VESSEL ACQUISITION SERVICES
We realize that it is extremely difficult to find good information on boats. If you want to buy a $50,000 sports car, there are many resources, magazines, and websites with detailed and often cutting reports. If you want to buy a $500,000 boat, however, you are out of luck. There is a tremendous void of information. The magazines which publish reviews are so aligned and dependent on the advertising of the major manufacturers that they simply do not print criticisms. If you are to believe the marketing hype of many brands, they are all producing the best boats ever… but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. We spend a huge amount of time in boatyards and on boats at sea. We have seen the realities behind the curtain, and it often isn’t pretty.
Blue Element Yachting goes to work for you, the buyer. Our single focus is to find the right boat for you, with the right equipment at the right cost. This is a more detailed, focused, and buyer-specific goal set than a traditional broker addresses. At the end of the day, brokers are working for (and paid by) the seller, whereas we work for you. We'll coordinate with brokers as necessary, but will also bring a whole collection of additional services to the table.
OUR SERVICES
It is time that the marine industry had educated, informed, experienced buyers advocates. Blue Element Yachting is here to be an advocate for you. We’ll help you find the right boat. We’ll listen to what you want to do with it, evaluate prospects, and do some ‘deep digging’ with our marine industry contacts to uncover as much about potential prospects as we can. When we have narrowed down the field to a particular vessel, we will verify its overall condition, then help to get you the best possible deal. After the purchase, we can deliver the boat to your home waters, and we offer continuing services to get you comfortable aboard your new vessel.
Buying a boat can be a huge purchase. You should have support in the process.
Blue Element is a team of sailors with a tremendous amount of experience. We know boats, and we understand sailors. We have worked on and sailed on many makes and types of boats across a wide range of conditions and venues.
Finding a top surveyor is crucial in the boat buying process. Oftentimes, a broker will recommend a surveyor, however we highly recommend that you source your own surveyor. Blue Element knows how to recruit highly qualified professional and accredited surveyors who will make sure that your target boat is sound and seaworthy.
Sometimes it becomes advisable to enlist the services of engineers, architects, and/or designers. Specialists in certain fields can lend valuable insights as to the construction and sea-kindliness of certain vessels. For raceboats, the insights of knowledgeable designers can provide very important information as to how certain rating rules and possible future variants/trends might impact the long term competitiveness of a boat. Blue Element has excellent relationship with many of the most respected professionals in all of these areas.
Our team of professional sailors can add significant insights as to the sailing characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, and general applicability of a particular vessel towards your sailing goals.
Sailmakers and riggers can be important when considering the particulars of the above-deck equipment. After all, a large portion of the cost of a vessel is tied up aloft, and it is far too often ignored early on, only to be costly down the line. From physical inspections of the running rigging, rig surveys and the standing rigging, to detailed analysis of the sail inventory, Blue Element can help identify areas which should be investigated, and get the right people for the job.
Thanks to our long history in the sailing world, our extensive alumni network, and our numerous partners, affiliates, and vendors, we also occasionally have the ability to find boats before they hit the general market. If you have specific needs and/or wants, and you are just not seeing what you are after listed on Yachtworld, let us know. We have interesting deals crossing our desks all the time...
So once you have your dream-boat, rest assured that Blue Element is prepared to be an ongoing resource for you. If you need the boat delivered, we have top tier skippers and crews. Maybe the boat systems, that generator and watermaker and electrical system are a bit daunting. Or maybe you want to learn how to better dock the boat with just two people. Whatever the case, we can provide on-board, post purchase instruction and training.
Tell us what you want. Where you expect to sail. How often. With how many people. What is the budget. What gets your juices flowing. Often, the most difficult step in the process is honestly defining what you will REALLY be doing with the boat. We have helped many hundreds of sailors get to the essence of what they are after.
We'll make some suggestions as to types of boats. We'll start with a fairly wide or general approach to see what resonates with you. Maybe you like ultra-modern designs, or maybe you are drawn to traditional lines. Once we know a bit more about what you prefer, we'll start to target some specific boats.
Now is the time to learn as much as possible about the design, the designer, the builder, and the rigger. Time to get info from the people who know the most about the particular boat, but do not have a vested interest in selling something to you. We have ties, contacts, and associates who can divulge to us tremendous amounts of information regarding most types of boats that pass thru boatyards in the US. We are privy to much of this information due to our position in the industry, and can help you research your target boat in ways never possible by reading a sales brochure or sailing magazine.
Time to check out the boat. It is easy to hop aboard and be wowed by the great interior or the beautiful cockpit, but haven't you ever felt like there are probably things you should be looking for, but aren't quite sure exactly what they are? We will help you poke around the boat. We'll show you the good, the bad, and the ugly. Hopefully, mostly the good.
Once we have targeted the boat, it's time to make a deal. We'll help you get the best deal possible. We will tell you when we believe something to be a good deal, and if prices are out of line with expectations and industry standards, we will similarly bring that to your attention.
Most deals are signed 'pending sea-trial and survey,' so once a price has been agreed on, it is time to start the detailed due-diligence. We'll bring in a top level surveyor and enlist a boatyard to haul the boat. As appropriate, we can bring in engine surveyors, and a rigger to conduct a rig survey. You want to be absolutely sure that the boat is as advertised, and that there will not be any big surprises down the line. This, too, will save you many thousands of dollars.
Once you have bought the boat, it is important to understand the usage of the systems. We'll get you all oriented. Electrical, mechanical, and sailing systems will all be reviewed with you.
If you need the boat moved, we'll get our professional team aboard. And if you would like to do the trip along with our world class instructors, it provides an exceptional learning opportunity.
To engage our services, please contact us at your convenience. We'd love to hear about what you are looking for, and would be happy to discuss how we can assist.
