If you were going boat shopping where...

[timmygobang]

would you go...

I'm staying in Oxford tonight, but have a free day tomorrow to go boat shopping. I'm looking for a 32 foot, sadler, moody, westerly, rival, contessa. Keeping an open mind at this stage.

Question is, what would be the most efficient boat shopping journey that I could make.

I figured heading along the coast from Weymouth to Chichester. Currently just picking brokers out of apollo duck as I dont know any brokers down that way by name.

Is there a well trodden brokers route that I could take?

Any advice would be very welcome

 

[Twister_Ken]

would you go...

I'm staying in Oxford tonight, but have a free day tomorrow to go boat shopping. I'm looking for a 32 foot, sadler, moody, westerly, rival, contessa. Keeping an open mind at this stage.

Question is, what would be the most efficient boat shopping journey that I could make.

I figured heading along the coast from Weymouth to Chichester. Currently just picking brokers out of apollo duck as I dont know any brokers down that way by name.

Is there a well trodden brokers route that I could take?

Any advice would be very welcome

I'd head straight for Hamble Point Marina. Most of the time it's like a used boat show.

 

[Stork_III]

+1 for Hamble Point

 

[onesea]

+1 for Hamble Point

+2 Hamble Area Unless there is a particular boat you want to look at else where.

I doubt you will see many boats past the river/ port you start on.

 

[timmygobang]

Hamble point it is. Thanks for the heads up. Fingers crossed the snow holds off til after we get back

 

[Puggy]

Once you've done Hamble Point, if you have time, head up to Swanwick Marina and Deacons Boat Yard next door. Always lots there.

 

[maby]

Once you've done Hamble Point, if you have time, head up to Swanwick Marina and Deacons Boat Yard next door. Always lots there.

agree Deacons - probably the largest display of boats for sale in a single area. prices tend to be quite good too.

 

[Skysail]

All the above are good. Its worth a look at yachtworld.com to narrow the field a bit. If you want a specific make, look at the owners websites www.moodyowners.net, westerly-owners.co.uk, etc, and talk to Jonic of this parish.

You are looking at a very wide range of styles of boats there, I would narrow that down too?

 

[dleroc]

Stay in the warm hotel bar and go boat shopping on the web!

 

[tom_sail]

+1 for Deacons too

 

[PCUK]

Save petrol, use the Web!

 

[Puggy]

Save petrol, use the Web!

I know. But there is nothing quite like sitting on a boat on the hard having fun pulling up all the floor boards and being really critical about things that you a happy to accept on your own boat!

 

[Tranona]

You could spend a week easily without seeing them all. If you are just tyre kicking then Hamble and Swanwick area probably has the highest concentration of boats. However the type you are looking for are not necessarily in the big yards as they are slipping off the big brokerage lists - a year's storage in Hamble Point would eat up 25% of the value of such boats.

So do the legwork on the web first if you are serious and then target boats that have potential.

 

[GrumpyOldGit]

Anywhere on the south coast, boats there are too expensive to keep unless used frequently so the sellers are usually a lot keener to sell and the prices reflect it. We always go to Hamble 1st as the choice is so great !!!

Good luck in your search

 

[CaSam]

Stay in the warm hotel bar and go boat shopping on the web!

+1

Narrow down your search first.

Hamble is probably the best around though if you want to go and "kick a few fenders"!!

 

[V1701]

Oodle boats will pick up most examples if you have a make/model in mind, e.g. Contessa 32s here. Make sure you set the location correctly...

 

[treefeller]

Hmmmm, Deacons are good but also try boatshed.com loads of info, usually good pics and ever so helpful ;-)

 

[onesea]

Oodle boats will pick up most examples if you have a make/model in mind, e.g. Contessa 32s here. Make sure you set the location correctly...

Do not forget Ebay!

 

[TQA]

With the curent weather conditions why not fly to Florida and look at some real bargains.

 

[timmygobang]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all your replies, I mean't to reply when I got back and I blinked an 2 weeks have gone!

I went down to Deacons and Michael Schmidt (thanks for the recommendations), it was good to get inside a few boats and get a feeling for them. Using the web is a good starting point but nothing like poking around and feeling the boat.

Yep my selection was quite wide but I researched the relative merits of each one before going. Ask what 32ft boat should you buy to do a Atlantic crossing and the replies come back as 'you can do it in anything' So I've kept an open mind.

I've had to cross off the Nicholson 32 as I could barely stand up in it and my gf is taller than me, which is a shame as the one at deacons was BEAUTFIUL!!

Moody 31 mkii was nice, but it felt too nice, and that the more expensive boats felt too modern for my tastes (and pocket) and for the money I was happier with my boaty thats a 1/4 of the price.

Shall continue the search

and oodles of boats is a new site so looking forward checking out whats on there.

Thanks again

Tim