Berth Holders of the World Unite…
For those of us who keep our boats in a marina, we know that the berthing fees are usually our highest annual cost. We all – usually grudgingly – accept this as a fact of boating life. Berth Holders Associations can help us improve the marina and therefore the value we get from our marina fees. What a berth holders association can do It is true that Berth Holders Associations (BHA) vary greatly in their activities and what they do. The following is really no more than a set of suggestions culled from our own experience, the RYA’s suggestions and comments from others. Discussions with the marina management One of the basic jobs of the BHA is to liaise with, and occasionally negotiate with, the marina management in order to improve facilities at the marina. Hopefully you will have a co-operative management who will understand that marinas are to a degree in competition with one another and so it is in their interests to listen to berth holders and take their views seriously. Of course, the strength of any BHA depends in part on the number of members it has. In this it is not unlike a Trade Union. Therefore, continual recruitment of members is an important part of the role of a BHA. A sensible relationship between the marina management and the BHA will follow from the management realising that the BHA is in effect a valuable resource to provide free market research and to ensure that its ‘product’ – the marina – is and remains competitive. Discounts An active BHA should try and negotiate discounts for its members from the local chandlers, restaurants, cafes and other local traders. These discounts can be very valuable for BHA members. They can easily be worth more than the BHA’s membership fee, so that joining your local BHA becomes a ‘no-brainer’ – as it directly saves you cash. Yes, you can actually end up paying less for something – a true rarity in boating, as we all know. Social events Most BHA’s organise a number of social events during the year. These can range from formal dinner-dances through to BBQ’s and similar events. Often there is a start of season event and an end of season event. These can be as formal or informal as your members want. Sometimes these events help raise money for the BHA and / or raise money for local charities. Certainly, they are a great way for members to meet fellow berth holders and make new friends, as well as helping all enjoy life at the marina. Cruising events Many BHA’s organise cruising events – ‘cruising in company’. These are of course dependent on the usual factors such as weather and tides. Thought needs to be given to how you best mix sail and power, the routes, places to meet, communication channels, emergency procedures and insurance. And, of course, which pubs and restaurants to visit en-route. Other events This varies greatly from one BHA to another, but could include events such as: Demonstrations of first aid. Perhaps see if you can get a demonstration from a local St John’s Ambulance – or similar organisations. Talks and demonstrations by the local RNLI and visits to the local RNLI station Local traders or marine engineers may be willing to arrange demonstrations of some of their products or services. Websites Most BHA’s have their own websites, which can be a very useful source of information. The better ones contain features such as: Weather and tidal information Local charts and details of any local channels and other nautical and pilotage features, such as buoys, leading lights and areas to avoid! Notices to mariners Webcams of the marina Membership application forms Details of discounts Events – both boating and other, local, events that may be of interest Local facilities, such as cafes, restaurants and touristy things to see and do If you are thinking of setting up a website, you are very welcome to contact us for free advice, as we have a specific website design expertise. Some BHA’s make use of other social media, such as Facebook. However, your own website gives you control over its contents so that you can ensure that it focuses on information of most use to your members. Don’t have a berth holders association? If there isn’t currently one at your marina, setting up one is fairly simple. Fortunately, the RYA gives detailed instructions on their website – here. The initial steps involve getting a few like-minded people to start one off. If you want any informal (free) advice and suggestions, contact me at Go Earth on info@boatsearch.earth. We may even be able to offer a (very!) modest sponsorship to help with any initial expenses. Getting volunteers One of the challenges in setting up a BHA is getting volunteers to help with initially setting one up. Of course, you could always try the traditional naval approach of press-ganging. However, I suspect that this is illegal nowadays, so you may have to resort to, initially at least, getting a few interested people together to kick-start the process. Beer or gin and tonics (or even tea and biscuits) certainly help the process. Of course, after the initial setup, you need to recruit members and democratically elect a committee of the willing.
SuperYacht Toys – Part 2
In my previous article, I wrote about some of the ‘essential’ toys and add-ons that were necessary for your superyacht. We covered helipads and helicopters, scuba diving, motorised underwater scooters and submarines. As promised, this month at least some (not all!) of the toys I describe are quite sensible and affordable across a very wide range of budgets – so let’s start off with automated fender systems. Automatic Fender System These are systems that automatically, at the press of a button (such as on an app), lower the fender to the correct height, Then, when you leave the berth, they raise the fender and store it automatically out of the way. Are these systems needed? Of course, at this point, some ‘old sea-dogs’ will be raising their eyebrows as they much prefer to do it the old-fashioned way – by sending their long-suffering crew (often their partner!) onto the bow (no matter what the weather and sea-state) and shouting sometimes fraught instructions. Then, of course, you may have the issue of where to store the fenders themselves. If you are short-handed or single-handed, the situation is worse. It is obviously not sensible for a single-handed sailor to leave the helm while he or she goes to the bow to deploy the fenders. This is especially true as you are approaching the possibly busy entrance to a harbour or marina with some nice sand-banks strategically placed to trap you. It is not even sensible if you are short handed to use the (single member of the) crew to deal with fenders at a busy time coming into a busy marina. They may be better employed as an extra pair of eyes and for fending off. All this applies to more modest boats or yachts, as well as larger ones. For a superyacht with several deckhands, coming into port is when they are busiest.A full automated system could even save the costs of say a single deckhand – with significant savings over the year. A key point about these systems is that they are used every time you moor and depart the berth – so their ‘cost per use’ is quite reasonable; and the purchase price is broadly similar to the cost of, say, a tender with a small engine. Yes – just in case you haven’t guessed, I have to declare an interest. We have them on our own boat, and we were so impressed by them, that we now sell them. This has, I am convinced, saved me a fortune in divorce lawyers bills! My wife confirms this… Slides OK – let’s get back to playful toys. Having a boat implies a connection with the sea; and a slide from your boat is a great – and playful – way of maintaining that connection. Only to be recommended in calm – and preferably warm – seas and if you can swim. They are inflatable and certainly are a fun addition to a superyacht. They are attached to one of the upper decks and enable a speedy entry into the water. They are often custom made for each client. They should have a means of rapid inflation owing to the large volume of air needed and the necessity for a degree of rigidity in the structure. A bicycle pump certainly will not do the trick! You also need to consider the weight of these structures and need a hoist or similar to lift them out of the water. Tenders Almost any size of boat can support a tender – from a small inflatable dinghy to large RIBs with a cabin intended to ferry party guests to and from your yacht. One challenge is where to store them. It certainly helps if the boat or yacht has a garage (usually in the stern) to store this item. If not, then small tenders – such as inflatables or small RIBS can fairly easily be stored on davits. The two main types are: Crane types, where the tender is hung from a pair of small crane like structures. For a large yacht, this could be on an upper deck, where the tender can be stored out of the way. Davits affixed to the stern. These can either be of the pivoting type (‘snap davits’), or the sliding type. With snap davits, the tender is stored on its side and easily pivots into the water, where it can be detached from the stern, and an outboard motor attached. The sliding type usually stores the tender fl at, often covering much of the bathing platform, and you push it out to launch the tender. The real issue with davits on the stern is simply the space they take up. This is areal issue if you are mooring stern-to with a modest size bathing platform, as it hinders the way in which the crew can move around from one side of the stern to the other to fend off. One alternative is to store the tender face down on the bow. Provided that it is lashed down well, this may be viable for a small inflatable. However, it then becomes difficult to deploy (throwing it over the bow rails?); and you must ensure that it does not block any escape hatch from the front cabin. Truthfully, there is no one ‘best’ solution for all situations. Where and how they are stored is a matter of compromise and space. Companies such as MasterCraft and Williams make the larger, plusher, tenders that are more appropriate for the true superyacht. These can – and do – cost as much as a small sports cruiser; and are as functional, fast and spacious as one. Jet Skis While the purpose of a tender is mainly practical – to transport you from yacht to shore and back; the purpose of a jet ski is almost entirely for fun. They offer speed and a closeness to the water. Consider them as a motorbike for the water. Perhaps unfortunately, they sometimes have a bad
Boating at Goodwood Festival of Speed
There is no doubt that the boat show scene is changing. The very long-established London Boat Show is sadly no more, and many people are saying that the typical boat show format needs to be developed and updated, and to broaden its appeal. In particular, the traditional boat shows tend to appeal to the same sets of people and follow the same format year after year. In order for the recreational boating industry to develop further, and offer more to a wider set of people (such as you, the reader), then it needs to appeal to a new set of potential boaters. Indeed, unfortunately some of the traditional exhibitors are moving away from the traditional boat shows and not exhibiting any more. The Goodwood Festival of Speed (FoS) is addressing this with its new marine section. More on this later… Goodwood Festival of Speed For those that don’t know the FoS, it is the largest show in the UK, with over 200,000 attendees. Yes – it is about twice as many as Southampton Boat Show. It takes place on the huge estate of the Duke of Richmond, north of Chichester. The show ground is about three times the size of the Southampton Boat Show ground, with plenty of variety and action to interest the visitor. It has truly massive reach across social media, with 28 million video views, and 350,000 visitors to its website during the show. The FoS has been going for 25 years, and is supported by a huge, comprehensive and effective marketing effort. Indeed, the marketing is so effective is that they have to limit the number of tickets; and are sold out before the show. One of the concerns about boat shows is that they are somewhat passive. You go around looking at the trade stalls and the boats; but there is a limit to what activity you can see. Some shows have tried to address this by offering, for example, on the water experiences. The FoS is different – it also has some really spectacular events which are at the core of what it does, such as: Incredible displays by the Red Arrows Fast – really fast (and loud) – displays by the Eurofighter Typhoon Races up the famous hill climb course by historic cars, motorbikes, racing cars and all manner of 2 and 4 wheeled vehicles (although sometimes one wheel and sometimes six!). For just one example, the video of Terry Grant doing the entire hill climb course on two wheels – in his Range Rover – is worth watching. Please don’t try this in your local high street! Stunt bike riding Attended by many very famous names in sport, especially motor sport. Many of these people also have an interest in boating and may even own superyachts themselves. Boating? You may ask where boating comes into this. Up until this year, the FoS has focused on land and air. This year it is extending its reach into boating. It has identified that many of its existing visitors are also very interested in boating. Indeed, Go Earth has successfully exhibited there for the past 3 years for precisely this reason. It is not unusual for FoS to extend its reach. It was several years ago, in 2012, that it added the successful aviation section as an integral part of the FoS – covering both fixed wing and helicopters, as well as aircraft parts and the usual supporting trades. So, the addition of boating is a logical next step. In fact, many of the big names in car manufacturers have an interest in boat development; and there is cross-over between the senior figures in both industries. In 2018, Sunseeker appointed a new CEO who was ex-Aston Martin Lagonda; and the ex-CEO of Sunseeker moved to Lotus cars. A few years ago, Princess Yachts appointed the ex-MD of McLaren as its new CEO. This cross-over between automotive and boating is common and deep. Both industries have similar interests in technology, such as engines, engine management systems, use of exotic materials such as carbon fibre, the use of electronics and the provision of luxury lifestyle products. Even more mundane items, such as cleaning products and oils have applications in both automotive and marine. (Yes, I know that cleaning product and oil technologists will speedily point out that their products are not ‘mundane’!). The boating section will be a dedicated area, complete with a boating advice centre offering free impartial advice to the curious visitor and pointing them in the direction of relevant exhibitors. There will be a select band of exhibitors offering an interesting mix of stands and attractions. This will attract some new people into boating, as well as being of interest to existing boaters. Therefore, it will complement, not compete with, existing boat shows by offering a new and different angle. One notable feature of the FoS is the willingness of people to spend money! One stand, for example, sells classic cars – some costing 6 figures upwards – direct from its stand. By the end of the show typically over half its stock on show has ‘sold’ stickers on. We envisage similar results with boats. Slightly lower down the price bracket, we think that some visitors will want to buy both auto and boating products. Interested in attending? The next festival will take place between 9-12 July 2020. For more information visit the official Festival of Speed website. Interested in exhibiting? We have been contracted by Goodwood as the official Marine Exhibition Agent for the event. Our aim is to showcase the best that the marine industry has to offer and we’d love you to be a part of that. Please contact us for more details at martin.berman@boatsearch.earth
The Boat Buying Process – Getting Expert Advice
There is no doubt that buying a boat is not a cheap exercise. It is therefore important that you get the best expert, impartial, professional advice available. This article is intended to help you get that advice, covering the full end-to-end process involved in buying your boat- whether it is your first boat or your next one. I already know what I’m doing… Maybe you do. In which case, read no further! Or, just maybe, you can save yourself a lot of time, hassle, risk and money by working with the appropriate professionals. Go Earth can assist you in this, both by providing the necessary expertise and advice, and by finding you other required professionals. However, even if you are an experienced boat buyer, on maybe your third or fourth boat, can you really beat the professionals whose job it is, and who have done this perhaps hundreds of times? In fact, if you have bought boats previously, you will know from experience that you may have made a few, possibly expensive, mistakes that in retrospect you should have avoided. Well, let me assure you – there are plenty more mistakes that can be made! The role of boat brokers There is no doubt that the best boat brokers can be an invaluable source of information. They will have experience and knowledge. Also, if they are members of British Marine, they are expected to abide by the British Marine Code of Conduct. However, there is a big issue for the boat buyer – and it is best to be honest and upfront about it. The job of a boat broker is – obviously – to sell boats, and in particular to sell the boats on their books, or that they have access to. Further, the boat broker is of course under legal contract to the boat seller. Indeed, if you were using a boat broker to sell your boat, you would expect them to act in your interests. None of this is unreasonable or surprising. As a buyer, however, you need independent advice from professionals that will act in your interests – that is the critical point – and that is where the following services can assist you. This is not intended to be critical – merely a statement of the realities. A deal will be made simply when the interests of the buyer and the seller meet; and both parties need someone to represent their respective interests. The boat procurement process In our view, this typically consists of some or all of the following stages: Requirements analysis Boat search The initial viewings Boat negotiation Sea trial and survey Any rectifications needed Boat transport Sourcing other third party services General, independent, consultancy and advice Project management of some or all of the above Let’s briefly look at the first few of these stages: Must have Should have Could have Won’t have (this time) We use our experience and knowledge of the market to help build up the requirements; and give advice on what is sensible and viable within your constraints such as budget. Boat search Once we have some idea of requirements, we can start searching for boats that meet these requirements. I can hear you saying “Anyone can do a search on Google nowadays”. That is partially true – where the ‘partially’ bit is very important indeed. At Go Earth, we have built up our search expertise, using our database of thousands of boat sources (brokers and others) and our bespoke software so that we can do a more thorough, more effective search than any individual can. The outcome of this is that you will get a wider choice of suitable (i.e. meet your requirements) boats. As a result, you should be able to get more cost-effective boats – potentially saving you thousands or tens of thousands or… (insert your own numbers here!) As a result of this, you should be able to draw up a shortlist of boats in which – on paper – you are seriously interested. The next thing is to view them. The initial viewings The sad fact of the matter is that many of the boats that you may visit may not live up to your – reasonable or unreasonable – expectations. There are two ways to handle this. The first way is simply to visit lots of boats until you find one or two that seem suitable. This is perfectly fine if you have the time and inclination, and can travel to the boats. However, if your time would be better spent on other matters – such as running your business – a second option is for Go Earth to do what we call a ‘pre-visit’. We visit the boats for you, whether in the UK or abroad, and report back on them. In this way, you can eliminate those boats that would be a waste of your time. This second option is only worthwhile for boats of a reasonable value and where your time is valuable. Boat negotiations Let’s assume that you have one, two or maybe three boats that you would seriously consider purchasing – if the price is right. You need the most cost-effective purchases. This is where Go Earth’s negotiating service comes into play. With your agreement and authority, we will negotiate the price for you. Price negotiation is an essential part of the process. Brokers do prefer to be able to tie you down to a price as soon as they can. This is not surprising – it’s their job after all. Negotiation can become very emotional, especially considering the sums involved. Go Earth can help take the emotion away, provide a buffer and enable negotiations to be conducted so that you end up with the best viable deal. We also provide the broker with assurance our client is serious about buying – provided the price is right. In this sense, it is a win-win for all. At this stage, any agreed price is of course