Saturday, March 16, 2013

So it Begins! Boat Buying that is!


Our wish list for a vessel...
Something in the 50' range in good condition.
3 staterooms, 2 heads.
Small twin engines or a single with bow thruster and generator.
Good size cockpit with full canopy or at least a hard dodger
Sails and rigging in good shape, large capacity fuel, water and holding tanks.
And finally any or most of the following extras...
Good electronics, washer/dryer, watermaker, davits, tender w/outboard.
Wind turbine, solar panels, good size house battery banks, the list could go on...
It's actually surprising how many vessels meets our requirements...
It all comes down to how much we are willing to pay.



The first one we looked at was a 58' Boothbay Explorer.  Unfortunatly a $15,000 difference of opinion with the sellers didn't allow us to close the deal. She had in mast furling for the main sail and roller furling for the 2 staysails and davits, tender and outboard.  The washer/dryer and watermaker had been removed and she had a single diesel without bow thruster.  The sellers were asking a premium price and we could'nt close the deal.
But she is a pretty boat
 
 
 
The second boat we looked at was a 54' Gulfstar Sailcruiser.  Located in Barbados.  A real pretty boat with just about everything on our wish list.  3 state rooms, twin small diesels plus bow thruster, water maker, waher/dryer and large fuel and water tanks.  But somebody beat us to it.
 
 
 
The 3rd boat we are still considering submitting an offer on is a John Alden designed 53' Cheoy Lee.  Solid fiberglass hull with lots of wood on the outside (brightwork).  She's been cruising the Caribean for the past 5 years.  Nice lines and a good layout with lots of storage.
We do have a few concerns with regards to some apparent water staining/damage inside around the raised salon windows.  She looks a little tired but not abused...so thats a good thing.  She needs TLC.  On the upside she's located on Virgin Gorda just a few kilometers from "THE BATHS"!!!  Not a bad place to go spend a month or so next winter.
Decisions decisions.... 
    
So we put an offer on the Cheoy Lee.  After a bit of back and forth we were able to close the deal.  We ended up paying a bit more that we wanted but then again...the seller is getting less than he wanted....so all in all the deal is probably a good one since neither of us got exactly what we wanted.  On the up side both Shel and I are getting more and more excited about the vesssel and it's potential.  We will need to make her our own but hey....She's in the BVI's.
Below are 3 pics of her....
the 1st is from the sale's brochure from 1975
the 2nd is a current pic of her on the "hard" at the marina in Virgin Gorda.
the 3rd is of her at anchor at "THE BATHS".
 
  
 
 
 
So what did we buy exactly....
53' John G Alden deisgn...
Built by the Cheoy Lee yards in Hong Kong in 1975 (yayaiknowiknowachineseboat)
Sleeps 8 in 3 state rooms plus a pilot berth (lots of room for guests and sleepovers)
65' bridge clearance and 1400 sq feet of sail
Just about everything is new or recent including a
220hp 6068 John Deere, a 12 Kw Northern Lights Genie
Electronics, bow thruster, tender and outboard.
Did I mention she in the BVI's not far from "THE BATHS" 
 

Introduction of new crew member:)

Alexandra Rose Denise Beauchamp