What is Great About Boating in Essex?
…and other questions that I asked Steve Booth, motor boat and yacht broker.
What first got you interested in boats and boating?
I always like water based sports and when I went to university I had to choose between sailing and white water canoeing. I chose canoeing it seemed more fun at 18! After Uni I got interested in sailing. The company I worked for had a sailing club and I started dinghy sailing – it continued from there.
Tell us about your first boat.
Had a few dinghy’s including a Laser which was great. I then got my brother involved and we continued to dinghy sail for a while. We then bought our first proper boat, a Hurley 22. Went down to Gosport and bought it off a retired Navy Commander. The boat has been used by the navy cadets. It was a great little boat but too small and wet; there we were wrapped up in fully wet weather gear and the guys on the 35 footer swanned past in T-shirts sipping their G&T’s.
What’s your current boat?
I do not have a boat! My brother recently moved to Devon and we always shared boats and the cost – so no boat at the moment. The last boat we had was a Scanmar 40 a lovely fin keel yacht which I sailed across to St Lucia in the 2000 ARC.
How long have you been a broker and what made you choose Boatshed?
Since 2006. We researched a few options and decided Boatshed looked to be the more progressive company. We felt also that the website was excellent and the plans to continue to develop and grow the franchise would be of benefit to all of us. We thought we would sell more boat by choosing Boatshed and I am sure we were correct.
What are the more challenging aspects of what you do?
Getting boats to list, and after that it is getting the owners to let us advertise them at a sensible price. If we achieve both of those the boat will sell. There are of course a few challenging “high maintenance” customers along the way.
What is the best thing about your job?
I like working in the marine environment, there are some great people around. Also like being my own boss I haven’t been “employed” for over 12 years and I couldn’t go back to it now! When everything goes well and the customers are happy it is very rewarding.
What is great about boating in Essex?
This coast has so many interesting places to visit by boat. There are numerous rivers and marinas, too many to mention. Then add to this our ideal location for trips to the continent.. The sailing on this coast is great fun and to some extent quite challenging; the Essex coast has a lot of sandbanks out to sea and plenty going on with the tides – It’s said if you learn to sail on the East Coast you can sail anywhere and I think there is a lot of truth in that.
Do you have any advice for someone thinking of selling their boat?
Come to Boatshed Essex. OK, also tidy the blooming thing up before you ask us to list it!
Find out the unique advantages of selling your boat with Boatshed here: Sell my boat.
Find out what Steve did before he was a yacht broker in an Interview With Steve Booth.
If you have a boating or sailing story to tell contact us: we’d be happy to share it on our blog.
You may also like:
Thinking about selling your boat? / Essex Boys to Sail Around Britain / Fambridge Yacht Haven – new developments / A slideshow of our boat of the moment.
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