Old news... I almost bought a sailboat

It’s been a few days now since I looked at a 1978 Tayana 37 in Kemah, Texas.  The Tayana 37 is on my ‘boats of interest’ list.  I’d been doing searches on various boats for sale including Tayana’s going back a couple months.  While at my friend’s Arlo and Jan’s, I decided to do another search for Tayanas and was surprised to find 3 or 4 I’d not seen before.  One was a real stand out especially considering it’s asking price.  It was in amazing shape and had obviously been well maintained considering it was nearly 40 years old.  There was also another Islander Freeport 36 also in east Texas, with a lower asking price than the nice one in Pensacola.  With 2 boats to look at I rented a car and drove to east Texas.  I first went to see the IF 36 near Dallas, which was on a reservoir.  The owner was living aboard and the boat smelled of tobacco.  It was not nearly as nice as the higher priced one in Pensacola.  It did have a very new engine with only 218 hours but it needed all new sails and running rigging and expected problems with some of the standing rigging as well.   Trucking it to Duluth was calculated at $4,350 but add to that hiring a crane to load it on the trailer, stepping the mast and packing it for transport plus the unloading on the Duluth end and it could end up totaling $8,000?  

Next I drove down toward the Gulf staying at a Motel 6 just past Houston.  The next morning I drive down and meet the broker.  The Tayana 37 was just as it looked in the photos.  Now going back to my first call with the broker I was informed the low asking price was due to the ‘original wooden mast’ was in need of repair at the very top.  I decided between me and other carpenter friends I could deal with fixing the top of the mast.  Replacing the mast and all standing rigging would be great but way out of my budget.  When I met the broker he immediately told me they’d received an offer on the boat but since he knew I was on my way he decided to wait to see if I too would make an offer before then submitting both to the seller..  Was it just bait?  He obviously knew I was very interested having rented a car and driven 16 hours.  He could have kept that to himself and just let me look at the boat and decide if I would make an offer... I didn’t doubt the boat would receive offers but I wondered why he filled me in on the whole ‘other offer from another potential buyer’  I made an offer .. owner countered and I countered that.  The owner accepted and a purchase agreement was prepared and signed and a wire transfer of deposit was paid by me.  A survey was set up for the following day due to my insane time window.   I spent the rest of the day excited yet a lingering concern was there.  Was I too rushed due to this other interested party..  I booked another night in a Super 8 this time but didn’t sleep well.  In the morning I decided to back out.  Were it not for my desire and plan to truck the boat up to Duluth I’d have gone through with it.  After a couple years I’d sail south and live aboard full time.  I had told myself I wouldn’t limit myself to only looking at sailboats for sale on the Great Lakes.  But I certainly did and do plan to look at boats I can sail home.   I had been seduced by this lovely Tayana.  Anyway I called the broker in the morning and then the surveyor.  I stopped in to sign the termination of purchase agreement and hit the road for the 16 plus hour drive back to Bryson City, North Carolina.  My deposit was transferred back to my account a day later.   I went from feeling excited yet concerned to feeling sad yet relieved.  

5 days later I checked the listing again and there’s no ‘sale pending’ from the other interested person and the price had dropped...but only by $500.  

Here’s a few photos of the sailboat I nearly bought..  the killer was the way transport costs were adding up.. $10,000...$12,000 who knows.