Interstate Boat Buying

Guy Cameron from Perth has very kindly shared his experiences buying a boat on the East Coast of Australia.

It has certainly been worth the effort, as the east coast has a far bigger range than Perth, but beware the costs and efforts involved.

Many speak of the cheap and numerous yachts on the east coast yet few Perth sailors buy from there. For those who are also considering the east coast, here’s my thoughts from a recent yacht shop.

Sydney has the biggest number and variety of yachts on the market, making it an obvious stop. There are many berthing locations, reflective of Sydney’s complex waterside geography - you definitely need a rental car to get around. Get some family or friends’ accommodation lined up, otherwise count on A$100/night plus. Pittwater is considered the place to start there’s many boats and 28 brokers. Vicsail and David Bray Yacht Brokers were two that stood out. I spent 4 flat out days in Sydney looking at 13 yachts.

Melbourne has its fair share of yachts, but a relatively low number of racers. Most action is on Port Phillip Bay. Public transport is definitely an option to get to most yacht clubs (enjoy the inner city trams). Sandringham Yacht Club is the best known city yacht club, and has a local broker - Sundance yachts.

Adelaide should not be forgotten, as there are a good number of yachts there. The down to earth attitude seems to be close to Perth also. I didn’t visit the Queensland coast, mostly because the sales locations are so wide spread. You need to target your efforts on a yacht to be certain before travelling. Tassie is also an option, but entails high transit costs or the big sail across Bass Straight on return.

Bringing a yacht back proves to be a major cost. Here is my current experience of costs after purchase (there’s sure to be more!!):

Cost after purchase
Survey costs A$18/ft + GST + kms
Survey lift 200
De-rigging & prep for transport 1500
Lift onto transport 200
Transit insurance 250
Transport - eg Adelaide to Perth 7900 + GST
(ex Melbourne $9200 + GST, ex Sydney $9950 + GST)
Lift from transport 200
Mast modifications – hinge installation, 2nd spini pole 3000
Re-rigging 1000 estimate
WA DPI Rego 300
Total sunk cost for a 32.5 ft boat $16k

To wrap up, the main conclusions I reached from this trip were:

1. East coast yacht shopping is worth it when:

• You can only find what you want over east
• You get a good deal on a boat above circa A$60k
• Or you want to sail back anyway (avoiding transit cost)

2. Be prepared to act quickly (within a day) if the right boat comes on the market.

3. Do your homework before you go - but keep looking while you are away. The perfect yacht may be listed while you are in town. Unlike most locals, you won’t think twice about a few hours travel to buy it.

Happy yacht hunting.