Just a Video to say “Hi” and “Thanks!” for being part of the Capt. Steve’s “How to…” boating group. It means a lot to me that you look at the site and I promise I will continue to bring you more boating tips as I work to make the site more and more a part of your boating life.

May all your drinks be boat drinks! I will see you at the Helm!

Port Lucaya … Island Style

If you like the Island Style then Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas is the place to visit.

Partially Laid Back Island, Partially Ft. Lauderdale Beach but with Crystal Clear Waters, Great Rum, Fantastic Conch Salad, Scuba Diving and Beaches, Port Lucaya is a great place to visit.

The People are super friendly and appreciate you being there.   The music is motivating.  In other words, it’s hard to stand still when that beat is going.

I was working as a Captain the weekend of June 19th, 2011 aboard a 44′ Sea Ray 2007 Sundancer with the owner and his son who were going to Lucaya for Fathers Day.  There was also a fishing tournament going on in which I saw some awesome fish including a 49lb Grouper (And others about the same size) and many 40+lb Yellow fin Tuna along with Red Snapper and other reef fish.

Port Lucaya … Food

I now have my two favorite places to dine.  Agave which had the best Yellow Fin Tuna I’ve ever had and the Most Yellow Fin Tuna I’ve ever had.  Also, for the best Conch Salad at the best price in the Bahamas, the Hut next to the Lucaya Marina can not be beat!!

Get Away and be private or join in the fun

It doesn’t matter what the reason you go there for, when a paradise like this is only 91 miles by Yacht from Boca Raton you just don’t want to miss it and when you are there, you don’t want to leave.

The movie I made was from my trip to Port Lucaya aboard the yacht “Pane in the Glass” .  Only one admission:  The Flash Mob was from St. Patricks Day, 2011 along with the Limbo King.

You Want Your Trucked Boat Delivery To Go Where??

You have a boat or yacht.  It is in South Florida and you need it on a Lake in Ohio.  Your choices are:

1. You could take it by water to the closest location and then have a helicopter pick it up and move it to the lake.  If you could get the permit for it, might cost as much as the yacht itself.
2. You could also buy one on the lake already, but you just haven’t seen one that you like and this was such a great deal.

So what is your other option?

• Why not stick it on the back of a very large truck and have it delivered right to the nearest marina on the lake or any other location that you want.

This is really the best idea, but it has it’s complications.  If you are delivering a center console boat, a ski boat. bow rider or even a pontoon boat, no problem.  They all seem to be designed for trailering.  But you take a 47′ Sea Ray 2010 Sundancer and you have now complicated issues.  You have now have to decide how to ship a sophisticated piece of machinery that is made of fiberglass and susceptible to vibrations, bumps, wind and debris.

This video below shows what it takes to ship a larger yacht.   You will notice that there are many factors to consider when shipping a boat by truck versus taking a boat by water to it’s destination.

A Trucked Boat Delivery May Not Be For The Faint Of Heart

First, lets take a look at the yacht.  You have 47 feet from stem to stern and a lot of  width.  It has two engines and some pretty cool running gear in the Zeus Drives.  You have a 13.5kw generator and many other systems in the engine room that can be susceptible to the same problems mentioned above.  Also in the engine room, you have four air conditioning systems that were not really designed to be bounced along the road.   When thinking about trucking a yacht, think about your house going down the road on a trailer at 65 or 70 miles an hour.  Add a 15 mile an hour head wind and all of a sudden your house is moving at the equivalent of 80 or 85 MPH.  All that “shake rattle and rolling” tends to take it’s toll on sophisticated equipment.  This is much more stressful than a rough day out on the ocean or great lakes because when on the water, the stern of the boat, where most of this equipment is, is the calmest place on the boat during one of these storms.  On the truck, it doesn’t have that luxury.  Every time that the truck hits a pot hole or bump at 60+MPH, it transfers immediately into the back of the boat and all that equipment.

I have found that there are many restrictions to trucking anything.  One important one is height.  Of course, height is a restriction unless you are willing to pay a fee to a  state to allow you to go over that restriction.   Or, you would have to reroute yourself to make sure you have  roads that are wide enough and bridges that are tall enough – or, no bridges at all.   It appears that the basic permit allows for 13.5 feet.  To accomplish this, most owners will have their yacht basically taken apart until it fits that requirement.  In this particular case shown in the video, it consisted of taking off the radar and radar arch along with the skags, which are the breakaway metal parts under the propulsion system.    By the way, the owner of this specific yacht also owns the trucking company.  It should be noted that just like your car or house, once you take something apart that the manufacturer assembled, you run the risk of it not getting back together the same or working the same or even looking the same.   This is an important decision that every boat owner must take into account when deciding to remove the top portion of the boat to avoid additional permitting fees.

Now, let’s add a little more stress to the situation.  A yacht is used to moving forward at a maximum of about 30-35mph.  If  a 15 mph headwind is adding on to that and you have 45-50 mph.  That is moving forward.  The hull is designed to cut through a wind like that, along with the seas.   So now the yacht is sitting backwards on a trailer moving backwards at that 65-85 mph.  If it is not covered in the back that is like sticking you head out the window of a car moving 80 mph and opening up your mouth.  Pretty soon you cheeks give way and somehow the wind starts coming out of your ears!   This happens on a yacht.  This cockpit, which is an open area on the back of the boat, is now being filled with huge gusts of air.  Sure, the truck blocks a little of it, but not  much.  The pressure builds inside that cockpit area and if you are not prepared, a hurricane or tornado effect can take place when the air needs a place to escape and that place is a small hole or window on the far side of the wind.  Bam!  Things start ripping and breaking.

For Your Boat Delivery…. It’s A Wrap!!

To try to alleviate this problem, you can try what we call  “shrink wrapping” the yacht.  You can see this process in the video and here is a picture of the final product.

This is a  great idea if you have a company that is really good at putting it on.  I’ve found that about 40% of the large boats wrapped are not wrapped properly and thus the wrap starts to come apart about 100 miles down the road.  That is what happened to the yacht in the video.  Just over 100 miles and a small area on the stern, which is facing the wind, opened up to let air in.  The air immediately started looking for a way out since it doesn’t like to be held captive.  It found that the cleats on the bow of the boat, which had not been sealed properly with the plastic.  This became a great escape hatch and brought all of its blowhead friends with them.  The back of the boat wasn’t the first to go, but the bow of the boat was.  After that, the airhead friends on the back of the yacht decided to have a coming out party and tried to turn the shrink wrap there into confetti!   To find a company that successfully shrink wraps a large yacht is worth their weight in gold.  Don’t question them about their price.  If you have had them recommended to you by a reliable source, jump on it, grab them and don’t let them go.  Most Yacht Brokers and Dealers like Marine Max will provide you with names of shrinkwrappers.  You may even find an advertisement on Yachtworld.com.  Just be sure that your vendor comes recommended.  You will be repaid when the boat arrives with the shrink wrap all in tact and you won’t have to have the interior of the boat completely redone.  By this I mean extensive cleanup such as black engine exhaust on your white vinyl seats and dirt all over your electronics and cabinets.  It truly can be quite a job getting things back to normal if the shrink wrap does not do it’s job of keeping the elements out during the trip.

All of this sounds pretty gruesome, doesn’t it?  If you decide to ship your yacht over land, just be sure to have it prepared properly.   Remember, a boat is meant to be on water so these extra pre-cautions are necessary so that when it gets to your destination, you can  have fun enjoying your boat.  Remember to always ask for a comparison of doing a boat delivery over land or a boat delivery over water.  The Real cost may be less over water.

Key West… Ya Gotta Go

I was in Key West on April 4, 2011 with a Client and his family.  We spent several days at Duck Key at Hawks Cay Resort just south of Marathon and decided to take the yacht to Key West for the day.  It was 60 miles and took us 2 hours to get there.  They had never been to Key West and they were in for a surprise.  Key West is a place that Pirates call home, Musicians go to have their music enjoyed, Friends go to Drink and Party and Fishermen, Boaters and Sailors go to, well, Fish, Boat and Sail.

Key West is best known for Ernest Hemingway, Jimmy Buffett, FantasyFest, Mallory Square, The Conch Train Tour and Key Lime Pie.  They have great Bed and Breakfasts, Marinas, Hotels, entertainment and Roosters… yes, Roosters.  They wonder free and you can actually have your picture taken with a Huge Rooster right at the end of Duval.  Speaking of Duval, you have shopping galore.  Regardless of what you are doing, you want to be somewhere that you can see the Western sky as the Sun starts to set and hopefully, you’ll have a drink in hand, a friend or  lover and some music playing in the background.  After that… the night life starts.  With some of the best music and bars around, you can’t help but have a night to remember… or at least Try to remember.  But remember, what happens in Key West, Stays in Key West!!

My client had a great time, and we headed back to Hawks Cay Resort for the night.

First of all, a PFD Life Jacket is a PFD (Personal Floatation Device) 

This just happens too often.  Stories about how a boat is sinking and the people on board 1) Cannot find their PFD Life Jacket ‘s 2) Cannot get them on because their are wrapped up in plastic or the straps are wrapped around them 3) Are all Moldy 

PFD’s are the Seat Belts of the water.  They can save your life and most people look at them as a neusense.  Owners usually know that they have to have them onboard and hide them away thinking that they will never need them.  They don’t realize that even 100 yards off shore, they can make a difference between life and death.

Here’s an example of the importance of your PFD Life Jacket:

My wife and I were anchored in about 25 feet of water about 300 yards off the beach in Boca Raton, FL one evening enjoying music and some food when all of a sudden we heard voices yelling for help.  With my spotlight I found 6 men in the water and their center console sunk with only the bow lights shining.  They were fully clothed which means that they had a lot  of  extra weight with their wet clothes and shoes on.  They had  no life jackets and I swear that one of them walked on water to get to our boat.  Two others held on to an ice chest and the other three were just trying to tread water.  There was not a PFD Life Jacket in sight.  I found out that they were sitting on the back of the boat, fishing and talking, when a boat went by and it’s 3rd wake had crested over the stern of the boat. 

Just a note:  When a boat sends out a wake, it sends out multiple crests, not just one.  In this case, the boat bobbing up and down between the wakes cause the stern of the boat to be at the bottom of the second wake thus allowing the 3rd wake to enter the boat.  All boaters should take this into consideration when you blast by a small boat while throwing out a large wake and thinking that they’ll be ok.  You are responsible for your wake.

It took less then 45 seconds for  the brand new boat  to sink to where only the tip of the bow was exposed.  I had felt the wake of the boat that had gone by and it wasn’t anything outstanding but it was enough that with those guys sitting around the stern, it swamped their boat.  Had I not been sitting there, the only other boat in the area, that 300 yard swim may not have been short enough for several of these people and the others would have been swept away as the current is pretty strong and it takes you directly to the Northbound Gulf Stream.  They would have all been lost, if from nothing else but exhaustion.

So, what would have made the difference?  I was told that the PFD Life Jacket s were in the head part of the Center Console which has a door handle.  When the boat sank so quickly,  none of them had time to open the door, go below and get the PFD Life Jacket s.  My guess is that they were also still in the bag that holds 5 PFD’s and that they were each still wrapped in plastic and finally, the straps were still all clipped, not allowing for the person to put the jacket on quickly.  Get the picture?  Even if someone had been able to open that door and take the container out, they would not have had time to take it all apart to put them on.  By the way, the flares were in the same room as the PFD’s Life Jackets.

I see this all the time when I get on a boat or yacht.  I start  looking for all the safety devices.  They are usually not accessible if needed quickly.  Remember, this is a matter of Life and Death, not just a USCG Requirement.

So what should you do?  Here are the steps you should take for PFD Life Jacket s.

1. Make sure you have MORE PFD Life Jacket s then you will have people on the boat.  Always think that if the number of PFD Life Jacket s are the same as the number of people onboard that someone or several may not find their PFD Life Jacket and thus be without one.
2. If  they came in a case of any kind, take them out.
3. Take any plastic cover off saving precious time.
4. Make sure all straps are free and not closed.  It may look better to have them closed or latched but better to look bad and be able to put them on quickly then look good and not able to put them on.
5. Place them in a place that would allow them to float out should the boat/yacht sink quickly.  This also allows for people in the water to find them quickly.  Another reason for having more than the number of people onboard.
6. Place your flares in an easily accessible place also, preferably in a floating container in case the boat sinks before help can arrive.

The stern of the boat/yacht is usually the first to sink so put the PFD Life Jacket s in the bow area or at least if in the stern area, a place that the top can float off and the PFD Life Jacket s can be easily accessible.   If you have a bridge, this is also a great place to put them and the flares.  A great place is in a seat cabinet where cover is not locked down.  The cushions can usually float also thus giving those in the water the ability to grab something until they can get their PFD Life Jacket s on.

There has been a recent USCG recall of a PFD Life Jacket. 

Here is the Link to the site that you should check out.  

http://bit.ly/fKsU4s                                                             

It has to do with the fact that the manufacturer threaded the clip that holds the PFD Life Jacket in place through ‘D’ rings, thus keeping it from being able to be put on. 

The key thing is to remember that you never know when a disaster will hit and your boat will sink.  Never assume that it will never happen, even when the shore is in plain sight.  Always have enough PFD Life Jacket s onboard and easily available.

So, How’s that Windshield Wiper Working For You?

During a beautiful day on the water, that is true, but in South Florida a rain storm can move in without notice. That leaves you out there and vulnerable. Such a small thing as a Windshield Wiper will make the difference between moving forward safely or putting yourself into immediate danger.

This is what you see during a heavy rainstorm

You would never consider driving down the street in your car during a rain storm without your windshield wipers on. When the rain is coming down, even an average rain storm, it totally blinds you from seeing what is important: Stop signs, Signals, other cars, pedestrians, curbs and poles. Any of those can turn into a deadly situation. So why do people drive their boats and not think about their windshield wipers? I’m amazed when I get on a boat for an inspection and checking for Boating Safety I find that the windshield wipers are either missing or in need of repair. I’m more amazed when I’m onthe water during even a short, but wet, storm and see people moving along without their windshield wipers and thus lacking the ability to see where they are going. Many times I’ve had to maneuver around someone who had no idea I was there. I’ve also had people radio me from behind asking if they could follow me because they couldn’t see beyond 100 feet in front of them and my lights were a great target.

And, The Solution Is A New Windshield Wiper !

Boating Safety should always be considered.  The solution to this problem is simple because most of the problems have to do with the windshield wiper blade and not the motor or arm. Simply by either calling your boat dealer and asking for a new blade or going to the local auto parts store and picking one up can save a lot of aggravation and maybe save an insurance claim and on the extreme side, injury or death. Here’s what you do. Take the blade out of the holder, take it to the Auto Parts store and ask them for a replacement. In some cases, you will be better off taking the complete blade off and taking it to the store. It is only slightly more expensive but easier to install saving you time in the long run.

After replacing the blade, test it. If you have a windshield washer system, use it to create a wet environment on your windshield. If you don’t have a windshield washer system, have someone turn a hose on your windshield while you test the wipers. Testing will make sure that the blade is making full contact to the windshield, thus throwing the water off correctly and making it easier for you to see. Never run your wipers dry. You wouldn’t do it on your car and so you shouldn’t on your boat. Running them dry does two things: Wears out the blade faster and can cause scratching of the windshield. That scratching, in time, can cause light to refract on the glass and cause it to be hard to see through when the sun is shining down on it from your bow.

A Windshield Wiper is such an easy solution to a common problem.

For Boating Safety Sake, change your Windshield Wiper a minimum of every year or season, or when you see streaks starting to appear on the glass. Simply put, a clean Windshield Wiper is a safe windshield.

On February 3, 2011, a young boater made a Boating Safety mistake that cost a 14 year old friend to possibly lose her leg but still lucky enough to be alive.

The headlines read:  Girl, 14, struck by boat propeller near Juno Beach pier, in critical condition

Updated headlines:  Gardens girl hit by boat propeller scheduled to have leg amputated today

Boating Safety around people in the water is First and Foremost!

Rule 1 in Boating Safety:  Never, ever have your boat in gear when around people in the water.  Rule 2: Read Rule 1.

Lack of Boating Safety: Here’s what Happened

It’s a beautiful day in Juno Beach, Florida which is near West Palm Beach.  It is a little windy and the surf was a little choppy but still a great day to be Boating.  Friends are playing on the beach, the driver of the boat has friends onboard and he wants to pick up those friends from the beach.  He starts to nuzzle his 22′ Cobia boat toward shore and even though the lifeguards were telling him to get his boat out of the swimming area, he challenges them by ignoring them.   I assume that he was thinking that he was only there for a short time to pick up his friends from the water.

The waves are building and as every surfer knows, they come in sets so that you can be in 1 foot waves and then a set of 3 foot waves will show up. In this case, the girls walking out to the boat commented on how high the waves were.  Because of their perspective of standing in the water and seeing the videos after, they were probably only about 1 or 1 1/2 feet tall.   It is very choppy and boats do not ride well in waves near the beach and it is easy to lose control if you don’t keep it into the waves.  They are only in about 3 feet of water.  Friends now approach the boat and start to get in.  The driver, trying to keep the boat from going ashore is putting the boat into gear to keep it straight.  One girl is starting to get in when a wave hits the boat, knocks her down and over and the boat driver throttles up to keep the boat off the beach and she rolls back and the propeller hits her leg, causing major damage.  He knows that something has happened and apparently leaves the scene, not to escape, but to keep the boat from beaching and also to get to the dock quickly to get back and help out.  The driver and his friends were not going to be able to help while in 15 feet of water.  The boat, a 22′ Cobia, has several versions and the police have not released which one it is but I’m going to assume that it is this version since it is the most popular in South Florida.  Please Note: This is not the boat, just pictures of a boat that I think is like it.  The point here is to look at the location of the propeller to the location of the swim ladder.   In a panic, a driver might not even see a person by the props.

  Here is a link to the article by the Palm Beach Post:  http://bit.ly/erY4JV  Updated article: http://bit.ly/hSb73t 

First and foremost, this is a strong case for Licensing Boaters.  Boating Safety, Courtesy and Rules of the Road should be required of all boaters.  Many don’t even know that they are totally responsible for what their boat does, whether it be what their wake does or, in this case, an accident.  I’m sure the PI lawyers have swarmmed to the girls side to get this business because there is no defense around it.  Friendships and relationships are now going to be broken, a girl will lose her leg, millions of dollars will be sued for and criminal charges will probably be filed for negligence, just because a few Boating Safety rules were broken.

How could this Boating Accident been Prevented?

 This could have been totally prevented in very simple terms.  I heard today that the girl will lose her leg.  At age 14, that is a very sad situation.   The driver of the boat wanted to pick up his friends on the beach.  There is pressure from everyone to pick them up.  Regretfully, most boaters feel that they can’t be touched so when being told to leave the swimming area by the life guards, he totally ignored them and moved in anyway.  By looking at the situation, experience would have told him that the boat is going to be pushed into the shore and it will be rocking and rolling the whole time.  A little more boating safety experience would have told him how much time he had before reaching the danger point based on the incoming waves and how long it takes for others to get in the boat.  The waves pushed too hard and the kids took too long.  Just by being out another 10 or 15 yards or at least tossing an anchor to keep the boats bow into the waves and the engine in idol and having the kids swim up to the boat would have avoided this horrible accident.

Final Boating Safety Notes

Here is another dangerous situation that I see all the time and have cost lives and limbs.  People sitting on the bow with their legs hanging over.  Think about this.  One wave, wake or sudden movement can cause a person to slip  off and before you, the driver, can react, they are under the boat and into the propeller.  If you feel the absolute requirement to allow someone to sit on the bow or on the side, make sure that the stanchion is between their legs so that they cannot just slide off the edge.  The best rule… no sitting with legs hanging over.  You don’t want to feel like this kid is going to feel for the rest of his life.

Every boater needs to be aware of their surroundings at all times.  In Boating Safety, you learn that your boat has no brakes and is not stable.  If you are going into an unstable situation, like this young man did, make sure you understand what is going on around you and that you, your friends and the boat are safe.  Make Boating Safety your primary focus.

A Lesson on Boat Safety

On Monday, January 3, 2011, a boat, fueling up at the Delray Harbor Club, a very good fuel dock, did not follow basic Boat Safety rules, blew up sending 2 people to the hospital and killing 1 person.  You can read the article in the Palm Beach Post.  According to the U.S. Coast Guard Boat Safety, there were over 2,600 boat explosions in 2009 causing some 5 deaths and 1900 injuries.  The explosions can be caused by many different situations but mainly from just the simple fact that they didn’t follow the Boat Safety with gas engines.  Remember that we are talking about Gas here, not diesel fuel.

 I remember back as a child I was at Lake Shasta in California sitting on the beach when a saw a boat towing a skier blow up with the parents and 3 kids in the boat and one kid skiing.  I remember people screaming and helping to get all the people to the beach waiting for emergency vehicles to get there from the closest town that was over 20 mountain miles away.  I don’t know the final outcome but I remember the burned kids and parents and the fear in the eyes of the girl that was on the skis.  

Fast forward to 2009 and I was moving a boat from Miami to Boca Raton in the evening.  As I was passing by the Haulover inlet, I heard a Mayday on the radio.  A boat, not more than a mile away, had blown up and someone had one of the severely injured people on board and was heading to the Fire Station at Haulover Inlet.  They were asking the Coast Guard to notify them that he was coming.  The process that the Coast Guard follows in receiving a Mayday call takes time and the person had arrived at the Fire Station before the USCG had even picked up the phone.  How that process works could be another article.  The explosion was caused by the boater getting on his boat and not following the proper Boat Safety procedures, especially for a boat that had been sitting for quite awhile, and starting his generator causing the explosion severely injuring him and several others including a child.

Gas engines in boats are not like gas engines in cars.  Improper fueling can create a bomb on your boat.  First, let’s understand that Gas does not explode, Gas Fumes explode.  You can have a puddle of gas with a lot of ventilation or wind and spark all day long and nothing will happen but take a small amount of gas that creates fumes in a closed area and create a spark and you will have an explosion.  Gas fumes are heavy and in a car they just dissipate into the air below the car.  In a boat, the gas fumes, being heavy, sit below the ventilation that is available creating a pocket of fumes.  Therefore, in a boat those gas fumes will collect in the bottom of a bilge and below the windows in a salon.  Fumes are created when gas is exposed.  It might be a leak in a fuel line or overflow in the carburetor but it is also caused by fumes that are generated when gas passes from the gas nozzle at the fuel dock into the gas tank on the boat.  If the gas intake is on top of or inside the highest part of the gunnels, the fumes can float over the edge into the cockpit or even into the engine room and create an invisible cloud just waiting to be ignited.  In a 1978 article in Popular Mechanics, the Coast Guard said that one cup of Gas is equivalent to fifteen sticks of dynamite.   Because of this, strict Boat Safety rules have been created and should be followed on every gas boat.  One of those Boat Safety rules is to close all hatches and doors before fueling.  Do not let someone enter the lower areas while taking on gas.  I’ve had that happen.  I am normally fueling up with diesel, which is a very safe fuel in terms of explosions.  It may smell really bad if leaked but you are not going to blow up because of a spark.  One trip where I was moving a Gas driven boat, we needed to stop to fuel.  I closed all hatches and doors and my wife, not aware of the differences, opened the door and went below.  After fueling up and running the bilge fans for awhile, I also opened every window to make sure that the lower area was totally ventilated.  I got my nose working until I was happy that there were no fumes.  In Boat Safety, your nose is your best defense.  As seen in the accident in Delray where the cousin of the owner had apparently gone down below before the ventilation and then, and the actual facts will come out later as to what really happened first, the owner either attempted to start an engine or the cousin attempted to start the generator when the explosion occured, he was below and his body was recovered 2 days later.  As a general rule, never let a person stay below when fueling with gas and definitely do not let them go below while starting the engines.  Had he at least been topside, he would have had a chance to survive. 

Even in 1978 they knew the boat safety rules:

1.  Before gassing up, always first shut off the engines and electrical devices.

2.  Close all hatches and doors so that gas fumes, displaced from the tank as gas goes in, don’t settle in your bilges. 

3.  Don’t smoke.

4.  Wipe up all spills.

5.  When done, let your boat air out by opening all hatches

6. Turn on all blowers and use an electrical fume detector if available.

7. Finally, sniff for any gas smells before starting your engine.

 Spending a little time, even 5 minutes, can save a life, save your boat and prevent a disaster.

LATEST BOAT SAFETY UPDATE:  Gentleman that was killed, after they took apart the boat and found his body, was down in the engine room with the hatch open.  They were putting in Gas trying to look for a Gas leak.  The Girl on the dock was smart and told them not to start the boat while fueling up.  They decided not to listen to wisdom and tried to start the engine.  The sad, but predictable results, followed.

  They are there for a reason.  Your life could depend on it. Follow the Boat Safety rules.

Yes, I’m a Yacht Broker and Boat Broker also

Many people do not realize that I am a Yacht Broker with Admiralty Yacht Sales in Delray Beach also.  It comes with the package.  Yacht Captain, Yacht Management, Yacht Broker.  The website is titled Capt. Steve’s “How to…” Boating and buying a boat is included in that. 

Why Use a Yacht Broker or Boat Broker?

There is usually a security with using a Yacht Broker or Boat Broker.  If they are good, you know that they know the yacht or boat.  You know, as a seller, that they are looking for the highest price for you and as a buyer, will work to get you the best price.  In the State of Florida, Yacht Brokers and Sales people are licensed and bonded so you know that they are not fly by night but professionals in their trade. 

How Does a Yacht Broker Work?

It is very simple.  If you are a buyer, there is no cost to you unless you build it into your contract somehow.  If you are the Seller, then your fee is normally based on a percentage of your sale price.  That percentage will vary with each brokerage so be sure that you are clear on the amount of commission youwill be paying as seller.  If there is another Broker involved then the fee is split between them.  Again, as a buyer, you do not have to pay the commission to the selling broker.

How Long Does It Take To Sell A Boat orYacht?

Its a matter of timing.  That timing can be controlled by you, the seller, or the market place.  The price you set to sell your boat at can make it sell very slow or very fast.  In todays economy, buyers are looking only for That Deal.  The one that they walkaway thinking about the great deal that they just got.  If your Boat or Yacht is stuffed full of personal items (Clothing, toys, furniture, games, water toys, fishing equipment, paperwork, boxes and a bunch of other stuff) and the engine room is not very clean and you have a retail or higher price, then it will be a long wait for a buyer to take it serioulsy.  If it is really clean, you can probably sell it at a higher price but no guarantee in todays market.  It’s all a matter of timing… The right boat /Yacht and the right Buyer.

I thought that I would post a boat that I just listed because I’ve created a Video tour of the boat.  I feel that this is the way of the future.  Photos are good but Video is better.  Watch the Video and let me know what you think. It tells a truer story.

Oh, and if you have a Boat or Yacht for sale, let me list it for you.  If you are looking for a Yacht or Boat, let me know.  We move a lot of Boats and Yachts because we are very good at what we do.  And, if it is a Sea Ray, all that much better.  You might say that they are our specialty of ours.  If your looking for an honest Yacht Broker or Boat Broker, you’ve found him.

Calling all Captains, Yacht Brokers and anyone else that needs to tell the world, or clients, who you are. Normally in this Blog,  www.CaptSteveRussell.com ,  I would not go off subject of “How to…” Boating but I have talked to enough professionals, network marketers, sales people, entertainers and anyone else that deals with the public to know that What I have found here is as important to you as it is to me. Why do you think that I have this Blog!!??

So, you are listed and working with a firm. It may be as an Independent, a Yacht Brokerage, Dealer, Distributer, Manufacturer, Retailer or any other business in which you are working with current and hopefully future clients.  But the question becomes, as the band The Who once said, “Who are you, Who who… Who who”. No really, who are you?

 When you approach or introduce yourself to a potential new client, that are asking that question. “I’m a Yacht Broker at Big Yacht Sales”. So???? How many Yacht Brokers or Captains are there out there? When you apply for a job and you hand them your resume, what does that tell them? About as much as the other 10 people have said in their Resumes!
How do you stand out in your industry? How do you make yourself ‘Special’ and show that you are an ‘Expert’ in your field?
There is only one answer.
You Brand Yourself!
But how??
I know you haven’t the time to learn how to do it all yourself and you don’t want to put out Thousands of dollars to have your online Branding created for you. You haven’t got time to be posted on LinkedIn or Tweet. You just want to take advantage of the Social Media to get you out there but not take all that time to do it.
The answer is much simpler than you would expect.
I’ve been introduced to a system that helps you brand yourself, gives you identity, gives you the opportunity to show your expertise and allows you to Stand Out above the rest.
I’m not going to spend time here to explain it to you. Learn for yourself by going to http://www.mybrandingsystem.com/captsteve. Contact me and then you can see what branding does for you.