Busy week at the brokerage

We have had a busy couple of weeks here with several sold boats moving around the country to new owners and lots of boats coming on the market that need viewing. Yachts for sale Last week saw Eda Frandsen, the 53′ Danish gaff cutter move from the wilds of West Scotland to her new base in Cornwall. Jamie and Penny, who have run the very successful charter business Eda Frandsen Sailing for over 16 years now, have hung up their oil skins and are moving on to different activities. The boat has been bought by experienced charter skipper James Mackenzie and his girlfriend Becky who will carry on taking guests sailing on the west coast of Scotland and South West England. It was not ideal weather for their first voyage as new owners, being forced to put up the trisail after a day at sea! James was almost shocked at how well she dealt with the weather and could hardly believe that after a real hammering there was not one drop of water in the bilge! This is a testament not only to the design but also to Jamie’s skills as he rebuilt her and has maintained her himself. Yachts for Sale Peter has been travelling around the south west a lot in the last 10 days with 2 trips to Falmouth and 2 trips down to Plymouth, trying to convert some potential wooden boat owners and inspire them to buy wood rather than plastic! It was interesting going to Southampton Boatshow 2 weeks ago and seeing mile after mile of white tupperware with only the varnished topmast of Will Stirling’s ‘Integrity’ to break the monotony! It is a real shame that members of the general ‘boat buying’ public cannot be persuaded to go wood. Yachts for Sale There are obvious benefits to a lot of these modern boats, mainly in terms of usable space. A new 40′ production will likely have 3 double cabins, 2 heads and a cockpit where 6/8 people can sit in comfort. However, if the buyers of these boats ever took them to sea, they will find that they rattle around inside the cabin with no hand holds, can’t move around the cockpit because the table is in the way and the wheel is too big, and when they are beating to windward the thing slams like a baked bean can. It does appear that generally, but certainly not exclusively, sailing performance and practicality are not at the top of the wish list on the designers drawing board, as boats sell on more than their capabilities at sea. You only have to look at an average marina on the south coast to see that 90% of the boats rarely leave their berth, and then it is only when the weather is perfect. A very good friend of mine used to work for a Dufour broker and she once had a couple who spent months looking at the range of yachts and what was available. When at last they had decided which model it was they wanted, they were offered a sea trial to put the boat through it’s paces, to which they replied “No thank you, it’s quite alright, we don’t intend to sail the boat, its simply a cheap cottage in the West Country”!!! These people cannot be serious?