SUNCAT QUESTION:

[Bob23]

   I have the opportuinity to purchase a 2002 Suncat which was originally bought in 2003 and launched in 2004 from the original owner. Although I haven't seen the boat yet, she appears to have been used little. My question is what is this boat worth? The trailer is probably original and the motor is a 2003 Honda 5.
   Thanks in advance from your humble 23 owner,
Bob23

[Tim Gardner]

Bob,

$6800 for the boat & trailer; <$500 for the motor

TG

[Eagleye]

Bob,
Here are a few sample ads. 


http://www.trailersailor.com/index.php?option=com_adsmanager&Itemid=298&page=showad&adid=15366

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/28518

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2002/Com-pac-Sun-Cat-2636322/Sister-Bay/WI/United-States

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2004/Com-Pac-Sun-Cat-2595635/Punta-Gorda/FL/United-States

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2001/Com-pac-Sun-Cat-2633393/Lake-Lanier/GA/United-States


I think if you buy that catboat you may need a doghouse to live in....   

Good Luck,
-Allen

[cavie]

Bob,

$6800 for the boat & trailer; <$500 for the motor

TG

At that price I'll buy everyone I can find. "flipin' boats" That's the ticket.

[rogerschwake]

I bought my 2003 Suncat two years ago for 11,500. It had a fair amount of wear on it and just replaced the sail a month ago. My guess would be some were around 10,000 would be a fair price. There aren't a lot of Suncats on the used market so don't let a good one get away. Like I said I've owned mine for 2 years and find it a great boat for day sailing and over nighting once and a will. Good luck and happy sailing.

[Tim Gardner]

Cavie - That's the book price as of today.  But I'd take it for that as well.  Bob - a boat is worth what YOU think it's worth.

TG

[MacGyver]

Tim, is that the BUC book?
I am just wondering because if not I can look tomorrow at work and let B23 know what that value is.

Mac

[Bob23]

Gents:
   I sure do appreciate your speedy replies! I may go look at the boat tomorrow and make an offer if I like it. And, yes, Allen- I will be in the dog house but this poses a very serious ethical question: does a catboat have a doghouse? Hmmm....
   My dilemna is twofold: I've been toying with trading down to a suncat for simplicitys sake but my main objective with this one would be to clean and fix it up and resell. But- what if I just take it out for a test sail and fall in love? What would my Koinonia think of me? What would my wife do to me? And,....I'd have to change my handle here but to what? Bobcat?
   Oh- life is full of decisions! I'll keep you guys posted as this plays out.
Bob23

[Craig]

Trading down to a Suncat? No way! The boat is a lot "bigger" than the measurements and has a charm all its own. You WILL fall in love!

[capt_nemo]

Bob23,

Whatever  you do, DO NOT TAKE IT OUT FOR A TEST SAIL! Especially IF YOU DO THE RIGGING AT THE RAMP, because you WILL fall in love with the beautiful simplicity of the rig (only MINUTES to the ramp), the 14" draft on the trailer when launching, and the simplicity of ONE sail and ONE sheet.

Unless, of course, you decide to jazz her up like a few of us Sun Catters have done, just for the thrill of it.

Best wishes on a challenging decision.

capt_nemo
Sun Cat "Frisky"

[Bob23]

   Oh my. Now I've gotten myself into a real pickle! We'll see how this goes. To be truthful, I am completely happy with my 23. She's heavy, strong,  attractive and handles rough water very well. It would be hard to top a 23 with a smaller catboat. There's also a ton of room down below.
   On the other hand, trailer-ability is a big plus. And I could steal some of Capt Nemos mods and really customize her.
   On the other hand, the trip I'd like to do through the C&D canal and down the Chesapeake might not be practical in a Suncat.
   On the other hand...................................................!
Bob23
Thank you all again for helping me get in more trouble! I can always count on my Compac brothers!

[Tom Ray]

Cavie - That's the book price as of today.  But I'd take it for that as well.  Bob - a boat is worth what YOU think it's worth.

TG

Book prices are not market prices, especially when it comes to small/prestige brands and boats that are in limited supply. Even for common boats, they can be pretty wildly wrong. For example, I just asked NADA what my old 15' Boston Whaler hull is worth without an engine or trailer. It said about a thousand bucks. Actual market value of the hull is about $3,000.

When I was selling boats, the most useful pricing tool was the yachtworld soldboats database, but even that had limitations. It only covers brokerage boats, ignoring all other sales, and it depends on brokers accurately reporting the selling price. It was still better than any of the three "blue book" services we also used at predicting the eventual selling price of a boat. Extremely accurate for something common like a Bayliner or a Catalina 30, less so for a Sun Cat.

Running a soldboats search is almost exactly the same as using yachtworld's advanced search page. In other words, it's not a big deal for a broker and doesn't cost anything. I would ask a broker to do a soldboats search on any model of boat I was considering buying or selling. The broker will probably try to sell you something and/or list your boat. That's the job. But a good broker will realize that even if you don't buy anything today, being helpful is good advertising and he can't really email you the search results without getting your name and email address for his database.