Seattle Skipper

In the boating industry, reputation is everything. The boating industry is small and people talk — particularly when we are talking about brokers who rely on relationships.

When I decided to sell my boat, I reached out to someone I had known through the industry for years and asked if they wanted to list. I specifically asked this question: My realtors only get 6% commission on a house when they sell it — and they typically have to split that with another agent and brokers. Why should you get 10% commission for selling my boat?

They gave me a ton of reasons why they do much more work than a realtor and at smaller numer of deals. My broker did do some work for me and I’ll state that up front. They said if I listed with them they would take my boat over to the mechanic to get it fixed. And they did that. But I also tried getting this thing on the market as early as June that year and they waited until my boat work was done before listing it. I gave them a big list of things that needed attention and I would pay if they could take care of that stuff while I was out of town. Nothing got done. My boat was never cleaned. after the work was completed my bilge looked aweful and the whole boat needed a cleaning. He took pictures as it was and listed it looking like a dejected boat. Anyone that knows me knows I’ve taken care of my boat and kept my bilge spotless and dry. Now it was a mess and listed for sale with pictures as such.

My broker then took my listing offline right as we approached the busy part of the year to sell my boat. He did so claiming I needed a new listing agreement. I was livid! It was the last straw and I changed brokers because of this. So what did my old broker do when I switched to the new broker? He marked the boat as “sold” on boatwizard (think of it as carfax for boats) for basically 2/3’s of my asking price — making this boat look like a “flip” rather than a well cared for one-owner boat.

I found this out because my new broker is a wizard. He not only had the boat cleaned but he did some of the work himself. He’s had boat captains working on the boat, he’s had new photos taken. He had a mobile machanic come over to look at one of the issues I had. He’s ready to schedule detailers and bottom cleaning as necessary after the mechanic is done. This guy is incredible! Compared to my last broker, this guy is simply the best! my new broker is reaching out to BoatWizard to get the report fixed.

I’ll be reaching out to an attorney and to the NYBA ethics board regarding my experience. Be careful who you chose as a broker!

Be VERY careful who you sign up as a boat broker. Are they going to want to do any real work to sell your boat or do they just want to to collect a 10% commission for doing absolutely nothing but showing the boat and signing agreements?

I’m going to warn all my friends in the yacht clubs against using a particular outfit that has been absolutely miserable in my experience.

My guy literally took my listing down at peak season to try and get me to sign a new agreement without doing any work. No new photos. No work to make the boat more marketable. Nothing.

Incredible destruction at Horseshoe Bay marina from windstorm. BC Ferries cancelled to Sunshine Coast BC #bcstorm #Video courtesy Carolyn Michie... Colleen Craig writes "wind is destroying most of the boat moorings at hsb terminal there are boats and debris everywhere..not safe...be safe and hope the wind leaves soon.." Maggie Thors writes: "Well this may be why Langdale ferry isn't going... they've closed the terminal and evacuated everyone." Hugh Macaulay writes: "in the channel between Gambier and the mainland there was a bank of wind-whipped mist about 50 feet high. Incredible."

Make sure to secure your boats!

We're hearing from the National Weather Service that we should expect strong winds overnight with potential gusts in the 40-50 mph range. Now is a good time to charge your phones and check those flashlights!

We have another wind storm coming up Thursday according to the national weather service.

Just a reminder to make sure your boat, floatation devices and accessories are tied and secure. Clear any items you might have on the dock to reduce trip hazards or blowing debris. You might consider helping to secure items at your neighbors boat as well.

In the event of a power outage, you may want to inspect your boat and breakers once the power is restored.

National Weather Service Watch Warning Advisory Summary The National Weather Service is your best source for complete weather forecast and weather related information on the web!