Assessing Value of Used Boston Whaler Boats Relative To Seller's Asking Price

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jb_1994 posted 02-14-2011 07:48 PM ET (US)
Hi--I just came across this Outrage for 10,500; it [is] a 1987 Outrage. [T]he web address is http://boatspotter.com/Page.aspx/diid/4482310/list/InventoryList/pageId/4610/view/Details/1987-Boston-Whaler-Outrage-20-Outrage.aspx ? Engine is a 91 year model. How much is this boat actually worth?
meridian posted 02-14-2011 09:41 PM ET (US)
Can't tell, not enough information. I take it that you haven't seen it since it is in RI and you are in DC.
Does it have a trailer? Since it has bottom paint, does it spend the season in the water? Is it covered or stored indoors in the winter? Lots of questions to ask the seller.
If you spend some time reviewing this website, you will have more than enough information to make an informed decision.
It is worth whatever someone is willing to pay. No more, no less.
macfam posted 02-14-2011 10:41 PM ET (US)
You're not getting much more thatn a 24 year old hull.
Old Yammie may still run...but she's 20 years old. So you have to ask how long will she last. If you are staying in local waters, and not venturing out into open water, she could be a great boat for several years.
The hull looks good, and it will last a long time, but check status of that 24 year old gas tank.
That engine will eventually need to be replaced, but they built some real bullet-proof engines.
No trailer, no bimini top.
They say they maintained and have records. Look at them and make sure they start it up and run it for you.
Used trailers are hard to find
Binkster posted 02-15-2011 07:56 AM ET (US)
The motor is worth $1500. I would pay $6500 for the boat and motor, and hope the motor would last another 2 seasons. Those old Yammys had rust around the bracket area. Easy to spot, expensive to fix. If it [is] a saltwater boat and motor, I don`t think I would buy a saltwater rig any way. This is not even the boating season where you live. Wait a while, at his price it will be there for some time.
Buckda posted 02-15-2011 09:11 AM ET (US)
The value of a Whaler depends on a lot of things.
Most important of all is "Condition, Condition Condition".
In this market and economy, everything is in flux.
That said, there are other important factors to consider, such as the geography where the boat is being sold. The Florida Contingent here on CW will almost always give you a low price because the market is relatively rich in Whalers of all conditions down in Florida. Northern Michigan Whalers tend to command a slight premium - and those on the West Coast seem highest priced of them all when in great condition.
The other important factor is the buyer.
Sure you can get a better deal if you're willing to travel all over creation. But if you can't/won't travel to look at or buy a boat, then you may have to pay a slight premium over the "best deal" because you have a limited selection of hulls available, and you have limited yourself to your market. If you're a low cost market, that's fine - but if you're in Seattle, well, you get what you give.
A final consideration is time of year.
Consider, if you will, that it's in the 70's right now in Florida - perfect boating Weather - but up here in Michigan, we're just now having a February thaw and the lakes are still firm with ice. The "springtime market" hasn't thawed at all yet, and there are virtually no used boats on the market (compared with what the listings will look like in May and June).
The further north you look right now, the fewer options you'll have until the weather breaks and people really start getting spring fever.
Good luck with your search!
MyOutrage posted 02-15-2011 11:41 AM ET (US)
I'll second the concern on the engine. If my memory serves me correctly that vintage of Yamaha used beer can metallurgy for their shift shafts. Without overt actions taken on behalf of the owner, that shaft may be thin as a hair and subject to failure in a moment's notice. If your interested in the craft, be sure to examine the shift shaft.
Dave Sutton posted 02-15-2011 04:39 PM ET (US)
This is a nice boat and is local to me. We have a very short boating season, really only about 4 months of the year, so engine times etc., ought to be low for its year. Utilization rates up here are just not that high, as compared to places with longer seasons.
It's been stored and maintained at a local facility with a good reputation.
I have no interest in the boat, and do not know the seller. It'll be a nice one for the right owner. Price? Yeah.... I think it's a bit high too, but nothing that could not likely be negotiated to its correct level. Were I in the market for one, I'd look at it.

Dave
.
renoduckman posted 02-15-2011 07:48 PM ET (US)
Im not an expert for sure like some of the people on here. But two things im aware of.

Big difference in price of Whalers in different parts of the country.
I have been burned on the used boat old engine problem. The 40 Merc on my old 72 13 footer burned up on me about 6 months after i bought the boat. It ran well and was taken care of. I got it from my dad even! So you can never tell about the used outboard! Joe
A2J15Sport posted 02-15-2011 07:59 PM ET (US)
Here in AZ, you can't give one away. I've been offered tops of $2k for mine. Insult.
It's worth it, to me, to draq it to Alabama and sell it there.
pglein posted 02-18-2011 04:13 PM ET (US)
It's highly regional so it's hard for me to say. But that boat would easily bring $14,000 out here. I WISH I could buy a 20' Outrage for $10,500!!!
Ignore Binkster. He's a known troll here who is always telling everyone their boat is worth 1/2 what it really is and then spouts off about how crappy saltwater boats are. As if Whalers were built to be babied on fresh water, lol.
renoduckman posted 02-18-2011 05:40 PM ET (US)
Yes Whalers out here seem to cost so much more that i have considered a long road trip to get one!
jimh posted 02-18-2011 10:48 PM ET (US)
How was the price determined to be in U.S. dollars? I saw no mention of any currency being used.
Tom Hemphill posted 02-19-2011 08:10 AM ET (US)
The selling dealer is in Charlestown, Rhode Island, where they use the U.S. Dollar. Boston Whalers are very popular in that area.
boatdryver posted 02-19-2011 09:55 AM ET (US)
jb_1994 hasn't acknowledged all the good advice so far. I wish people would do that more often.
I don't know if he realizes how difficult it is to find a 24 year old boat, car, motorcycle or house that is right for him. (especially a boat) It takes a lot of time and effort. That's one reason some people just give up and buy a new boat with a payment that they can swallow.
It took me two years to find my used Classic Montauk. I found the photos in ads useful only to pick the ones I wanted to take the time to go see. Mostly, the ensuing visual inspection failed.
I felt that the biggest financial risk was in the used motor, so I picked a 1979 hull (older than I had planned) with a nearly new Honda BF90.
I owned the boat three seasons and sold to the next happy owner for what I had in it. I'd do that again.
People write in to CW often and ask the question; "What's a ----Whaler with a ---motor worth?"
There's really no accurate answer to that, is there? there is such a large variation in seasonality, condition, maintenance history, region, and motivation of the buyer and seller. The wide range of answers people get are of limited value.
There used to be a CW contributor named Derf who would brag about how little he paid for this or that boat down in Louisiana. Then he would send in a photo and one could see how he had done it.
In the end, a buyer just has to get down in the trenches do a lot of homework,see lots of boats, and figure out what he's willing to pay.
JimL
Dave Sutton posted 02-19-2011 12:04 PM ET (US)

There's also the value of your time... spend two years searching for a better deal, and you'll have two years left of your life to enjoy it. You can make a hobby of saving a buck, or you can make a hobby out of enjoying boating. If two years spent searching rather than boating is worth perhaps a $2000 savings on price, then you sure value your time a whole lot less than I value mine. Heck, save $4000 by window shopping and kicking tires for another two years... can you buy back two years of your life for $2000 a year?
That boat will sell for it's listed price, located where it's located, in about the first hour that it's parked at the side of Route 1 in Charlestown RI with a "For Sale" sign on it onm any day after June 18th when school lets out. The first family driving up to their beach cottage that wants a boat for this season will shell it out without so much as a second thought, will get a good boat, and will enjoy it a day after buying it. There's not a lot to go wrong with it, including the (simple and bulletproof) engine that's on the back. The marina who is selling it will likely get a new dock or rack customer, and everyone will be happy.
Take this from someone who has sold a Whaler in Rhode Island in the month of June, in less than a week, *five times in the last 7 years*. I have never negotiated the prices, which have always been at least 25% more than Craigslist prices in the North East. Why? It's available HERE and NOW and can be enjoyed THIS AFTERNOON on a day when it's 72 degrees, vacation is starting tomorrow, the sky is blue, the launch ramp is 500 yeards away, and everyone else has a boat.

Tire kickers and over-analyzers don't buy boats, they kick tires, agonize over their decisions, and waste time. Buyers walk up to a boat, look at it, and bring out their wallets. That's the only thing that sets a boats value. Money Talks, Bullshit Walks. Take that to the bank.... ;-)
Dave
.
boatdryver posted 02-19-2011 01:03 PM ET (US)
Probably the most valuable lesson an overly analytic buyer can learn is to have a boat he really really wants sold out from under him while he's trying to find out from "experts" what he should pay.
Suddenly the whole complex "equation" becomes very simple.
JimL
renoduckman posted 02-19-2011 02:15 PM ET (US)
I got lucky with my Whaler. Some good friends had it and let me know when they wanted to sell it! But that doesnt usually happen. You also have to have your money ready. Most whalers doent wait around while you are trying to come up with the money.
I work for a newspaper and i watch for whalers. And i have still lost out on a good deal.
jb_1994 posted 02-20-2011 09:43 PM ET (US)
All,
Thanks for the great input and I really appreciate it.
I made an offer of 6500 starting...I am willing to go up in price, but that engine is worthless to me. I have no confidence in the engine and with no trailer I don't think it is worth 10500. I called and spoke with one of the salesman last week and told him I would be making an offer and to get back with me. No response yet.
I have one down here in my area that I am waiting to go see.
It is more, buy I have pictures and it really looks nice. The price is more than 10K, but then just from speaking with the guy, it seems I am getting a better value for my money.
Now if the guy calls/emails me about the boat in RI and if the price is right, I have the money for quick execution.
I look at the web every night scouring for that model of Whaler and when I do find one that looks good, I will move quick.
I have put a top budget for a boat around 12-13K.
Dave Sutton posted 02-21-2011 02:42 AM ET (US)
"I look at the web every night scouring for that model of Whaler and when I do find one that looks good, I will move quick."
They are not going to call you back. I know the market here in RI, and $6500 is an insult.
Advice: If you are serious, you would spend $300 to fly up to Providence and then drive a half hour down to Charlestown to look at the boat. Take a day to do up and back. Then you might be taken seriously as a potential buyer. Folks from far out of state making low ball offers that aren't even polite aren't going to be taken seriously.
Just sayin'....

Dave
.
prj posted 02-21-2011 10:06 AM ET (US)
Then my suggestion for jb_1994 would be to NOT pursue a boat in Rhode Island if he is based in DC.
Were I to travel for an Outrage, and I did, I would not travel to the high-cost region to look at boats. I'd be more likely to travel and look at boats in the lower cost regions, like the Northern Neck of Virginia, which I did.
Dave Sutton posted 02-21-2011 10:29 AM ET (US)
Yup. Just remember: the further south, the longer the season, the harder the use, the higher the UV, and the more hours per year on the engines.
In my experience, an engine of the year cited, bought in Maryland or south, will likely be scrap. Up here, an engine of that year might very well be perfect. Short seasons = better preserved boats = higher priced boats.
There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

Dave
.
newt posted 02-21-2011 11:10 AM ET (US)
I would never travel long distance to see a brokerage boat based on the description provided by the broker. They usually understate the flaws and overstate the beauty!
jimh posted 02-21-2011 11:33 AM ET (US)

quote:
"I made an offer of 6500..."
What currency are you using?
Also, I have to say I am enjoying the up-to-the-minute narrative of the negotiations between seller and buyer of this classic Boston Whaler boat. Is there a Twitter account where we could get more timely notices?

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Author	Topic: Assessing Value of Used Boston Whaler Boats Relative To Seller's Asking Price
jb_1994	posted 02-14-2011 07:48 PM ET (US) Hi--I just came across this Outrage for 10,500; it [is] a 1987 Outrage. [T]he web address is http://boatspotter.com/Page.aspx/diid/4482310/list/InventoryList/pageId/4610/view/Details/1987-Boston-Whaler-Outrage-20-Outrage.aspx ? Engine is a 91 year model. How much is this boat actually worth?
meridian	posted 02-14-2011 09:41 PM ET (US) Can't tell, not enough information. I take it that you haven't seen it since it is in RI and you are in DC. Does it have a trailer? Since it has bottom paint, does it spend the season in the water? Is it covered or stored indoors in the winter? Lots of questions to ask the seller. If you spend some time reviewing this website, you will have more than enough information to make an informed decision. It is worth whatever someone is willing to pay. No more, no less.
macfam	posted 02-14-2011 10:41 PM ET (US) You're not getting much more thatn a 24 year old hull. Old Yammie may still run...but she's 20 years old. So you have to ask how long will she last. If you are staying in local waters, and not venturing out into open water, she could be a great boat for several years. The hull looks good, and it will last a long time, but check status of that 24 year old gas tank. That engine will eventually need to be replaced, but they built some real bullet-proof engines. No trailer, no bimini top. They say they maintained and have records. Look at them and make sure they start it up and run it for you. Used trailers are hard to find
Binkster	posted 02-15-2011 07:56 AM ET (US) The motor is worth $1500. I would pay $6500 for the boat and motor, and hope the motor would last another 2 seasons. Those old Yammys had rust around the bracket area. Easy to spot, expensive to fix. If it [is] a saltwater boat and motor, I don`t think I would buy a saltwater rig any way. This is not even the boating season where you live. Wait a while, at his price it will be there for some time.
Buckda	posted 02-15-2011 09:11 AM ET (US) The value of a Whaler depends on a lot of things. Most important of all is "Condition, Condition Condition". In this market and economy, everything is in flux. That said, there are other important factors to consider, such as the geography where the boat is being sold. The Florida Contingent here on CW will almost always give you a low price because the market is relatively rich in Whalers of all conditions down in Florida. Northern Michigan Whalers tend to command a slight premium - and those on the West Coast seem highest priced of them all when in great condition. The other important factor is the buyer. Sure you can get a better deal if you're willing to travel all over creation. But if you can't/won't travel to look at or buy a boat, then you may have to pay a slight premium over the "best deal" because you have a limited selection of hulls available, and you have limited yourself to your market. If you're a low cost market, that's fine - but if you're in Seattle, well, you get what you give. A final consideration is time of year. Consider, if you will, that it's in the 70's right now in Florida - perfect boating Weather - but up here in Michigan, we're just now having a February thaw and the lakes are still firm with ice. The "springtime market" hasn't thawed at all yet, and there are virtually no used boats on the market (compared with what the listings will look like in May and June). The further north you look right now, the fewer options you'll have until the weather breaks and people really start getting spring fever. Good luck with your search!
MyOutrage	posted 02-15-2011 11:41 AM ET (US) I'll second the concern on the engine. If my memory serves me correctly that vintage of Yamaha used beer can metallurgy for their shift shafts. Without overt actions taken on behalf of the owner, that shaft may be thin as a hair and subject to failure in a moment's notice. If your interested in the craft, be sure to examine the shift shaft.
Dave Sutton	posted 02-15-2011 04:39 PM ET (US) This is a nice boat and is local to me. We have a very short boating season, really only about 4 months of the year, so engine times etc., ought to be low for its year. Utilization rates up here are just not that high, as compared to places with longer seasons. It's been stored and maintained at a local facility with a good reputation. I have no interest in the boat, and do not know the seller. It'll be a nice one for the right owner. Price? Yeah.... I think it's a bit high too, but nothing that could not likely be negotiated to its correct level. Were I in the market for one, I'd look at it. Dave .
renoduckman	posted 02-15-2011 07:48 PM ET (US) Im not an expert for sure like some of the people on here. But two things im aware of. Big difference in price of Whalers in different parts of the country. I have been burned on the used boat old engine problem. The 40 Merc on my old 72 13 footer burned up on me about 6 months after i bought the boat. It ran well and was taken care of. I got it from my dad even! So you can never tell about the used outboard! Joe
A2J15Sport	posted 02-15-2011 07:59 PM ET (US) Here in AZ, you can't give one away. I've been offered tops of $2k for mine. Insult. It's worth it, to me, to draq it to Alabama and sell it there.
pglein	posted 02-18-2011 04:13 PM ET (US) It's highly regional so it's hard for me to say. But that boat would easily bring $14,000 out here. I WISH I could buy a 20' Outrage for $10,500!!! Ignore Binkster. He's a known troll here who is always telling everyone their boat is worth 1/2 what it really is and then spouts off about how crappy saltwater boats are. As if Whalers were built to be babied on fresh water, lol.
renoduckman	posted 02-18-2011 05:40 PM ET (US) Yes Whalers out here seem to cost so much more that i have considered a long road trip to get one!
jimh	posted 02-18-2011 10:48 PM ET (US) How was the price determined to be in U.S. dollars? I saw no mention of any currency being used.
Tom Hemphill	posted 02-19-2011 08:10 AM ET (US) The selling dealer is in Charlestown, Rhode Island, where they use the U.S. Dollar. Boston Whalers are very popular in that area.
boatdryver	posted 02-19-2011 09:55 AM ET (US) jb_1994 hasn't acknowledged all the good advice so far. I wish people would do that more often. I don't know if he realizes how difficult it is to find a 24 year old boat, car, motorcycle or house that is right for him. (especially a boat) It takes a lot of time and effort. That's one reason some people just give up and buy a new boat with a payment that they can swallow. It took me two years to find my used Classic Montauk. I found the photos in ads useful only to pick the ones I wanted to take the time to go see. Mostly, the ensuing visual inspection failed. I felt that the biggest financial risk was in the used motor, so I picked a 1979 hull (older than I had planned) with a nearly new Honda BF90. I owned the boat three seasons and sold to the next happy owner for what I had in it. I'd do that again. People write in to CW often and ask the question; "What's a ----Whaler with a ---motor worth?" There's really no accurate answer to that, is there? there is such a large variation in seasonality, condition, maintenance history, region, and motivation of the buyer and seller. The wide range of answers people get are of limited value. There used to be a CW contributor named Derf who would brag about how little he paid for this or that boat down in Louisiana. Then he would send in a photo and one could see how he had done it. In the end, a buyer just has to get down in the trenches do a lot of homework,see lots of boats, and figure out what he's willing to pay. JimL
Dave Sutton	posted 02-19-2011 12:04 PM ET (US) There's also the value of your time... spend two years searching for a better deal, and you'll have two years left of your life to enjoy it. You can make a hobby of saving a buck, or you can make a hobby out of enjoying boating. If two years spent searching rather than boating is worth perhaps a $2000 savings on price, then you sure value your time a whole lot less than I value mine. Heck, save $4000 by window shopping and kicking tires for another two years... can you buy back two years of your life for $2000 a year? That boat will sell for it's listed price, located where it's located, in about the first hour that it's parked at the side of Route 1 in Charlestown RI with a "For Sale" sign on it onm any day after June 18th when school lets out. The first family driving up to their beach cottage that wants a boat for this season will shell it out without so much as a second thought, will get a good boat, and will enjoy it a day after buying it. There's not a lot to go wrong with it, including the (simple and bulletproof) engine that's on the back. The marina who is selling it will likely get a new dock or rack customer, and everyone will be happy. Take this from someone who has sold a Whaler in Rhode Island in the month of June, in less than a week, five times in the last 7 years. I have never negotiated the prices, which have always been at least 25% more than Craigslist prices in the North East. Why? It's available HERE and NOW and can be enjoyed THIS AFTERNOON on a day when it's 72 degrees, vacation is starting tomorrow, the sky is blue, the launch ramp is 500 yeards away, and everyone else has a boat. Tire kickers and over-analyzers don't buy boats, they kick tires, agonize over their decisions, and waste time. Buyers walk up to a boat, look at it, and bring out their wallets. That's the only thing that sets a boats value. Money Talks, Bullshit Walks. Take that to the bank.... ;-) Dave .
boatdryver	posted 02-19-2011 01:03 PM ET (US) Probably the most valuable lesson an overly analytic buyer can learn is to have a boat he really really wants sold out from under him while he's trying to find out from "experts" what he should pay. Suddenly the whole complex "equation" becomes very simple. JimL
renoduckman	posted 02-19-2011 02:15 PM ET (US) I got lucky with my Whaler. Some good friends had it and let me know when they wanted to sell it! But that doesnt usually happen. You also have to have your money ready. Most whalers doent wait around while you are trying to come up with the money. I work for a newspaper and i watch for whalers. And i have still lost out on a good deal.
jb_1994	posted 02-20-2011 09:43 PM ET (US) All, Thanks for the great input and I really appreciate it. I made an offer of 6500 starting...I am willing to go up in price, but that engine is worthless to me. I have no confidence in the engine and with no trailer I don't think it is worth 10500. I called and spoke with one of the salesman last week and told him I would be making an offer and to get back with me. No response yet. I have one down here in my area that I am waiting to go see. It is more, buy I have pictures and it really looks nice. The price is more than 10K, but then just from speaking with the guy, it seems I am getting a better value for my money. Now if the guy calls/emails me about the boat in RI and if the price is right, I have the money for quick execution. I look at the web every night scouring for that model of Whaler and when I do find one that looks good, I will move quick. I have put a top budget for a boat around 12-13K.
Dave Sutton	posted 02-21-2011 02:42 AM ET (US) "I look at the web every night scouring for that model of Whaler and when I do find one that looks good, I will move quick." They are not going to call you back. I know the market here in RI, and $6500 is an insult. Advice: If you are serious, you would spend $300 to fly up to Providence and then drive a half hour down to Charlestown to look at the boat. Take a day to do up and back. Then you might be taken seriously as a potential buyer. Folks from far out of state making low ball offers that aren't even polite aren't going to be taken seriously. Just sayin'.... Dave .
prj	posted 02-21-2011 10:06 AM ET (US) Then my suggestion for jb_1994 would be to NOT pursue a boat in Rhode Island if he is based in DC. Were I to travel for an Outrage, and I did, I would not travel to the high-cost region to look at boats. I'd be more likely to travel and look at boats in the lower cost regions, like the Northern Neck of Virginia, which I did.
Dave Sutton	posted 02-21-2011 10:29 AM ET (US) Yup. Just remember: the further south, the longer the season, the harder the use, the higher the UV, and the more hours per year on the engines. In my experience, an engine of the year cited, bought in Maryland or south, will likely be scrap. Up here, an engine of that year might very well be perfect. Short seasons = better preserved boats = higher priced boats. There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Dave .
newt	posted 02-21-2011 11:10 AM ET (US) I would never travel long distance to see a brokerage boat based on the description provided by the broker. They usually understate the flaws and overstate the beauty!
jimh	posted 02-21-2011 11:33 AM ET (US) quote: "I made an offer of 6500..." What currency are you using? Also, I have to say I am enjoying the up-to-the-minute narrative of the negotiations between seller and buyer of this classic Boston Whaler boat. Is there a Twitter account where we could get more timely notices?