Well… it finally happened, I bought a boat. Nordhavn 50-20 “CONTINUOUS ” has now a new proud 3rd owner. My name is David Mayer. We recently wrapped up a great delivery from Fajardo, Puerto Rico to St. Petersburg, FL arriving at first light Good Friday (4/6/12). I would first like to thank Doug Danielson (2nd owner) & Kelly for making the trip with me on up to the Florida Gulf Coast. A seven day shake down, out of the gate, is certainly one way to get hands on & in a hurry.
Hopefully, some of you will find may find my comments on the process of buying a used boat helpful. My intent is to only pass on what has been my experience, in an effort to help others. Buying a boat is a very challenging prospect, at least is was for me. Although I come from a working seafaring background, I can’t stress enough the importance of a GOOD broker.
A good broker should be well experienced in the practice & committed to a quality product(s). The broker should spend the time to get to know you, your boating needs & aspirations. During the somewhat challenging process, he should be able to give it you straight, good or bad, whether you like it not. This is no time for appeasing (telling you what you want to hear) but a time for doing (telling you what you need to hear).
A good broker has to be willing to work hard for his client (regardless of buying or selling).
The committed client needs to be able to push the broker & the broker eagerly respond. Clearly, he is working for you (again whether buyer or seller). Conversely, the client needs be pushed by the broker, but only when the experienced broker senses to do so. Sometimes, during the process, the committed buyer may get fed up & need a break to regroup. It happened to me a number of times, as most of us are still busy making ends meet, otherwise. I chose a slow, methodical process to buy a boat, & the broker needed to be patient.
A good broker should be able to assist in providing his client an honest assessment during an initial inspection of a boat. This crucial point gives the buyer the confidence to write up an offer, or not. The realistic value of a boat comes into play here & the experienced broker, in touch with the current market, needs to be able to guide the buyer on the offer side. It’s not easy for the broker(s) to be caught in the middle of (2) sides trying to protect their hard earned money, so be prepared.
Once a deal is reached, the experienced broker has the resources to pull together a well qualified & accredited list of surveyors for your choosing. THE IMPORTANCE OF A WELL QUALIFIED, ACCREDITED SURVEYOR FOR ANY SEAGOING MOTORBOAT CAN NOT BE OVERSTATED. The good broker must be available & experienced in managing the many dynamics of a survey & sea trial that gets the job done & keeps the deal together, if possible. Whether it be insurance, financing or service after the sale the broker needs to provide expert resources for his client. The good broker acts as a conduit for the many boat systems resources that are required for the new boat owner after the sale is final.
Ok, so enough about my GOOD broker. Thank you TED ROBIE for guiding me in all your wisdom & experience. When I finally learned to keep quite & listen, it got a little easier. You don’t say as much as some, but what you do say is well chosen & very important. I look forward to our next visit & a well deserved cheers over a smooth frosty one!
Ted Robie works out of the Stuart, FL Nordhavn office. Don’t hesitate to give him a call.