Brokers

powerskipper

powerskipper

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 Sep 2003
Messages
12,287
Location
Dorset/ Hampshire. south coast
www.facebook.com
Yes I know I am asking questions. where's my book of knowledge when I need it,

Here goes.

When you thought about buying a boat and approached a broker, new boat sales place, where you, apart from asked to part with some , well lots of money!!! were you told about what training could be had or what you mite need?

Insurance company's are now more often than not wanting experience [ either yours or someone on board who has some.] or tickets to allow you to take your boat out on your own.
 
powerskipper said:
Yes I know I am asking questions. where's my book of knowledge when I need it,

Here goes.

When you thought about buying a boat and approached a broker, new boat sales place, where you, apart from asked to part with some , well lots of money!!! were you told about what training could be had or what you mite need?

Insurance company's are now more often than not wanting experience [ either yours or someone on board who has some.] or tickets to allow you to take your boat out on your own.
Click to expand...

I suggest that would depend on what the saleman perceived your experience to be? Maybe there are not that many first time boat buyers in relation to 2/3/4th boat owner?
 
Sun_Coast said:
I Guess the big boys like SS and Princess would include lessons in the sale of their boats ?
Click to expand...

Hi All,

As an active Boat Brokerage and New Sales Company ourselves, we always talk to our clients to establish their level of experience. Some need help and guidance and some do not.
If we feel it is relevant we will always include training in the delivery package of any boat - new or used.

We have started many owners and their families off on their new hobby with up to a weeks one to one training by a fully qualified skipper and always on their new boat. Maybe more of our colleagues should do this. I know a few do and we all believe there is no substitute for training - we all know its better than being regulated by some 'superior body' who actually know nothing.

For example, the dreaded health and Safety police at SIBS expected me to fill in a form before we could do a sea trial from our berth.
I then had to take this to an employee who looked out of his window and decided if the weather was Ok for me to go out on the trial in the dangerous seas of Southampton Water.

His level of experience?
Sweet zero...........mine? Quite a bit more than his I suspect!

But naturally he had a nice orange dayglo jacket, I only had a blue and red life jacket so in retrospect I guess that makes him a superior being and after sitting in an office at the boat show for a few days, able to teach me a thing or two about boat handling and weather conditions.:D

Mike.
 
Last edited:
When we bought our first boat back in 2003 the dealer offerred some hands on training but it was wholly inadequate. Thats no reflection on him but he had no time when we did and vice versa so it was a snatched half hour here or there always thinking he had better things to do. In any case that was almost irrelevant as we had decided to be totally open and honest with the insurance company, largely because we could not afford to put at risk insurance on several tens of thousands worth of boat. We explained to the insurance all the Broads/Thames holidays and the crewing on a bare boat charter in Greece the year before we purchased but it counted for nothing really. I cant remember now exactly what it was they specified but something like we ourselves had to have some recognised practical boating qualification or we had to have someone on board who had, something like that. We both already had day and coastal skipper tickets from winter nightclasses but no practical ticket. After searching round we signed up with the Sealine school to do the day skipper plus a bit extra training on handling. An instructer came up to Brighton one weekend and we did two days pontoon bashing plus a trip to Newhaven to wreck their moorings. Then a few weeks later he came back on a Monday morning and the three of us took the boat to Portsmouth for a weeks training. Then we had five days of great fun around the Solent ending up in Moodys on Friday afternoon complete with dayskipper ticket ready to do the radio course with a certain power skipper on the Saturday morning. On the Sunday morning it was the flatest, clamest run back to Brighton we have seen in seven years!!!

Sorry to digress, but looking around I cannot help but wonder how many boaters there are around with minimum training, experience or anything. How do they get insurance? or do they just lie about their experience? I could not afford to take that risk
 
Sun_Coast said:
I Guess the big boys like SS and Princess would include lessons in the sale of their boats ?
Click to expand...

ISTR that Marina Marbella offered a day's instruction as part of the deal when we were boat-hunting - even on second hand sales.

No direct experience of buying from Sunseeker or Fairline m'self. I get the butler to do it nowadays :)

My insurers don't seem to be too bothered about formal qualifications. I have to undertake to ensure that a "competent person" (undefined) is on board when the boat goes out but possession of Dazed Kipper certainly doesn't reduce the premium.
 
powerskipper said:
Yes I know I am asking questions. where's my book of knowledge when I need it,

Here goes.

When you thought about buying a boat and approached a broker, new boat sales place, where you, apart from asked to part with some , well lots of money!!! were you told about what training could be had or what you mite need?

Insurance company's are now more often than not wanting experience [ either yours or someone on board who has some.] or tickets to allow you to take your boat out on your own.
Click to expand...

Sorry but No!!
 
Yes, when I bought a used S24 from Sealine Sales back in '05 they included two days one-to-one with a trainer. One day spent on the boat going through how everthing worked, though being an S24 we'd finished by lunch time, and a second day out on the Hamble pontoon bashing and maxing her out on Southampton water and buzzing over to Yarmouth. Excellent stuff, came back well chuffed with my purchase whcih had behaved flawlessly, more competent and confident and a tad sunburnt too!
 
I am amazed by all the "No"'s.

When selling the "budget" brand Jeanneau, even buyers of the smallest boat had at least a day with an instructor (it used to be me until about 2004, but I felt an RYA instructor would do a better job!).
Bigger Merry Fishers and Leaders saw the buyers able to negotiate in Day Skipper courses etc. in addition to their normal day afloat and Prestige buyers would be offered suitable training as standard.

Now most of my sales are used boats on brokerage I don't have the margin to offer training as standard, but always discuss a buyers ability and suitable training for their own needs.

It's such an important factor that I am amazed that more brokers don't discuss it as standard.
 
We have 10 years or so MOBO experience and when we purchased our new T44 we were provided with 3 days handover and training with a really good bloke!! Can't remember his name though - looks like he's had a sex change.
 
Im fortunate that when I sell a boat which stays local I check with the owner if they are trained and if not I offer a discounted course through our sea school
 
powerskipper said:
When you thought about buying a boat and approached a broker, new boat sales place, where you, apart from asked to part with some , well lots of money!!! were you told about what training could be had or what you mite need?

QUOTE]
No nothing offered by the broker but I didn;t expect him to. Maybe he/they were missing a trick, presumably you've got some sort of arrangement with local brokers?
Click to expand...
 
Yes, third one!
Sorry, I too did not notice Your 'newness'!
The more People on the Forum involved in Boats on a day to day basis the better.
Even though You are 'Darn Sarf' !!
 
thankyou

Kawasaki said:
Yes, third one!
Sorry, I too did not notice Your 'newness'!
The more People on the Forum involved in Boats on a day to day basis the better.
Even though You are 'Darn Sarf' !!
Click to expand...

Thank you all for the welcome and nice comments.

I do have a lovely wife who is from Yorkshire originally so does that let me off the 'DARN SARF' bit?:confused:

Mike.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top