Part 1 - Buying a Boat.
It has been about 20 years since I bought a boat. That deal was done in 30 minutes with a handshake and cheque. I knew the boat and had raced against her many times. I knew the owner and there was an unspoken trust that a fair price was paid for a good boat and nobody was taking a risk. No survey, no certified cheque, no lawyers, no brokers and no third parties in the deal. Simple. That boat has been fun, exciting, challenging and rewarding. It has paid dividends a 100 times over but most importantly the sailors I competed against became an important part of my life. Competitors, mentors, business colleagues, and most importantly good and trusted friends. I also met my wife of 15 years through the Thunderbird class but that is for another time - maybe.
Now with a family of 4, my priorities have shifted and I recently purchased a new boat for cruising. The process was completely different from my earlier experience. I fell in love with a repossessed boat, in another country (USA) that was not build in a NAFTA country. Having just returned from the marina where it was delivered tonight I finally feel at peace with my decisions. Safely landed in Canada with all legal obligations met I can say I was not always certain I would get to this point as pleased as I am today.
If you are thinking of buying a boat in the US you will want to follow along as I share the story of this deal in bite size instalments.
It has been about 20 years since I bought a boat. That deal was done in 30 minutes with a handshake and cheque. I knew the boat and had raced against her many times. I knew the owner and there was an unspoken trust that a fair price was paid for a good boat and nobody was taking a risk. No survey, no certified cheque, no lawyers, no brokers and no third parties in the deal. Simple. That boat has been fun, exciting, challenging and rewarding. It has paid dividends a 100 times over but most importantly the sailors I competed against became an important part of my life. Competitors, mentors, business colleagues, and most importantly good and trusted friends. I also met my wife of 15 years through the Thunderbird class but that is for another time - maybe.
Now with a family of 4, my priorities have shifted and I recently purchased a new boat for cruising. The process was completely different from my earlier experience. I fell in love with a repossessed boat, in another country (USA) that was not build in a NAFTA country. Having just returned from the marina where it was delivered tonight I finally feel at peace with my decisions. Safely landed in Canada with all legal obligations met I can say I was not always certain I would get to this point as pleased as I am today.
If you are thinking of buying a boat in the US you will want to follow along as I share the story of this deal in bite size instalments.
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