Check out the asking price on this 53

[rsmith]

Most of us have been around long enough to go through the boom bust cycles. We bought our boat in 76 during the first energy crisis for less than half the asking price. In 93 after the S&L collapse I had a friend that was repossessing boats for multiple banks. It was so bad we couldn’t find places to take them. Wasn’t just older boats people were walking away from brand new boats. Recent memory the 08 tarp mortgage problem. I saw some nice 52c’s sell in the 60 70k range. I knew the owner of one had paid 289 not too many years before. But this time it’s just unprecedented. Low interest rates and this YOLO pandemic induced attitude has made everyone lose their senses. Bad enough but boats are facing a perfect storm of issues from fuel to insurance lack and prices of slip rentals. IDK but given the current climate to quote the former fed chair Allen Greenspan it all seems like irrational exuberance to me.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

If I was looking for a 53, I'd want the best one I could find, not a fixer-upper. And this one would be on my list. But, I certainly would not pay that kind of money for one without stabilizers or new electronics. That's another 100k to get it where I would want it.

And now that I know there's a crooked porthole, I'm definitely out

 

[Bob Bradley]

And besides, where the hell would you mount the outriggers on it?

 

[cww]

For that price it doesn’t even have stabilizers?

 

[jim rosenthal]

The markets for some collectible consumer toys are hotter than hot right now. A Ferrari 355- a targa, not even a spyder, just sold for $300,000 on BaT. This was a very nice car, with full documentation etc, but $300,000?

The man who won the auction wrote that this was either the best thing he'd ever done, or the worst. No kidding.

Just the asking price of this 53 perhaps says something about the market for high-quality used boats.

As far as the fresh-water history goes... a few years ago a couple in our cruising club brought a Chris-Craft Roamer down from the Great Lakes to the Chesapeake ("Bella Nave") I got to look in the engine areas- it had been repowered with Cummins C diesels. It was immaculate. None of the usual discoloration on the sea valves, etc. Just as clean as it could be. The boat had been stored indoors out of season and clearly maintained with an open checkbook. The cleanest boats I have ever seen have come from the Great Lakes areas- there really is something to be said for buying a boat up there.