Buying a boat... Merits of a test sail?

It depends. If you are familiar with the boat that you want (a friend has one) then its not so important. But if you are trying to decide which class to go in or what boat you like for pleasure sailing then yes definitely. I firmly believe that you have to like the boat you sail.

I bought my Blade sight unseen, never been happier.

I agree with Dave. Bought 3 cats w/out sailing them first. Being familiar with what they were and how they performed is why I bought them.

If the boats local then having the owner take you out should be no problem. I wouldn't let anyone I didn't know take my boat for a sail without me.

What boat are you looking at?

Took a guy out on a race this past weekend who had almost decided to buy a Formula 18 before he was ever on one. For that matter had not even sailed a catamaran before. We had a really nice time and by the end of the day he was convinced he needed one.

Dan

I required a

dry rigging

of my h16 before i would purchase it (so i knew how to rig it and to verify ALL the parts were there).

All the parts were NOT there.. glad i did that.

I required the owners to take me out before i purchased my TheMightyHobie18, and my current boat to make sure a. it floated, and b. i liked the ride.

I bought my N20 w/o sailing, but I knew the following:

1) I liked the N20, having crewed on one
2) I needed a N20 to do Tybee
3) The boat I was buying was FAST, as in FASTER than FAST. It had placed top 3 in nationals on numerous occasions. This was also immediately apparent when we used the previous owners stock settings, old sails and beat 4 other very experienced N20's upwind for 10 miles the 2nd time out on the boat.

In short, it really depends on what you are buying. If you are picking up a $15K racing boat from a guy who is a top level racer, well, you expect that all the bits are there and he will provide some level of support after selling the boat in the form of tuning and getting up to speed. If you are buying a $2k H16, yeah, I would be checking that thing to make sure all the parts are there!

Some boats are just slow, so yes test sail it!! you don't wanna end up making alot of overhauls/changes to a boat you thought looked fast or taking the word of some

skipper

who just had the cash to buy big. you never REALLY know someone till you have sailed with them...same rules apply for the boat..atleast in my book.

I disagree with that. There is very little variance from boat to boat from any of the manufacturers. Things like clean and fair bottoms, clean foils, decent sails, proper boat setup, and - most importantly - proper sailing technique are what make them fast - there's no magic from boat to boat that makes one faster than the other.

I used to hear the same thing during the Alter Cup Championship where we have 10 new boats and 20 sailors rotating on the boats. The fleet would generally arrive at a conclusion that a couple of boats were the

faster

boats in the fleet. Once we started using a digital scoring and boat assignment system (to make sure everyone was getting rotated evenly on all the boats), I started putting together statistics on finishes by boat number...there was less than a 1.1% deviation in finish positions by boat - and that was consistent over the three years I was involved with the event.

I don't see the point
either the idiot that you are buying it off has got it rigged wrong and it won't feel great to sail

or

you are buying it off of someone better that you who has prooved that it is good boat by his results

Tyre kickers want test sails and quite often make a hobby of doing it - seeming never actually buying a boat!

In general or if you are talking about boats from the same lot, I agree. For boats that have a long production run or are produced in different locations, some are better than others. For example, the 1988(?) Alter Cup TheMightyHobie18's were all near minimum weight, did not leak, the sails showed signs of being individually trimmed, and the batten lengths were different. In the case of the H16 and Catalina 22, there were definitely some bad years. In some cases the differences fade over time and in other cases the bad years just fall apart(in the early 80's several builders switched to a

better

foam core that started delaminating after a short time)

The new boats seem to be more reliable and consistent than the boats of old but commercial companies do not have to tell you if they change something.

It's tough to fight cold hard facts.

If you have no clue on what boat you want to buy, then you had better do some test sailing to compare. How easy is it to move, set-up, sail. Is it going to be beyond you skill level or something you will quickly get bored with?

If you have narrowed the search to one of the Formula class boats then again go for a test sail on the various brands. There are subtly differences in set-up and feel between brands that if your skill level is sufficient you may notice.

If you know what kind and brand boat you want then a test sail is not so necessary. Make sure you (or get someone who knows the boat) carefully inspects it if it is used. All the parts need to be there and the sails, rigging and hulls need to be in a condition that is representative of what the asking price is on the boat.

Kinda off topic..... but, I've had 3-1/2 Vipers, each one felt different and unique from the other. I think the one I've got now is pretty good, but I think the one I had before was the best I've had. I also had one that I sailed for half a season I just did not like. But, I know the Viper pretty darn well, and if you're just test sailing something those small variances probably aren't noticeable unless you've got a ton of time on that model already.

I don't really see the point in a test sail. I've never done it. Assembling the boat with the current owner if you are unfamiliar with it is a good idea so you know the little nuances, and so you know all the bits and pieces are there.

The problem is is that the seller, in many cases, may have to wrap up a whole day in trailering to the sailing site, set up, test sail, break down, and trailer home just to have the prospective buyer say

sorry, but thanks for a great day on the water

. It is not a problem 1 time, butt, if you go through the drill several times it could get really tedious.

Eric

I have never test sailed a boat I bought. I do research on known problems and check it out closely. Factor in buying new wearable items (Shrouds, sheets, halyards) if they are a few years old. The price is usually slightly negotiable with used, and there are plenty of good deals.

Also without a tune up boat, you would not be able to tell if it were fast. Difference in speed in a boat known to be fast and an untested one is very little.

No test sails here, but I did get the seller to rig it. That had more to do with just showing me how more than anything.

I just bought a John Deere riding mower.... I should have had the seller cut my grass first!

I was looking at buying a little convertible this evening and the guy wouldn't let me drive it. I sat in the passenger seat while he gingerly drove it around the block. That wasn't a very good sales tactic.

Before buying any cat again I would want to see it rigged first. There is often not enough good design engineering. Good design engineering = ease of setup and efficiency of use in all aspects of the boat. You can see those things when rigging. Some you can decide to live with and some not. Plus you will see how heavy the rigging and boat is that way too.

I would recommend a test sail. Sometimes you have to go thru the setup and sail of a boat you are not familar with to see if it is exactly what you are looking for. And yes you feel bad if in the end you put the owner thru this and do not buy the boat but better that then you owning a boat that is not for you. I even recommend this on a used boat unless you are really familar with the boat or the owner. It is amazing what you find out about a boat when it is off the trailer and on the water with the rig fully loaded.

I just looked a jon boat 2 weeks ago. I didn't make him take me out on the water with it (but i wish i had). It looked good, he talked a good game (said it was recently and often used by his son, they were looking for a bigger boat for more people etc). One tire was almost flat, so i filled it with my portable air compressor.

the lights were not working, there was a missing bulb visible and some broken wires.

I purchased it regardless, but i also have a welder friend who told me what to look for and assured me that we/he could repair most any small issues with a jon boat)

I did not get more than 1 mile down the road before the trailer tire was shredded and off the rim. I had to park it and go to the local walmart and get a replacement. When i got home i worked on the lights, they were rigged incorrectly and could have never worked as wired.

I have yet to put it in the water (tomorrow), but i would not be surprised if there are ... more surprises.

Had we met at the water... he would have had to replace the tire (instead of me), and it would have been more apparent the lights didn't work at all (not a big deal, but just extra money and time i had to spend instead of him)

I stand by my suggestion of trying to get a boat in the water (especially one with dozens and dozens of little specialty parts), or dry rigged at the least before making a purchase so you know what you are getting. Buyer beware

If you bought it new, then no, you can trust the reputation of that company and their products and warranty.

If you bought it used and didn't try it first.... and it had mechanical issues... then you have little recourse and few grounds for return or refund as most used items are assumed

as is

It is interesting to see how the different answers in this thread assume different contexts. Have I sailed that particular brand of boat before? Am I buying new or used? From a reputable company or a stranger? I can see that the answers to these questions, and possibly others, strongly affect the answer to my main question.

In my specific case, I am talking about a make of boat I have never sailed before, it's used, and I'm buying from a stranger. The owner says that the wheel bearings need repacked and the trailer isn't even usable until that is done, so if I were to buy it, I wouldn't even be able to drive it home that day. The owner also says the hulls need to be pressure washed.

I'm supposed to go see it this weekend. If I don't see any reason to reject the boat outright, I'm planing on telling the owner that she will have to repack the bearings and get the boat to the nearby sailing center for me to test sail it (at least to make sure there are no nasty leaks.)

The boat is a Mystere 5.0 XL...

As a seller in that scenario I would have it priced cheap and wouldn't take you for a test sail

Careful pressure washing. If it is

stained

, get some FSR.

Ahh, I know the boat you speak of, quite well. Check your PM.

Ive got a boat for sale and would let people take if for a test sail, its already rigged, mast up storeage, so it would be easy, plus its not a brand new boat, so a little more wear won't hurt it. I think its good to get as much info on a boat if you are not familiar with either the boat/brand or seller. At the very least see how it is rigged. A lot of times, you get a boat home and cant figure out the pile of strings you have and it can be a real headscratcher.

When I sold my last boat, I was approached by a buyer, he wanted me to drive from CT to VA, let him race it in a regatta and then he would decide.

Anyone care to guess my response?