Month: July 2018

Yacht Hull Cleaning, Saving Fuel & Improved Performance

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At the beginning of any new sailing or cruising season one can ponder is it worth all the hard work and cost to get your hull clean? >

Whats in it for you?

Extend the life of your antifouling and running gear
Reduce vessel running costs (lower marine fuel consumption)

Increased performance
Enhanced appearance
Satisfaction of knowing exactly what lies beneath

Owners who have a regular hull clean are thus getting optimum performance from their boats. By maintaining a good cleaning routine for your vessel one can enjoy greater diesel or petrol fuel efficiency, and prevent unsightly machinery/anti-corrosion system failure. Marine organisms love a grubby hull potentially hampering your vessels by blocking intakes/discharges, jamming speed logs, covering sounders, shafts and propellers.

Out of the water cleaning?

Regular cleaning is highly recommended using a soft sponge or cloth rather than a harsh removal aids. Sprays are available to remove black stains etc in order to keep the hull condition immaculate and prevent later hull growth.

In the water cleaning?

Dependent on size of boat divers can be employed using either a soft sponge, industrial brush; scraper or mixture of all, depending on the required effort to remove the fouling. They start on the water line making sure not to go above the antifouling, and onto the gel coat. Once the water line is complete they drop down to where they have cleaned to and work their way forward and aft along the vessel until they reach the keel making sure to cover and clean every fitting and section of the vessel. The running gear is then cleaned and inspected, all work is recorded and a full photographic report can be supplied.

Improved performance from cleaning is reported to increase marine fuel efficiency by 3-to-8 percent compared to bottom paint only. Also a clean hull is more likely to achieve a higher resale value.

MDL Introduces Freedom Berthing For Boat & Yacht Owners

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Well done!

MDL Marinas have done it again!

Yes they have added a new dimension to Berthing – Freedom Berthing

Richard from The Skippers Guide, asked Mike Gates what is Freedom Berthing?

Area Manager for the Thames & Medway Region, Mike Gates explains –
“We really want to encourage our berth holders to venture out on cruises in the knowledge that they will be able to look forward to an excellent standard of service at other MDL Marinas too. Good news travels fast and this is a really flexible scheme that adds real value for our current and future berth holders. Freedom Berthing is an extension to the popular Club Outlook scheme which has already been available to annual berth holders for sometime. The scheme allows annual berth holders to enjoy unlimited free visitor nights at other MDL Marinas in the UK. ”

So, we asked current berth holders what they think of Freedom Berthing ?

Paul and Jane at Chatham who own a sports cruiser at MDL Chatham Maritime Marina said
“We are thrilled with this new scheme and are already planning cruises to other MDL Marinas. The biggest difficulty is choosing whether to visit the South Coast or head further up the East Coast first!”

Richard from the Skippers Guide wanted to ask, which MDL Marinas can I go and visit under the Freedom Berthing Scheme?

There are three zones to the scheme which basically depends on where you choose to have your home berth:

Zone 1 Covers the Hamble River in the Solent where MDL has three marinas (Hamble Point Marina, Port Hamble Marina & Mercury Yacht Harbour). For any boat that is based in these marinas, then the freedom berthing scheme will be available in all the marinas from the other two zones (see below).

Zone 2 Is called South Coast Central and covers boats that are based in the MDL Marinas at Cobbs Quay Marina, Hythe Marina Village, Ocean Village Marina, Shamrock Quay, Saxon Wharf, Sparkes Marina & Northney Marina. Boats that are here are allowed unlimited visitor nights in Zone 2 & 3 Marinas & an additional 30 visitor nights in a Zone 1 Marina.

Zone 3 Covers a wider area and is called East to West & Thames. MDL Marinas in this area include Woolverstone Marina, Chatham Maritime Marina, Torquay Marina, Brixham Marina, Queen Annes Battery, Penton Hook Marina, Windsor Marina and Bray Marina. For boats that are based in these MDL Marinas, unlimited visitor nights are available in all other Zone 3 Marinas. Plus, these boats have an additional 30 visitor nights that can be taken in Zone 1 & 2 Marinas.

So what does this mean for MDL Marinas customers Mike?
The scheme offers greater value for money to its annual berth holders. For short trips within the zones, boats can in effect move between marinas at no extra charge, thus allowing for greater enjoyment of a wider area and more enjoyment out of your boat. For the more adventurous, there is scope within the terms of the scheme to cruise to other regions and incur minimal or no extra berthing charges.

What do we think at the Skippers Guide?

Fantastic guys! The Freedom Berthing scheme will not tie you up in knots! You have really pushed the boat out with this initiative. It will promote more MDL Marinas customers (sailing yacht and motor boat enthusiasts) to go out cruising. It is such a simple but effective scheme and we have no doubt of how successful this will be for your customers. The ability to use the scheme between say Chatham Maritime Marina and those MDL Marinas on the Thames (Penton Hook, Windsor & Bray) must be a great attraction especially if planned as part of an extended cruise or a weekend jaunt in order to see more of an area. Equally, for boats based on the Hamble River, the options to cruise to other MDL Marinas are extensive and given that there are MDL Marinas in other regions, the scope for cruising without excessive berthing charges must be a real bonus. Also your customers will benefit from an across the board standard of excellent personal service and marina facilities that MDL deliver.

Well Done MDL Marinas.

For additional information then go to www.freedomberthing.co.uk

Marina Developments Limited,
Outlook House,
Hamble Point Marina,
School Lane,
Hamble,
SOUTHAMPTON,
Hampshire,
SO31 4NB

Head Office Tel: (023) 80457155
Head Office Fax: (023) 80457154

www.mdlmarinas.co.uk

A Luxury Yacht Charter In The Caribbean

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A vacation to the Caribbean islands in a yacht charter is
one of the most enchanting experiences one can have. This once-in-a-life-time experience for the exotic vacations
can be made more entertaining with appropriate planning
and execution.

Yacht charter in Caribbean islands is a thriving
business. One can hire a yacht for a fee based on the
size of the vessel hired for the travel as well as the
period for which it is hired. The fee charged for yacht
charter also includes the salary for the permanent crew
members. In addition to the salary for the crew, the fee
includes provisioning allowance that includes food and
beverages, docking expenses at the various harbors, fuel
expense and consumables. Usually a specified sum is
collected in advance by the yacht charters and any
unspent money from the advance is returned back at the
conclusion of the trip.

As part of the planning process for the trip to the
Caribbean yacht charter, one needs to find to a reliable
broker who can guide us through the process and help in
optimum utilization of the money at our disposal for
spending on the vacation. One thing that needs to be
borne in mind is cost should not compromise for the
quality of the yacht charter and the appropriate one
needs to be chosen to make the trip an enchanting one on all counts. A broker can help us achieve this goal.
Among the various things that need to be considered
serious thought is the type of yacht charter one needs to
hire and the type of facilities one can have in each of
the yacht charters that are being offered for the people
on yacht charter.

There are a number of yacht charters on offer including
the bareboat charter, crewed yacht charter, luxury yacht
charter and corporate yacht charter. Even among the
bareboat and crewed yacht charters, there are sub-types
such as monohull, catamaran and motoryacht.

The exact type of charter one needs for the travel trip
needs to be decided and booked in advance. A number of things need to be taken care of while deciding on the
type of charter to hire on. A thorough investigation of
the types on offer along with its salient features, cost
impact and such other things needs to be assessed and
finalized such that the exotic travel plan can be much
more enchanting.

Monohull yacht charters come with a minimum size of 35
feet and a maximum size of more than 45 feet. Depending
upon the number of members in the party, the number of
state rooms, and the showers in the boat, appropriate
monohull yacht charter can be selected from among the
hundreds of models on offer.

Two tier and three-tier yacht charters can also be
selected depending upon the size of the team planning a
holiday vacation. The yacht charter typically has
adequate space to move about, apart from provision for
dining and rest rooms. The catamarans are one of the
types of yacht charters that can offer more fun to the
team. Most of the yacht charters have a speed of around
10 nautical miles that offers great fun for sailing.

Yacht Broker – Tips To Select The Best Firm

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How do I pick a yacht broker to sell my yacht? How do I locate the correct yacht broker to sell my vessel? These are questions that you as a vessel owner may ask when it is time to sell your boat. In my communication with sellers, I find that most, if not all of them had no plan when deciding on the brokerage to represent them. Their option was made arbitrarily it seems. When you are all set, you need to find a good yacht brokerage that you can depend on. Some of the factors that you should take into account are honesty, value and expertise.

A yacht is a huge expenditure and lots of people desire to buy one from a yacht brokerage. A brokerage sells boats to interested people for a commission. Clearly, before you consider which one to go with when selling, you will need to be familiar with the commission rate that they charge; it is a standard 10% in the trade.

Of course, you need to look for honesty in a yacht broker. Nobody wants to trade with a dishonest person in any way, but some people are extremely dishonest without appearing to be. Check out the history of the brokerage before making a commitment, and ensure that there are no complaints filed against them. The broker should be intelligent when it comes to knowing how to price your yacht. Your yacht brokerage should have a good grasp of the market and how much to value your yacht.

Always look for experience in a yacht brokerage. They should have been in the business for some time. The longer, the better, clearly as this demonstrates they’re able to stay in business. They will not only find a way to sell your vessel at a respectable price, but also be able to obtain the perfect yacht if you are seeking to acquire another one from a broker.

In order to locate the best yacht brokerage, you should shop around. Speak to several people until you get comfortable with one. Request and call up references. Never deal with a brokerage that is assertive or insists that you put your signature on a contract that you do not comprehend. These legal contracts are binding. If you do not understand the listing contract, you should discuss with an attorney. Also remember that purchasing a yacht is like purchasing a residence. You will want to screen the organization as you would a home brokerage company.

Here are some questions to ask while searching for the best yacht brokerage. Utilize this checklist to ascertain what Broker is best for you. I have also indicated our responses to each question.

Would you co-broke with other Brokers that may have a buyer who could buy my yacht? Am I able to get it in writing? We have it in our listing agreement; we continually co-broke with other Brokers. If you cannot get it in writing the broker is more worried about his commission; you could possibly miss out on a deal.

How accessible are you going to be to me, buyers and other Brokers?
We make telephone calls often to other Brokers and wait for days to hear back from them. My Cell phone and PC are always on; you can make contact with me if you need to; buyers can too!

Does your firm work at selling vessels full time or is brokerage just a hobby?
Many Brokers do it in their extra time like a hobby. If your Broker will not act for you full-time, 7 days a week, and holidays if necessary, you should select another firm.

What is the duration of your listing agreement? Can I get out of it if I desire to? Our listing agreement is for an initial 6 months. Our rule is that if you are not pleased with our services, we will release you at any time at your request following that initial period. Most brokerage listing agreements contain a notification clause in small print that says you are obligated to give them a 90-120 day written notification before you will be released.

How do you go about marketing my vessel? Marketing boats is all about exposure. It’s a well-known fact that boat buyers of today shop the world wide web almost exclusively for their yachts. Here you are! In reality statistics demonstrate that about ninety-eight percent of all vessel sales happen as a result of Web exposure.

Ask about the web sites the brokerage makes use of to market boats and yachts. Having your vessel on 10 little known internet sites nobody can come across is ineffective. Ask how the brokerage has completed SEO and what percentage of site visitors visit their websites each month via search engines. Roughly sixty-three percent of our visitors reach us by way of a search engine. It has been indexed by all of the major search engines including Google, Yahoo, Bing, Dogpile, and others.

Ask what terms the internet site is ranked for; our website can be Googled and located on page 1 for “used trawlers”, “used motor yachts”, “used cruisers”, and numerous other search terms.

Can your selected brokerage guarantee that your vessel will appear on Google page one? At our brokerage, we do promise it with each vessel listed.

How many site visitors come to your internet site looking at yachts? We often experience over 18,000 visits to our site monthly, many more than the Yachtworld website.

Ask if the brokerage utilizes the Yachtworld web site, the global multiple listing service web site. This website is the multiple listing site where we share listings with other Brokers. And yes, every one of our yachts is on there.

Global advertising and marketing is a big issue to us; it produces buyers. Do you know that we have had site visitors from as many as seventy eight countries in 2010 from countries such as Australia, Norway, Canada, France, Finland, New Zealand, Australia, United Kingdom, and Germany on this web site, just to mention a few? We sold about 6 vessels to foreign clients in 2010. Request how a brokerage markets and advertises worldwide.

Does the brokerage use direct email marketing? We maintain an email marketing list of several thousand boaters, most of whom are buyers. On a bi-monthly basis we email these customers with a publication about new yachts on the market, price changes, boating headlines and other subjects of marine interest. Your boat will be advertised here. It drives potential customers to the website.

Does the brokerage sustain a blog? We maintain a blog to help educate new customers to the boating community; your boat will be featured there too. It is also indexed by Google daily and creates lots of visitors daily. We write on the blog twice weekly. We additionally maintain a Paradise Yachts presence on Face Book, the social media site where we network with other boaters; many of our fans are boat buyers looking to find the right boat.

We are one of the few brokerages that make use of You Tube to market your boat through narrated videos describing her features. Your vessel will be featured here too.

Furthermore, we also participate in 61 additional social bookmarking web sites with the only intention of bringing the buying traffic to your vessel.

How do you keep me up to date of the progress of your marketing and advertising? At Paradise Yachts we often are told how other Brokers obtain a listing and don’t let customers understand how things are coming along. You will hear from us on a regular basis; about every six weeks. I enjoy sending you an email outlining how I understand the universal market, how many boats similar to yours have been sold and at what value, what the values are with vessels like yours on the market, if any yachts comparable to yours have entered the market and what if any suggestions I have to enhance our advertising and marketing.

How many boats do you maintain in stock? I prefer to keep from 25-35 vessels in my selling inventory. With this number, I am able to keep track of each boat’s monthly progress, look at the website traffic each boat gets, examine what other boats like yours are selling for and keep you up to date on her progress. If I kept more boats in inventory, and you could turn out to be just another number.

What do you actually know about boats; have you ever owned one? I have sold in excess of one boat since the purchaser did his research and sought me out because he knew I personally own a trawler. The buyer sought me out as a result of my boat ownership and know-how. I could talk the talk with him.

And last but not least, ask your broker for a list of boats that sold in the past year. Has he sold any yachts similar to yours?

In summary, don’t just pick the Broker that happens to be down by the local marina. He may spend more time on the golf course than you do. Do some Internet investigation and ask a number of questions to recognize you are getting the Broker who has your best interests in mind.