Das Boot

Had a curious phone call late morning last week. A foreign sounding chap had heard [from who I don’t know] that I was wanting to sell my boat. Since this was technically correct I could’nt really say no. I told him that I might be open to offers.

It’s all to do with my downsizing. I have so much stuff that I want, no need – to get rid of that I will consider any decent offers on just about all of my stuff. Definitely up for grabs is the catamaran, since lugging it up and down the beach is such hard work by myself, that any enjoyment I might be getting whilst out on the water is tempered by the realisation that I will be totally spent by the time it’s back in the compound.

I’ve already started shedding stuff like surfboards, in that I know I only really need the longboard and mat to have as much fun as I want in the waves.

The boat though. That’s another issue. We’ve been together a long time, 15 years now and I’ve put a lot of work into keeping her going. Having said that it is quite an expense and taking a decent holiday abroad and having the boat on the water is almost more than I can afford in any one year. So she might be for sale, but not at any old price.

Well I met this character at lunchtime, and we rowed out to the boat. Turned out he was german, living locally and wanted something to potter around in. I pointed out that a Soling was’nt really a pottering about sort of boat, and took a bit of skill to sail. He reckoned it was ok. I told him that the boat had been on the water all winter and so would look a little frayed round the edges, there were all sorts of little non-essential jobs to be done…

He looked her over and then turned to me and said, in a very firm sounding way “I’ll give you £200 for her. Not worth more”… If he’d offered £2000 I might have taken it, but £200 was just plain insulting and I told him so. His reply was [more or less] “take it or leave it”. We rowed ashore in silence. I returned to the office. An hour later he phoned again and reiterated his offer. £200. Same answer from me. Half an hour later another call, with the same offer. I asked him what bit of ‘No’ was he having problems with. Unfortunately such wit completely passed over his head, but this time he said “£250”.

Now he genuinely wants the boat, I can see that. Only problem is that he’s not willing to pay for it. I might want to sell, sometime and maybe at a lower price than the £2K that would be my absolute rock bottom at the moment… but £250 is just taking the piss.

I await the next call upping his offer by a dizzying 75 pence!