Buying Grace: Survey and Move to SMN Grimaud

Survey

Audrey and I returned for our third trip to the Grimaud/St Tropez area.

Now we met the owner and looked over every inch of the boat (still untidy) with the surveyor. The owner spoke no English (not that I expected him to) and my French is basic at best but we got by. We asked 100 questions. We got 100 answers with the owner, surveyor and Frank the broker in attendance.

Grace (not called Grace at this time!) was lifted and pressure washed off for hull tap testing and inspection. No osmosis, no grounding. I was amazed at how clean the hull was.

Trial sail in Hyeres bay. Smooth engine! Quite boat, quiet power. This is no Dufour (sorry).

I tacked the boat a few times. We had some F4 wind so nice to see how everything worked under pressure. The running rigging was a bit of a mess. Sail trim was way out. Furling systems all worked faultlessly. Electric winch made everything easy for Audrey. Stupid sailing biminy in the way of all winches and sight lines of the rig (that came off quickly!).

Grace's Old Sails . Now in the bin! We got a season!

Sails were the original UK Sailmakers laminate jobs. They where "working" but delaminating internally and mildew stained. UV'd to death. I knew these would be good for a season only for us.

I have the full survey, down to the engine oil analysis. I will sum it up with the Surveyors parting comment to me that day: "If you do not buy this boat, I buy the boat".






Long story short over the next few weeks. VAT status paperwork complete. French legal stuff including Act De Vente (final sale agreement). Proof of French de-registration done, all handled by Frank at SMN. A heap of money transferred meeting stupid deadlines imposed by pissed owner (as I said.. he remained that way throughout).

Grace Goes to Port Grimaud

Mark and Ashley. RS400 Racing

The deal was completed. Myself and Ashley (close friend, discovered sailing recently) returned for my 4th visit right at the close of November 2015 hoping for a weather window to sail Grace back from Hyeres onto the hard at SMN's yard for winter works and preparation for 2016 transport back to the UK.

When we returned, Mr Pissed Owner has striped a few things off that I would have assumed should stay on. Some of the details are minor, and to the letter of the law they were not on the inventory of sale.

Note to self... next time I survey a boat (maybe never!) I would demand that the owner accept that anything I find goes on my inventory that he signs.... If you don't want me to have it, get it off my boat pre survey.....

Its not all work :-)

The main bone of contention was a nice (and expensive) carbon access ramp. We had discussed this very thing with the broker who indicated that it was staying. Yet it was off the boat (actually tied to the boat next door!). Short of stealing it back, what could I do? Audrey would have exploded on the spot but she was not here.

Mr owner wanted us to tow his solid bottom tender back to Grimaud so SMN could sell it for him. I untied it and left it for him on his berth. That was the only payback I could return. I'm not your taxi.

The sail to Grimaud with Ashley and Frank was perfect. F4/F5 downwind in bright sunshine.
Ashley and I had our first experience of sailing a proper blue water boat in some proper swell with pressure. A Najad 380 is very different to a Dufour 380 :-)

Goosewinged on the pole. Smiles all round. We arrived in the dark. Frank is a top sailor. He knows St Tropez and PG like the back of his hand (as do we now!).

By the end of the sail we had blown the UV strip off the genoa. The sails were going to need some serious love over the winter. That and other jobs......

Grace was lifted onto the hard at SMN, Port Grimaud. Ashley and I tidied her up. We took a detailed inventory and threw away a lot of junk. There was some celebration.

One of my favourite's is a drunk and "reasonably new to yachting" Ashley trying to remember my knot lesson (sorry Ashley!).

Home for the winter