To sell or not to sell ? 31’ SeaRay with slip

[Blackjack]

For the first time after spending over 40 enjoyable years on Lake Powell, we have recently started to evaluate whether the time has finally come to look seriously at selling our boat (a 2000 31’ Searay Sundancer). This is not a decision to be made lightly - but we have come to the realization that we are using it less, don’t seem to tolerate the heat as well, and are looking to expand our travel adventures in other directions. I am curious about the collective experience and wisdom of this group regarding the current marketability of used cruiser type boats for Powell in light of the uncertainty/unpredictability of water levels and facilities - especially on the north end. Although we have been “lucky” for the most part with maintenance and service issues, it’s no secret that the lack of labor/mechanics at Bullfrog has become potentially problematic. I have seen several comments in recent posts regarding the lack of availability of covered slips - so it would seem that having a boat in a 40’ slip with the ability to transfer the moorage agreement would be a huge advantage. During the low water level last year, having the boat in the slip was obviously a major relief, as we did not have to worry about ramp access. However, it also made us realize the precariousness of the situation if the low water situation were to continue. The current high water year provided a reprieve - but has also served to motivate us to start evaluating our options for the future. I am interested in learning of any other’s experiences in dealing with Aramark as a boat broker - most of the comments I have read are negative because of their (perceived) lack of motivation and percentage of the sales price they automatically collect (for minimal effort). My understanding is that we do have the option of transferring our slip with sale of the boat - which might be an incentive for a prospective purchaser. I know there are other means of advertising boats for sale (Boat Trader/Craig’s List/KSL classifieds etc) - and would be curious to see if anyone has been successful using other methods. It pains me to even contemplate not having our boat on the Lake - but now may be the best opportunity to maximize the potential return on our long term “investment”. Hoping to get some helpful tips and perspective to inform our decision-making !

 

[Offthepath]

Before you commit with aramark for the sale throw out what you want for it. Does it have a trailer? Looks like a nice boat.

 

[VikingRanch]

Definitely a nice looking boat, and at least at Powell I don’t see a ton of them for sale. (I’m not actually shopping, I just dream of a big cruiser someday) Roosevelt lake has a lot of big cruisers for sale for whatever reason. I still use Craigslist extensively to find things, and keep an eye on the boat listings. Others use Facebook.

 

[Canyon Nights]

I know someone who might be interested. Need year, price and where the slip is.

 

[Bill Sampson]

Love this boat

 

[Maverick5207]

I buy and sell more than my share of things. Boats, motorcycles, vehicles and jet skis. I don't do it to make money, although I've lost money only once. I just always want the next level up.
Anyway, I've always had success just putting things up on Craigslist, OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace. I sold just yesterday a Crestliner boat and Kawasaki adventure bike.
If you want to test the waters, write a good ad with an in depth description, lots of pictures and an easy way to get hold of you. Marketplace and OfferUp are free. Craigslist is free except for road vehicles. $5.00 is all they charge. Boats are free.
On OfferUp, I usually do the "Promote" feature. It's $20.00 per month but it keeps the ad on the home page. Very effective and worth every penny in my opinion.
Having your boat in a transferable slip is a huge selling point. Specially earlier in the season. Best time to run the ads would be March or so. No slips available. At that time, you might get someone to buy your boat just for the slip. They then remove your boat and put their boat in the slip, then sell your boat. The slip makes it much more valuable.

 

[Blackjack]

Before you commit with aramark for the sale throw out what you want for it. Does it have a trailer? Looks like a nice boat.

Yes the boat has a trailer - MetalCraft triple axle with low miles, good tires and recently replaced bunks. Trailer is currently stored indoors in Grand Junction but we will be moving it back to Bullfrog this Fall.

 

[svivian]

Yes the boat has a trailer - MetalCraft triple axle with low miles, good tires and recently replaced bunks. Trailer is currently stored indoors in Grand Junction but we will be moving it back to Bullfrog this Fall.

if this is the case and you are selling it I would post all over. There are many lakes where that boat would be great to have at.

 

[Blackjack]

I know someone who might be interested. Need year, price and where the slip is.

The boat is a 2000 (single owner). Slip is Q28 @ Bullfrog. We added a 4’ rear deck on the slip which is great for on/off onto the back swim platform. We would likely include all of the slip goodies (bumpers/ropes etc). We have conducted only preliminary research on pricing - there is such a wide range of pricing for similar boats ($40k-79k) depending on condition, engine hours, propulsion, avionics, fresh water vs salt water, location etc. Boat broker near the Great Lakes area indicated this is a very popular model in that area - but obviously we would prefer not to move it. This boat belongs at Powell ! Still researching price but will likely consider all serious offers if/when we decide to sell it. . . . Because the boat is in excellent condition, slips seem to be at a premium, and the water is UP - we are thinking this may be a good opportunity to sell it. Happy to provide additional pics for interested folks. . .just PM me.

 

[Wyrman]

I have an 07 Sea Ray 310, they're great boats. You might want to join Club Sea Ray.
The forums there are a wealth of info, like this site is to all things Lake Powell.
They also have a classified section that has been quite successful to some people.

 

[FishnFly]

The boat is a 2000 (single owner). Slip is Q28 @ Bullfrog. We added a 4’ rear deck on the slip which is great for on/off onto the back swim platform. We would likely include all of the slip goodies (bumpers/ropes etc). We have conducted only preliminary research on pricing - there is such a wide range of pricing for similar boats ($40k-79k) depending on condition, engine hours, propulsion, avionics, fresh water vs salt water, location etc. Boat broker near the Great Lakes area indicated this is a very popular model in that area - but obviously we would prefer not to move it. This boat belongs at Powell ! Still researching price but will likely consider all serious offers if/when we decide to sell it. . . . Because the boat is in excellent condition, slips seem to be at a premium, and the water is UP - we are thinking this may be a good opportunity to sell it. Happy to provide additional pics for interested folks. . .just PM me.

I recently sold a share on KSL. I also posted it on WW and on Craigslist. Had one rather suspicious call off Craigslist. No bites otherwise. KSL seems to be a good spot for people who are looking specifically at purchasing in Lake Powell. I agree with others about writing a great ad with all the details and tons of pictures. It might help to get some photos of the boat with the table set and the beds made. Think real estate sales. People like to picture themselves in that space, so anything you can do to get really nice photos of the boat and all its amenities in a setup/staged way, will likely help you justify a higher price. Sell the lifestyle! That is a beautiful boat!

 

[KYKevin]

All ways hate to hear people giving up there love, but I bet you can sell it right here on WW's. And there is all ways another boat if you decide to do it again

 

[shanewave]

Sort of heading down the same road, for all of the same reasons. Even a similar boat (1997 23’ Sea Ray). Sad times, but things change, and new vistas come in view. At this minute, I’m aboard a jet airliner heading to Bozeman to drop off my last child at college. Trying to stay positive about that change as well. Reminds me of a great quote: “We are all just walking each other home.”

 

[Jaquellan]

Keep in mind, any boat sold on the water will be assessed the brokerage fee, whether you use Aramark or not to sell your boat.

 

[al burnham]

For the first time after spending over 40 enjoyable years on Lake Powell, we have recently started to evaluate whether the time has finally come to look seriously at selling our boat (a 2000 31’ Searay Sundancer). This is not a decision to be made lightly - but we have come to the realization that we are using it less, don’t seem to tolerate the heat as well, and are looking to expand our travel adventures in other directions. I am curious about the collective experience and wisdom of this group regarding the current marketability of used cruiser type boats for Powell in light of the uncertainty/unpredictability of water levels and facilities - especially on the north end. Although we have been “lucky” for the most part with maintenance and service issues, it’s no secret that the lack of labor/mechanics at Bullfrog has become potentially problematic. I have seen several comments in recent posts regarding the lack of availability of covered slips - so it would seem that having a boat in a 40’ slip with the ability to transfer the moorage agreement would be a huge advantage. During the low water level last year, having the boat in the slip was obviously a major relief, as we did not have to worry about ramp access. However, it also made us realize the precariousness of the situation if the low water situation were to continue. The current high water year provided a reprieve - but has also served to motivate us to start evaluating our options for the future. I am interested in learning of any other’s experiences in dealing with Aramark as a boat broker - most of the comments I have read are negative because of their (perceived) lack of motivation and percentage of the sales price they automatically collect (for minimal effort). My understanding is that we do have the option of transferring our slip with sale of the boat - which might be an incentive for a prospective purchaser. I know there are other means of advertising boats for sale (Boat Trader/Craig’s List/KSL classifieds etc) - and would be curious to see if anyone has been successful using other methods. It pains me to even contemplate not having our boat on the Lake - but now may be the best opportunity to maximize the potential return on our long term “investment”. Hoping to get some helpful tips and perspective to inform our decision-making !

Hello Blackjack
After 3 decades of lake time, including 15 as houseboat owners ( single owner) not time shared, we too felt the desire to broaden our vacation time to include other places we loved. We too anguished over the decision, to sell or not to sell. We did in fact do so prior to last years terror with the lake levels. We were relieved we were not biting our nails over it, but worried about so many of our friends who were in quite the worry mode. We listed our vessel on the usual boat trader sites etc, ( craigslist is where we found our buyer) and no-one markets your boat unless you do it, and one is required by park regs to do at least a partial brokerage agreement fee that goes to Aramark. We had a wonderful experience with them, despite having heard lots of bad stories, but ours was fine. I had my attorney draw up the documents and it was a piece of cake. We too had a dream slip and that is defiantly a good selling point going into it, that added value to the vessel, as its out of the weather and storage is not a worry. Aramark made the transfer an easy thing.
We miss the lake a bit, and headed out once then, but the Surf boats making misery for us, confirmed we had made the correct decision.

 

[Blackjack]

Keep in mind, any boat sold on the water will be assessed the brokerage fee, whether you use Aramark or not to sell your boat.

Based on a recent conversation with Captain Tony, my understanding is that the brokerage fee varies depending on whether you actively market or advertise the boat for sale. If I sell it to a family member or friend or someone known to me, I only have to pay 1% of the sale price plus the $300 moorage transfer fee. It is 3% of the sale price if listed through Aramark (limited listing where I handle all inquiries and show the boat to prospective buyers) or 10% of the sale price for a full listing where they handle all inquiries and show the boat. If the boat is listed through Aramark they are supposed to “post the sales information at several locations around the Lake“. It would obviously be listed on their Lake Powell website. With all of the additional potential avenues for advertising and marketing a boat - not sure how effective their strategy will be. I would probably follow some of the suggestions already provided on here to maximize my pool of prospective buyers. I don’t like having to pay a commission regardless of whether the sale results directly from their efforts - but being able to transfer the slip should be a major incentive for a prospective buyer.

 

[Kevin G]

Sold my 320 Sundancer a few years ago. Time just progressively came in shorter supply. Dropping lake levels, declining services at Bullfrog, family was getting older and many dropped out of boating or boated a lot less, the difficulty in moving the boat to other places for service work (I fortunately had a trailer but it was a heavy haul) - after 40+ years of enjoying Lake Powell, ultimately the juice just was no longer worth the squeeze. I miss the sunset evenings, the warm waters - mostly miss the people I boated with that are no longer with us. We had some fantastic times. But times change and you move on. So I relive good memories through you folks who still are going. Enjoy your photos and stories, relate to some of the struggles and frustrations, hope for improvements, and wish you all as many years of great memories of Lake Powell as I've had.

 

[Hoskm01]

...At that time, you might get someone to buy your boat just for the slip. They then remove your boat and put their boat in the slip, then sell your boat. The slip makes it much more valuable.

I had this hope a while back and thought it would be a great way to get in a slip but unfortunately, I discovered this is not how it works. The slip belongs to the boat, not the owner of the boat. If you sell the boat and it leaves the lake, the slip goes to the next one on the waiting list which is sizeable, so I've heard.

 

[Lake Bum]

I had this hope a while back and thought it would be a great way to get in a slip but unfortunately, I discovered this is not how it works. The slip belongs to the boat, not the owner of the boat. If you sell the boat and it leaves the lake, the slip goes to the next one on the waiting list which is sizeable, so I've heard.

I'm definitely no expert on this, but I have seen it happen countless times at Wahweap. Someone will buy a Houseboat, simply to get that slip. I think if you own a boat in a slip, it's your right to keep the slip, if you're putting a boat right back in it. What you can't do.......is sell just a slip.

 

[Maverick5207]

I'm definitely no expert on this, but I have seen it happen countless times at Wahweap. Someone will buy a Houseboat, simply to get that slip. I think if you own a boat in a slip, it's your right to keep the slip, if you're putting a boat right back in it. What you can't do.......is sell just a slip.

Vindicated.....
When someone buys a boat in a slip, the slip will convey with the boat, (if the buyer wants the slip) as long as the new owner passes the litmus test of Wahweap Marina. I've been a part of 2 sales of houseboats in Wahweap Marina. Both buyers would not have bought the boats had the slips not went with the boat. Once the approval process is complete and the new owner takes over, he or she can put in a different boat if it fits in the slip. You can't put a 50 footer in a 30 foot slip but other than that, you can put a different vessel in that slip if it's registered, properly insured and approved by the marina.