting around. Call them and see if they have a good one.
One of them has FWC, an stainless exhaust, and an oil filter on it.

[Kday]

Thank you!

This is really helpful! I'll call right away!

[Kday]

follow up

Anchors and Oars has sold all their A-4s, to Moyer! But I had someone contact me who is interested! Good connection.

[nyvoyager]

Anchors and Oars has sold all their A-4s, to Moyer! But I had someone contact me who is interested! Good connection.

Kday keep looking. I'm in the same boat as i have been thinking about selling my Pearson 30...until the engine quit. I am on my way south tomorrow to pick up a zero hour rebuild.

There is a guy in NJ with a couple of running engines.
If it is of interest and you send me a email at smaarch1 AT gmail.com, I can forward his phone number.
A weekend to drop it in and you have a viable boat for sale

[Kday]

Thanks!

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?