Deciding What You Want From Your Boat
Deciding what you want from your boat One of the challenges when buying a boat, especially if it is your first boat, is deciding what you want. At Go Earth, we call this process “Requirement Analysis” – a term unceremoniously nicked from project management and software development. Breadth of choice So – you know that you want to buy a boat – but what sort of boat? There are more varieties of boat than, say cars. This means that – if you are to make best use of your money and get a boat that you will enjoy for a long period – you need to give it some thought. Let’s look at some of the variety of choices you need to make. All cars, for example, have 4 wheels – unless you are Del Boy! (And for the younger readers, do a Google search on ‘Del Boy car’!!). Boats on the other hand can have one, 2, 3 or even more hulls. In fact some racing yachts hardly use their hulls, as they are on foils. What about motive power? In cars, the choice is between petrol, diesel and electric. However, they are all broadly similar in that their output is rotary power – turning wheels. The differences between the main ‘power units’ on a power boat (engines) and on a sailing yacht (sails) could not be more stark. What about Price range? Again, the differences are massive. No matter how hard you try, it is really very di ffi cult to spend more than (to take an extreme) £2 million on a car. It’s dead easy to do this for a boat. Trade-offs The main trade-offs to consider when purchasing a boat of any type are: Size Age Price Subsidiary trade-offs are Condition, including service history Brand Other factors, such as the inventory seem to pay only a very minor part. Sometimes, great electronics or the availability of a dinghy and engine may be a minor factor. As a purchaser, you need to decide on the relevant importance to you of these factors. Age matters In respect of these trade-offs, boat are similar to cars. The older the car, the cheaper it usually is. There are exceptions – some classic cars (what we used to call ‘old bangers’!) may appreciate in value. However, the general rule still applies – there is a depreciation curve showing how price falls at the boat gets older. At Go Earth we have records of asking, and sold, prices for many models; so let’s take one random example, the asking prices for a Fairline Targa 48. We did an analysis of average asking prices for this model, and this is what we found. Illustrative Prices – Fairline Targa 48 In the table, the first column is the year, the second is the asking price, and the third is the annual depreciation compared with a model a year younger. These prices may be only approximately typical, but they illustrate that (as with cars) the newer the boat the larger the depreciation hit. We find that once you get to the older boats, and if you buy wisely (using Go Earth’s negotiation services!), you can suffer zero depreciation for several years. Size matters There is, however, one big difference between cars and boats. Cars are all very broadly the same size. Even the largest SUV is probably only twice the size of the smallest micro car. The size difference in boats is immense. This leads to a major impact on price. As a very approximate rule-of-thumb, the price of a boat increases as the cube of its length (as a boat increase its size in all 3 dimensions). So, a boat that is twice the length of an other one, could be 8 times the cost. Given that all boats shrink when you put them in the water (yes, I know that does not literally happen – I just mean that a boat on hard-standing always looks bigger than when it is in the water), deciding on the size of boat is a very important part of the decision making around defining your requirements. Flybridge or Sports Cruiser? Let’s take just one specific example of the sort of decision you need to make. Suppose that you are in the market for, say, a power 38 to 42-footer. Two of the main styles of boat are flybridges and sports cruisers. Which suits you best? If you are going to do this comparison, it may be helpful to know the typical main characteristics of each type. This is a summary: Flybridge Depending on the brand, there may be a limited range of models. By having a flybridge, this usually gives you more overall deck space, as you have a deck on top. Easier to manoeuvre in a marina, as you can see mostly around you from the flybridge. Two helm positions. Arguably, more traditional looking. Need to cover the flybridge with a tonneau cover in inclement weather. Flybridge is a nice space to entertain in good weather. However, the steps up to the fl ybridge can be steep, though. Better view of the scenery and surroundings from the flybridge. Slightly more susceptible to side wind, owing to higher windage. Can make berthing the boat slightly trickier in open marinas with high wind Slightly more susceptible to side wind, owing to higher windage. Can make berthing the boat slightly trickier in open marinas with high wind Cruising in warm weather from the flybridge is very pleasant. At larger sizes, flybridges tend to be the most popular choices. Higher – therefore bridge clearance can be an issue, primarily in inland waterways. More expensive per foot length, owing to an extra deck (i.e. the flybridge); but possibly cheaper per square metre of deck space. Flybridges tend to have better galleys. Sports Cruiser Possibly a more extensive choice. Less deck space. Fixed point to steer from – possibly limited visibility at some angles. One helm position. Sleeker,
Superyacht Toys – Part 1
Imagine that you are contemplating possibly one of the biggest purchases of your life – a superyacht. One that will fit in with your desires, ambitions, tastes and lifestyle. A luxury floating residence that will, if you wish, take you to most places in the world. Whether this is real or merely a dream, you may now want to turn your attention to the all-important topic of what I will call ‘toys’; and what others may call essential accessories. These can be boiled down to two types. Those that enhance the sea-faring aspect of your superyacht and perhaps do deserve the moniker of ‘essential accessories’, and those whose primary purpose is to enhance your enjoyment of your purchase – and really do deserve being called ‘toys’. There are too many items to describe here, so what follows is merely a small selection of the ways in which you can spend / invest (you choose the term you prefer!) your money. So, which shall be considered first – the useful accessories or the toys? You guessed it – first we will consider some of the more expensive toys. The second part of this article will be slightly more down-to-earth and consider some useful accessories. Toys – going up Boats, as you may have noticed, tend to stay more or less at one level, namely at sea level. Therefore, we obviously need some toys that overcome this limitation – such as helicopters and submarines. Of the 771 Superyachts currently for sale, some 41 have a helipad. It must be admitted that you need a certain size of yacht, and wallet, to have a helipad. However, there is no doubting their convenience compared to a mere dinghy or tender. They are great if you want to explore an uncharted area or to pick up and welcome guests with a certain style. Of course, you need to consider a number of technical issues, such as the size and weight of the helicopters that will be supported, including possible refuelling issues. This whole area is – quite rightly – heavily regulated and subject to a number of survey, design, certification and important safety issues. In particular, a so-called ‘touch and go’ helipad is one that is explicitly excluded from some of the certification and other issues, but cannot be used for anything that could be regarded as commercial use. One essential question regarding helicopters is how many helipads do you need – one or two? Personally, I think that more than two helipads is just showing off and is somewhat vulgar! Helicopters can range from simple, relatively low-cost choppers such as the Robinson R22 to more complex, powerful ones with greater carrying capacity. Realistically, the very smallest machines may offer limited benefit as they will only carry one pilot and one passenger. Therefore 4 seaters upwards, with some capacity for luggage, should be considered the minimum that would be of realistic use. The type and size of helicopter supported is an important design consideration for your helipad. Another key factor is – are you going to actually store a helicopter on board, or merely use it so that others can land their choppers on your superyacht? If the former, you need to take into account storage space, spares, fuel, weight distribution and even the possible need for a hangar. The writer must confess to an interest here. He owns some 9 helicopters. In case you think this is somewhat extravagant, I would like to point out that the largest is only 5 feet long. They are housed in a small room in our house that my wife disparagingly calls the helicopter room. Toys – going down Let’s talk about exploring underneath the ocean levels. There are three ways to do this from your superyacht: Scuba diving Scuba, assisted by a motorised scooter Submarine The first method is simply to scuba dive. Training via a competent organisation such as PADI or BSAC is essential in order to do this safely. The constraints are that unless you use specialist equipment, you are limited to 35 metres below the water for 30 minutes with a medium level of training and experience. More than this requires specialist training and equipment, such as that associated with technical, trimix, diving. Trimix uses a mixture of three gases: oxygen, nitrogen and helium. I would suggest that any superyacht should contain some basic scuba kit, and trained personnel, so that any underwater issues with the vessel can safely be investigated without having to haul the boat out of the water. Just a word of warning. Don’t ever call the things you attach to your feet ‘flippers’. They are not, and any real scuba diver will have fun pointing out that the correct term is ‘fins’. Likewise, the tanks on your back are definitely not ‘oxygen tanks’. If they contained pure oxygen, they would kill you. For normal scuba diving they contain highly compressed air. If you want to scuba dive, but move faster or further, why not consider some motorised assistance? There are a number of diver propulsion vehicles (DPV), also known as an underwater propulsion vehicle or underwater scooters on the market. These battery driven devices pull you along underwater. They are very cheap, only costing several thousand UK pounds. (Hey, we are talking about superyachts here, so this is cheap in this context.) They help you go further, and possibly use less air as you are exerting yourself less. Also, most importantly, they are great toys. However, in reality, these systems will only ever move you at 2.5 to 3 knots maximum, so do not regard them as an underwater equivalent to a high-speed RIB. If you really want to do a lot more underwater and do some serious exploring, then you have no choice but to get your own mini-submarine, or ‘submersible’. As with a helipad, there are a significant number of design considerations to take into account. In particular, the submersible needs to be stored somewhere;
An Interview with Boat Trader
The leisure marine industry has many different companies in many sectors selling a wide variety of goods and services to boaters and potential boaters. In this special interview, we talk to Boat Trader and explain why ‘Go Earth does it differently’. Something different Boat Trader: Martin, can you tell us a bit about why you started Go Earth Martin: There are two main elements to this; a link with the water and wanting to do something different – some ‘thinking outside the box’ – if you will forgive the cliché! Firstly, we have had a link to the water in one form or another for many years. We been boaters ourselves for over two decades, and I have been a scuba diver for four decades. Our daughter and son-in-law are both qualified PADI scuba diver instructors. I am also a dinghy sailor – or at least attempting to be! So, we got to know the vast variety of companies in the broad leisure marine industry. Next we decided to form a company – with something to do with boating. Initially we were not sure what exactly was wanted. One thing we were sure of – we did not want to do the same as everybody else. In a nutshell, we wanted to do something different that would ‘add value’ to the boating community. Boat Trader: What do you mean by ‘something different’? The art, craft and science of boat buying Martin: Frankly, at first we were not sure. So, we indulged in (cliché alert!!) some out of the box, blue-sky thinking. (Well, I did warn you about the clichés!) What we eventually realised was that we needed to do things that were of genuine value to boaters, which were not currently being done, and which we could deliver successfully. We did not want to be just another chandlery or another boat sales company or another training school. One thing that we kept on hearing was of people who were not quite sure what they wanted when they were buying a boat and how to go through the whole process. Brokers help, of course. However, they have to act for the seller, not the buyer. Therefore, a key element of our business is helping people with buying a boat, acting on behalf of the buyer, not the seller. Boat Trader: How do you do this? Martin: By becoming experts in boat buying. The concept is simple enough. Most people only buy one, two or three boats in their lifetime. They simply do not do it often enough to know all the things that should be considered when buying a boat. We go through the process time and time again with multiple clients, multiple brokers and multiple types of boats. As a company, we aim to be the expert ‘port of call’ (another cliché ?) for boat buyers. Requirements analysis Boat Trader: Is that all there is to it? Martin: No, not quite! As well as expertise, you need processes, tools and data to support the activity. As an example of a process, for our boat search, we typically spend some time with the client developing a ‘Requirements Analysis’. We talk to the client, find out what they are looking for, offer advice, and iteratively develop and improve the requirements analysis. This does require a bit of time and work up front; but – very importantly – it helps ensure that the client ends up with a boat that really does suit them and their needs. Note that this is the polar opposite of ‘Oh –I have just seen a nice boat – let’s buy it’. We start with the client, not the boat! Boat Trader: So the first step is the requirements analysis. What do you mean by iteratively? Martin: Sometimes, the client is not quite sure what they want. So – in our enhanced service – we might for example develop a requirements analysis, then do a boat search. After getting our written report, the client will think about it, might develop their thinking further, and might realise that they need something slightly different, or simply change their mind about some aspects of their requirements, or have a change in the budget they are willing to spend. We then (at absolutely no extra charge) change the requirements analysis and re-run the search for them. Boat Trader: What if they change their mind again? Martin: No problem. With the enhanced search, we will run the requirements analysis / boat search a third time, again at absolutely no extra charge. The important thing for us is that the client should not be locked into their initial thoughts. We want them to end up with a boat that really does suit their needs. Software tools Boat Trader: Earlier on, you mentioned that you used some ‘tools’ in your work. Martin: One of the tools that we use is some software that we developed in house. It holds an enormous database of brokers and others – UK and global – covering a vast range of budgets, boat types, locations and so on. During a boat search, we can input some key parameters from the requirements analysis and use that to query the database to identify the brokers that are likely to have boats that match the requirements. This database also includes, for example, user forums that sell boats, brokers who don’t advertise on the internet, some private sources, some not-so-well-known auction sites and so on. If you are searching for a superyacht, then you clearly need to focus on those brokers, not ones selling, say, narrowboats or river boats. The software helps us to this effectively and efficiently. Data Boat Trader: What about the ‘data’ bit? Martin: Easy – We accumulate masses of data inside our software. We use that
Doing the Shows – Southampton Boat Show
Doing the Shows Southampton Boat Show The UK is blessed (or should that be cursed?) with a large number of boat shows covering all segments of the market from smaller local shows (such as London on the Water, Bristol or Liverpool), shows focusing on particular segments (such as narrow boats or boat jumble) to the largest show – the YachtMarket.com Southampton Boat Show (or SBS for short). Perhaps unfortunately, the London Boat Show at Excel had its swansong this year; with no London show planned for 2019. However, the good news is that the SBS in September is thriving, and this year is planned to be as great as ever. Also, there are some great shows abroad, at many glamorous locations such as Phuket, Miami International, Dubai, Moscow, Qatar, Palm Beach, Kuwait, Croatia, Singapore, Sydney, Cannes and Monaco among many others. (Maybe it’s a matter of opinion as to whether or not Moscow could be regarded as glamorous!). Some shows focus on segments of the market, such as superyachts. We know what shows are like for us as exhibitors – in a word, exhausting! SBS is 10 long days, and with all the parties and dinners to go to, as well as manning (is there a gender-neutral word ‘personning’?) the stand we are exhausted at the end of it. It’s a hard life! However, this article is a short guide to help you – the client – make the most of your time at boat shows. KEY EVENTS With a typical (lack of) modesty, I have to point out one major event at the SBS – a talk on the central stage – namely the talk on ‘Buying a Boat’ given on each of the Fridays at 2:00 pm on the central stage. (There may be additional times / dates – but not confirmed at the time of writing.) Yes, I am giving the talk, so this is definitely one not to be missed! There are also other talks and events on the stage, so it is certainly worthwhile looking at the final table of events there. FREEBIES AND DISCOUNTS Of course, it’s always nice to have some freebies at any show. At our stand (Go Earth J425) we will be giving away special show issues of Boat Trader, as well as some other goodies. Perhaps more importantly, if you are thinking of buying a boat, we are giving free, no obligation, no hassle, 20-minute consultations on the science and art of boat buying. If you are thinking of buying your first, or your next boat, then this consultation should help you make the right choice and possibly save you money. Just come to the stand and make an appointment to have a chat. (We even provide settees to rest your weary feet.) Go Earth also offers Masterclasses in SuperYachts. If you have serious interest in us giving a talk in your organisation or private club, come and speak to a director at J425. Like many other exhibitors, we are also giving some ‘show only’ discounts on some of our services – in our case it is a massive discount of 25% on some of our service offerings. As is usual ‘terms and conditions apply’. Please note that most exhibitors mean it when they say‘show only’ – they usually will not give the same discount for purchases after the show. TIME Fundamentally, you need to allow enough time to really explore everything you want to.Let’s do some maths (sorry about that!). This year, there are about 580 exhibitors at the SBS. You are at the show for the full 8 hours. Allow an hour off for lunch etc. Imagine trying to do 580 stands in 7 hours. That gives you about one 43 seconds per stand! Of course, there will be some stands that you will spend much more time at. That might leave you with about two seconds per stand for the rest! Then, at SBS, there are numerous boats in the marina… The risk for you is that you might miss something really important and useful (such as, just for example, the Go Earth stand at J425!) What to do? PLAN The first and obvious thing is to try and plan what your focus is going to be. Are you looking for that new superyacht, upgrading some electronics, need advice on your first ever boat, buy some oddments for your boat, or just to see what is new on the market? If there is something that may be of particular interest, why not phone or email the exhibitor in advance and arrange to meet at the show. Many companies (including us at Go Earth) would be delighted to make a specific appointment, so that there is enough time to fully deal with your enquiry, and you can make the best use of your time. This also ensures that a sufficiently knowledgeable or senior person is available for you. The official show guide and the website can help you orientate yourself as to where everything is. LOOK AND TALK We often see people walking past the stands without really spending enough time finding out what the exhibitor does. Don’t be afraid to ask the exhibitor how they can help you. Most exhibitors are happy to talk to people – we are – even if you are not immediately buying anything. Of course, it is a matter of balance. Please don’t spend two hours talking to an exhibitor if you really have no interest. Look at the stand. What products do they have display? What do the background panels say? Don’t be afraid to stand and spend a moment or two examining the products and reading the background panels. You are there in part to get information, so take the time to do so. NUMBER OF DAYS Think about