The Boat is sold and delivered. That’s all good and all part of the plan, but a few irks !
After I bought the boat (ordered 2006, delivered 2007) I bought an apartment (2007) next to the Marina I kept the boat at. I always dreamed of living there and being able to look out the window to see how the boat was doing. Well I had to wait five years for the builder to complete all 1,100 apartments of the development, and in any case I’d decided to rent out the place, and well now the boat is Sold.
However now I see the new owner keeps her in the same Marina, in a berth just right in front of my apartment balcony !
Anyway no hard feelings, she is a great boat and she served me well for more than five years.
Why sell her then ? Well boating ideas change, and as boats get older they need more maintenance, and breakdowns will become more of a nuisance.
There is a phrase you often see on Yachtworld or anywhere with Used Boat ads, “Better than New”, that always means that the owner has “broken her in” and well ….fixed everything that crapped out for whatever reason after the boat was delivered.
I guess in the US or Australia, you just call the dealer and set a date for them to drop by to take a look. But when you buy direct from the Manufacturer, and they don’t have any servicing agent where you are based, well you deal with it yourself, and frankly that is the way I prefer it.
To their credit whenever I had a failure of an item under warranty (and even outside warranty), if they could, then Maritimo Australia would just send me a replacement by courier; No Questions.
But obviously there are times with things that you just have to deal with it yourself. I’ve done that for five years, and in the process always fixed or repaired/replaced anything that was broken or just wasn’t quite right. That might mean I fixed it or I got the guys whose work I trust to get onboard and work on it. (Well actually more of the latter)
I’ve always also determined that the boat should be kept clean and the Hull well polished. Gel coat is meant to shine so you can see your reflection ! That’s a lot of work, and mostly all done by hired help, but I think it’s worth it. Also she has been lifted out every year and antifouled regardless. Engines serviced with Lubes & all Filters changed annually regardless of the hours, and done by the Caterpillar agent.
Again that is a lot of work and expense, but when you go out in your boat, you want to be confident and relaxed that everything is in the best shape.
Is it all worth it ?
Obviously the guy who bought her thinks so, given he came up with a winning offer.
Good luck to him and I hope he has an enjoyable ownership of her. I believe she will be used by his family mostly for fishing around the region. He’s keeping the name AVA LON, which I like as there a strong reason behind the name, and that way I will always have a connection with her.
To the new owners, Fair Winds & Tight Lines !
Maritimo 48 
What now, then, Bill? Onward to a bigger and better boat? Kayaking off the East Coast Parkway is probably a little extreme at the other end of the scale. This might be a good opportunity (or excuse) to come down to Oz looking for another boat.
Hi Kim, thanks for dropping by. Definitely looking around but plan to take my time. Doesn’t have to be that much bigger but certainly different. Want to be able to go further afield (even down to your backyard !) so it will be more of a coastal cruiser, with bigger tanks and economical cruising at 8 to 12 kts, but still with a sprint speed in the high teens. The Hull form will be a Semi Displacement type rather than Planing (plane-ing) hull form of the Maritimo. It’s certainly a good excuse to head down to Oz for a good look around. Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show beckons. Now if only the AUD would co-operate….Will drop you an e-mail.