CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – BALSONA – TO GOOD TO BE TRUE STORY

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CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – BALSONA – To Good To Be True Story

The 50’ Oliver & Gilpin 1967 built wooden launch – BALSONA recently popped up on tme (thanks Ian McDonald) – the asking price was $25k ono, including her Hobsonville marina berth. Now it seems a bit whiffy – big boat, twin Ford 130 hp engines , over $300k spent etc BUT only one photo shown(as above).

BALSONA made a brief appearance on WW in Jan 2021 link here https://waitematawoodys.com/2021/01/26/balsona-classic-launch-parade/

I’d like to be proved wrong but I suspect this offering is an attempt to exit the Hobsonville marina berth lease. These days a lot of marina ownership is really a liability eg est. only 6 years term left x 12 months = 72 payments x maybe $1,200 mth for a 15m marina berth = $86,000. Thence a lot of the berths are for sale at $1,000 or even free.

As mentioned in the listing owner open to partnership, sweat equity / payment.

So if you’re looking for a cheapish waterfront home, BALSONA might be an option. 

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1 thought on “CLASSIC WOODEN LAUNCH – BALSONA – TO GOOD TO BE TRUE STORY”

  1. Re Westpark/Hobsonville Marina, bit more complex than stated herein. I was one of the founders of the Berth Owners Association back in 2005 so was very involved in resolving what was then an untenable situation with the then owners, and reading the Owners Association web site sounds like it has only got worse under the current owners. https://www.hmba.org.nz/home

    The marina’s sea bed licience comes up for renewal end of this year, with berth owners having the option to renew for a further 10 yrs, marina sea bed licience has absolute expiry Dec 2035.

    The sea bed licience was previously renewed in 2005 and at that time berth owners had the right of renewal, at no cost, of their berth liciences or to hand them in with no compensation. I was one of ~120 who said “we are out of here” at that time. So I expect berth holders will be facing a similar quandary this year, do they sign up for another 10 years of very high OPEX or do they pass their berth liciences in.

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