Sailboat Indra - Review Continues
Continued the review of pictures from Indra's inspection, research on the internet, and development of the lists of issues with estimated repair costs.
On 25 February received email from Kim Brewer of Boat Sales Tasmania.
- It is now two weeks since you inspected Indra and neither Margie or I have had an answer from you on whether you wish to proceed. I hope that you will do Margie the courtesy of replying to this email and indicate whether you are interested in buying "Indra" or not. You are aware of her present circumstances and I'm sure you would not wish to cause her further distress..
Maybe I took this email wrong, but felt they were insinuating that my lack of a quick purchase decision within their perceived allotment of time was a distressing factor. This seemed like a ploy to appeal to my emotional feelings and instill a sense of guilt - I wasn't buying into this tactic and did not respond back. I did not push the issue when my previous email questions and findings were not fully and truthfully addressed and answered. Truthful - what do I mean? They were unaware that when I reviewed the paperwork found aboard Indra, I actually read "all" of it to include a dairy type journal. The missing head door that was answered as not on the boat when they purchased it was contradicted by a journal entry stating it was banging open and close while they were sailing in their early years and it was removed and stored in the V-berth. The response "found her incredibly comfortable at sea" was contradicted numerous times, particularly on the trip from Taiwan where they stated they sailed monstrous seas and comfort was nonexistent. Lastly Indra's advertisement was a significant stretch of anything truthful, she was not even close to being seaworthy. I could go on. Could not fathom why they listed items on the advertisement, with full knowledge the item was broken, unserviceable, or date expired. I found all this concerning, as I was growing more concerned of what I didn't have time to check on Indra. There was the very real possibility that significant other issues remained undetected, and if there were other problems, I knew it was not going to be freely and honestly disclosed - aka, the old cliche - buyer beware!
My daily internet searches on all things related to the True North sailboat design detected another similar sailboat listed for sell. It was a 1976 Noon Ocean 34 located in Penang, Malaysia; listed at US $55,000. Review of its specifications and pictures revealed it was in considerably better shape than Indra and was equipped with better and more modern equipment. Sent an inquiry to the broker who responded back stating it was no longer for sell, as the owners had departed and were cruising the waters of Thailand. Not all was a loss, as I had another set of data on the True North sailboat design to add to my growing collection of information.
On 5 March received email from Terry Sargent that they had lowered the asking price on Indra. Checked both the Boat Sales Tasmania and Terry's website VALHALLA. The original Boat Sales Tasmania listed price of Australian $73,950 (US $57,138.20) was reduced to Australian $64,950 (US $50,184.26); while website VALHALLA original listed price of US $60,000 was reduced to US $49,990.
Additionally in Terry Sargent's email he informed us the sewing machine and SCUBA gear aboard Indra were removed from the offering. I found this interesting as we had discussed these items while there. We had informed Terry that we already had a Sailrite sewing machine and the scuba tank and regulator aboard Indra wouldn't work for us due to their age, size, and out-of-certification status. The email did not state who was the recipient of the sewing machine and SCUBA gear, but gave the impression of vultures descending down upon Indra's carcass and picking her bones.
This price reduction did not motivate us to rush our review and submit an offer. I was aware that we were the only potential buyers that were actually serious enough to visit and inspect Indra onsite. I was not concerned if someone else submitted an offer to purchase her, if it happened, good for them - there are thousands of more boat candidates out there waiting.
I was almost complete with the review of Indra's pictures and had formed what I thought was a reasonable estimate of the work and materials needed to repair Indra - it was not going to be cheap and would take an extended time. I had formulated an opinion that Indra was not kept in a proper state; that maintenance and repairs were neglected; that previous installations and repairs were not competently accomplished both in people skills and in materials used; and that Indra was essentially in a state of neglect. I still had deep reservations that other issues remained unknown and undetected. Despite these issues, I was also of the opinion Indra was not a lost cause, could be brought up to basic standards, and was still in better condition than some of the other boats we had visited here in the Philippines. The review continued.
