Selling our Finngulf 33 (not really an advert?)

[Quandary]

The time has arrived to sell up and vegetate, advancing age and arthritic hands and knees are forcing us to contemplate packing it in after forty years of more or less continuous boat ownership. When we bought this Finngulf it was to have something that was comfortable, sailed well but was very easy to handle and to maintain and for seven years she did all of that. I have looked at motor boats like Nimbus but they are silly money for something with rubbish accommodation and finish and anyway it is the sailing bit that is enjoyable. I have talked to the brokers and am advised that she may take about a year to sell and we might expect to get just a bit more than half of what she cost to buy eight years ago. Disappointing for a boat that sails better, is better built and equipped than a HR34 that she does not attract the same premium, I suppose it is because Finngulfs are not well known in the UK market, they go for big money in Finland and in the USA, but Finngulf exported to there for years.
Anyway enough of my misery and on to the question, how to sell it?
My concern is that the boat is not well known in the UK market and is kept on the Crinan Canal in the West of Scotland, how many of you would be prepared to travel that far to view and test sail a yacht? even if I collected you from Glasgow? The condition of the boat is such that if I can get one serious buyer here I am confident she will sell but by how much do I have to lower the price to get him or her to come?
These boats are a lot more popular/better known in Northern Europe but the exchange rate just now is a killer for that market so is there really any merit in moving her south? I would like to keep her here and continue to use her but I really do need to sell by next year. The brokers will place her on Yachtworld and she will be well presented in pictures but how far does the average buyer travel?

 

[lw395]

Personally I might be tempted to buy a yacht in Scotland, cruise it up there for a month or three, then sail it down here.
I'd be looking at boats in the winter to hit the season running though.

I would be trying to put together a package of info that shows the boat is good to go.
Last time I was looking we got pretty fed up driving to the East Coast to look at boats that looked good on paper but looked like projects when you got up close.

 

[pvb]

I sold my old boat (HR352) last year quickly and cheaply using a simple website. I used a cheap (£60) website template and just dropped in my words and pics. One of the key secrets is to get the boat squeaky clean, inside and out, then clear it of belongings and clutter before taking lots of decent photos. Crop the photos carefully, enhance them if necessary (brightness, sharpness) and put them on a website, with explanatory/promotional captions. You can use a cheap ad here on ybw.com to help direct people to your website. You could save thousands versus using a broker!

 

[Talulah]

Personally if I had decided a Fingulf 33 was for me then I would make the effort to go to Glasgow with a view to buying it.
I'm just not sure though there will be anyone who has narrowed their search to a Fingulf 33 unless they had seen one whilst looking at something else. Then I may come across yours as I looked for other Fingulfs 33 on the market.
Since there are only 2 Finngulf 33's on Yachtworld, one Germany, the other in the States I don't think you can rely on someone switching from another brand into purchasing a Finngulf. So I think you need to get your Finngulf seen and that means moving it to the South Coast or else you could have a very long wait on your hands.
I would contact Jonic of this forum and see what he has to say.

 

[P4Paul]

get her fully surveyed, make sure the advert clearly explains that it has been independently surveyed and let the broker supply a copy to every serious enquiry.

Oh, and hire a professional photographer to take loads of photos and hand them over to the broker as well for use in the listing and to send out with the survey.

A bit of up-front investment but ensures your listing gets noticed and is designed to impress perspective buyers enough to jump on the first plane north.

 

[Sandy]

It is not a boat I know, but from a quick Google they look cracking boats.

 

[dunedin]

Sorry to hear tht you are thinking about needing to sell up.

A fabulous boat, and very rare. There are so few good sailing boats with nice wooden interiors plus twin (as opposed to three) cabins, which gives much more practical cockpit lockers etc.
it will be a dream boat for the right new owner. A more modern and higher quality version of the Fulmar 32 or Élan 333 style fast cruisers. Indeed an Arcona 340 alternative.

For what it is worth we travelled a fair distance (overseas) to find the right boat. And used the Internet extensively to research and buy. So not sure location is a huge issue for a unique jewel.
However, if using a broker, possibly worth using one that has an office in both Scotland (where I think this boat could have great appeal) and the Solent - to bring to a wider target audience.

 

[Sybarite]

The time has arrived to sell up and vegetate, advancing age and arthritic hands and knees are forcing us to contemplate packing it in after forty years of more or less continuous boat ownership. When we bought this Finngulf it was to have something that was comfortable, sailed well but was very easy to handle and to maintain and for seven years she did all of that. I have looked at motor boats like Nimbus but they are silly money for something with rubbish accommodation and finish and anyway it is the sailing bit that is enjoyable. I have talked to the brokers and am advised that she may take about a year to sell and we might expect to get just a bit more than half of what she cost to buy eight years ago. Disappointing for a boat that sails better, is better built and equipped than a HR34 that she does not attract the same premium, I suppose it is because Finngulfs are not well known in the UK market, they go for big money in Finland and in the USA, but Finngulf exported to there for years.
Anyway enough of my misery and on to the question, how to sell it?
My concern is that the boat is not well known in the UK market and is kept on the Crinan Canal in the West of Scotland, how many of you would be prepared to travel that far to view and test sail a yacht? even if I collected you from Glasgow? The condition of the boat is such that if I can get one serious buyer here I am confident she will sell but by how much do I have to lower the price to get him or her to come?
These boats are a lot more popular/better known in Northern Europe but the exchange rate just now is a killer for that market so is there really any merit in moving her south? I would like to keep her here and continue to use her but I really do need to sell by next year. The brokers will place her on Yachtworld and she will be well presented in pictures but how far does the average buyer travel?

I went to Italy to look at a boat. The deal fell through because of significant inventory problems.

 

[Birdseye]

Sorry to depress but I wouldnt consider going that far to look at a boat.

Suggest you investigate getting a delivery crew to take the boat back to Finland and whether the selling price would covere doing so.

 

[Mataji]

There is a broker currently based close to your boat in East Loch Tarbert. It is Western-Horizon. The guy is called Rob and he takes fantastic photos and puts them on his web site. I'm sure he'd be glad to advise and advice costs nothing.

check the Western-horizon website.

 

[dunedin]

Sorry to depress but I wouldnt consider going that far to look at a boat.

Suggest you investigate getting a delivery crew to take the boat back to Finland and whether the selling price would covere doing so.

But are you the sort of person seriously interested in investing a bit extra to buy a very rare type of boat like this?

I bought the only available used version of my boat on the market, anywhere in Europe. Flights are relatively cheap compared to other purchase costs.
And a trip to a beautiful location (like Crinan in this case) can have compensations even if don't decide to purchase

Different if selling another 3 cabin Bav/Ben/Jan - great boats that many of these are, there are always lots to choose from

 

[garvellachs]

The time has arrived to sell up and vegetate, advancing age and arthritic hands and knees are forcing us to contemplate packing it in after forty years of more or less continuous boat ownership. When we bought this Finngulf it was to have something that was comfortable, sailed well but was very easy to handle and to maintain and for seven years she did all of that. I have looked at motor boats like Nimbus but they are silly money for something with rubbish accommodation and finish and anyway it is the sailing bit that is enjoyable. I have talked to the brokers and am advised that she may take about a year to sell and we might expect to get just a bit more than half of what she cost to buy eight years ago. Disappointing for a boat that sails better, is better built and equipped than a HR34 that she does not attract the same premium, I suppose it is because Finngulfs are not well known in the UK market, they go for big money in Finland and in the USA, but Finngulf exported to there for years.
Anyway enough of my misery and on to the question, how to sell it?
My concern is that the boat is not well known in the UK market and is kept on the Crinan Canal in the West of Scotland, how many of you would be prepared to travel that far to view and test sail a yacht? even if I collected you from Glasgow? The condition of the boat is such that if I can get one serious buyer here I am confident she will sell but by how much do I have to lower the price to get him or her to come?
These boats are a lot more popular/better known in Northern Europe but the exchange rate just now is a killer for that market so is there really any merit in moving her south? I would like to keep her here and continue to use her but I really do need to sell by next year. The brokers will place her on Yachtworld and she will be well presented in pictures but how far does the average buyer travel?

Before we bought our current boat from the Baltic we went to view a Finngulf on the Hamble. I also went to Spain to view a Maxi. So some people searching for the right boat are more than willing to travel I reckon. Good photos help of course. As mentioned, buying a boat and bringing it home over say a fortnight is a brilliant way to sail in waters that otherwise would take a month to visit going both ways.

 

[jordanbasset]

I have talked to the brokers and am advised that she may take about a year to sell and we might expect to get just a bit more than half of what she cost to buy eight years ago. ?

I would be worried if a broker told me my boat would take a year to sell. Looking at the Finngulf, it looks a very nice boat and if it is competitively priced not sure why it would take a year to sell. Another year older would probably mean a further reduction in price. If it is the location then the only real solution is to move it. If the price is still to high, as hard as this is, the only real solution is to reduce it. In the coming year you will still have all the fees and maintenance charges. If you really want to sell it you will need to be proactive, appreciate this is not what you want to hear.
Personally I would give it a month or so to see if you do get interest, if no interest then look at doing one or other of the above things.
Good luck and hopefully this thread may generate some interest

 

[yoda]

I travelled from Plymouth to Helensburgh to view my current boat and then had it transported by road back to Plymouth. In round terms it cost me about £1500 which I was prepared to pay because the price of the boat was right. Like the Fingulf, she wasn't mainstream so purchasers know they have to travel more. I would suggest that relatively easy access from an airport will help.

Yoda

 

[PeteCooper]

I am currently looking for a boat which will cost me less than £10k but for the right boat I would be prepared to travel the length of the country.

 

[davidaprice]

In case you're interested, here are the Finngulfs currently for sale on the main boat-selling site in Finland:
http://www.nettivene.com/finngulf
including a 2006 Finngulf 33 for 105,000€. The site is in Finnish, but it's easy enough to click on the links and photos and Google Translate will probably be enough for you to get the gist if you want to read any text.

Actually there's something wrong with the photos on that 2006 Finngulf 33's listing, at least for me: clicking on the picture thumbnails just results in the same sized thumbnails in the main viewing window.

And here's the same for Sweden:
http://www.blocket.se/stockholm?q=Finngulf&cg=1060&w=3&st=s&ps=&pe=&c=&ca=11&is=1&l=0&md=th
including this nice 2008 Finngulf 33 for 110,000€ which is actually on the south coast of Finland (nice pictures this time):
http://batagent.se/1561

 

[Strolls]

http://www.nettivene.com/purjevene/finngulf/589026

Actually there's something wrong with the photos on that 2006 Finngulf 33's listing, at least for me: clicking on the picture thumbnails just results in the same sized thumbnails in the main viewing window.

It looks like the vendor has somehow managed to upload silly-small thumbnail images, instead of the fullsize ones.

 

[Quandary]

Thanks for all the advice,
With regard to the issue of using a broker versus selling privately, the boat is pristine and we have spent a month polishing inside and out, clearing lockers and taking hundreds of photographs, yesterday the sun was out though the breeze was on the light side so I spent the afternoon tacking around the timber quay in Loch Gilp while my wife stood on it taking pictures, some of them are okay but about 15-20 kts of wind might have been better. I would expect to be able to present it well in a brochure (I used to do graphic presentations at work) and of course privately I could afford to sell her for about £5k. less, I am confident that anyone who views the boat will want her, the big problem is getting them to come.
BUT, unfortunately it seems to be a fact that a majority of buyers seem to prefer to purchase through a broker and are less likely to travel a distance for a private listing, so it seems I will have to sign up.
Choosing a broker, I looked at web sites and presentations, Some of the big names were disappointing but often that is the owners fault for not keeping or preparing the boat well. A South Coast broker will want to sell the boat without ever seeing it and without face to face contact it is hard to assess their diligence, but they might have the advantage of a larger data base of suitable customers and access to a wider market, a local broker will be able to show the boat etc. and hopefully induce more confidence in her condition and the one I am most likely to use will have access to Yachtworld etc. and has a working arrangement with another broker in the South. When we sold our Sigma 38 that broker already had two people on his books seeking to buy one, though he did not tell me that, that is not likely with the Finngulf in the UK.
The problem I perceive is that Finngulf 33s are so rare in the UK (about five in total) that very few people are likely to be actively searching for one so I have to hope to sell it to someone looking for a small Arcona, Najad or Hallberg Rassy who until they see the boat may not appreciate its advantages. We bought this as our last yacht, after our family had grown up and we had stopped racing, trading down in size but up in price to get something we could handle easily but still get a big kick out of her performance, we looked at everything in the size but once we saw the Finngulf 33 we were hooked, I suspect the next buyer might be similar if I can find him. The boat has been used for seven years but we take enough pride in her to ensure she still looks as well as when new, lots of washing, waxing, oil changing etc.
The idea of sailing the boat back to Finland to sell her might have appealed a few years ago but is no longer practical for me even if I would get more for her there.
BTW, the broker did not tell me that it would take a year for him to sell the boat, what he said was that the average boat listing in the UK currently was around one year, but that is not a problem, yet, in an ideal world I would like to use her for part of or all of this summer, sell her before the end of the year giving the new owner the options of taking her away, having her delivered next spring or keeping her here either on the Clyde or the West Coast for a while (my berth license covers both).
I am not looking forward to becoming a gardener and I do not play golf and I do not have the dexterity for knitting.

 

[pvb]

BUT, unfortunately it seems to be a fact that a majority of buyers seem to prefer to purchase through a broker and are less likely to travel a distance for a private listing, so it seems I will have to sign up.

I don't think that is a fact. The several potential buyers of my boat were all happy to proceed privately. If your boat is Part 1 registered, the process is even safer for the buyer. Many brokers are prepared to only handle the paperwork, for a small fee, if the buyer prefers.

 

[West Coast]

When I changed upto the starlight 35 which I have, I had spent about 6 months researching a number of different boats but was hooked on the starlight having sailed on one. From Glasgow, I was prepared to travel to find the right one, Poole, Solent, Dartmouth (twice) and eventually the Netherlands where I was able to conclude a purchase.

So,the key here seems to be to find a committed fin gulf buyer, or someone looking for a similar sized, performance and quality boat. So rather than spend money moving the boat, or with a broker, I would find ways to tap into the fin gulf network, if one exists?

One question - If you set up a private website, how can you make sure your listing appears in popular search engines, such as YBW?