sunsail ocean passport

[dermot]

At present I am considering purchasing a boat through sunsail using their sunsail ocean passport scheme
I would be interested to hear from any one who may have used this scheme and any comments good or bad would be appreciated

 

[benjenbav]

FWIW I thought long and hard about this but decided it was not for me because I wanted to be able to pop down to the boat whenever I had a moment and be able to fix things with a lump hammer in my own time.

 

[capricorn]

I don't know any more about this than what's on the Sunsail website.

A couple of thoughts though:

- Will the boat be worth what you think it will be at the end of the Charter period ? When you come to sell this boat, some buyers will be very wary of a boat that has been on a flotilla/charter fleet. I'd much rather buy a 5 year old boat that had been privately owned and lightly used than one that had lived a hard life in a Charter fleet. I'd only consider tha later if the price was right, very, very right !

- What's in it for Sunsail ? Surely they have access to funds at a more competitive rate than a private individual ? I suspect the costs of disposing of a boat at the end of it's charter life and the discount at which it's offered to the market are considerable and not having this problem is a big advantage to SS.

 

[Talbot]

A lot of manufacturers have two types of interior for their boats, the charter version, and the owners version. The charter version has lots of bunks and no stowage, the owners version provides the accomodation for a reduced number in more comfort and with stowage, water and fuel as required for a cruising life.

After 5 years some of these charter boats are looking very tired due to their very high useage rate, and lightweight interior construction methods.

 

[RupertW]

I sort-of agree with the thoughts on buying a lightly used 5 year old boat but heavily used charter boats are often a lot cheaper than privately owned and that appeals.

Buying a boat through Sunsail's scheme means that you have no idea how much it will have been damaged, repaired and damaged again by the time the period is up. However if you are happy to own an ex-charter boat then why not buy a 5 year old boat which you can get surveyed and see what damage it's had, then decide.

In the meantime, go chartering for a year or two and find out which type of boats you like sailing best. I suspect you'll find yourself better off financially and get a boat that suits you better as well. You might find that you prefer chartering to owning a boat.

 

[beancounter]

Re: what\'s in it for sunsail?

IIRC, this was how it was explained to me by our flotilla skipper:

You pay sunsail 50% of list price of (say) £100k
Sunsail aggregate demand, and go and beat up BenJenBav for a nice discount (say 20%)
Sunsail therefore lay out £30k cash for a £100k boat

I think that's how it works (we'd quaffed a few beers by that point in the evening /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif)

 

[Becky]

Saw a Bav on Sunday that had sadly had a heavy collision, such that the pulpit was bent, the bow roller folded up, and the anchor (now missing) had gone through the bow leaving a big CQR-shaped hole. A very seroius amount of damage. I don't know if it is a charter boat, but I wouldn't like to buy it second hand.

I would avoid ex-charter yachts, unless the price reflected the wear and tear, and likely need of a new engine.

 

[AIDY]

Me too it was called seraph and came into a marina in portsmouth on sunday. it looked rather bent. on inspection the grp / gel coat was rather thin. A bav is not for me

 

[bobupanddown]

The passport scheme is a good idea in theory but I think that Sunsails idea of "professional" maintainance and yours might not be the same.
I own an ex Sunsail yacht and generally have been pleased with it but
I paid around £20000 less than the market value of a lightly used boat. So your "passport "boat may not be worth as much as you think.
Also several areas of the boat needed to be un bodged. E.G bent nails used instead of spring clips in the rigging, seized sea cocks, bodged wiring here and there. Nothing major but not quite what you might expect from a professional company.
Also in my experience they dont tend to keep much in the way of maintainance records.

 

[alant]

Re: what\'s in it for sunsail?

I was under the impression that SS took a 50% discount, hence no funding required from them.

If a car is a dodgy build quality, they can melt it down & reuse the rust.
What the hell are they going to do with all the Bav's which will be knackered in the next 5/10 years. Some landfill problem!

 

[Sans Bateau]

I know this thread is not about Bav's, but what the heck!

Friend was leaving Bembridge on Sunday and preparing for a good blast back to Chichester in the 20knts of wind that there was. There had been a Bav rally in Bembridge over the weekend and he told me that there was 9 Bavs in front of him heading for Chi, not one had any sail up, they all just pounded ahead on motor!

 

[Tweetinat]

I know two skippers who work for Sunsail - both of whom have said they would *never* consider buying one of the Sunsail Yachts on this scheme...

Just my tuppenceworth!

- Natalie

 

[Boots]

Well I wasn't with the rally, but I was out in my bav. with my 15 year old son, and we had a great sail back to Chi. on Sunday doing 6.5 - 7 knots no problem! Cracking day out in great weather.

Incidentally, I thought Sunsail bought more Bens. than Bavs.

 

[waterboy]

Then the eventual buyer presumably has to pay VAT to bring it back here.

 

[cgull]

There are so many secondhand boats out there surely there is no need to buy an ex Sunsail boat that will always look like an old Charter boat.

I have just finished a charter with Kiriacoulis in Zadar. Excellent sailing area and well kept boat, Bav 44. 3 yrs old but dont see the need to buy it, theres a lot of them out there!