We've Decided To Sell Drift Away

Yep.  No joke.  I'm as serious as a heart attack.

Pam and I talked long and hard about it and we both came to the same conclusions.  Leaving Drift Away here in Georgia for eight months at a time while we're in upstate New York doesn't make much sense to us, especially from a financial standpoint.  Sure, it's cheap enough when we consider it our home, but spending $7,000 a year for a boat we'd use for just a few months during the winter is expensive.  We could put that money towards chartering in the Caribbean, or a European vacation or something.

We also considered the boat, being closed up for eight months.  Mold and mildew, rust and rot, dust and dirt.

We've worked hard fixing up this old boat, and spent a lot of money doing it.  We got a good deal on it when we bought it, though, so we're into it for far less than what it's worth, which should make it easier to sell, because we're passing the savings on to whomever buys it.  We've decided to sell it for about what we have in it.

To cut to the chase, here's the price- $79,000.

That price is a deal for two reasons.  First, all the money spent doesn't include my labor.  Second, most all of the parts I bought were at wholesale.  You could add another 40% to that price for what it actually represents.

What do you get for that?  A Cheoy Lee 46' LRC (Long Range Cruiser) that works.  Everything.

Twin Ford Lehman 120s with less that 3,000 hours on them.
15 KW generator
7.5 KW generator
Naiad stabilizers
All batteries new in 2011
Big honkin' windlass
Roof mounted crane to pick up the 13' Boston Whaler off the roof
New 2011 frost free apartment sized refrigerator
New 2012 ice maker
New 2010 Origo electric stove
New 2011 bimini
All Simrad electronics new 2011 (AIS, broadband radar, 12" touchscreen helm, 8" flybridge, etc.)
80 lb. Manson anchor with 200' 3/8" chain
Two Filter Boss Systems
Fuel polishing system
Decks fiberglassed over in 2011
Bottom painted July 2012, new zincs, new packing for stuffing boxes
All kinds of spare parts and filters
About 600 gallons of diesel in the tanks

The list goes on and on, but that's the important stuff.

Why so cheap?  Well, there's still plenty to do.  All of the cosmetic stuff.  The entire boat needs to be painted, including the decks.   That's the big one.  I've started on it, might finish it.  The interior needs attention, especially where water from leaking decks damaged paneling.  Most of it could be painted over, but some of the paneling needs to be replaced.  I was thinking of just buying wainscoting a Home Depot and varnishing it.  That would look nice.  The headliner is down in the vee berth, which is our storeroom and so I don't care.  Also part of the middle stateroom.

The boat is in Brunswick, about 50 miles or so from the Florida border, which I think is a plus.  We've gotten it down the tough part.  The Bahamas is only a few days away.   The buyer could take it someplace beautiful (not that Brunswick is not) to work on it.

I used to appraise used cars for a car dealer I worked for.  What I did was to figure what the car would be worth when put in top condition, and then deduct the cost of doing so to arrive at a trade-in value.  Drift Away, in top shape, should be worth between $140,000 and $160,000 from what I've seen, although some have been listed for much more.

So if you're handy with a paintbrush, a staple gun, and a skill saw, this is a great deal for you, or someone you know.  I'll keep it for sale privately for awhile to see if anyone feels like rising to the challenge.  Then it goes to a broker and the price will have to go up as well.

And what if it doesn't sell?  Well, I guess we'd come back to Brunswick after the 2013 holidays and head south with it.  No point in letting it go to waste.