Buying a boat? Nothing could be easier when you have selected a standard model. For me, after having made my "coming out" and mentally validated that I was ready to sail on a motorboat I'm looking for an Amerglass type boat.
Looking for an Amerglass 32 AK
This boat meets all my criteria. It is therefore necessary to find the right opportunity. The one that will have engines in good condition, a correct finish and a complete equipment. All this at an attractive price. A kind of 5-legged sheep! Let's not forget that I'm aiming at 1970's yachts which are already 50 years old and have a few miles on the clock.
The classifieds websites (Le bon Coin in the lead) remain my best friends for many hours. I spot a few units without any of them really catching my eye. So I don't rush, even if I make a few trips to visit some of them.
What is the "real" price?
As far as prices are concerned, the models offered vary between 25 and 40,000 euros. But in these prices, they obviously remain on sale for quite a long time... I think that 30,000 euros is too expensive for a 50 year old boat that moves slowly, that cruises at 7 N. Obviously, the clientele ready to live the slow life is not really jostling each other.
My first visit is moored on the Adour, 2 steps from the Basque coast. We are in front of a completely refurbished model. The photo file sent by the owner shows that he has dismantled everything, from the layout to the engine, to rebuild everything as new. Everything has been changed, from the windows to the hulls and the entire electrical system. The engines are powerful (2 x 150 hp), the boat has 300 W of solar panels, good batteries and new electronics.
But the big problem is that the owner has done a camper van type layout. It's clean, shiny, but not at all marine. For example, he installed all the batteries on the port side under the saloon bench. As a result, the boat is unbalanced and even leans in port. The 2 big engines push hard, but the hold is so poorly soundproofed that you have to shout to talk to each other when you are at the helm. Finally, to access the engines more easily, he did not hesitate to cut the bulkheads. But these are cleverly designed to serve as watertight bulkheads in case of water entry. So here is a boat that will be very comfortable in port, but totally unsuitable for sailing... I prefer to pass even if it is the cheapest of all my ads (24 000 euros).
The second Amerglass is located in the center of France, on the Briare canal. This time, it is a boat totally in its juice that we discover. Its owner has been sailing it for 15 years. On board it smells old. And nothing justifies the price of 30 000 euros. The owner tries to seduce us and offers us a discount. But the general state of the boat, with its crumbling deck paint, doesn't make us want to prolong the discussion.
Then we see a model that looks like a great shot... except for its price. Indeed, this Amerglass is offered at 40,000 euros. It has everything and everything works. We feel that its owner has thought about it in every detail, even modifying the rudders to increase their size. He is also the one who sent me the most complete file on the boat with information on speeds and consumption. But the price is really too high.
All these first researches show that the owners "value" their boat at around 30 000 euros. But that this price is too high for the market. This pushes me to look for a lower price if I hope one day to be able to resell it without losing too much money. I estimate that the "real" value of an Amerglass is between 10 and 15,000 euros for a boat in its original condition.
It's the last ad that will prove me right. Indeed I discover for sale in the Besançon area, an Amerglass with 2 x 73 hp from 1973, offered at 14 000 euros. This time I react quickly to organize a visit. Just like our second visit, this one is also in its juice. Its owner has owned it for 3 years, but due to personal problems and the Covid, he has never been able to sail it. We discovered a boat with the starboard engine running while the port one refused to start. Moreover, after a quarter of an hour, the starboard one ends up heating up! In short, it's not really selling..
After consultation with my wife (remember that this is a project that we both have), we begin a negotiation that will conclude with an agreement at 9 000 euros. I made reservations to see the boat out of the water (to check the hull and the propellers) and also that the 2 engines were in working order. It is only 15 days later that we conclude the sale around the boat out of water. The day before I would have repaired myself the port starter (all unscrewed) and put back in place the 2 water pump wheels (dismantled not to freeze). Both engines are running without any suspicious noise.
The boat requires a serious cleaning, both on deck and in the cabin. But it is complete, with spare parts, maintenance and all the accessories on board. Every opening of a locker or a hold holds good surprises.
Now we have to continue the big cleaning and to prepare the cruise/convoy of this summer. We are planning to bring the boat back to Toulouse to winter it as close as possible to our base to start the preparation before the big departure.
Visit us at on the page Yacht-Club "An Amerglass for the Danube" to regularly follow the progress of this project.
