And Tom, the latest member of the Sea Ventures team, has his reasons for thinking this.
“As the last of the mild weather disappears and the long nights take over, one of the top 5 customer lines us brokers hear has to be – “I’ve got time on my side – I think I’ll wait until the Spring to buy.” A natural sentiment undoubtedly – why wouldn’t you hide away for the Winter, re-surfacing come early Spring to buy your dream yacht? Nobody in their right mind would want to get out on the water prior to Easter, let alone pay storage and maintenance charges for the best part of half a year!
Right?
Well, NO! – in our experience, WRONG! We consistently see a more satisfied and better prepared customer who has made the decision to buy during the winter period.
For what reasons?…. well for a start:
1) More choice. The majority of Vendors will place yachts on the market at the end of the season -it is far easier to winterise ashore with a broker in the Autumn, rather than fit around viewings during the Summer when all you want to do is go boating! An upgrade is still the primary reason for selling, and it makes sense for motivated Vendors to market at the start of the Winter to give themselves the best opportunity to be into a new boat for the Spring.
2) More time. You may be lucky and know exactly the model of yacht you want – however, for the vast majority of buyers, the current market offers a huge diversity of options. Does it not make sense to give yourself the maximum timescale to research the market and find the best boat for you? We see a common scenario every year – a buyer believes he has time on his side and intends to look in earnest in April, but finds all the best boats are being snapped up before they can be viewed. Frequently, a lot of the season has gone when the right yacht is found, and that’s before the sales process has even started!
3) More confidence. All boats are different, and it takes time to feel confident with their characteristics. Which direction is the prop walk? When do I have to reef? How does it handle in following seas? It can commonly take at least 2-3 months for your average coastal sailor to be in harmony with their new yacht. So we say – there is no better time to do this than during the Winter! The UK’s waters are significantly quieter, and the majority of marina based yachts are ashore, providing numerous empty berths in which to practice your parking……..! Utilizing this Winter period really does provide the platform to hit the Easter period with confidence.
4) Better preparation. Maybe the boat you buy has every piece of equipment you want, but in our experience this is rare. There is nearly always some electronics that need replacing, a sail that needs re-stitching or a stanchion that needs re-bedding. Again, buying through the Winter allows you the time period to complete this work at your leisure. Left until the Spring, many buyers are having to leave an ever increasing number of desperate messages for a sub-contractor to complete THAT job prior to a precious week off!
5) Better berthing. Many UK marinas are actively trying to encourage yachts into their marinas during the winter period – they have spaces available as boats are laid up ashore, and it is a great opportunity to sell their services to secure an annual berthing contract. Daily rates are often considerably less than during the Summer, especially for a commitment of 3 months or more. Cost can sometimes be very close to that of storage ashore! It’s a great opportunity to experience your preferred marina prior to the commitment of an annual contract.
Hopefully we can encourage you to see the sense in getting out on that cold December Saturday to view some boats. If nothing else, we brokers are generally quieter meaning you stand a better chance of being made a cup of coffee…….”
Tom Edgington
