Sea trial

[Alicatt]

Our first boat was the only one we've had with single engine and used to prop walk massively to port and we usually ended up reversing down the fairway from the berth so the bow thruster was essential.

I get her moving astern, then neutral, then I can use the rudder to steer, the wash from the propeller acts on the skeg and that keeps her pretty straight going astern, going ahead she will pivot on the spot pretty much with the prop walk.
Visiting another marina about 20km from home, trying to turn to starboard to get out of the basin and into the narrow entrance canal was a real exercise, there was not enough authority from the rudder to steer to starboard at slow speed, had to take a couple of bites at it
Meerpaal Jachthaven at Lommel, the canal at the bottom is the Bocholt-Herentals canal

Bocholt–Herentals Canal - Wikipedia

Operation Market Garden
On 10 September 1944 British troops managed to capture bridge number 9 in Lommel intact. This cut off the retreat of German soldiers, who were heavily fighting a bit to the South, in Hechtel. In spite of fervent fighting the Germans could not recapture the bridge. For one week, the front line was on the canal, from Neerpelt to Lommel. On 17 September, British forces started Operation Market Garden from bridge number 9, dubbing it Joe's Bridge.[2][3

Hechtel is close to where I live, 12th September is the day the Germans finally surrendered in Hechtel, and the Joe's Bridge is to the right on the pic above

 

[ari]

Whenever I've bought a boat through a broker it's always been the same simple process

View
Offer/negotiation/acceptance
10% deposit and both parties sign brokerage agreement
Survey (important to do this first so that the hull is cleaned prior to sea trial)
Sea trial
Any further negotiation if required due to defects highlighted by survey (or rejection, if too serious)
Completion

I've always been very careful to ensure I can reject after sea trial even if no material faults because, for example, it might be that the boat is excessively noisy. That might be down to poor design rather than a fault, but I still don't want to be corralled into purchasing a boat that I don't want for that reason, just because it's not a material fault.