What Brokers and Dealers Are Doing To Increase Sales In a Down Market.

     The yachting world is one area of the economy that's taken it's share of knocks, when banks won't loan on homes, they usually won't loan on something as trivial as pleasure vessels, so what steps are being taken to try and weather the storm?

     Some unique and common sense practices are being taken to stem the tide of a volatile market, some you might find surprising. Most coastal towns and marina's need the dollars pleasure boating brings in, brokers and dealers depend on those affluent clients spending their money on something not deemed a necessity.

     From the sale of the vessel, taxes, slip fees and maintenance all bring precious dollars to local, county and state revenues, all of which rely on dollars spent by those in the yachting community.

     The biggest change since the economy tanked is legislation taken by some coastal states to cap the luxury tax or make the taxable purchase of a luxury yacht seem more reasonable by limiting the amount the states take in when a new vessel is purchased. In Florida for instance an 18,000 dollar tax cap was put on the purchase of a new vessel regardless of it's cost, that's a huge savings when talking about high end yachts.

     States like Florida in past years have let the luxury tax make most potential yacht owners stop and think twice about taxes involved in their purchase, now, those fees are spelled out in detail and limited to a certain amount without exception, all in an effort to rekindle the yachting business.

     Brokers and Marina owners are getting in on the act as well by lowering fees, making discounts for repeat customers and in some instances taking every precaution to limit the amount of additional fees normally assessed to a vessel when purchased or slipped.

     Actually, within reason, now is the best time to buy a vessel if you have the disposable income, why? The cost of luxury yachts have came down significantly, cost of slipping the vessel as well has taken a dip, all aspects of yachting has shown some sign of relenting to a more reasonable respectable cost that when taken as a whole means more affordable boating.
    
    
    

Speed VS Economical

     There are advantages to both, as you can imagine, speed is glamorous and appealing to most of us, however, ocean going vessels need think less about speed and more about safety. Most yachting captains will readily admit they would sacrifice safety over performance any day. Consequently, speed in itself can be a safety feature, how? Storms can whip up on the worlds oceans, in a matter of minutes the air changes, dense heavy air consumes your environment, the wind changes direction and before you know it, a gale has whipped up, wreaking havoc on your ship. Speed can help you navigate in an expedient method away from sudden approaching storms, in which you would otherwise be caught in with a much slower vessel.
     The more economical a vessel, say one that's full displacement with a bulbous bow, the speed is largely reduced, yet your fuel usage can cut in half, this can mean life or death on the open ocean. You may only be able to navigate to your destination at a cruising speed of 12knots or max speed of 17knots, but your pocket book will cheer you on. You will use less fuel and arrive at your destination on a smoother ride.
     Most ocean going vessels are classified in different classes of sea-keeping ability, some known for speed while others known for safety. Many yacht manufacturers advertise both, speed yet safe. The bottom line is knowing the capabilities of your vessel is most important, advertising a yacht as a "blue water yacht" or "a trans-ocean going vessel" or "expedition yacht" usually implies a slower full displacement yacht. Speed is often reserved for offshore vessels used for sport. Regardless of speed or fuel usage, safety should be the foremost thought when buying a vessel, are you going to fish with the vessel or see the world? Questions that must be answered.
    
    

The Little Yacht With A Big Impression!

     Sometimes boat builders try to trump each other by building a vessel more elegant than the next, larger than the last, impressing all of us by importing rare hard woods, marble and granite, however one yacht builder trys to keep its production within affordable means, yet offers it's customers a classy salon style only found in larger vessels. This boat builder "Keeps It Real" so to speak and keeps your pocket book in reality. If you want a classy elegant vessel that's affordable, safe and well built, contact Offshore Yachts.

A great example of a smaller yacht, with the finest upgrades, and looks much larger than it's size, check out the Offshore 48

http://www.offshoreyachts.net/index.htm

How Can I Sell or List a Yacht for Free, Without Brokerage Fee's?

     The yachting community enlist the services of yacht brokers because they are in tune with the yachting family, often expensive yachts are purchased by those effluent buyers upgrading to a bigger vessel, looking to sell the smaller yacht they currently own.  This transition helps the buyer and seller get together more easily and helps have a contact to go to when you have questions.

     But, what are some of the other reasons to use a broker; often yacht brokers are some of the most experienced yachtsman in the yachting community, they know yachts and often own one themselves, they have the knowledge about the ins and outs of a vessel, what each and every accessory is for and how it works. 

     They have contacts, knowledge and formal contractual paperwork, they insure your deal is on the up and up, less chance of being scammed either by buying or selling.  They know people in the business, marinas and local shops, they can help you get a marine survey without any hassle and they can offer valuable ideas to help sell your yacht faster.

     Yet, the main reason to use a broker is experience.  They know how to sell a yacht, they know how to market your yacht to make it sell, often times their marketing ideas are what helps sell the vessel, without them, you probably wouldn't have had the exposure you would have on your own.

     As far as fees applying to your sale or purchase, Brokerage companies help absorb the price into the final sale, often leaving you to pay nothing, if your selling, they will help you decide an asking price and help you cover the fees.  So the bottom line is yacht brokers help sell yachts on consignment and with their assistance your yacht sells, that's the difference, if your wanting to sell your vessel yourself for fear of fees, your fears are unfounded, yacht brokers charge reasonable fees and often incorporate those into the sale.  My advice, list your yacht with a broker! 

      

Yacht Broker Crime Blog

      Every once in awhile I like to read entries about crimes against the yachting community, some are funny and others disturbing, this article to me falls under the disturbing catagory, it appears the couple faced the ultimate irony, criminals hurting criminals:


Pirates May Have Killed British Couple Sailing Stolen Yacht

"A British couple were found dead on a stolen yacht off the coast of Africa after going on the run from the police, an inquest heard today.

Businessman Peter Clarke, 49, and interior designer Sharon Arthurs-Chegini, 46, lived a "champagne and cocaine" lifestyle beyond their means, the hearing was told.

Though the cause of the couple's death was not clear, they may have been killed by pirates or could have starved to death, the inquest heard.

The couple stole a luxury boat from Mylor harbour in Cornwall in March 2005 and sailed it to the nearby port of Fowey, where they were both arrested and appeared in court.

The pair skipped bail and police issued a warrant for their arrest but they took another boat from a harbour in Portugal and apparently sailed south.

Their bodies were found badly decomposed months later after the boat was spotted floating 12 miles off the coast of Senegal by fishermen on 7 September 2006.

Arthurs-Chegini's family have said the Senegalese authorities suspected that pirates were responsible for killing them, but the inquest heard they may have starved to death.
The bodies were severely emaciated and there were no provisions or fresh water on board.

A diary entry from Arthurs-Chegini from June 2006 described how she had little water and Clarke would not move from his bed.

Jade Dunbar, Arthurs-Chegini's stepdaughter, told the inquest in Truro, Cornwall, that her parent had lived the "champagne and cocaine" lifestyle.

"She played the hostess very well and always looked glamorous, she was always the life and soul of the party. She would not be content with serving wine at a party, she would always be lavish and serve champagne.

"She dabbled in cannabis and cocaine, living beyond her means with a decadent lifestyle. She loved boats and saw the lifestyle of having a boat as glamorous."

Clarke's mother, Sylvia, said he had served two jail terms for fraud and had "globetrotted" before settling in Cornwall.

"He would disappear for years at a time, and even failed to tell me he had been married and had a daughter, until the girl was three months old," she said.

"He lived his life to excess. He was always searching for something but never seemed to find it - he was charming and could butter up any female."

Arthurs-Chegini, a mother of three, ran her business Chegini Design from her home in Falmouth, Cornwall, and Clarke ran a financial consultancy from his home in Penryn, Cornwall.

The inquest continues."(guardian.co.uk2010)

*This article is an exerpt from The Guardian.co.uk

Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jul/23/british-couple-dead-yacht-inquest

Gaurdian.co.uk.onlinearticle.2008. "Pirates May Have Killed British Couple Sailing Stolen Yacht" Ret. 2011, July 11th

According to an Online Yahoo Travel Article "America's Most Shark-Invested Beaches"

     Sharks are part of the natural environment of the ocean, in fact without them, the natural order of marine life would be disrupted.  When we go into the ocean, we are invading their habitat, keep in mind that they merely have a curious need to search for food, all they were created for was to swim, eat and make other sharks.  Often bites on surfers or swimmers is not predatory, its investigating their next meal a common practice of sharks to experiment, check out this article from Yahoo Travel written by online author John Giuffo:

Source:
*This article was cut and pasted from a lead story authored by John Giuffo entitled "America's Most Shark-Invested Beaches" The following article can be referenced at: http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-40447719


"America's Most Shark-Invested Beaches"

By John Giuffo

Courtesy of Forbes Images

               By the time a lifeguard got to him, it was too late. Stephen Schafer was kitesurfing 500 yards off an unguarded part of Stuart Beach, in Martin County, Fla., last February when he was attacked by a swarm of sharks. “He got bit after he presumably wiped out, a very serious bite,” says George Burgess, director of theInternational Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Schafer was rushed to a local hospital, where he died of his wounds.

While shark attacks are rare, they’ve been on the rise, with 79 attacks in 2010—the most dangerous year for shark attacks in a decade. Here is our list of some notable locations for shark attacks in 2010 and 2011. Although no one beach is more likely to be prone to shark attacks than another, these are mostly part of larger areas known to be where sharks and humans come into contact with each other.

Surf Beach, north of Santa Barbara, California

Shark attacks are relatively common in the waters off northern California, but one attack in central California in 2010 drew a lot of attention. Nineteen-year-old surfer Luke Ransom was catching large waves in the waters off Vandenberg Air Force base near Santa Barbara, when he was attacked by an 18-foot great white. The surfer did not get back to shore in time and bled to death.

Courtesy of Forbes Images

New Smyrna Beach, Florida

There were 13 unprovoked shark attacks – one fatal – in Florida in 2010, statistically the most likely place in the world to get bitten by a shark. That likelihood shows no sign of abating this year. In addition to an attack on dive instructor Daniel Webb on June 12, the most recent attack was on a 19-year-old swimmer in New Smyrna Beach on June 6, the third person this year to get bitten by a shark in part of the so-called “red triangle.”

Courtesy of Forbes Images

Topsail Island, North Carolina

North Carolina has had a moderate amount of shark attacks in the past decade, including five last year, up from one the year before. One of those victims was Carley Schlentz, a 13-year-old girl from Greensboro, N.C., who was attacked near Topsail Island. She was bitten twice before she made it out of the water, and required 60 stitches to close the wounds.

Courtesy of Forbes Images

Fripp Island, South Carolina

Shark attacks are relatively rare in East Coast waters north of Florida, and in South Carolina particularly, but last year the state was the site of four attacks, all of which were non-fatal. One of those sharks attacked six-year-old Ella Morris, who was playing on a boogie board with her father when a shark bit into Ella’s leg and dragged her underwater. Ella’s father chased the shark away with the board and ran ashore to a nearby firehouse for help. Ella’s wound required 22 stitches but she survived the attack.

Courtesy of Forbes Images

Lyman Beach, Kona, Hawaii

Hawaii is also one of the world’s hotspots for shark encounters. The islands were the location of four unprovoked attacks last year and a few this year as well. Two of those attacks occurred within three days of each other in the waters near Lyman Beach in Kona, the first recorded attacks in that part of the big island. Theresa Fernandez was surfing in the waters off Kona when she felt something hard hit the bottom of her board. When the rear of her surfboard was pulled under the water, she paddled furiously to get away from what she knew was a shark. Luckily, Fernandez and another surfer, Alayna DeBina, both escaped their encounters without injury.

Behind Closed Doors, What Do the Pro's Claim To Be The Safest Yacht?

    Yachting is a wonderful past time, according to U.S. recreational statistics enjoyable by over 34% of  it's citizens. But, there is a dark side to ocean going yachts, often accidents are not widely reported because by the time next of kin are notified, the news is old and the media is on to the next item. Yachting is a wonderful adventure, one of the most relaxing and enjoyable events one can do.
    Consequently, when the weather turns bad, or the seal leaks, or the fire starts, or the communications crap out, or bad navigation leads to disaster, the fun past time becomes a nightmare.  So what can a captain do to make sure every trip is a fun one?  It all starts with safety and the captains knowledge or experience, without these two aspects of yachting nailed down, you are asking for trouble, the sea can be a cradle which brings the beautiful tones of aqua and blues, tinges and hues of orange with a gentle breeze speaking to your inner soul, or it can be a hellish nightmare bringing about the horror of damaging winds, monstrous waves, and swirling masses of water sending you into gouging reefs reaching into your hull structure as if invited.The bottom line, without safety first, most are bound to run into trouble.

    If one word could sum up safety in yachting that word would be "Prepared" learning from past mistakes, keeping your head in the game, if not for you, the safety of your passengers.  Learning what gear to take, what pre-voyage checklist have you created and stuck to religiously?  There is not enough space on my blog to cover all that is needed to keep your yacht safe, that's another topic.  But what do most experienced captains say when asked what is the safest made yacht?
    One yacht building company comes to mind, there relentless efforts to transform the yachting industry has been realized, they have received more awards for safety than any other ship company, they take safety to a level no other builder has to this day, they build safety first and their reputation and history proves it. The name of the company is called Burger.
     Burger Boat Company is one of the leading manufactures of well designed yachts, they have been building since 1863, yes technically since then! But, what Burger stands for is less about being noticed and more about what's underneath the hood.  Styling is important to them, but safety, or bringing home the crew is what Burger is all about. They build the safest luxury yacht hands down, no one and I mean no one can compare! if you polled most luxury boat captains, they would say Burger!

Check out this website:
http://www.burgerboat.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=101&Itemid=44