Howdy...

I'm in the next stage of our boat search, with very encouraging results.
We've found several boats which work for us; the next step is to continue
with the trip(s) to the rest of the close to 200 candidates identified in
this last research. I'll expand on that in a separate post.

However, on the subject of the Chesapeake Bay portion of this search
segment:

Just a followup to my original message of a couple of weeks ago.

Quick synopsis of befo I'd been led to believe (mistakenly) that I
might have to go to each individual broker in the Chesapeake Bay area in
order to look at the boats I'd selected. By way of background, I'm out
looking while my wife stays in the salt mines; I start with a thoroughly
researched list, and when I'm on a boat, I take detailed notes on the
YachtWorld listing page that I've printed out for the purpose, in order
to keep the large number of boats I've seen straight. I also video,
along with write a 6-page report on, those I think are good candidates
for purchase, in order to back up the notes with visual observations
when I'm bringing the results home... Following the original post of
this title, I received some recommendations of brokers, one of which was
duplicated, so that's the broker I selected.

I called the office. The recommended broker was not available at the
time, "but I'm his partner" was. "We work together." Of course...

Sure enough, when I identified what I had in mind (seeing all the boats
in the area around Annapolis and the Eastern Shore, with my prepared
list), the partner asked me a few questions about what our sailing
objectives were, and reassured me that they'd eagerly work with me,
including the weekend in between when I arrived and before I expected to
have finished the list. By agreement, I sent him the spreadsheet of the
listings in which I had an interest.

On arrival, we reviewed my list. He (the partner with whom I was to
work) had cut it in less than half based on assumptions which he'd made;
we succeeded in restoring most of it after discussion which revealed the
inadvisability of the assumptions. He also observed that for some of
the further boats, he'd 'send me off on my own with a ham sandwich' and
directions and setting up the showing with the other broker. I found
that reasonable, given the couple of far-flung instances.

So, we set to work on Wednesday morning (he never could be there earlier
than 9:30). One of the boats on my list had just had an offer accepted,
and a survey done, and a counter offer made. He agreed that we should
still see this boat, which we did, in the pouring rain, as one never
knows what will happen to a deal in process. It was one in which I did
a video and writeup (the following day, when there was some sunshine!).
That's something I'd not do unless I would consider purchase of that
type of boat, even if that one were to be sold, and I do it in order to
document not only a specific boat, but a boat type, since we're still
trying to find a boat I can fit on. Since he knew that I didn't video
anything which wasn't a potential for purchase, and I'd done a couple of
other video and reports, I expect he felt he had a "live one". However,
I sensed a growing irritation that I'd not made an offer on this boat.
Since there was an active, accepted contract in place, even if I'd been
moved to make an offer, I felt that I was not in a position to do so
until the buyer asked for his deposit to be returned. For what it's
worth, the buyer was still actively pursuing the boat's purchase through
my departure from the area nearly a week later. Despite that, he
actively (politely stated) solicited a contract from me for that boat.

In any event, Friday afternoon arrived, and after we'd arrived back in
the office to review our progress, the partner announced, in effect
(paraphrased), "I've shown you the best boat for you" (the one with the
contract in place). "If you don't buy that boat, I don't have any use
for you. Just go ahead and go direct on the rest of the boats. If you
want to see the rest of these in Annapolis, you're an idiot. You can go
direct on those. I don't want to go to the Eastern Shore, so just go
ahead and see *those* on your own. Call me on Monday and let me know
how you made out. Maybe we can see the XXX then." (The XXX is another
boat which had a sistership in horrible condition, but which appeared
might work for us, so he'd apparently felt there was some merit to
keeping that one open.)

Well, you can (if you realize it's Friday night and no arrangements with
any other brokers have been made!) imagine I was not a very happy camper
at that point. I'm faced with sitting in a hotel, trying to find
brokers to talk to, on a Saturday morning, when, if they *do* come in,
it's usually not until 10 or later. Never mind what might be the end
result on Sunday, with no prior commitments to meet, nor that I'd
specifically covered this broker's willingness to work on the weekends
and cover the area involved, when making the selection of who to work
with...

So, as you might conclude, I'm not pleased with this broker (the partner
to the one I'd had two referrals into). Given that I'm not one to point
fingers, I'll only say that if you want to know who it is, drop me a
line off-list.

Now for the good news, and a recommendation, including a couple of
stories: Scrambling as hard as I could to make it happen, one of the
listing sheets I'd made up had a broker who listed his cell phone as
part of the listing information. I reached him, and made arrangements to
see most of the boats on the Eastern Shore. The others I managed to
track down on my own, not even involving a broker (they turned out to be
boats which would not work for us), by going to yards in which they were
placed (having had that information from the original broker, before he
pulled the plug). The broker I worked with on the Eastern Shore, and
fervently wished I'd called to begin with, was Frank Gary, of Bristol
Yachts in Annapolis. I found him to be totally professional in every
regard. I later got to visit him in his Annapolis office, and while
there, noted that he was a past broker of the year. I'm not
surprised...

In the course of working with him on the Eastern Shore, he explored our
objectives, budget, time frame, and all the other things a good
salesperson would do. In addition to a professional appearance and
demeanor (definitely not the case with the prior), his objective (at
least as far as anything I could see, certainly) was to be the best
possible representative of the boats available, whether his or other
companies' listings, without in any way attempting to push or bend our
objectives, and offered two telling pieces of advice. The first was
that I should absolutely not make an offer on any boat which didn't
reach out and grab me and not let go. The second is that I should
ignore the price shown in making any offer. He followed the second with
the observation that too many buyers had ignored his answer to their
"What do you think I should offer for this boat?" and offered far less -
with a resulting sale with no counter. (In case it's not readily
apparent, this is *not* the presentation being made by the other
broker.) Wow. What a refreshing contrast! Jumping out of time
sequence and ahead for a moment, that other broker did, indeed, show me
that other boat after the weekend. However, when we parted later that
day, he made it very plain that he was entirely disgusted that I had not
bought a boat from him. However, back to Frank:

So, we saw several boats in the weekend. In addition to ones I'd
identified, he showed me several we'd not had on our list. One of them
is on our "intense scrutiny" list - the very short list of boats we're
actively considering buying. Beyond that, he did research which allowed
me to see additional boats the day following my departure from the first
broker. *Those* were in Annapolis, and there was another boat which
he'd found (back!) on the Eastern Shore, to which he was quite happy to
take me, as well. However, since that one had a contract on it as well,
and the selling broker expected it to succeed, we decided to take a pass
on it.

Epilogue: Monday, after our having worked together over the weekend, he
had an email in my box thanking me for the time and wishing me well.
Wednesday, after our working together again on Tuesday, he had another
email, just following up, wishing me well on my continuing search and
offering encouragement for the 1000 mile dash down the coast and back
home. Guess who else hasn't said boo??

So, in the end, what's the point?

If you want to get professional brokerage services in the Chesapeake Bay
area, I could not recommend anyone or company higher than Frank Gary and
Bristol Yachts in Annapolis. Further, while I won't soil this space
with the other, if you want to know who it is/was, I'll answer any
questions you may have off-list...

L8R

Skip, Frank's info below:

Frank E. Gary
Bristol Yacht Sales
623 Sixth St.
Annapolis, MD 21403
Tel: 800-610 5300
Cell: 410-703 4017
Email: