Sell boat in Great Lakes area or Florida - The Hull Truth

PatSea · 02-15-2005, 02:41 PM

I am considering making a job move from Ohio to Florida. I have an express cruiser located at Catawba Island on Lake Erie. I'm thinking about selling the boat and buying something like about a 22' trailerable center console so we can explore all the Sunshine State has to offer. Any thoughts on selling the boat in Ohio vs moving it to Florida and selling it there. It has always been in fresh water. Would it bring a higher selling price in Florida? My initial thought is to sell it in Ohio rather than realizing the expense of hauling it to Florida. Anybody have any suggestions?

jlew · 02-15-2005, 02:47 PM

Sell it there. You could get a premium for your boat here in FL since it was in fresh water but I think the transport costs would be greater then the premium. Concerning boats, this is a buyers market. The supply is just too large for the market to favor the seller.

reefhunter2 · 02-15-2005, 03:48 PM

Sell your sweetwater boat there! The FLA market is glutted with small boats that don't sell. I used to charge a $1.50/loaded mile + fuel surcharge for transports, permits and flaggers, and a buck a mile for unladen return trip. That's pretty expensive for regular folk.

jgsxr1251 · 02-15-2005, 04:20 PM

I made the same move that you did last march. Left snowy cold cleveland ohio and moved to the lovely hurricane state of Florida!

I brought my 26' walkaround with me, if it was a bigger boat I would have sold it up there, the cash is easier to carry.

Give yourself a little time down here and do a lot of research before you buy. If you don't, you may end up buying the wrong boat...

Good luck, moving here was the best decision I have ever made!

stauter99 · 02-15-2005, 04:22 PM

Dont sell in FLA, there are so many hurricane salvage boats on the market that yours will never sell down here. Its gonna be a good year or 2 for the fiberglass repair shops 4 sure.

stauter99 · 02-15-2005, 04:22 PM

Dont sell in FLA, there are so many hurricane salvage boats on the market that yours will never sell down here. Its gonna be a good year or 2 for the fiberglass repair shops 4 sure.

reefhunter2 · 02-16-2005, 09:06 AM

That's another reason to not bring it down here. Besides the hurricane damaged boats, there are lots of damaged rv's and homes too. Esp in Punta Gorda.