Boat show bummers & bonuses

Hawgwash · Apr 28, 2016

Went to the Victoria inner harbour boat show today.
Surprises, disappointments and some good stuff.

Opened at 11:00, I waltzed in at 11:30 and pretty much had the place to myself until around 2:00. Went to the "booths" and thought there had been an evacuation order. Great for me.

Ok, so, I'm old fashioned and like solid boats that can be worked, used, lived on and trusted to stand up over time. Like so many right here.

Today I saw a lot of plastic gimmicky things called boats. Thinks that will break in season 1. Flashy, catchy things to capture the impulsive, gotta have the latest gadget, people. Surprised I didn't see an iBoat.

Didn't see a new boat I liked which was fine with me.

Brokers let me down. So many of them were completely unfamiliar with their used product on display. $400,000 boats with no spec sheet and a broker that can't tell me what make the gen set is or how many hours on the mains. Boats with signs that say boarding with broker only but no brokers in sight. Brokers that were too busy featuring their new fleet and neglecting the brokerage boats.

Surprised how many boats had head or fuel smells.
Surprised how many had both.
Surprised I even looked at boats without bridges.
Surprised at my dislike of a hugely popular boat
Surprised I liked a big Whaler with Yamahas.

Got to see folks I'd not seen in a while.
Got to see a couple on my must see list.
Got to add a bunch to my don't want list.
Got to be aboard Tony Fleming's own 65.
Got to find a good buyers broker.
Got to be around boats on a gorgeous day.
Got to meet some cool people.
Got to thinkin'...maybe go back tomorrow.

dhays · Apr 28, 2016

Sounds good HW. What are you looking for in a boat?

GFC · Apr 29, 2016

Yup, bonuses and bummers. It seems when the economy goes on its lips the brokers all want to be there to show you their products. When the economy picks up they're off having coffee somewhere and seem to be expecting people to line up and take a number so they can buy a boat.

I think for me the highlight from your list would have been seeing Tony's Fleming 65.

Hawgwash · Apr 29, 2016

dhays; said:
What are you looking for in a boat?

The cheeky me says "the right one." The honest me says "not sure yet." That's a fair distance from where I was a year ago when I thought I knew what I wanted. It will likely be a case of walking down a dock and spotting that ONE with my name on it. The one that has the least compromises and fits the still to be determined budget. I have always liked the sedan style but today I simulated up and down ladders as it would be cruising and it doesn't work for me any more. That's why I even looked at NTs without bridges. I'll get there. No rush. The used inventory (here) is not good.

GFC; said:
I think for me the highlight from your list would have been seeing Tony's Fleming 65.

It was. What a gem. A complete setup. They have done 55,000 nm on that boat and it is like the day it was first launched. Only better.

janice142 · Apr 29, 2016

Today I had an interesting conversation Hawgwash... was speaking with the fellow who has a boat docked near Seaweed. He thanked me for taking him out earlier this week aboard my boat.

Mine was the first sedan trawler he'd been on/driven for decades. He's a flybridge guy. In any event he said thank you for confirming that he prefers the flybridge. It is quieter up there and he likes that he can see 360.

I found the trip on his flybridge chilly in the breeze. Plus to me it feels less secure than steering down below in the pilothouse. And the view aft is good enough for me inside Seaweed.

He's right though. It's lots noisier inside Seaweed than on the flybridge of his boat, even though he has a pair of engines down below.

You might wish to pilot both a fly and a sedan to see which appeals most to you. I like mine (of course) however M (neighbor) doesn't. Just an observation. All the best to you in your search.

Rebel112r · Apr 29, 2016

HW. Are you an x Commander owner. Just glancing at your Avatar, looks like one.

Hawgwash · Apr 29, 2016

janice said:
Today I had an interesting conversation Hawgwash...
All the best to you in your search.

Thanks Janice. I have been and will continue to be a year round boater. Have only ever had sedans with bridges but here half the year is spent at the lower helm. The bridge is where I live in summer. I gave up the bike for the same reason I will give up on ladders...just don't trust myself with either any more. The odds of spill are much greater. A tri-cabin will give me the best of both worlds. I think.

Hawgwash · Apr 29, 2016

Rebel112r said:
Are you an x Commander owner.

No but close. Always liked the commanders and live near where they were built. Love the 38.

The avatar was another local (Richmond) build. 28 Keancraft Spirit. It was a Peter Kaufman (K and C Thermoglass) design. They were built between '80 and '86 until resin fumes sent the builder to visit nurse Ratched.

If you ever had a horse, you know what it's like to be one with an animal. Well that boat was an extension of me. it knew what I wanted before I did it. Always wished I could have had a 40' version.

Insequent · Apr 29, 2016

Hawg
Get a boat with stairs to the bridge, internal if possible. It might have a ladder at the back too, which is OK if using it is optional.

Yes, Tony's 65 is a must see, and would be on my shortlist should I ever have the opportunity and capacity to upgrade.

Rebel112r · Apr 29, 2016

They do look alike.. I think one of the original 38's is or was for sale. Swish I think was its name, it was very nice. Had 30 Commander before slowing down to the NP... Just heading out to Sucia for wkend, I hope its nice..

Hawgwash · Apr 29, 2016

Insequent; said:
Get a boat with stairs to the bridge, internal if possible. Tony's 65 is a must see...should I ever have the opportunity and capacity to upgrade.

Stairs and ladders, funny you should say that. There was a 48 Offshore Sedan with both. I walk by it daily in my roll as self appointed warfinger but refuse to bother the broker to open it up just to look at stairs. Nice boat and inside stairs work. Now if I can find and expandable ER it will check 8/10 boxes. The 3208s in there are as much a deterrent as a damn ladder.
Wa, wa, wa. I can hear caltexflanc; "get over it!"

One of the nice things about boat shows is you do get to board boats you wouldn't otherwise and would never ask if they were hitched up 20 feet away. First ever mega look for me was Octopussy at a show in Lauderdale. Couple weeks later saw her at Thunderball Grotto in the Exumas. Fitting.

Rebel112r; said:
They do look alike. I think one of the original 38's is or was for sale. Swish I think was its name, it was very nice. Had 30 Commander before slowing down to the NP... Just heading out to Sucia for wkend, I hope its nice..

They all look alike in the 26-30 or so footers and you're right there are a couple 38s around. The one with 6Bs on V-drives would work but not looking for speed any more either.

Enjoy Sucia. It will be nice.
Regardless.

dhays · Apr 29, 2016

Rebel112r said:
They do look alike.. I think one of the original 38's is or was for sale. Swish I think was its name, it was very nice. Had 30 Commander before slowing down to the NP... Just heading out to Sucia for wkend, I hope its nice..

Sucia is always nice. Great spot, likely very quiet this time of year.

If you don't mind, toast my Dad while you are there. Some of his ashes are scattered between South Finger Island and Sucia.

Hawgwash · Apr 29, 2016

dhays; said:
Sucia is always nice. Great spot, likely very quiet this time of year.

If you don't mind, toast my Dad while you are there. Some of his ashes are scattered between South Finger Island and Sucia.

Cool, Dave. Maybe we can all give him a respectful nod, regardless of where we are.

And to all the others as well.

Hawgwash · Apr 29, 2016

If I can go back to my original post for a minute and touch on my boat show broker comments.

I get that they have a marina office that needs to be kept open during the show and that they may have limited staff to present the dozen or so boats at the show. I also get that the overwhelming number of people at the show are either there for the entertainment or to get ideas and free advice for their own boat.

It would be so easy to crash course the novice or borrowed brokers enough to show the boat, admit the lack of knowledge and why, then make every effort to get the real broker involved with the real buyers.

To invite ones neighbourhood landscaper to put on a blue shirt and be broker for a day, helps no one.

I talked at length with 4 brokers, one for nearly an hour. All were the consummate professionals with many reasons why they are 20 and 30 year veterans. Even the guy on Mr. Fleming's boat who knows me and my position gave me time, knowing he could stop me mid conversation to work a live one.

The buyers broker I hit it off with and think I can work well with, offered his help on any boat or other facet of the game without obligation.

There are lots of good ones around.

Mutual respect.

BandB · Apr 29, 2016

Hawgwash said:
If I can go back to my original post for a minute and touch on my boat show broker comments.

I get that they have a marina office that needs to be kept open during the show and that they may have limited staff to present the dozen or so boats at the show. I also get that the overwhelming number of people at the show are either there for the entertainment or to get ideas and free advice for their own boat.

It would be so easy to crash course the novice or borrowed brokers enough to show the boat, admit the lack of knowledge and why, then make every effort to get the real broker involved with the real buyers.

To invite ones neighbourhood landscaper to put on a blue shirt and be broker for a day, helps no one.

I talked at length with 4 brokers, one for nearly an hour. All were the consummate professionals with many reasons why they are 20 and 30 year veterans. Even the guy on Mr. Fleming's boat who knows me and my position gave me time, knowing he could stop me mid conversation to work a live one.

The buyers broker I hit it off with and think I can work well with, offered his help on any boat or other facet of the game without obligation.

There are lots of good ones around.

Mutual respect.

It doesn't take long to pick out the good ones. Not saying you'll always be right even then but face to face, exchanging ideas, gives you insight. Boat shows are circuses. Frankly, I'd be just as happy if they just would let you look with no interference from them and then make an appointment if you wanted to talk further.

Then of course there are the performance boat dealers who rent "Eye-Candy" for the show.

Moonfish · Apr 29, 2016

Hawgwash said:
Surprised I didn't see an iBoat.

HA! That cracked me up!

Boat show bummers & bonuses

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