Did you know…  you CAN afford a boat… probably! You may have
thought you couldn’t, but you might just be wrong…

Nothing beats the feeling of stepping on your first boat, casting off and going somewhere for the first time. It could be nearer and easier than you think…we live on the South coast after all, with two of the biggest marinas in Europe – gateways to the continent and fun at sea!

Boat ownership is easier than ever – all you need to do is find a boat that suits you, somewhere to put her and make sure you really understand the cost and responsibility of taking her on.

If you’re unsure about ownership, another great way to get on the water is to join your local club, make lots of great new sailor friends and join in the club’s events and training – this will really give you a taster and you may be invited to try other people’s boats, before you buy.

So how best to find your new joy, look after her and make the best of her? We’d advise you to build a relationship with your local broker.  A good broker will understand the international and local market, be able to articulate the full cost of ownership, and should assist throughout your boating journey with help, advice and assistance – this should be friendly, transparent, ongoing and impartial advice to make sure you get the absolute best from boat ownership.

You should receive advice on regular low level maintenance and get help with arranging favourably priced work from a multi qualified broker, who should have vast marine experience and local, boots-on-the-ground help with everything you need from engine servicing to sail laundering.

The average boat is taken to sea just 11 times per year and 10% of all boats are for sale – so the choice is bewildering – befriending your local broker will really help you find the one that’s right for you.

Selling Your Boat

When it comes to selling your boat, nothing beats good advice from a trusted broker – they know the market, the area, what your boat is worth and the best way to sell her, along with many tried and tested practical hints and tips.

Your broker should be experienced, with plenty of local contacts, be British Marine Federation trained and work to Maritime and Coastguard Agency practices – even better if they possess professional skills such as engineering or Royal Yachting Association certificates.

They should be able to take your boat to the global market and proactively work to sell her for you, allowing you to relax and know that you’re in the best hands and will achieve the best price.

When selecting your broker, think:

1 Are they accessible all the time? Do they communicate?

2 Are they proactive? Do they take your boat to targeted buyers?

3 Do they have truly global coverage, along with local knowledge?

4 Do they have a database of buyers looking for boats?

Tim Kingston runs www.boatshedbrighton.com, a local brokerage covering the coastline around Brighton, Eastbourne, Shoreham, Newhaven and Rye, with global reach as part of boatshed.com and 800,000 registered boat buyers.

Tel. 07920 022540 timkingston@boatshed.com