As the owner/operator of a full service yacht servicing business, I can’t help but laugh sometimes at the lengths to which otherwise bright, intelligent and successful people will go in a misguided attempt to save a few bucks. .
One of the biggest mistakes we see is that people decide to sell their boat without having it fully detailed first.
According to Rob Scanlan, a well known and respected Master Marine Surveyor;
“Detailing a boat is the most important investment of time, energy and money a seller can make because a sparkling clean boat sells faster and for much more money. I strongly recommend that a seller get professional help to do a quality job .”
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www.mastermarinesurveyor.com (website)
At BoatDocs1, we do a lot of work here on the Emerald Coast with local yacht brokers and we know what the standards are for a “show ready” boat. These professionals know that the cosmetic appearance tells the prospective buyer everything about the care and general 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 ensure your time and money are spent wisely. Our trained eyes will often pick up on the little details that only a prospective buyer would notice and likely balk at.
Here is a summary of the standard procedures we use when preparing a yacht for sale:
1. Thoroughly wash and dry the boat
Note: For this part, pay attention to everything you see, and unless your memory is much better than mine, make notes on a piece of paper for later.
- Wash and chamois dry your boat from top to bottom, including the transom.
- clean Isenglass and other ports/windows
- clean and dress all aluminum/stainless steel
- cleaning and dressing vinyl seats
- clean fly bridge and cockpit
- outdoor carpet vacuum cleaner
- clean and wear non-slip
2. Step back and look at the ship
Note: Bring your list and organize it with the following scheme
* Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes, be critical, the buyer will.
- It is brilliant? It’s the first thing most people notice.
- What about the smell? People have a way of getting used to almost anything. Get a second opinion and see the suggestion below.
- Is all hardware intact and presentable? Just because you’ve used that broken table for years and you quite like it, to anyone else, it’s just a broken table.
- What about dents, any damage to the fiberglass? Aside from the fact that broken gelcoat can let water into the core of the ply and delaminate the fiberglass, it just looks BAD.
- What about the rust? You are probably thinking right now; (What’s a little rust on a boat?) Let me tell you. A little rust on a boat is a sure sign that the owner lets the little things go unnoticed and if there is one thing there is always more. What about oil changes? I wonder if he rinsed the outboard after using it? The goal of this little exercise is to make the ship look like you are painstaking and strict about getting everything perfectly in “SHIP SHAPE”.
- One more little tip that you’ve probably already thought of. Take a look around the boat and remove EVERYTHING that is not part of the boat.
- Make a list of things that need attention and get them taken care of. A few dollars spent now will pay off in spades when it’s time to show off your boat. Anything that isn’t right will stick out like the proverbial sore thumb, get noticed and cause the price to start spiraling down. (if it doesn’t make them run off shaking their heads) Hint: if you’re not a woman reading this and don’t have a wife of your own, ask your mother or sister, or see if a friend can lend you theirs 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 these same lines, pay special attention to the cabin and the heads.
EXAMPLE: Engine controls, compass, life jackets, flare kit, and a first aid kit ARE part of the boat. Knick knacks, fishing tackle, cute wall plaques and half full paint cans are NOT part of the boat and look tacky. A few cleaning supplies, in your own locker, is probably fine, as long as they are kept neat and clean.
3. Prioritize work
With your checklist, you’re in good shape for deciding what needs to be done and whether or not you want to do the job yourself or have it done by a professional.
Most of the professional yacht servicing companies we are familiar with will be happy to take a look and give you an estimate of what it will cost to get the job done correctly. We can do some of the work, for example compounding/polishing and will be happy to help you choose the best wax to finish the job yourself.
What about those little chips and dents in the gelcoat?
Many books have been written on fiberglass repair and it is not the intention of this article to cover the subject in depth, but many small repairs are within the reach of a fairly skilled do-it-yourselfer. Like anything else, though, if you’ve never done it before, “ask an expert.”
I have been building and repairing fiberglass since I was 14 years old and while the first wooden boat I glazed was watertight and lasted many years, it was far from pretty. The small investment you make now for an expert repair will pay big dividends when your boat sells for the price you want.
In the Emerald Coast region, standard compound/wax rates range from $15.00/ft. and $18.00/ft. for the top (rub-rail up) which includes a complete cleaning and treatment of vinyl, windows, isometric glass and metal. In other words, for the price of doing the “hard” part, we’ll detail the entire top and leave it in “show-ready” condition. Hulls (friction rail down) are around $8.00/ft. but of course the boat must be out of the water in order to do this. (This walking on water with a high-speed electric shock absorber in hand is still beyond me, but I’ll let you know 😉
Fiberglass repair costs anywhere from $45.00 to $65.00 an hour and generally, as with just about anything else, you get what you pay for. The advantage of this is that when professionally addressed, dents and dents from ten years of heavy use can be repaired and made to look like new in a surprisingly short time.
Too often we have seen people save $300.00 or $400.00 on a detail only to lose $Thousands$ in what their boat could have sold for. Also, our local marinas are littered with so many examples of boats with “For Sale” signs that were never given the slightest attention to make the passerby want to stop and think, “Hey, I wonder what it would be like to call that one.” my ship.” Some of these boats have been sitting around for years when all they really needed was a little TLC.
I remember years ago someone said something about being sensible and foolish. Let’s not let them say that about us.
