Two years ago we decided to fulfil our dream of retiring, buying a boat and sailing around the Med for several years.  So what type of boat, what size, where from and most important what price?

After chartering two or three times a year for ten years on different boats, we had a pretty good idea of what we were looking for (or so we thought).  We had a size in mind, we had a couple of makes in mind and we had a reasonable budget set.

The London boat show gave us the chance to get a closer look at what was on offer and judge whether a new boat would be a better fit for our needs, or look into the used market, as originally planned.

After looking at several different makes and sizes we could still not decide and as our planned purchase date was not for around 18 months we had decided to leave it for the next year.

That was until we met Jamie Tibbot from Network Yacht brokers!  Jamie was more interested in what we wanted from a yacht, rather than just selling us the one we were looking at at the time.  He asked us so many questions and made us realise we needed much more thought into how the boat would be used, storage space, specifications, etc.

So we started to go around all the yachts at the show again with a completely new set of ideas of what we wanted.  Finally we decided that the Jeanneau range seemed to be the closest fit for us.

Back then to Jamie on the Jeanneau stand, but what size and what budget would we need?  We had originally decided that a 45 footer would be the ideal size, but once you consider that this boat would be used as a live aboard, storage space was important.  Jeanneau had several yachts at the show, ranging from around 36 foot to 50 foot and also included a couple of deck saloons.

Jamie took the time to show us the boats that were in our budget range, but also larger versions as well so we could get a feel for the space available in each yacht. He also talked about the different specifications that were available for each model, explaining all the new technology that was available (a lot more than we expected).

After a further question and answer session with Jamie, which included our plans and time scales (18 months in the future did not phase him). We left the show to spend time going through our options with some sailing friends.  We returned the day after with even more questions and ideas, which Jamie handled in his usual straight forward no nonsense manner.  We finally decided that even though the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 479 was outside our original budget, it did tick all the boxes for us and had several features and storage solutions that even some of the larger yachts could not match.  We therefore arranged to meet Jamie at his office in Swansea six months later to go through the specification we would want / need and to build up an idea of the final budget that would be required.  Jeanneau have an extensive options list for their yachts, covering everything from type of mast, keel etc to the colour and fabric for the seating.  It was obvious we would need some expert help with a lot of the choices as one choice impacted on another.

Our meeting with Jamie took much longer that we expected as he had to explain every option and how each would fit in, or not fit in with our plans.  His advice was excellent and several of our choices were changed to help get the best mix of function and budget.  Jamie was always patient but firm, especially when discussing details like how much chain we needed for anchor, against the weight of using so much chain instead of a mix of chain and rope (he won that one).

Once the specification was complete Jamie had the difficult task of trying to match price to budget and in the end got closer than we expected and an agreement was reached.

Due to unexpected developments we were able to move the purchase on much quicker than expected and Jamie handled the time scales excellently to bring everything together on time, including a visit to the factory in France to see our boat as it neared completion.

Delivery to the South of France was agreed and Jamie was there to see that commissioning and delivery went smoothly, staying there for several days for sea trials etc.

Six months on and nearly 1000 miles completed in our new Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 479, we are very happy with our choice of yacht, specification and yacht broker.  It really does everything we expected and is an excellent yacht to sail, giving confidence in heavy weather and silky smooth handling in lighter winds thanks to the Code Zero (good choice Jamie).

We would have no hesitation in recommending Jeanneau and Network Yacht Brokers to anyone looking for new or used yachts, as the service and ongoing contact has been excellent.