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.
Your team delivered on every mark. You’ve got an amazing broker in Mark Wattrus and I’m confident you will have continued success moving forward together. He was available 24/7 whenever I had questions. We had a great initial visit on the boat and his marketing plan and photos were superb
I bought a yacht that I had never seen. I did this because I trusted my broker Andrew Holland. It was not an easy job for Andrew, as I am an experienced boat builder and owner of previous yachts, but work in West Africa. Imagine how hard it was to communicate what I was looking for. Andrew came up with exactly what I wanted. He dealt with time delays, all my questions at odd hours, and was there for the survey. He reported honestly and professionally. After buying the yacht, I arrived at the boat on a Sunday night, after dark, after travelling from West Africa to the Caribbean, and found it was better than expected. He never pulled punches and made me aware of shortfalls. I expected to spend my one month leave working on the boat, but actually spent less than one week, and was able to spend 3 weeks sailing – wonderful bonus.
Thank you Andrew for putting up with all my questions, all my worries and all my crazy out of the time zone concerns – you were totally professional, but also I know that if and when we meet up, it will be like a friend finally meeting. You are always welcome on Aseka.
Outstanding company with professional subject matter experts. If I were to buy or sell cruising sailboat, particularly a catamaran, Andrew would be my go to broker.
I have been sailing since I was a child and attended Massachusetts Maritime Academy. But when my wife and I began the process of purchasing an ocean cruising/racing catamaran, I realized that this is a world unto itself. Obviously, we needed to find someone knowledgeable to help us make an informed decision. More importantly, we needed someone honest and willing to put our interests before his or her own. I was lucky to work with Phil Berman at The Multihull Company. He repeatedly shunned the fast buck, choosing instead to work the long road to connect us with the “perfect boat”. I would be glad to recommend Phil and his company to anyone planning to purchase or sell a performance sailing machine.
Andrew Hodgdon was our broker when we bought our 2018 Lagoon 450F in Antigua in April 2922. He provided great service and was very attentive to our needs. We would highly recommend Andrew and the Multihull Company.
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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