DazzyWoo
Well-Known Member
This weekend I am in Spain viewing a ’98 Fairline Phantom 42. I am dealing direct with the German speaking owner. He speaks conversational English. I speak no German. Conversations are undertaken using Google translate which, unsurprisingly, is quite good at conversational translations, but not so good on more technical terms.
The boat seems pretty tidy for her age. The owner has mainly been transparent and helpful. He has reams of paperwork (including receipts totalling over €30k in the last 5 years, including new turbos, new rudder and new props – more of which later) and has even taken us out for spin round the harbour. The issue is he wants me to pay for the boat today!
I am not going to do this without a full survey & sea trial. He seems to think this is utterly extraordinary behaviour, and that I am in some way being rude; besmirching him and/or his boat. He keeps asking what more I need to see. To which my reply is ‘nothing, but I am not qualified or experienced enough to make an informed decision’.
If he had been British, I would probably respond in a more Anglo-Saxon manner; but I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt as:
- perhaps something is lost in translation / local practices
- I’m old enough to know there is always a possibility I am being a dick
- I am still interested in buying his boat
One interesting point the conversations have elicited is that he has changed the props. From what, to what, I do not know. From what I can surmise, I think the outcome is the boat runs a little slower. What the pros and cons of this decision are unclear to me. I’m the sort of person who thinks this sort of decision is usually best left to the manufacturer.
I can’t help feeling it would be much less stressful with a nice broker in the middle
.Also, I thought the broker who sold my boat (Richard at RPA) did a fab job. He sold it for more than I thought he would, tidied it up, and took some fantastic shots.
Is it THAT unusual to ask for a survey / sea trial for either German registered boats, or boats in Mallorca?
The boat seems pretty tidy for her age. The owner has mainly been transparent and helpful. He has reams of paperwork (including receipts totalling over €30k in the last 5 years, including new turbos, new rudder and new props – more of which later) and has even taken us out for spin round the harbour. The issue is he wants me to pay for the boat today!
I am not going to do this without a full survey & sea trial. He seems to think this is utterly extraordinary behaviour, and that I am in some way being rude; besmirching him and/or his boat. He keeps asking what more I need to see. To which my reply is ‘nothing, but I am not qualified or experienced enough to make an informed decision’.
If he had been British, I would probably respond in a more Anglo-Saxon manner; but I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt as:
- perhaps something is lost in translation / local practices
- I’m old enough to know there is always a possibility I am being a dick
- I am still interested in buying his boat
One interesting point the conversations have elicited is that he has changed the props. From what, to what, I do not know. From what I can surmise, I think the outcome is the boat runs a little slower. What the pros and cons of this decision are unclear to me. I’m the sort of person who thinks this sort of decision is usually best left to the manufacturer.
I can’t help feeling it would be much less stressful with a nice broker in the middle
.Also, I thought the broker who sold my boat (Richard at RPA) did a fab job. He sold it for more than I thought he would, tidied it up, and took some fantastic shots. Is it THAT unusual to ask for a survey / sea trial for either German registered boats, or boats in Mallorca?
. I'll just have to stand in line behind the non-existent queue of people who are prepared to buy a 20 yo boat for €100k without any form of survey or sea trial. 
