Ahh, I took the last week and a half off. I took it off from work, I took it off from writing, I didn’t schedule anything, I didn’t share much on social media. I did share our Nothing Much Happened blog. But, man, it was glorious and I will end up scheduling times like that more often in the future. But during my down time we did an exciting family thing that I couldn’t wait to share with you all. We found a broker to help us on our boat buying journey. Our brokers name is Kelly Bickford and he works with Massey Yacht Sales & Services.
We Found A Broker
Two Tuesdays ago Doug was off work so we took a stroll up to St. Petersburg to check out a boat dealership. We stopped at the place we had found but unfortunately for those who work there they weren’t there. So we got back in the car and drove a bit down the road and found Massey Yacht Sales & Services. Lucky for us Kelly was in the office and it was a perfect fit.
I should mention that we have been to a half a dozen boat shoes, marinas, and talked with at least a dozen brokers. It wasn’t until two Tuesdays ago that we finally found someone who listened. Someone who KNEW the boats we were talking about and wanted to help. He asked us dozens of questions, he took notes, and then he pulled up some listings he had near by.
We Found A Broker & The Discussions Began
We were able to talk through the boats we’ve been considering. He explained why some of what we were looking at would not be good for what we wanted to do. We walked through the Marina and got on a number of boats. One of our main concerns, from the beginning, has been head room for Doug. Doug is 6’2 and William, who will grow up on the boat, will grow to be as tall if not taller. We want to be sure there is enough space where hunching over is not something they have to do.
Boats We Got On- Gemini Catamaran
A few of the boats we got on were the Catalina 35 & 40, Island Packet 42, and a 35 Gemini catamaran. While I personally love the catamarans this was one we 100% ruled out right away. It was nicely kept and mostly modern but the 35 was not enough space for us. Plus this model of catamaran didn’t have the trampolines that I so desperately want to lay on and enjoy.
Boats We Got On- Catalina
The Catalina 35 & 40 were both well kept and had some space. The 40 had a water filtration system already in place as well as solar panels. Solar panels will be a huge necessity for our travels. Between the 2 the 40 would be more suited to our needs. But sadly, I don’t think, overall, they have all the creature comforts we would like. We agreed neither had the storage capacity we’d hoped for for long hauls.
Boats We Got On- Island Packet
Lastly we got on a 42 Island Packet. I will say this is Doug’s favorite of the boats thus far. He has been looking at Island Packets like I’ve been looking at Lagoon & Leopard Catamarans. I will admit that when we were on the Island packet it had a lot of storage space for long hauls. It was very dark down below deck which will help keep the boat cool in the heat of summer. I will admit it was my favorite of the ones we saw. But deep down I want to keep looking and get on at least one of each of our “dream” list boats.
The best thing is, besides the fact that I personally took a week + off from social media, was that we finally got ourselves a broker. We finally found someone who lived aboard for a good bit of his life. He understand what we want to do, the journey we want to take, and we really connected with him. This might not seem overly exciting, we only found someone to “eventually” help us, but it is a huge step we have been wanting!
That’s It For Now- Don’t Forget To Follow Us!
That’s all we’ve got for you right now. We are super excited that we found a broker. Having a broker in our corner is something we have talked about for the last month. As we get closer to buying our dream boat we need someone who will be in our corner. As always we can’t thank you all enough for following along with us. Exciting things are coming and we can’t wait to keep sharing with you. Don’t forget to go check out the Kidds On A Boat Apparel shop!
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