It is with bittersweet irony that I write you, Phillip, to thank you for your advice. I wish I had taken it when you offered it some three years ago. You had counseled me on a range of cats that you felt would best suit my cruising plans and budget, not pushing any one brand or builder, but going over the pros and cons of the various models you felt might work for me. Sadly, I later found myself infatuated with a new boat and brand you did not recommend. Just before signing the contract to buy the boat I called you and you warned me about the builder and the design. When it became clear to you I was going to get the boat one way or the other, you recommended I get an independent surveyor to really survey the boat carefully before I signed the final papers. I unfortunately didn’t heed your advice and bought the boat “of my dreams” without having a proper independent survey done. Aside from having my share of problems while sailing and owning her, I took a huge hit when I sold the boat and “lost” over half of what I paid for her, not even considering all the expenses I had while owning her. It was painful to have three different surveyors tell me that I had vastly overpaid and that the boat was not worth half of what I had paid for her.
I feel stupid, but it’s so easy to be blinded by builder claims that I lost focus and did something rash. They say that hindsight is always 20/20 and I know that when I buy my next boat I’ll not make the same mistake. I sailed that boat for 2.5 years and got from Norway to Australia, and saw and met a lot of sailors/cruisers along the way. One thing was evident: A lot of people have made the same mistake I did. They think they know more than they know, and fail to realize that there are some truly expert brokers who really want to make sure they get the right boat, not the wrong one. It’s funny, but I would never buy a house without going through a broker, yet somehow I felt “confident” enough to do so when I spent the same amount of money on a boat. I don’t plan to make the same mistake twice, so for my next purchase I hope you can help me, so I can avoid all the trouble I went through the last time. My advice to anyone buying a catamaran, new or used, is to find a real professional, a true buyer broker with vast experience and integrity, who understands that counting happy customers is far more important than turning a fast dollar.
We had an outstanding experience working with Andrew Hodgdon to find our dream boat, an Outremer 52.
We were actually referred to him by several different people—clients who had been very happy working with him, as well as boat owners who were planning to use him to sell their own boats. After working with Andrew ourselves, we completely understand why he came so highly recommended.
We worked with him for several months, and from start to finish, he was exceptional. Andrew is incredibly knowledgeable and truly an expert when it comes to performance catamarans. He took the time to understand exactly what we were looking for, was always responsive and organized, and never made us feel pressured throughout the process.
Andrew went above and beyond to arrange showings for us in multiple states and even traveled to another state to be there with us for the sea trial. His expertise and guidance gave us tremendous confidence as we evaluated such a significant purchase.
The entire process could have been overwhelming, but he made it remarkably smooth. He was on top of every detail and made the paperwork and closing process easy, working seamlessly with his team at The Multihull Company.
What impressed us most was that he genuinely had our best interests in mind. And his support didn’t end when the sale was completed. He has continued to stay in touch and has made it clear that he is still available to help us if we ever need him. That kind of follow-through is rare and speaks volumes about the kind of broker he is.
Buying an Outremer 52 was a huge decision and a major investment, and having someone with his knowledge, experience, responsiveness, and integrity made the entire experience so much easier and more enjoyable.
We couldn’t recommend Andrew Hodgdon more highly. If you’re looking for a yacht broker—especially if you’re considering a performance catamaran—we would choose him again without hesitation. The fact that so many people recommended him to us was the reason we called him, and after working with him, we would be one of those people recommending him to others.
I highly recommend Andrew Hodgdon. He served as our buyers broker. He is responsive, highly knowledgeable and very experienced. He is also an excellent guide and counselor before, during and after the boat purchase process. If you are looking for a good-sailing cat, he seems to collect most of the available boats on the better-sailing side of the market. Top marks.
Andrew did an excellent job getting me started on my new adventures. Worked with my conflicting schedule. Is very knowledgeable in the catamaran industry. 😎
I recently sold my Lagoon 450 with the Multihull Team. I would highly recommend their services. The professionalism and personal treatment I received was greatly appreciated.
Great Service, Great People
Helped me through the process.
I would go through them again in a future purchase.
Successful relationships cannot exist without it. At The Multihull Company we base every relationship on a firm commitment to earning and retaining our client’s trust.
Advice of any kind is valuable only when grounded in hard-won expertise. It too, must be trustworthy. Trust and expertise define the heart and soul of The Multihull Company. We are a team of skilled professionals who thrive on providing expert, trustworthy advice and service to catamaran and trimaran sailors around the globe.
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