Multihulls Quarterly - April 2018

http://www.MultihullsQuarterly.com 23

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As the sales manager at The Multihull

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age market with the proliferation of MLS searches,
blogs and forums that have made the catamaran

world more interconnected. While some of these blogs

or forums have good information, the knowledge it

takes to make a sound purchasing decision still rests

with the experienced hand.

Let me explain what it really means to combine the

best of what the internet provides – listings – and the

best of what seasoned brokers can provide – experi-

ence. First, there are the steps taken to narrow the list

of boats that suit our buyers, and then the knowledge

to really recognize a “good deal”, and when to walk

away. Everyone wants to get a great deal on a used

boat, but not everyone has the knowledge base to

recognize one.

While I am writing this as if I was working as buyer’s

agent for a customer, the following tips should help

those of you who wish to go it alone. If you fall into that

category, you can thank me later! But, be advised, a

truly good broker generally saves their buyers a lot of

time and money. Let me show you how.

STEP ONE: YOUR BUDGET AND SAILING PLANS

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tant to establish expectations on the condition of the

vessel, how much more that you may need to invest

into the boat after the purchase on necessary repairs,

and also taxes and/or duties that may be due. All of

these potential costs should be factored into the total

budget for the vessel. If you are working with a broker,

be forthright about your budget and your after pur-

chase expectations as it will assist him or her to narrow

the options.

Tip: Do not assume that a boat listed at $400,000 is

going to sell for $200,000.

If you are the type of buyer who wants to go world

voyaging, you will be shopping for a very different

catamaran than the buyer who is looking to day sail

around the Bahamas. And while the world voyaging

catamaran may also suit cruising the Bahamas, it may

not be the best catamaran for that agenda. It’s impor-

tant to keep this in mind as you are reading up on all of

the latest and greatest owner blogs, forums and sales

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if you should rule it out. In the end, almost any boat can

sail around the world – at issue is whether it is the ideal

boat for you to do so.

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bias, so be mindful of this. While they may love the boat

they purchased, they may not have had a chance to

experience the pros and cons of many other boats that

may have also suited their cruising agenda. In fact,

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what sort of cruiser they will be.