As the owner/operator of a full service boat detailing-yacht maintenance business I can't help but chuckle sometimes at seeing the extremes that otherwise bright, intelligent, successful, people will go to in a misguided attempt to save a few dollars.
One of the biggest mistakes that we see is that people will decide to sell their boat without first having her completely detailed.
According to Rob Scanlan, a well known and respected Master Marine Surveyor;
"Detailing a boat is the single most important investment of time, energy and money a seller can make because a clean and shiny boat sells faster and for a lot more money. I strongly recommended that a seller enlist professional assistance to do a quality job."
yacht1ship@aol.com (Email)
www.mastermarinesurveyor.com (Web site)
We at BoatDocs1, do a lot of work here on the Emerald Coast with local yacht brokers and know what the standards are for a "ready to show" boat. These professionals know that the cosmetic appearance says everything to the prospective buyer as to the overall care and maintenance that the previous owner has given the yacht. Add to that the universal wisdom about first impressions and it's not hard to see the importance of this vital first step.
Even if you intend to do most of the work yourself we can offer the expertise to assure that your time and money are spent wisely. Our trained eyes will often pick up the little details that only a prospective buyer would notice and likely balk at.
Here is an outline of the standard procedures we use when preparing a yacht to be put up for sale:
1. Thoroughly Wash and Dry the Boat
Note: For this part, pay attention to everything you see and unless your memory is a lot better than mine, make notes on a piece of paper for later.
2. Stand Back and Survey the Boat
Note: Bring your list and organize it with the following outline
* Put yourself in the buyers shoes, be critical, the buyer will.
EXAMPLE:
Engine controls, compass, life jackets, flare kit, and a first aid kit ARE part of the boat. Knick-knacks, fishing tackle, cutesy wall plaques, and half full paint cans are NOT part of the boat-and look tacky. A few cleaning supplies, in their own locker is probably all right as long as they're kept neat and clean.
Hint: If you are not a woman reading this and don't have a wife of your own, ask your mother or sister, or see if a friend will loan you his for a few minutes. For some reason women can smell things that a man would never notice. You may think that men buy boats but in my experience they buy the boats their women like. Along this same line, pay particular attention to the cabin and heads.
3. Prioritize the Job
With your list you are in good shape to decide what needs to be done and whether or not you want to do the work yourself or have it done by a professional.
Most of the professional yacht maintenance companies we are familiar with, would be happy to take a look and give you an estimate of what it will cost to have the work done right. We can do part of the job, for example the compounding/polishing and will gladly help you choose the best wax to finish the job yourself.
What about those little chips and dings in the gelcoat?
Many books have been written on fiberglass repair and it isn't the intent of this article to cover the subject in any depth but many small repairs are well within the reach of a fairly skilled do-it-yourselfer. Like anything else though, if you have never done it before, "consult an expert."
I've been building and repairing in fiberglass since I was 14 and while the first wooden boat I glassed was water tight and lasted a good many years, it was far from pretty. The small investment you lay out for expert repair now will pay big dividends when your boat sells at the price you want.
In the Emerald Coast region the standard fees for compound/waxing run between $15.00/ft. and $18.00/ft. for the topside (rub-rail up) which includes a thorough cleaning and treatment of the vinyl, windows, isenglass, and metal. In other words, for the price of doing the "hard" part we'll detail the entire topsides and leave it in "ready-to-show" condition. Hulls (rub-rail down) run about $8.00/ft. but, of course, the boat must be out of the water in order to do it. (This walking on water with a hi-speed electric buffer in hand is still beyond me, but I'll let you know;-)
Fiberglass repair runs from $45.00 to $65.00 per hour and in general as with most everything else, one gets what one pays for. The up side to this is that when approached in a professional manner the dents and dings of ten years hard use can be repaired and made to look like new in an amazingly short time.
All too often we have seen people save $300.00 or $400.00 on a detail only to loose $Thousands$ on what their boat could have sold for. Then too, our local marinas are clogged with many examples of boats with "For Sale" signs which were never given the least bit of attention to make the passer by want to stop and think, "Hey, I wonder what it would be like to call that boat mine." Some of these boats have sat for years when all they ever really needed was a little T.L.C.
I remember, years ago, someone saying something about being penny wise and pound foolish? Let's not let them be saying that about us.
About The Author
James "Doc" Lewis has been "messin about in boats" for as long as he can remember. He is owner/operator of BoatDocs1, a full-service boat detailing-yacht maintenance business serving the Emerald Coast region of Florida. To learn more about boats and keeping them looking their best visit his website at: http://www.boatdocs1.com/
Every River Tells a StoryThe next time you begin a journey or fishing expedition on one of your favorite rivers or streams, take the time to look at the surroundings (I mean REALLY look), and... Read More
I was laying down on the bow of the boat gazing at the brilliant stars on this moonless night. All of the rods were set out, staggered by depths and distance away from the boat.... Read More
Great fishing supplies are an essential when it comes to netting the big game out at the lake or the stream. You can't expect the fish to bite, though, if you don't bring your A... Read More
Competition between offshore and inshore anglers has skyrocketed within the last few years. As the competition increases, so does the need for fishing teams to differentiate themselves and stand out from other teams. To do... Read More
The name Lake Trout lends a slight misnomer to the actual species of this incredible fish that is actually not a trout at all, but a char. The Lake Trout resides in some of the... Read More
River dry fly fishing considered as the purest form of fly fishing inspired generations of writers, artists, poets and even philosophers to wax lyrical about its pleasures.The gist to river dry fly fishing lies in... Read More
Fishing spring creeks isn't easy. Don't expect large quantities of catches, but do expect a challenging experience which has a certain mystique about it. Catching just a few trout, will give you a feeling of... Read More
When looking for information on how to fly fish, fly fishing tips or fly fishing techniques, many anglers, or anglers to be,who limit their search to books or material written ithin the last few years... Read More
Finally you've caught the perfect fish. Now, do you know how to fillet your fish? You can't be happier. You have finally caught the perfect fish. Do you know how to fillet your fish? Once... Read More
Jack Karpawack here.I've taken to the road...Life can be simple,and life can be hard on the road, but mainly it just makes your butt hurt having to drive so far to pursue the call of... Read More
A big buzz within the fishing community that is spreading like wildfire is deep jigging with the new "butterfly" jig. Deep jigging has always been a very productive way of catching fish at all levels... Read More
You knew it would come to this sooner or later....I was sitting in one of my favorite fishing haunts the other day, getting yet another report from a recent Alaskan fishing trip,when I overheard a... Read More
"Wherever you like to fish-lakes, reservoirs, rivers or streams, you'll never have a fishing buddy who can spot fish as easy and as fast as a Bottom Line Fishing Buddy?."If you are fishing primarily in... Read More
As part of an email discussion list I'm part of, the subject of following our passions came up. I mentioned that one of my lifelong passions was fishing. I got the following reply... Thanks, John... Read More
MABLETHORPE, is a beach resort on the East coast of England. The beach is a long stretch of clean sands with some great fishing. The clean and flat ground is excellent for Flounder and the... Read More
Did you know that there are five species of Pacific salmon and one species of Atlantic salmon? Further, did you know that all 5 species of Pacific salmon run wild in Alaska?We're proud of our... Read More
Last summer we had an unfortunate incident with a swordfish we brought to the boat.It was about 8:30pm and we had been set up for about 45minutes when we had our first bite, the second... Read More
Should you approach the fishing industry for sponsorship?First let's look at it from the lure manufacturer's standpoint. Just think of your favorite lure manufacturer for a minute. Now imagine that you work at their plant.... Read More
Lakes in certain parts of the country contain more than something you want in your livewell. Alligators. They can be no more obvious than a rock or a log, so be careful. You want to... Read More
Written on the rod blank or handle is a code number which indicates the line that the rod manufacturer suggests is best for most customers; i.e., 6 line. To most fly anglers, this means that... Read More
The term stream trout is actually a term used to encompass any of the stream trout. Brown trout, rainbow trout, and brook trout are all called stream trout because they like the running waters. But,... Read More
Method 2The second method that works really well for me is drift fishing. Lets start by explaining how drifting works. It's really pretty simple: you cast out bait and drag it behind or from the... Read More
Rainbow Trout: Few freshwater fish can match the fighting spirit and beauty of a Rainbow Trout.The Rainbow Trout is a well-traveled species of fish. Originally, the Rainbow Trout was found in the coastal rivers in... Read More
The true Angler Fish lives in both shallow and deep water and there is regularly confusion over their identity as either Angler Fish or Monkfish. It is more a case that there is more than... Read More
Take a kid fishing and they will learn to be successful in life. As an avid fisherman for over 30 years I have to look back on my life and consider it a success. I... Read More
Did you ever plan that fishing trip to the big lake, then when you got there you realized you had no idea where to start fishing? Too much ground to cover, right? Let's break it... Read More
One of the most important things to consider when fly fishing is choosing your tackle the right way. Many people overlook this important factor and start with the wrong assumptions. They first buy the rod,... Read More
As we stated in our article on Pacific Steelhead flies, the steelhead fisheries of the Great Lakes region has developed differently. First off the Erie steelhead has only been around a little over a hundred... Read More
Having been an avid basser for years, and not having the wherewithal to purchase a boat, I've often felt cheated and frustrated about not being able to get out to deeper waters (where I was... Read More
All the books written on fly fishing all mention the Henry's Fork.They say you owe it to yourself to fish the Henry's Fork, at least once in your life.As far as scenery goes--they are right.... Read More
One of the most popular trout fishing techniques is called trolling. Trolling is popular as far as trout fishing techniques go because on still bodies of fresh water like lakes and ponds, the act of... Read More
Whether it's the peaceful and serene beauty of being on the ocean, the excitement of a Sailfish or Dolphin erupting from the water, the brute strength of a Tuna or the drag-searing run of a... Read More
It is easy to get intimidated by world class rivers.I guess the Henry's Fork was a little intimidating to me.With the old rule of thumb being that "eighty percent of the fish are caught by... Read More
I started fishing a little lake just south of Somerset, Ohio, called Clouse Lake about 35 years ago. Matter of fact, when I first started fishing it, I fished with a fly rod. One day,... Read More
For those of you that don't know this, fishermen by nature are a frugal lot.Being penny wise and pound foolish is standard fare, and I am no different.I recently noticed that the felt soles on... Read More
Fishing Fishing |