oldgit
Well-Known Member
.........or a weekend in the exotic NE of UK.
Absolute dearth of boats available on the UK market meeting my requirements to upgrade my present beloved Princess 35 (on shafts
) which has served me so well for the past 5 or 6 years.
After several weeks of suffering , "Sold" or "Under Offer" messages via the Interweb or on phone, pinned down two possible boats still on the market, which instantly raised doubts . Why were they still up for sale.
Unfortunately both viewings involved a 400 mile trek away from civilization into the nether regions of Englerland well outside the M25.
The first was a Failine 43 AC curiously located in a marina about 5 hours away from the sea . Have always been a distant admirer of this model of boat and was looking forward to the inspection.
First impression it was massive and clambering aboard from the pontoon was bit of drama regards crew. The real off putter after spending only afew mins aboard was the sheer lack of visibililty from the upper helm, be it ahead or astern, it was impossible to see anybody on the side decks, even when standing standing up, a real problem and dangerous ? when mooring or under way.
The inside helm was even worse, limited out the front and NIL behind.
The real killer was the steps from cabin to command bridge. Vertiginous does not describe it, you would need the skills of mountain goat to get up and down .
My crew consists of members whos ages range from 3 to 75. No chance.
It was quick visit, we thanked the broker, apologised for wasting his time and left. After good lunch in their cafe.
A night in the Premier Inn close to the next boats home marina . Despite our best efforts we never managed to work out how to turn the heating on. Meal in local resturant at a price that would not buy you a bag of crisps in St Kats. We left wondering if half the bill was missing.
The Boat we actually wanted to see, exactly what we are looking for, in every respect.
However
It has had a number of owners ? in very quick succession averaging about one every two years since new, 8 or 9 ! and the seller has only owned it for about a year.
Perhaps merely a case of financial jiggery pokery.
The broker indicated that intially the owner was "testing the market " and had already reduced the price due to lack of interest.
Chatting with the broker, he asked if I was interested in making an offer,there and then I indicated that it might be best to wait until perhaps a few more folks had been to see the boat before I made any offer.
The broker suggested that he had a list of people waiting to view the boat, one in fact on the following day.
My thoughts.
The "staycation" effect on UK boat prices is having a real effect on the inclination to purchase, at some point the price will collapse and purchasing a boat at current prices will amplify any loss considerably.
It does not help of course that a merely 30 miles away across La Manche is a supply of boats that could offer a saving on UK prices even if you add the 20% Brexit penalty and transport costs.
But at least you once had choice.
Absolute dearth of boats available on the UK market meeting my requirements to upgrade my present beloved Princess 35 (on shafts
) which has served me so well for the past 5 or 6 years.After several weeks of suffering , "Sold" or "Under Offer" messages via the Interweb or on phone, pinned down two possible boats still on the market, which instantly raised doubts . Why were they still up for sale.
Unfortunately both viewings involved a 400 mile trek away from civilization into the nether regions of Englerland well outside the M25.
The first was a Failine 43 AC curiously located in a marina about 5 hours away from the sea . Have always been a distant admirer of this model of boat and was looking forward to the inspection.
First impression it was massive and clambering aboard from the pontoon was bit of drama regards crew. The real off putter after spending only afew mins aboard was the sheer lack of visibililty from the upper helm, be it ahead or astern, it was impossible to see anybody on the side decks, even when standing standing up, a real problem and dangerous ? when mooring or under way.
The inside helm was even worse, limited out the front and NIL behind.
The real killer was the steps from cabin to command bridge. Vertiginous does not describe it, you would need the skills of mountain goat to get up and down .
My crew consists of members whos ages range from 3 to 75. No chance.
It was quick visit, we thanked the broker, apologised for wasting his time and left. After good lunch in their cafe.
A night in the Premier Inn close to the next boats home marina . Despite our best efforts we never managed to work out how to turn the heating on. Meal in local resturant at a price that would not buy you a bag of crisps in St Kats. We left wondering if half the bill was missing.
The Boat we actually wanted to see, exactly what we are looking for, in every respect.
However
It has had a number of owners ? in very quick succession averaging about one every two years since new, 8 or 9 ! and the seller has only owned it for about a year.
Perhaps merely a case of financial jiggery pokery.
The broker indicated that intially the owner was "testing the market " and had already reduced the price due to lack of interest.
Chatting with the broker, he asked if I was interested in making an offer,there and then I indicated that it might be best to wait until perhaps a few more folks had been to see the boat before I made any offer.
The broker suggested that he had a list of people waiting to view the boat, one in fact on the following day.
My thoughts.
The "staycation" effect on UK boat prices is having a real effect on the inclination to purchase, at some point the price will collapse and purchasing a boat at current prices will amplify any loss considerably.
It does not help of course that a merely 30 miles away across La Manche is a supply of boats that could offer a saving on UK prices even if you add the 20% Brexit penalty and transport costs.
But at least you once had choice.
