Sold the Pirata this week.

[gogger]

So last weekend I started getting texts from a young man that saw my ad on craigslist. After talking for a while realized I had seen him and his buddies on the water last thursday. They were in a I/O and couldn't pull one of his buddies up on a wakeboard. So he decided he wanted to step up to an Inboard / Wakeboard boat. Told him he would love the pirata and the 454 engine. Took them out on Tuesday and he loved it. I hadn't been out on the Pirata for about 6 weeks.

Realized how fun the Pirata was to drive. Although she was big, she was still more agile than the 24SSV. And the 454 was easier to control - hold a steady speed with. He loved the wake quickly was jumping wake to wake behind it.

So him and his dad decided to buy her. I think he got a good boat for the price. Everything I did, I tried to do right, and Donny did a great job on the stringers and interior. I had a lot more in her than I got out of her, but I said in my ad I wanted $11,000 and don't offer me less because it can sit in the barn over winter and I will try to sell it again in the spring. And he never even asked about the price, just wrote a check for the $11,000.

So today I was out at Griggs and saw my old boat with a loaded down with kids. Looked like they were having fun. Just hope he takes care of her and appreciates all the hard work that went into her. I tried to explain everything that went into fixing it up, but he is just 16 and only wanted to know how to fill up the fat sacs. So hopefully he doesn't wind up letting her rot out. But that is out of my hands now.

I am going to miss her.

[SquamInboards]

(insert obligatory quote about "the two best days in a man's life are when he buys his boat and when he sells it" or whatever variation you choose...) except when you've put a ton of work into the boat and the money isn't a big thing. But I applaud your realism with respect to the price. Some people try to get their money back that they've "invested" into some mechanical thing or other. Nope, your thing is worth x dollars in good running condition, regardless how many thousands you spent keeping it that way. Actually, one of my favorite regular Craigslist searches is just the word "invested." Try it sometime, it's usually good for a laugh at some half-finished lifted truck with 4 flat tires and no interior but "runs great just needs a tune-up" or something (that's a real example, not made up) ha.

Congrats on the sale, in any case! It's always a little bittersweet selling something you've put so much effort into... hopefully they'll realize what they've got and take good care of it. If not, they will learn an expensive lesson or two and you can buy the boat back in 3 years for $3k, haha.

Cheers.

[garyholl]

I also look at it like seeing all those kids having fun is payback in a way.
I grew up with boats and my high school/college years were thick with boating. My friends were skiers. We included kids that didn't usually get included in stuff. My dad always kept the boat running while my brother and I tried to help.
I'm not surprised he wanted to know how to ballast the boat; I would've asked the same thing.
You may have lit that kids candle for a life time of clean, athletic fun. You may even see him on this forum one day looking for more insight, trying to see the matrix.

[haugy]

Congrats on selling it. Yeah it's bittersweet for sure.


When I sold the Mariah, I counted the money and took it in to my wife so she could double-check, and I could load up the boat for them. I walked in calm and kinda quiet, and said "I just sold the Mariah". It felt awful to say. When I sold it I had seller's remorse for about 20 minutes until I called my buddy about the Saltare.


I hope the big girl goes to a good home. It's always good to see someone having fun with their family on it. That's how my dad started us.

[wotan2525]

Congrats on the sale. Sounds like you got a fair price for it.

I don't sell many things. I become too attached to them. Even for things that I'm happy to see go, I always end up feeling sad about watching them drive away.