Like Christmas, shop early!

Terrance Phillips

Summer is about ready to leave town, or dit it even arrive? I’ve

lived in Newport Beach since 1983 and I can’t remember a June, July or

August, quite so drearu. can you?

Now with September nearly half way departed, I see little need for

sunscreen until the millennium. I fear it’s time to cover up the barbecue

and hang the beach chairs in the garage rafters.

The good news is that this is a time when boat prices either

stabilize, or drop, especially the trailerable sized boats. Why? Nobody

wants to store a boat and trailer through the winter.

Storage yards are running anywhere from $75 for a 20-foot boat up to

$150 per month, and that’s outside.

Inside storage will run a lot higher, possibly triple. So, what

happens? The romance between the boat owner and his pride-and-joy has run

its course and the thought of paying a boat payment and a storage fee for

the 10 or so months while the boat is out of the water, is the reason the

Boat Trader Magazine was conceived.

So, if you’re in the mood to own a boat, we’re probably entering the

best time of the year to make a purchase.

Brokers tell me that even if the prices are listed at the same amount

as during the summer, sellers are more willing to negotiatge the terms

during the winter months. In some cases, you might even find some super

deals.

The Art Brooks Yacht and Ship Brokerage in Lido Village has a variety

of “good deals.”

How about a 42-foot Hatteras sportfisher with slip for $179,000? Or,

if your pick-six Super Lotto came through last Wednesday night, try a

97-foot Tarrab cockpit motoryacht for only $2.6 mil.

You see, I told you there are some super deals at this time of the

year. Brooks has a boat that does look like a sweet deal. I went aboard a

51-foot Symbol/Spoiler Yachtfish he has listed. It sleeps seven, has

3,208 Cat diesels, Vacu-flush heads, new carpet, drapes and is loaded

with electronics. This boat was listed in August for $299,000 and has

just been reduced to $269,000. This really is a good deal!

For a boating purist, anytime is the right time to buy a boat -

winter, spring, summer or fall, but clearly, you can save some money

during the winter months.

Newport Beach and Costa Mesa are well-represented in the America’s Cup

Race in Auckland, New Zealand. Newport’s native son Chris Coffin, CFO of

the America True Syndicate and team, has been riding the Hauraki Gulf

wake since January.

“The wind is running anywhere from 5-30 knots,” said Grace Kim,

America True spokesperson. “It’s hard to predict. There can be a very

calm day followed by a very windy day, but generally the winds are

moderate. However, our testing program is ahead of schedule.”

Paul Cayard’s boat, known as just “Number 49,” was built at the

Westerly boatyard right here in Costa Mesa. His syndicate, AmericaOne,

has been practicing in the Los Angeles Harbor area and is headquartered

at Southwest Marine on Terminal Island. They share a dock with the

submarine that was used in the Sean Connery film, “Red October.” Being as

the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenge series begins in October, let’s hope that

Cayard’s challenge is more green than red.

These two teams will commence firing on the 18th of October, along

with Australia, Japan, Switzerland, Spain, Russia, Italy, France and

others.

The U.S. will have several contenders, such as Team Dennis Conner, the

man that Sir Peter Blake (winner of the Cup in 1995) says “You can never

count Dennis Conner out. He’s always competitive.”

We also have the Aloha entry, New York Yacht Club, and more. But

wouldn’t it be nice to see a boat built right here in Costa Mesa win the

big one. Or how about a man from Newport B each raise the “Auld Mug”

above his head?

Don’t be surprised, because Coffin and Cayard are my two picks for the

right to take on New Zealand’s “Black Magic,” and bring back the Cup to

the good ‘ol U.S. of A.