Nearly new yacht syndrome

[Twister_Ken]

Intrigued at the number of nearly new yachts for sale in YM's brokerage ads this month. If you wanted a 2000 or 2001 build date you could choose from:

Benny Oceanis 13
Bavs 6
Jenny Sun Oddities 4
Benny Firsts 3
Jenny Sun Fasts 1
Elan 1
Feeling 1

Seems to me there could be three reasons:
They are the broker's demo yachts (but they are not advts'd as such - two were so I left them out of the count)
They were bought by people who were so delighted, they want to trade up to bigger
They were bought by people who were so disappointed, they want to get out

Wonder what the reason(s) really are.

PS - left out non-UK brokers and small ads.

 

[billmacfarlane]

Another reason might be that the owner doesn't have the time to sail it. I've viewed a few like that. Of course the main reason that there is so many nearly new foreign imports is that you'll be hard pushed to find a nearly new British one - we don't make them any more !!!!

 

[david_e]

You would have to ask each one of them to find out the story. If they are 2000 build then two seasons use and on to an upgrade is not unusual imho. Could be part ex's, a more common situation these days. In general it is fair to say that the value these new boats offer entices more people into ownership and subsequently they move on/up. Time is a big thing for many, including moi, can't afford to be spending QT messing about with reapairs etc, need the boat on the water, so more likley to go for newer.

With some of the boats I have viewed so far reasons are; Moving into 1 design fleet racing, Family emigrated to Spain, New boat 2001 build which the dealer can't sell (so is imho now used as far as valuing it goes), Moving up & Moving down in size.

Or it could be that they got scared out of their wits being out in a light displacement boat in a blow! )

 

[billskip]

lottery winners?..BTW wots appenin to all the picis ? all im seein now is a little red cross in the boxes...

Bill
www.aegeansailing.co.uk

 

[tony_brighton]

For statistical significance you'd have to know how many were sold in each of those years.

 

[david_e]

Are you looking with a view to upgrade Ken? If so then Kim could re-name your ID to Ben_Ken or Jen_Ken or even El_Ken (useful if you went to Spain!)

 

[steve_cronin]

Four factors...

.. to consider.

1. Baby boomers' parents would be due to expire in 2000-01 leaving them legacies or their endowment policies matured at 4Xloan either of which got spent on ill considered boat purchases.

2.Jeanneau/Beneteau announced a price war around then.

3. People are getting really scared about a bigger than ever before economic slump so are getting out of chattels & back into cash and dumping excessive credit exposure at the same time

4. The cost of keeping a boat in a UK marina is getting absurd.

Steve Cronin

 

[Chris_Stannard]

I bought a year old boat recently. The previous owner was stinking rich and had nothing to do with his time. His solution was to order a boat, worry the hell out of the builder, and then sell it after a season. He did not even like sailing, the engine had 27 hours, the main had never been hoisted.
This was reminisent of a Sigma 38 I saw some years ago which still had most of the sails in the orginal polythene wrappers and the only sign of wear was high heel marks on the cabin sole. I think that guy had gone out once, frightened himself and thereater used it for parties,
This is quite a common occurence according to a freind who is a yacht insurance broker, guy buys a yacht after a few bevies at the boat show and when he gets it somewaht later his wife says "You can take that back now"
Based on my own experience you can get a virtually new boat at a substatial discount, but obviously do check the brokers story out

Chris

Chris Stannard

 

[Twister_Ken]

Will remain Twister Ken for some time - unless I have to downgrade in which case I quite fancy Folkboat Ken.
Wouldn't mind being Rustler Ken at some point in the distant future though

 

[SJP]

feet of clay

Ken,

Obviously today is far too windy for Bavaria owners like me to leave the marina,
but I'm most surprised that a Twister owner like yourself is reduced to counting
adverts in YM.

Is my hero worship misplaced?

Steve

 

[Twister_Ken]

Re: feet of clay

Feet of clay and nerves of putty, me.

 

[david_e]

Folboats...

...now you're talking, thats the first yacht I sailed in as a child, my father raced one very successfully for years, wood, with the large cabin.

ps just thought, I have to add he has a huge amount of experience and he thinks my little Beneteau is a great boat, been out in a 6 with me earlier this year wondering why I was reefed in! <P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by david_e on Thu Feb 21 15:15:47 2002 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Twister_Ken]

Re: Folkboats...

One of my regrets is that my father never sailed with me (except once or twice in a dinghy). He was a butler before the war to a Gent, who had some sort of yacht, and dad was expected to act as steward when Gent went yachting. He came to love it, and the highpoint of his days in service was the yachting trips. He was never able to afford a boat himself in later life, but used to crew dinghies from the sailing club at Eastbourne for a while.

When I started dinghy sailing it was in hairy beasts, not really suitable for aging parent, although I owned a Wanderer for a bit before graduating to my Twister, and he had an afternoon's pond sailing in that. But his clogs popped a couple of years before I owned a 'real' boat. A shame - he would have enjoyed it I'm sure.

As for folkboats reefing - I think they just bend the mast more! There's quite a fleet at Lymington, and one of the joys of a gentle Sunday sail is watching them getting elegantly competitive. So much more picturesque than heavy metal with gunwhales full of big lads.

 

[PeterGibbs]

Re: Four factors...

To which must be added, sadly:

5. Younger sailors are taking their sailing in warm climates via flotillas, and not purchasing boats - their money goes in housing. Just look at the design work done by the majors for the flotilla market! The number of new yachts purchased each year in Europe and the USA is a surprisignly small number vs. the population, and they last a lot longer! But the number is not rising with prosperity- there are so many competing claims for the loose change in the pockets of the adventurous- travelling the world for one. The amount ofadvertising for yachting owenership is, of course, nothing besides that for other sports etc - it's a fragmented cottage industry: small wonder it has low presence of mind with potential consumers.

6. The profile of yacht ownership is aging with the population - this means bigger boats, and more stable platforms to satisfy the lady of the house, more galley and emphasis on heads comforts etc. However, rising marina costs are, of course, killing this off in the UK, but not elsewhere in Europe where trophy boats are still going (relatively) strong. Marina (only) boats in the USA have been a traditon for years - boats that go nowhere but are used almost as a spare deck for entertaining!

7. More sailors are retiring to motorboats earlier when the thrill of raising canvas pales, and crews become harder to find - strangely enough, this seems to coincide with the departure of the kids from the nest!


PWG