Buying a C-Dory~~~SIGHT UNSEEN~~~

O

omegawhatt

New member
Hi All,

I am looking at picking up a C-dory sight unseen. I have been looking to pick up a boat for the past two years. I have read many of the threads on this sight about boat selection and know that a C-Dory is what will fit very well for my use and needs.

My question to anyone wishing to respond is this.

The boat is located 1200 miles away from me and in a remote location that it is costly to get into. Only by air or sea. So being able to really look over the boat is not really an option. I have already considered the possibility of having to re-power either immediately or shortly after buying. And am okay with that aspect of it. Its a single outboard on a bracket. The boat was well used as a charter. So I know it will show signs of hard use. What sort of specific questions should I be asking the seller.
I have already found some info. i.e. The motor was rebuilt and has 600hrs on it. Upholstery needs work. There is a leak in the hydraulic system.
And one of the windows has been refitted with plexy.
I don't mind work on restoration projects but don't want to be stuck with an unusable (PROJECT) boat either.

Thank you all for any input and hope to be joining the proud owners of C-Dory's soon.
 
You will want to know of damage history. Water intrusion with a balsa core hull is a serious problem. Buying anything sight unseen is a risk but if the price is right you can afford to do some repairs. Being a charter boat it probably has had a hard life. A c-dory doesnt take constant pounding very well and for a charter time is money so.....
Trust your instincts.Dont get to eagar to buy a worn out boat that will take all your spare time and money to get in shape to cruise safely. A little more spent on a low time hull and engine will give you piece of mind and allow you to spend more of your time out on the water instead of doing repairs. Remember its easy to buy a boat, not as easy to sell one especially a worn out one. Look at buying a cdory as an investment, one in good shape will hold its value well. Good luck!
 
Even if 1200 miles away and very difficult to get to, I would NOT buy a boat without either seeing it myself, or having someone very knowledgeable that I really trusted look it over first.

Fiberglass boats in particular can actually have real negative value. That is, the problems they may have such as just plain neglect, or delamination, or previous impact damage can cost more to fix than the boat is at all worth.

On first pass, this means the boat is worth nothing, but that is not all there is to it. In the end, if not used the boat must be disposed of and with fiberglass (unlike wood), nature does not do this by itself. Hence, real money must be paid to get rid of it...and this creates negative value.

I am a local Port commissioner and every month or so someone just abandons a fiberglass boat (some of well known manufacture) at our public marina. The law allows us to take possession of these vessels and auction them off, but most of the time when knowledgable auction attendees physically see the vessels, the Port cannot even give them away.

We also not uncommonly find the situation where a previous owner has 'sold' such a vessel sight unseen to some unsuspecting person via the internet at some 'bargain' price...and the boat can be made to look pretty good when photographed from the right angle.

When that new owner finally discovers what he has actually bought, he not uncommonly tries to cut his losses by just abandoning the vessel when it lies. But, it is not that easy.

Legally the new owner is now responsible for the vessel, and will quite likely get stuck with the disposal cost (easily a 4 figure number), when the Port backcharges him for that service.

All this does not make for a good boating experience for anyone and historically is a relatively new phenomena. In the past, when boats were built of wood, they would disappear all by themselves after awhile once abandoned. Not so with fiberglass.

Be very careful about buying a fiberglass boat sight unseen.

Kevin Ware
C-Dory TC owner
Commissioner
Port of Skagit
 
I have bought a c-dory without seeing it...from 2500 miles away. BUT I bought the boat from a very reputable dealer. I would be hesitant to buy a boat unseen that was not screened by a knowledgeable person.
 
Right off the top........NO......especially since this is a charter boat that has undoubtedly seen plenty of wear and tear, or more to the point, use and abuse. This isn't exactly grandpa's boat with low hours sitting in a heated garage in Anchorage. There's plenty of money pit deals out there.

Best chances are that when you have fixed it up/repowered etc, you could've saved yourself a lot of $$$ and time by finding a better deal. Additionally, the lower resale value of a fixer upper may be a double whammy, resulting in an extra portion of buyer's remorse.

You may want to talk with Les at EQ marine, as he has dealt with all scenarios, and is a straight shooter and a problem solver.

Even though, for example, it may be costly to barge or tow a C-Dory to Alaska, it may in the long run be a worthwhile investment, and comparable in costs. There are good deals out there with this economy that can counterbalance expenses.

Additionally, there have been several C-Dory folks that have graciously checked out boats for sale for potential buyers that are unable to travel, and presented objective views and pics.

All the best!

Rick
 
That was a good call. I am a surveyor and that is what I would do for a start if I couldnt go and look at the boat myself or have a trusted friend do it for me.

Hopefully you got a certified surveyor. There are many organizations out there that require extensive training and testing to become certified but none of that means that every survey will show every potential flaw on a vessel. Some places to check on credentials of surveyors are:

SAMS - The Society Of Accredited Marine Surveyors, Inc.�
NAMS - The National Association of Marine Surveyors
YBDSA - Yacht Brokers, Designers and Surveyors Association
IIMS - The International Institute of Marine Surveyors
CMMC - Company of Master Mariners of Canada
FEMAS - Federation of European Maritime Associations of Surveyors and Consultants.
SCMS - The Society of Consulting Marine Engineers and Ship Surveyors

Good luck with your purchase.
 
You made a good decision in having the boat surveyed. I did that with my boat in Fla. and it turned out well for me. I told you about my experience in an email.
Good luck and let us all know how it turned out.
Jack
 
Back
Top