Advice on possible selling

[Circe]

We've just got home from an amazing 2 weeks away but with a few life changing events lately, we're doing a head vs heart struggle and beginning to think rather reluctantly about parting with our lovely boat.

 

We've pampered her quite a lot - John Sanderson paint job (Meg Gregory sign writing) and a brand new cratch cover less than 9 months ago, so externals are immaculate. The survey when we bought her showed the hull was in excellent condition. We're planning on getting the blacking done (it's due in the winter anyway) and a new BSS before maybe (argh!) putting her up for sale in Feb/March time.

 

What's the best way to sell? Is it via a broker? If so, which are good. I know I've read about Dominic at Rugby boats before, but it's a little far for us to be able to get there easily in the much more limited time we have. We're at Swanley at the moment but (depending on winter stoppages) have up to a week's cruising from there time-wise.

 

I really don't want to see her go, but it's expensive when the most we can manage is 3 weeks per year on her.

 

Any advice would be very, very helpful, both things to do and to avoid. You were all brilliant when we bought her

[Athy]

A sad post. This decision cannot have been lightly taken.

 

Yes, Rugby are well spoken of, and I can vouch for ABNB from personal experience. Don't worry about distance - there are professional boat movers (such as Nigel Carton who is a member here) who will move your boat at a reasonable cost, or sometimes a broker will send somebody down to move it to his premises.

Edited August 17, 2014 by Athy

[Circe]

The head part of me knows it's the only sensible financial option. Hubby's been very ill and things are very different to how life was when we bought her. It gives us options in the future (including a possible other boat) that we wouldn't have if we kept her.

 

Heart is howling big time about the unfairness of it all. I want to keep her! She really has been a lifeline to us.

 

Good to know that brokers might help in getting her there. I don't think we can stretch to a boat mover, although if we deferred the selling to Easter, we could have a little longer aboard.

[Athy]

Is Swanley in Kent where you are, or is there another Swanley?

[Guest]

We've just got home from an amazing 2 weeks away but with a few life changing events lately, we're doing a head vs heart struggle and beginning to think rather reluctantly about parting with our lovely boat.

 

We've pampered her quite a lot - John Sanderson paint job (Meg Gregory sign writing) and a brand new cratch cover less than 9 months ago, so externals are immaculate. The survey when we bought her showed the hull was in excellent condition. We're planning on getting the blacking done (it's due in the winter anyway) and a new BSS before maybe (argh!) putting her up for sale in Feb/March time.

 

What's the best way to sell? Is it via a broker? If so, which are good. I know I've read about Dominic at Rugby boats before, but it's a little far for us to be able to get there easily in the much more limited time we have. We're at Swanley at the moment but (depending on winter stoppages) have up to a week's cruising from there time-wise.

 

I really don't want to see her go, but it's expensive when the most we can manage is 3 weeks per year on her.

 

Any advice would be very, very helpful, both things to do and to avoid. You were all brilliant when we bought her

We are in the same boat (groan) but thankfully for different reasons, and are now virtually certain we are going to sell up after a lot of weighing up the pros and the cons.

 

Our plan will be to spend the end of summer into the autumn, doing some jobs that need doing and selling probably around the same time. We plan to engage a boat mover to get the boat to a broker in the midlands as we think a 60ft boat will sell better down there as we think for us it would be money well spent.

 

PM Nigel or Matty to see if they will give you a rough idea of cost. I also think spending money on a (good) broker would be money well spent and this is what we plan to do too.

[Circe]

It's on the Llangollen - pretty close to Hurleston.

 

Rugby, ABNB - which others might be good?

 

Sorry to hear you're moving on Martin. Have you got other things in the pipeline?

[Paul C]

Get the boat viewed by at least 3 local brokerages to gain an understanding of the actual value of the boat - there's a lot of boats for sale where the seller has been somewhat optimistic about its value. Most brokerages will travel (by car) to you, to do a valuation, if its not ridiculously far. Also if you get chatting to the valuer they can advise on things you should do which will enhance the value, and things which are not cost-effective to do. When you do sell it, clean and declutter the boat, it will make it so much more attractive to buyers! As far as brokerage vs private, in your area there's plenty of brokers and whilst you could sell it privately, you might have 10 or 20 viewings before it is sold, and you'd need to transport it to dry dock/slipway for a possible survey etc; and a brokerages audience is much wider too. So given the % commission, they are probably worth it.

[bottle]

Some brokers will sell the boat for you but have it 'lying elsewhere', of course it may mean you being there to show buyers over your boat.

 

Good luck for the future.

[Guest]

Sorry to hear you're moving on Martin. Have you got other things in the pipeline?

We want to see more of Europe and yes whilst you can do Europe by boat there are bits of Europe we want to see that you can't see by boat. So we are considering swapping boating for motor homing (or even caravanning again.)

 

We like you are not getting the value out of the boat we were when we first bought it 4 years ago. We could still hire if we wanted to go boating and this is probably what we would do. Having worked out costs over the last year or so we would have been better off financially if we had hired TBH, and funny enough it was a long conversation Jan and I had last evening that just about sealed it, so it was ironic to see your post this morning.

[Peter X]

Is Swanley in Kent where you are, or is there another Swanley?

Yes, Swanley in Kent was the only one I'd heard of too, but sadly it lacks a connection to the canal system, the nearest being either the Thames estuary or the Medway. But it does have boating facilities:

http://www.swanleypark.co.uk/id16.html

 

I don't know the going rate for hiring a proper boat mover, but if the OP or anyone else needs to move their boat, and can skipper it but knows no-one fit enough to operate the locks who has the time to spare, it probably isn't hard to find someone who'll do that for free by posting in Crew Swap. This may or may not suit the OP, maybe it doesn't from the information given so far.

[Athy]

 

 

I don't know the going rate for hiring a proper boat mover,

I have just been quoted £250 - £300 by a reputable "proper" boat mover for a journey which would take about four days. So it's far from being exorbitant.

[national velvet]

Rugby boats will sell your boat from your home mooring, we sold our last boat this way, although we are located along way from the brokerage. We got excellent service, and would recommend him to anyone.

[Athy]

Rugby boats will sell your boat from your home mooring, we sold our last boat this way, although we are located along way from the brokerage. We got excellent service, and would recommend him to anyone.

ABNB did the same for us.

Previously, Nottingham Castle Boats wouldn't.

[MHS]

I would thoroughly recommend Aqueduct Marina brokerage where our boat is moored.

 

It's very close to Swanley. Speak to Nick Beech, who deals with the brokerage. They have very few boats unsold, as they seem to get a quick sale at a good price. Nick is very pleasant and easy to talk to.

Ps Wendy and I would be very happy to move your boat if you can't. We've 24 years experience on the cut.

Edited August 17, 2014 by MHS

[Richard10002]

When I was looking, I was equally impressed with Swanley Bridge brokerage. I didnt buy from them, but they were very helpful, and I easily found what they had for sale on the web, before visiting.

 

I also liked Aqueduct Marina.

 

Hated Fettlers Wharf, and dont really like the look and feel of Venetian.