TriStar Price differences

Hi everybody,
I cannot understand this huge price difference comparing the price of these 2 ads of TriStar Trimaran:

S/V ¨Beachouse" Tri-Star 60'- Year 1984 - Trimaran-
Designed by Ed Horstman / Build in Texas by Beach Boats Builders of Port Bolivar.
Available in Rio Dulce
Asking US$ 695,000

and the other:

1987 Horstman 50 Tristar $115,000

Another ad of the same boat

Looks like the second one is home built and in a not so good conditions, but it is reasonable such a huge price difference?

Ciao, thank you
Eiasu

 

Can't explain it myself;

You may have better luck here;

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f48/

 

The 60' was built by a major boat yard with a good reputation and used foam-fiberglass core construction the 50' was built by "certified boat crafts man, used only top quality materials"

The bigger one is 10' bigger

The 60 has a brand new engine (100hrs) vs the 50 with 350hrs on the original (30 year old) engine


50 -120gal diesel, 60-600gal diesel


Basically the bigger one looks like a custom commercial build, and the smaller looks like a home build with an unknown history. I might lean towards the smaller one, but if an see the issues of it.

 

You'd want to check materials used on the 50 before making an offer. There was a unfinished 50' made of CDX ply in a yard in Napa for some time. Adequate considering the scantlings for skins if everything is well sealed but beams at least should be marine and the more the better. Norm Cross tried to get everyone to use marine on the outer skin, these boats are double diagonal planked which is strong. The older the construction the better if CDX was used as the quality was better way back when.

 

There have been reports of 60's and 70's eras home builts which simply fell apart due to poor ventilation trapping moisture inside.
The 70's plans I have talked about removing plywood structure with your hands like tearing sheets of paper.

There may be a very good reason for the lower price. get an inspector if you are serious.

 

Key word for a wood boat is ventilation. Very long life if they get it with much better performance through stress cycle fatigue than fiberglass.

 

Key word here is fibreglass, the 60 is foam sandwich and the 50 is described as fibreglass.
Just sayin'

 

9 out of 10 sites tend to list ply covered with glass boats as fiberglass so checking is an idea. just sayin.....

 

Really ? Thats stretching the truth just a bit !

 

Not by much, maybe we should count them. 5 out of ten sound more realistic? To be fair it is usually mentioned somewhere but I think they want to get people looking first. It is advertising.....

 

The actual description said 3 plys of 9oz fiberglass over 2 plys of 1/4" plywood.

Personally I don't know where to get enough people to go sailing with "6 queen sized beds"
Sounds more like a floating hotel.

I looked at a Cross about the same size about 30 years ago. It had so much interior volume it scared me to think about upkeep.

 

Ah full description !
Fir plywood ! And therein hangs the tale !
There is your price discrepancy, fir plywood v foam sandwich + 10'

 

Ha! The hint is just saying fiberglass, Tristars and Cross designs are either ply or foam core. If it has the foam core layup believe me they say it up front. If it is the ply it is listed as fiberglass. Too bad as a good ply boat can be great.

 

Now what grade of fir? Marine, AC,.......CDX?

 

Cavalier,
The description is in the ad posted.