One day insurance transfer for trial sail

[jonic]

Perhaps I have unreasonably high standards, but I wouldn't describe two days of instruction, a year's work experience and no formal assessment of any sort as particularly rigorous. I may be unfairly comparing membership of a trade association with a professional qualification.

There is formal written assessment at the end of the initial course and the course leaders will withhold the certificate if the candidate does not meet the standard, there is another formal assessment by the committee of the candidate's full conveyancing, RCD, VAT and sales documentation files at the accreditation stage, then a further formal rigorous assessment after a minimum of three years of CPD with the committee again having the ability not to grant the application to full member.

Membership of a trade association is corporate and is assessed by reference and turnover, ABYA membership is an individual or personal membership only granted after training and meeting the required standards then following the code of practice.

 

[JumbleDuck]

There is formal written assessment at the end of the initial course and the course leaders will withhold the certificate if the candidate does not meet the standard, there is another formal assessment by the committee of the candidate's full conveyancing, RCD, VAT and sales documentation files at the accreditation stage, then a further formal rigorous assessment after a minimum of three years of CPD with the committee again having the ability not to grant the application to full member.

Ah-ha. Now you're talking. That does sound much more impressive and very reassuring. Thank you.

 

[Tempus]

She was nice boat, well kept and presented, I was getting quite keen on her but unfortunately my wife said that she would like something with a little more space below, so we didn't progress matters and hence the Westerly now coming into focus.

I think this rather vindicates those on this forum, many of whom have been berated, who said that they wouldn't offer a trial sail. As I understand it, Mr Sigma owner has now taken 4 customers out to assess his vessel, with no sale. The OP is now trying to arrange a trial sail on a different boat, when the size of the cockpit and accommodation is identical on land and at sea! Such factors as speed and performance can be fairly easily derived from standard SA/D ratios etc. It proves the point: if you want to offer a potential purchaser a trial sail, then feel free, but don't expect it to lead to a sale, and don't shout down the more experienced or professional people, for whom time is money, that have learned their lessons the hard way on qualifying leads.

Sorry about Jonic, the bizarre comments on this thread forced me out into the open in frustration.-I have enjoyed and learned from Jonic's comments over the last few years and it seems to me that swapping him for me would be a poor bargain!

 

[Tranona]

Perhaps I have unreasonably high standards, but I wouldn't describe two days of instruction, a year's work experience and no formal assessment of any sort as particularly rigorous. I may be unfairly comparing membership of a trade association with a professional qualification.

Most of the so-called "professions" are primarily trade associations and use entry requirements as a means of controlling entry and therefore supply of services. In some cases the expert knowledge required does justify rigorous exams. Many of these trade associations then achieve monopoly status protected by law. Given the propensity to abuse that monopolistic power they are then subject to specific regulation in addition to the normal law to control that abuse.

Do you really want that sort of monopoly power for yacht broking? We might end up like Greece where the transfer of title for my boat cost 800 Euros in addition to brokerage fees, just because the simple paperwork can only be done by a recognised (ie monopoly power) lawyer. Such a service from a broker in the UK is part of the sales commission, which would also have been payable in Greece - at 10%!

We live in a common law country where everybody is governed by the same law. If this law is inadequate to deal with abuses by a specific group of people then special laws (known as regulation to hide its real purpose) are introduced that apply only to that group. The constant stream of expulsion from such bodies for abuse suggests that even additional regulation is not enough deterrent. Such regulation does not seem necessary for yacht broking, partly because they do not have a monopoly and partly because there is no compelling evidence of abuse. So we as consumers have the benefit of lower costs that come from open competition and the choice about whether we use their services or not. Seems to work pretty well.

BTW I was an examiner for probably the biggest professional exam body in the world for 20 years so well aware of the value of "rigorous" exams in the right context.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I tried to give a decent informative answer to you. What is your agenda and what are you publicly trying to imply about all of us who work in the industry and the companies who provide our professional indemnity insurance?

I have no agenda, and my comment about insurance was supposed to be positive. I imagine that the underwriters have looked into things quite carefully.

John, I have been quite unreasonably snotty. My apologies. I have deleted the sniping posts and hope you'll not leave.

 

[jonic]

John, I have been quite unreasonably snotty. My apologies. I have deleted the sniping posts and hope you'll not leave.

JumbleDuck

That is very gracious of you and much appreciated.

I received your sincere PM too and thank you.

This is not an easy subject, especially when it's being aired on a forum. There are a significant number of us who are continuously working very hard on standards and procedures for our customers. Ironically the standards are good, the difficulty is sometimes communicating that message. That is something we are also working hard to address and your posts will help us with that process.

I shall continue to post and thanks again.