Philster
Captain
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2009
- Messages
- 3,344
So this guy exchanges calls and emails with me about my Scarab, and he finally decides to buy it when we agree upon a price.
He drives from Lake Ontario down to my neck o' the woods in Delaware -- roughly 6 1/2 hours. I was about as open and honest as anyone could be. I described the boat as mechanically fresh, offered receipts for work, dyno sheet, engine builder name, and the name of the folks who did regular maintenance on the Scarab. They were happy to talk to him and show him around their shops.
The hull is composite. The graphics are worn, but I have brand new ones that he was told about. Everything on my boat works. I am at a loss to mention something that doesn't work. It's a 1996, but no tears or real interior wear to speak of. Shiny new Livorsi gauges with bright bezels. Clean cabin... doesn't even smell musty after taking the winter cover off.
He drives 6.5 hours. He walks around and then stands on a ladder looking inside. And he keeps saying he can't get past the condition of the interior. He is concerned that he might have to clean it up. I keep repeating that the entire boat is mechanically refreshed... even the gauges.... the hatch lifts. Every mechanical part is new. I have new graphics. The interior is not faded or torn. The electronics work.
No questions about the engine, the drive.... just weird. I have a pile of paper work. He's not interested. He hangs around, and he is saying, 'I just can't take her home with this interior'. I was looking forward to selling her to someone who used to own a Wellcraft Nova and was happy that he'd run his new Scarab on fresh water, but I had two back up buyers who are completely excited to get their hands on a composite hull with a new 502 and new exhaust, etc. Not this guy. He doesn't want to take some vinyl cleaner to the seats and some soap to the floor (and I don' t think it needs it!).
I got to the point where I actually wished him luck and attempted to explain things about risers, manifolds, drives, engines and all the other components that could cost him 8-12 thousand dollars if he buys a used boat with cash and never inquires about the mechanicals. I kind of got salty and if he was waiting for me to flinch, I did not.
He left sans boat and drove 6.5 hours home. Guess he thinks a 1996 is showroom new? I wonder if he knew what an engine rebuild is? A dyno? A riser? A manifold? Did he read the ad which was focused on the mechanicals? WTF?
So, I went to my backup buyer, who was focused on the composite construction and fresh mechanicals. He was interested in the engine builder and their shop and was anxious to talk to the guys who service my boat. We talked props, trim, exhaust sound, etc.
When you sell a boat, you almost wish it could be as easy as a guy who has cash and doesn't even know what to ask. Couple of back and forth offers and she sells. No surveyors, water tests, financing, etc. Nope... I get the guy that should have been easy but wasn't.
Oh well... I launched the backup plan (sold to another happy buyer) and am placing the order on my new Checkmate outboard.
He drives from Lake Ontario down to my neck o' the woods in Delaware -- roughly 6 1/2 hours. I was about as open and honest as anyone could be. I described the boat as mechanically fresh, offered receipts for work, dyno sheet, engine builder name, and the name of the folks who did regular maintenance on the Scarab. They were happy to talk to him and show him around their shops.
The hull is composite. The graphics are worn, but I have brand new ones that he was told about. Everything on my boat works. I am at a loss to mention something that doesn't work. It's a 1996, but no tears or real interior wear to speak of. Shiny new Livorsi gauges with bright bezels. Clean cabin... doesn't even smell musty after taking the winter cover off.
He drives 6.5 hours. He walks around and then stands on a ladder looking inside. And he keeps saying he can't get past the condition of the interior. He is concerned that he might have to clean it up. I keep repeating that the entire boat is mechanically refreshed... even the gauges.... the hatch lifts. Every mechanical part is new. I have new graphics. The interior is not faded or torn. The electronics work.
No questions about the engine, the drive.... just weird. I have a pile of paper work. He's not interested. He hangs around, and he is saying, 'I just can't take her home with this interior'. I was looking forward to selling her to someone who used to own a Wellcraft Nova and was happy that he'd run his new Scarab on fresh water, but I had two back up buyers who are completely excited to get their hands on a composite hull with a new 502 and new exhaust, etc. Not this guy. He doesn't want to take some vinyl cleaner to the seats and some soap to the floor (and I don' t think it needs it!).
I got to the point where I actually wished him luck and attempted to explain things about risers, manifolds, drives, engines and all the other components that could cost him 8-12 thousand dollars if he buys a used boat with cash and never inquires about the mechanicals. I kind of got salty and if he was waiting for me to flinch, I did not.
He left sans boat and drove 6.5 hours home. Guess he thinks a 1996 is showroom new? I wonder if he knew what an engine rebuild is? A dyno? A riser? A manifold? Did he read the ad which was focused on the mechanicals? WTF?
So, I went to my backup buyer, who was focused on the composite construction and fresh mechanicals. He was interested in the engine builder and their shop and was anxious to talk to the guys who service my boat. We talked props, trim, exhaust sound, etc.
When you sell a boat, you almost wish it could be as easy as a guy who has cash and doesn't even know what to ask. Couple of back and forth offers and she sells. No surveyors, water tests, financing, etc. Nope... I get the guy that should have been easy but wasn't.
Oh well... I launched the backup plan (sold to another happy buyer) and am placing the order on my new Checkmate outboard.
