Where are THE places to look at lots of motor boats for sale?

Thanks again, Mike.

We've been living on our Seamaster 34 for much of the last 30 months. She's great, but a bit more volume wouldn't go amiss.

We've been researching very much along the lines you suggest. I think we would get a Broom 42 in our budget, and there's some smart looking trawlers around too.

All these ideas are really useful. Much appreciated!
 
I was in contact with Tom about this one a couple of weeks ago.

It's a great suggestion, thanks, but, you're right, what put us off was the internal layout: she's not got an 'island' double berth, and really nowhere for visitors.

I'm seeing a Broom 42 tomorrow, a Ckip on Wednesday, then maybe something else next week.

I'm quite excited about the 'something else'......hence, the hush, hush secrecy!
 
Mainshiptom, great boat !

Only down fall is one cabin and one bed but my what a boat !

I would snap it up, The guy did lots and lots of work on it and now he is ill.

If I did not have a boat I would buy it back, when londoners got on it the line was "your boat kitchen is bigger then our flat"

Tom
 
Essex Boat sales
Have they improved some? I looked there about 3-4 years ago with cash in hand. It was a bit of a marine Arfur Daleys then, with a lot of high priced but second rate boats plus spivvy salesmen, not much better than Nationwide Boats (now defunct I think). I could not strike a deal with them and finished up doing a personal import from the USA.
Regards mikej
 
"try looking in the River Thames boatyards, "

Ok if you want to look around at a lot of different boats over a small area and in quick time visiting perhaps 4/5 marinas to nose around your preferred moneypit,but the average Thmaes boat owner/marinas sales person has a very inflated idea of what a boat is worth.Possibly a 10 percent plus premium on exactly the same stuff to found along the south coast and to be found even cheaper on the east coast.
Just because it costs a small fortune to boat on gods own river is no reason to pay well over the odds buying something parked there.
How about this POWLES
 
[ QUOTE ]
"try looking in the River Thames boatyards, "

Ok if you want to look around at a lot of different boats over a small area and in quick time visiting perhaps 4/5 marinas to nose around your preferred moneypit,but the average Thmaes boat owner/marinas sales person has a very inflated idea of what a boat is worth.Possibly a 10 percent plus premium on exactly the same stuff to found along the south coast and to be found even cheaper on the east coast.
Just because it costs a small fortune to boat on gods own river is no reason to pay well over the odds buying something parked there.
How about this POWLES

[/ QUOTE ]

Well the question was " wheres a good place to look at lots of Motorboats for sale" /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif buying is a different matter.
 
There is another Powles ashore in Essex somewhere very similar,offers on around £35K ? about a month ago.
This one
Powles36a.jpg
 
hey what's wrong with Belgium ? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I don't know this boat, but the marina in Nieuwpoort is certainly worth a visit, in fact there are 3 or 4 marina's.
if not just for the Belgium food !
Nieuwpoort isn't that far from Calais ! (eurostar ?)
 
I have only dealt with them once, recently. OK some (not me) would say they are a bunch of "essex lads" but that would be applying a prejudice to obscure the true nature of them and the business they run. My view is that they are good hard working decent folks and incredibly practical and accommodating in getting a deal done on fair terms. I have not finsihed my transaction yet but I have zero regrets about going into this deal with them. All questions and issues are resolved by prompt clear emails. They are incredibly helpful generally. Their chief engineering guy on Fairline boats (Pete) is in my view (having spend 3 hours with him at sea and discussing mods to the boat) a very skilled boat fitter with a head full of knowledge and I'm genuinely delighted that he is personally doing and supervising all the work on my boat.

Their hardware is top class - a fleet of modern boat mover machinery and a brilliant shed that allows 2 (maybe 3) x 70 foot boats to be scaffolded and worked on under cover - mine is in that shed now, for a month.

Actually their facilities might look basic. Gravel covered yards and portacabins. There was a thread by Nautical a month ago comparing this with a new ferretti showroom in Germany. I much prefer the gravel and portacabins. I have no interest in paying a high overhead business, nor with talking to "middlemen" sales folks. When spending nearly a £mill and having much modding/installing work done on my favourite toy, I want to talk to the proprietor of the business and the actual guy working on my boat. Any dealer that offers that over the besuited saleman approach gets my vote. Suits are fine for say BMW salesmen, when all you're doing is choosing from a catalogue and picking the leather colour blah blah for a toy that you don't really care about. But when it's your boat it REALLY matters :-)

So, just saying it as i see it, and aware I might look like an ad for them (I'm not, I have no connection other than being a first time customer currently) but I can't sing their praises highly enough. All imho
 
They have obviousely come a long way in the 3 or 4 years since I was there and that is to their credit. You are looking at a vastly superior boat to what I had in mind then and I am pleased that you are being treated proffesionally.
I probably dealt with someone very junior.
Buying in the US was certainly a refreshing experiance after some of the UK brokers I met!
Hope things continue to go well with your deal.
mikej
 
Mike,

I have bought and sold boats through them and it was always a pleasure. However about 3 years ago I thought they lost their way and told everyone on here. By the end of that day I had them on the phone and email asking for more details. it revolved around the prices they were asking and the deals. Also a bit of attitude. I am glad to say that they took notice. Several people have since commented on it. There pricing on boats is more realistic etc. I would love to take the credit but I think they listned to quite a few people. I last bought a boat off them in 2006...after this discussion. I would buy another boat off them tomorrow....mind you they would have to do the right deal.

All businesses make mistakes...the ones which survive and thrive listen to their customers! If you get the chance give them another go...

Cheers

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Absolutely nothing wrong with Belguim! I've had many enjoyable visits since my first 'foreign' sailing trip with my parents in 1963 on their old gaff cutter 'The Jan'.

Beautiful places, friendly people, fantastic food.

Is that OK? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Paul,
From what you say, it seems that I went when they were at a low point and I am pleased that they have now turned their business aroud. When I went I had driven 150ish miles to find the boat not prepared, in poor condition and 30% overpriced, also working in sales myself being met by a lamentably poor sales person did not add to the day.
It is always good to hear of suppliers who customers are pleased to recomend so I am glad that they have got their act together.
I am not in the market myself for a new boat at the moment, but based on buying my current boat, when I am, I will almost certainly buy in the US and ship it over again.
Regards Mikej
 
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