Sale of a boat - what to do

dell30rb

Final Approach
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I recently negotiated the sale of my boat to a guy. There were two stipulations - one that I would paint the bottom and two, that I would have a small tear in a sail fixed ($150 or so) This was after he came and looked at the boat, and went out for a sail on it (with me).

Also part of the deal is that I would deliver the boat 200 miles to its destination.

He gave me a $1000 deposit with the rest to be paid upon delivery, and completion of the above items.

The starter solenoid mysteriously quit working for about 20 minutes on the delivery trip ($50, I will be paying) and I forgot to have the sail fixed. I was up front about the sail and offered to pay for what ever it costs to fix it. I neglected to mention the starter solenoid failed (as it was an intermittent problem and I never really got to diagnose) and of course, it quit working when he tried to start the boat this morning.

The final, and probably largest issue with this transaction is that I told him I would do a bottom job on it before I delivered it and I specified two coats of paint. I dropped the boat off at the marina late and they did not have time to do two coats, only one coat of paint. They haven't sent me the bill yet but they did tell me they only put one coat on it when I picked it up. I neglected to mention this to the new buyer. He called the marina and asked about the boat, they told him it only had one coat put on it. He's pretty steamed about this, and I understand.

We have not finalized the deal yet because of these issues. He asked to wait until I correct everything to sign the boat over, and I accepted.


Now he is pretty upset with me over the coat of paint, the sail (however I was up front about it) and the starter solenoid. Mostly he is worried there are other things wrong with the boat that I am not being up front about. There are not, but I understand this concern.

In my defense the boat is a 1967 30' Pearson sailboat (and motor) which he is buying for $3500. He looked over it for 3 hours and we went out and sailed it for an hour less than a month ago. I delivered it over 200 miles in the last 3 days and it ran well except for the cranky starter solenoid one morning.

Now, I feel pretty awful about this (esp the bottom paint issue) and I need to make things right. I am certainly willing to fix the starter, get the sail fixed, and pay him for the cost difference in the bottom paint. And wait until these are corrected before he pays me a dime. My question is, should I go any farther? I am thinking of just deducting the $800 bottom job from the amount he owes me for the boat. I don't see it as a big deal (I haul the boat every year, one coat does fine for 8 months in the water) but I did neglect to mention this to him, and I feel like a complete ass for doing so.
 
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of course there are more things wrong with it. its a sailboat.
 
of course there are more things wrong with it. its a sailboat.

I should have taken warning when he said he has never owned a sailboat before - and then when we started negotiating he was quite a stickler.

There are plenty of things wrong with it but before he bought it he had 3 hours to look it over, and I took him out on it.

I feel pretty bad about neglecting to mention the bottom paint to him and I understand he is not happy. However - if he tries to back out of the deal (which he may) I am unsure what my reaction is going to be.
 
Hate to say this but its a $3500 transaction. You know where you goofed and you even understand him being ticked off. I'd do my mea culpas and if hes good with it fine but if he wants out for $3500 its not worth the fight. Take it back and give him a refund.
 
Hate to say this but its a $3500 transaction. You know where you goofed and you even understand him being ticked off. I'd do my mea culpas and if hes good with it fine but if he wants out for $3500 its not worth the fight. Take it back and give him a refund.

Part of the issue I have with just taking it back is that I spent 3 days delivering the damn thing. Those were 6am-7pm days on the water. I'd have to do that again... not fun in december
 
I should have taken warning when he said he has never owned a sailboat before - and then when we started negotiating he was quite a stickler.

There are plenty of things wrong with it but before he bought it he had 3 hours to look it over, and I took him out on it.

I feel pretty bad about neglecting to mention the bottom paint to him and I understand he is not happy. However - if he tries to back out of the deal (which he may) I am unsure what my reaction is going to be.

You will have three days to calm down as you reposition your sailboat back to its home berth because the deal fell through.... The deal was,
1- you fix the sail... you didn't
2- you paint the bottom with two coats of paint... you didn't
3- the starter issue is a quirk and that you can write off as bad luck.

Personally I can see the buyers side of this....

Good luck, and maybe you can reach a deal with him altho a 30' Pearson for just 3500 bucks is a good buy in my book.

Ben.
 
1- you fix the sail... you didn't
2- you paint the bottom with two coats of paint... you didn't
3- the starter issue is a quirk and that you can write off as bad luck.

If I were to:

Fix the sail
Give him the $800 for the single coat job
Fix the starter

Would you consider that generous? We are now talking a 30' pearson for about 2500 bucks.


EDIT: Fortunately it looks like the deal is going to go through. Don't rely on text messages. He apparently missed the one where I said "sure, I apologize for the discrepancies, I understand your position and I am willing to delay closing / payment until everything is resolved" I guess he thought I was blowing him off which would explain why he got so ****ed

I certainly learned a few lessons with this.
 
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If I were to:

Fix the sail
Give him the $800 for the single coat job
Fix the starter

Would you consider that generous? We are now talking a 30' pearson for about 2500 bucks.


EDIT: Fortunately it looks like the deal is going to go through. Don't rely on text messages. He apparently missed the one where I said "sure, I apologize for the discrepancies, I understand your position and I am willing to delay closing / payment until everything is resolved" I guess he thought I was blowing him off which would explain why he got so ****ed

I certainly learned a few lessons with this.

Personally I think a Peason 30 footer for 3500 bucks is a smokin deal,, unless it is a POS... If the guy doesn't buy it for 2500 he is loosing out big time.. IMHO
 
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Heck..... You can take the mast, boom, spreaders, handrails and all the metal rigging off that and get more then 2500 at the scrap yard.:yesnod::yesnod:;)
 
Did the sailboat market fall with the airplane market? Seems cheap to me.
Honestly in such a case I'd roll over and do whatever is right to fix the deal. Or give him his money back and try again. Sucks, but sometimes these things happen.
 
Did the sailboat market fall with the airplane market? Seems cheap to me.
Honestly in such a case I'd roll over and do whatever is right to fix the deal. Or give him his money back and try again. Sucks, but sometimes these things happen.

At this point I could make more money by scrapping it but I think we are going to work out a deal. It looks like i'll be getting somewhere around $3k for it.

It is really cheap and part of the reason I didn't address some of these small Items is because I didn't have time (should not have offered to deliver the boat) and I didn't think he would care because he is getting a really good deal on the boat. I did not think an extra $100 of bottom paint would be a big deal, and I was up front about the sail and told him I would still honor my agreement and pay for its repair. Of course he was mad and gave me the "if you didn't do these things, I wonder what else is wrong with it that you're not telling me"

I have bad luck selling things. I sold a 1992 Saab (in very good shape btw) for $2k to a guy, who called me up and bitched me out 2 weeks after the sale. He had driven it from raleigh to Las Vegas, and when he got in the desert it overheated and a cooling hose popped off. He wanted me to pay for the repair and for his tow, I told him to shove it.
 
Part of the issue I have with just taking it back is that I spent 3 days delivering the damn thing. Those were 6am-7pm days on the water. I'd have to do that again... not fun in december

I hear ya. I once repositioned a boat on the cheasapeak on December 6 a long time ago. COLD as hell and that was only one day.

If I were to:

Fix the sail
Give him the $800 for the single coat job
Fix the starter

Would you consider that generous? We are now talking a 30' pearson for about 2500 bucks.


EDIT: Fortunately it looks like the deal is going to go through. Don't rely on text messages. He apparently missed the one where I said "sure, I apologize for the discrepancies, I understand your position and I am willing to delay closing / payment until everything is resolved" I guess he thought I was blowing him off which would explain why he got so ****ed

I certainly learned a few lessons with this.

More than generous. Glad its working out for you.
 
I have bad luck selling things. I sold a 1992 Saab (in very good shape btw) for $2k to a guy, who called me up and bitched me out 2 weeks after the sale. He had driven it from raleigh to Las Vegas, and when he got in the desert it overheated and a cooling hose popped off. He wanted me to pay for the repair and for his tow, I told him to shove it.

I know a guy that sold a mustang to a guy- by a stroke of luck for the seller and bad luck for the buyer- three blocks after driving away- something in the trans failed. The buyer called the seller and said "your mustang broke" the seller responded- "I don't own a mustang". (disclosure- the seller had honestly no idea there was a problem, and the buyer did test drive it, and drive it hard, according to the seller- I was not there. )

That being said, you can't control some bad luck. Hope you get the stuff fixed.
 
When I sold my Mooney, it must have broken an oil ring on the delivery trip. They found it a few days later. I paid for the cylinder overhaul but the deal held. Whew.
 
You are selling a boat in TODAY's market!!!

Do what you say and then more.

BTW I just sold a 36' Cooper. You have to go out of your way to make the deal.
 
Part of the issue I have with just taking it back is that I spent 3 days delivering the damn thing. Those were 6am-7pm days on the water. I'd have to do that again... not fun in december

Time to man up. You made a deal and screwed the pooch. No sail repair, sold it with a bad starter, and only one coat of paint. Now you are complaining about the time it took to deliver it? :rofl:

Sad. Really sad. Please buy the boat back and turn your pilot's license in. Seriously, dishonesty is not an admîrable trait as a pilot. Keep the boat and keep on sailing.
 
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I certainly learned a few lessons with this.

I doubt it.

The lessons you brought into this transaction are what bothers me. Not to do what you say you are going to do.

Somone on POA reminded me of something I had filed away so long ago I had forgotten it. It is something I have tried to incorporate into my life. Honesty and integrity is not something you think about when you get caught, it is something you think about when no one is around.

Keep the boat, give up flying. Please.
 
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Time to man up. You made a deal and screwed the pooch. No sail repair, sold it with a bad starter, and only one coat of paint. Now you are complaining about the time it took to deliver it? :rofl:

Sad. Really sad. Please buy the boat back and turn your pilot's license in. Seriously, dishonesty is not an admîrable trait as a pilot. Keep the boat and keep on sailing.
+1...although I don't know what flying has to do with this.
 
Personally I think a Peason 30 footer for 3500 bucks is a smokin deal,, unless it is a POS... If the guy doesn't buy it for 2500 he is loosing out big time.. IMHO
My thoughts too. I used to sail one up & down LI sound and out to Martha's Vineyard- good sailor. I thought there was a missing zero there. What was wrong with it?!
 
$3,500.00 for a 30' sailboat is a bargain. Your only mistake was offering or agreeing to fix anything, and then delivering it for free.

At that price, it should have been as is, where it is, period.

John
 
$3,500.00 for a 30' sailboat is a bargain. Your only mistake was offering or agreeing to fix anything, and then delivering it for free.

At that price, it should have been as is, where it is, period.

John

Absolutely, i made a huge mistake. And geico, if you were not joking, you can kiss my ass. Stop flying? Whiskey tango foxtrot my experimental friend.
 
I paid 7k in cash for the boat four years ago. Paid the guy, signed the title, and started on a 200 mile journey to take it home to the chesapeake. Alternator broke on the first day out. Guess what, i expected a few things might break and I brought extra tools with me. And ya know what, i fixed it. New regulator was all it needed.

I really should have learned my lesson with the saab that i mentioned earlier. Sell as-is, be honest and never look back.

I could easily give the guy his deposit back, take the boat home and sell it to someone else for more money. However i entered into this deal on my own stupidity and i feel i have an obligation to make reasonable compromises to make it work.
 
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Perhaps these aforementioned examples are what keeps me trading in vehicles and avoiding private sales. I may take a loss on the thing but I don't have the follow on BS that goes with a private sale. And the other side is I've traded in some POS and got out of it with a heck of a deal a couple of times too.
Buyer beware. You allowed the guy to examine and test drive it. Stuff happens. Nice of you to offer to fix this stuff but isn't getting rid of it so you do not have to. And maybe why you "forgot" to fix this stuff was simply because you didn't want to?
I bought a truck from my mechanic. Nice thing. A few cosmetic things to clean up. MY out of pocket expense to clean them up. I got a great deal which would have cost me more if he fixed them. The mechanical things he will address the next time it's in the shop.
The plane I bought had a few things wrong found during the professional prebuy. We split the costs of repair.
 
... anyway i am glad this is about over
 
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