Hi all. I am going to sell my Prindle 18-2. She is in very nice condition, has a new jib and new trampoline. All lines are new or in very good condition. I replaced the bearings in the trailer. Even have beach wheels for her. Stored in a garage during the winter since I owned her. Hulls are tight. I am in New England and I cannot find any Prindles around here to compare it to. What do you think she should be worth?

Thx

Pete

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New Prindle 18-2 Owner
Former Prindle 18 Owner
Multiple Hobie 16s
Boylston Massachusetts
Webster Lake Indian Lake Narragnsett Bay in Rhode Island
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how is the main sail?
harken blocks or other?

I would expect to pay
$1500 -$2500 (the main is a big part of the price - as a new one is about equal to the value of the boat)

This is a pretty big range, but demand for old cat's is pretty weak these days
(so is demand for new cats in the USA - I don't think there are any fiberglass cats being produced except for the racing market)

http://shelllake.allboatlistings.com/sailboats/18001989-prindle-182-catamaran_17235498.html

The Prindle 18-2 is one of the better 18 footers & is a "keeper" in anyone's collection. With the kind of care you've given it & new jib & tramp, 6:1 Harkens, minimum of $3000. Even in a down market, the fact that it has retractable centerboards will allow it to hold it's value thru the years. Pete

Thank you guys. Ya she is an incredible boat. Not a spec of water gets in the hulls. The centerboard is such a great feature.

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New Prindle 18-2 Owner
Former Prindle 18 Owner
Multiple Hobie 16s
Boylston Massachusetts
Webster Lake Indian Lake Narragnsett Bay in Rhode Island
--

I'd be surprised if you got 3k for it - hope i am wrong - please report back and let us know what it sold for

btw

I purchased my mystere 5.5 in extremely good shape with like new sails, a new tramp, new lines all around , harken blocks, etc for $3200

that was in 2007, and the market was a lot "hotter" then (we had 20-30 cats on our beach every weekend) and I sail in a premier spot with almost year round sailing

I agree the main sail condition is a big factor. If it’s in great shape it will help a lot. If it is I think 3k is possible if you are willing to have it on the market long enough. People that like 18-2s are typically a loyalist crowd and it can be hard to find them in good condition. Not knowing all the details I think it would get scooped up pretty quick around 2k. Not familiar with the New England market however

Like Pete said, the 18-2 is a"cult" boat.... You may regret selling it.

But, there are a lot of first generation F-18 Class boats out there in the $3K to $5K range.. Keep that in mind.....

If it was one of the later "white" boats with a good Mylar sails I would say $3K is a fair price. I believe on these boats the deck lids were a little stronger. One of the older "stripped" boats with Dacron sails maybe a couple of $100 less.

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John Schwartz
Ventura, CA
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Apologies in advance that this answer got long-winded. You can stop after the 1st two paragraphs if you want and you'll have the gist.

So I just bought my 1998 P18-2 this past winter (see my thread "New P18-2 Owner...") and paid $2,500, which included a homemade trailer that was unregistered, had no data plate, is somewhat rusty, and has no box or winch. The seller listed the boat & trailer for $2,800 on craigslist, but told me on arrival he was willing to take $2,500, no less. I never made any attempt to negotiate lower, and when I finally closed the deal I felt, based on my shopping, that I had scored a great deal that I was really fortunate to get. For a time there, I feared the boat was going to be sold to someone else, and at that point I would have readily paid the original asking price, or even higher, if necessary, to get it.

If I were you, and your boat has been kept inside in winter and is pretty pristine, I don't think I'd have much hesitation listing it for sale at $3,500 at least, and see what happens. Just my thought based on my recent shopping/buying experience. I'll give some more food for thought.

I think my boat is in pretty great shape, but you can tell up close that it's not a new boat. I'd guess most of its life has been in/around salt water for 20 years, and probably outside in the winters.

Also, even though I wanted the boat when I saw it, I hesitated because of the trailer registration issue and another issue. (NJ makes you jump through a bunch of hoops to register a homemade trailer, so it was somewhat of a gamble whether I'd be able to receive a registration.) While I was evaluating that, I checked back on craigslist and saw that another guy had actually taken out a craigslist ad saying to the seller: "To the seller of the Prindle 18-2, I've been trying to contact you but getting no reply. Please contact me, I'm interested in your boat!"! Once I saw that I was like, man I better jump on this thing right now and solve my issues later, because another guy is after this thing.

So that tells you that as of a couple months ago, there was a buyer watching NJ craigslist and trying real hard to get his hands on a P18-2 listed for $2,800. If you list it for sale by you, maybe put it in NJ craigslist too, lol.

My seller, who is an experienced beachcat sailor, told me he thought I was getting a great deal, and if for some reason it turned out I didn't want the boat, I'd be able to resell it for maybe $3,500. Obviously he could've been blowing smoke up my a**, and you could ask 'then why didn't he sell it for that?', but actually I think that was his sincere opinion. He's a retired guy who was very busy with other stuff, knew the trailer reg was going to be an issue for his buyer, said he really didn't need the money, has other boats, and just wanted to sell.

After purchasing, I called American Modern Insurance Company to insure it. They told me their book value on the boat alone (not trailer) showed $4,000, so I can insure the hull for that amount. Obviously their book value doesn't necessarily equal market value, but that was interesting.

Once I learned through research what P18-2's and P19's were, I became really keen to get the boat. I searched the country for others and really didn't find much. I might have seen that Wisconsin P18-2 listing for $1,800, but there was no way I was going to gamble on a huge trip to Wisconsin to evaluate a boat that might not pan out. I also found a pretty nice-looking P19 listed in Tennessee for $4,000 or $4,500. But again, I wasn't going to take a 10-12 hour trip each way to evaluate a boat that might not pan out. There might have been one more in Iowa or something. So it appeared to me that there weren't too many available, and certainly no others in striking distance, so I was motivated to buy the one near me. I'd bet other people who want one feel the same. I also checked the prices of multiple other Prindles and Hobies listed for sale, but many of them seemed to be older and with various needs & issues, without being much cheaper, if at all. So i bought.

Whew, that was a long one, time for a nap. Best of luck.



Edited by CatFan57 on Apr 15, 2018 - 10:24 AM.

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1998 P18.2
Sailing out of SHBCC, NJ
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Quote

So I just bought my 1998 P18-2 this past winter (see my thread "New P18-2 Owner...") and paid $2,500, which included a homemade trailer that was unregistered, had no data plate, is somewhat rusty, and has no box or winch.

Thanks for the info !

$2500 sounds right to me - and as stated - your boat was probably one of the best/last years

Not saying it couldn't go for more depending on demand but ... sounds right to me

despite the trailer issues, i have found in my purchase and sale of cats (trailer condition)is not a huge factor

Out of the 5 cats i have purchased, only 1 came with a trailer registration


I am surprised that your insurance quoted it at 4k - I guess that is replacement cost value with all the gear
(new sails would be about 2k for that boat)