I have a deal with a pro to purchase his new 2022 boat that is on order at the end of the season. since i have specified certain colors, he understandably wants a deposit up front. Has anyone here gone through this before? if so I am looking for advice on what the contract should say before giving the deposit.
hopefully he is a deep water pro! stays out of the shallow areas!
2022 z519 cup 225 merc 4s ser # 3B210484. 2--hds12 live units. 2 poles, atlas plate, ghost, hamby's, active target, merc digital gauges
2002 basscat pantera 3 (dad bought new) sold 8-2-22
2000 stratos 20 ss (bought new) 200 hp Rude ficht great boat/motor sold 11-21
pulled by a 2500HD Denali
proud dad of an ARMY Captain
MAGA
ASE/GM Master tech before tools
Knowing others who have gone thru this like you are potentially going to, here are a few tips.
A good/fair contract would have things stipulated, such as records of any warranty work done on any part of the boat, routine maintenance performed, estimated mileage the trailer accumulated ... things like that. All that does is making sure when you take ownership that the entire boat is reliable and mechanically sound at time of delivery. I would have provisions like this in the contract that provide you assurances, in the event you feel the need to back out and have legal recourse to your deposit.
Just plain, simple wording in the contract.
In todays world of longer than normal new boat builds, etc, this may be a very attractive way to get a "like new" boat. No doubt it will have some wear and tear ... but any used boat from other sources will also have these same conditions.
This is just my thoughts from others who have gone the same route as you are.
Good luck
2024 Bass Cat Puma STS
2024 Mercury V8 ProXS 250hp
Did not know people still did this. Seems risky to me, as someone who orders a new boat every 1-2 years, I would not want to enter a deal like this as a seller, unless we had agreed upon options and colors, and in no way would I take your money. would just be a handshake deal.
Seems to me engine hours and warranty would be the main issues...... miles on trailer? Who cares about that.
I'd also add there are many boats that are 1-2 years old up for sale each year.
Bryan McDonough
2023 Nitro Z21 XL
Nitro Team
A buddy of mine bought a Triton from an Elite pro years ago, and the biggest advantage of that versus buying a used boat was that the boat and engine warranties weren't registered until he took ownership. So basically he got a used boat, and a very good price with full warranties at time of purchase. That said, this was 11 years ago, so not sure if all of that still holds true.Originally Posted by BMCD
2012 Phoenix 721/250 Pro XS
I can only offer my experiences with being a sponsored angler many years ago.
I was "loaned" the boat/engine for a period of 1 year, at which time I had to payoff the cost of the boat. If I remember correctly, that amount was significantly less than what the dealer would pay for the same rig. The other goodies, electronics, trolling motor, etc, were gifted to me by the related sponsor at no cost and no reimbursement.
Remember, this is a pro's work space, it's not a weekend angler rig. It will be driven hard, used harder, and in every single kind of weather condition you can imagine. From snow/sleet/driving rain and more, the kind of weather few anglers would choose to go out in. Putting multiple hundreds of hours on the boat/engine in a single year are to be expected. These boats see more use in 1 year than most anglers put on theirs in a lifetime.
Most take great care of their equipment, some don't. I wouldn't put a deposit on a boat personally, just too much can happen, and if it doesn't go your way, he still has your money. I'd be far interested in the platform he offers you at the end of the season and then compare that to boats of the same year/engine hour history and make your offer.
Miles on trailer ... who cares about that ?? Hmmm
A touring Pro driving all over the country, I would certainly want to know the estimated mileage he put on the trailer !! Might be of good knowledge knowing when to perform bearing maintenance. A little different than us normal guys with boats vs. a Pro accumulating 10x more mileage in a year.
2024 Bass Cat Puma STS
2024 Mercury V8 ProXS 250hp
No.....BUT......you'd better be VERY specific as to the EXACT condition of the boat at the time of transfer of title (within reason/common sense) and specify it in the contact. Prior to the time of transfer at the end of the '22 season an agreed upon mechanic would appraise the condition, etc. If he won't agree to that then I wouldn't do the deal.
If your expectations and his guarantee are "vague" you'll be setting yourself up for problems....IMOP
Last edited by Slicefixer; 12-02-2021 at 10:23 AM. Reason: Misspelling
I wouldn't do it .
Never done it or know someone who has but a while back I saw where Chad Pipkins was selling his boat and all I can say is if I hadn’t already just bought my new boat I would have bought than one! That boat was more than loaded and there is know way you could buy a similar boat for that price. Most of these boats don’t have much more than a 100 hours on the motor but keep in mind a lot of that is low rpms.
2021 Skeeter ZX225
2021 Yamaha SHO 225 VF225LA
I have owned 6 “pro” boats. While some get used hard, they are very well kept up mechanically by the service crews. Losing a tournament day due to mechanical trouble is like me loosing a month of work. They don’t get to fish that many “official” tournament days. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another one, all my experiences have been good.
Agree with "shooter64". I've pre-ordered and purchased Tour Pro's boats and would do it again. Contract was simple and straight forward. But just as due diligence is important when choosing a used boat to buy, it's just as important when choosing the pro to buy it from. They are no different than any other boat owner. Some are particular, detailed, organized and kid glove their boats and equipment (even if they don't actually own it, some do some don't). Others are just the opposite. And pro's deals on their boats/equipment can vary significantly. And that can impact the specifics in the contract/price. Do your homework and choose wisely and you can save a good deal of $. You might even establish a relationship for future purchases down the road.
I just purchased a pro's boat. Warranty on the boat and motor cost me a few hundred dollars to transfer into my name. They both started the day of the transfer which is really nice.
I got a good price on it however, there is fiberglass damage that I want to get fixed up before I put stickers on it. Since it was wrapped, it didn't have stickers on it.
Overall, it was a good deal. DO NOT go into it thinking you are buying a new boat because it most definitely will not be new. If you can choose the colors, I would say give him 10k down and the rest when you pick it up.
I am not paying a guy that is getting motor money incentive,
Boat money incentive, and accessory money-incentive, anywhere near retail or what a average fisherman would want for that boat.
JMHO
Myself, I just couldn't put a deposit up. Anything could happen next season to that boat. It could be in a highway accident, on the water accident, stolen, etc. In those cases the company isn't going to build him another boat in the colors that you specified. They are going to get him a boat as fast as they can so he can continue the season. Maybe I'm looking at it wrong but that's my take on it.
Some pro boats go back to factory after the season to get any little issues fixed if needed. Those boats return looking like they rolled off the showroom floor brand new.
Most pros are not gonna tarnish their name and hurt future sales prospects by selling you a lemon.
How would you even get on the list of buyers since most of these guys are already pestered by their friends and close acquaintances for such deals I would assume?
They pop up from time to time, even on the classifieds here. Typically a lesser known name.
2020 Nitro Z20 Pro Package
Friend of a friend for me. Crazy how it worked out. Best way is to find a Pro that runs a boat/motor/electronics trio that you like. Find said pro on social media and start the conversation. If you can pick the colors that he runs that year, better yet as long as he somewhat takes care of it.
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