The 1000 km journey to Finisterre was chopped into two 28 degree unairconditioned halves - and two nights at campsites.
One without loo paper or loo seats and the second, English owned, offered both.
On the morning of Thursday 4th of July we arrived in Audierne at about 10.30 so I went over to check out the Fisher ahead of meeting with the eponymous JP.
The boat did look a bit of a mess tucked away in the back of a yard of rotten mobos.
She had been stored slightly bow down so there were puddles along the decks
I was pleased to see that she had legs.... good ones.
The rudder was overgrown but the pintles were good.
Joy of joys she had a Plastimo sliding outboard bracket - which made me very happy.
The hull finish was terrible. At some stage some-one had slapped a coat of bad paint on her - but I could see no signs of the pox.
The woodwork was shot - but I am good with wood and it would do to get me back to Waldringfield. Judicous use of marine play and self tappers would do to hold things together for 500 miles around Finisterre, up the english channel, around North Foreland, across the channel, through the Wallet and into the Deben.
At some stage some really horrible oversize screws had been slapped in to stop the timbers from springing.
The prop and shaft turned freely and there was no slop in the cutlass bearing.
she came with her own tree - which was nice.
She had a stout roller reefing system, a self stowing anchor roller and an electric windlass - no idea if it would work.
It has the sort of radar normally carried by cross channel ferries back in the sixties and the worst running rigging I have ever seen.
So far so good - no deal breakers here I could see.
Jill and I went for a coffee and then returned at the appointed hour.
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UP rolled JP in his Audi TT - black. A classic pimp's car and not one I would normally associate with Fisher owners.
Jill took a dislike to him straight away.... he was very sweaty and did not dress like a sailor.
He went across the road to Stratimer who own the yard and came back with a ladder and an electric drill. The story was that the boat had been broken into and the yard had screwed the door shut. I should say at this stage of the game that Stratimer have a good reputation locally, the English people who ran our campsite use them regularly for boatwork. Fine people apparently.
We climbed up to the boat - the toe rail was shot and the stanchions wobbly.
but the bow roller and winch were looking pretty good.
The windows were bad but fixable. They would be fine on the journey around as long as it did not rain too much and we took plenty of gaffer tape.
Then we removed the screws from the door. Clearly the images JP had sent me were some-what "historical" despite his claims on the phone that they were contemporary.
In the top right hand corner of the picture you can see the goggles for the radar - straight out of a UK boat periscope by the looks of it.
the door was shot but ply and self tappers would hold her in one piece for the journey home.
He had warned me that the instrumentation was shot - no problems there but the gear was straight out of the eighties and did not seem the sort of gear that the driver of an audi TT would put up with for a minute. The man was a living paradox.
I have never seen an autopilot of such antiquity.
JP demonstrates the use of the steering wheel - having said that there was no slop in the system so that was a good thing.
I think this is the controller for the pilot gear.
JP points to the excellent short and medium wave radio - which is about the size of a microwave.
Down below the boat was dirty, falling apart but two days with a jay cloth, a bucket of suds and a stanley knife would have had her looking quite habitable - it would make Jill squirm but it would be fine for two old boarding school lads such as Jon and myself.
Man JP loved that radio - if only there had been some power so that we could see it working.
he assured me that the electric anchor winch worked last time the boat was on the water.
It was at this stage that I asked about the anchor
Stolen was the answer
and the chain
gone too apparently but then it turned up in a locker - along with the chain
Weird.
This was news to JP who claimed to have really loved the boat.
There in a box on the floor was the other half of the outboard bracket
The engine looked in good nick - the oil in the gearbox was clear and the oil in the engine block was black but no sign of emulsifying that would indicate a breach in the block. I had offered to bring a battery and spend an afternoon trying to start the engine but JP said he would not allow me to start it.
not much corrosion and the through hulls looked servicable but would be likely to have pinked a bit.
the headlining was a nightmare - again I have lived with that and can solve most of it. The bunk cushions were moldy and horrid. Nothing as good as they looked in JPs images.
the gas was a liability. For the voyage home I was going to bring the Origo stove from Katie L.
This is. I believe something to do with the compass
JP speaks - words flow freely... the truth was left behind.
So, I said, the boat will do. We can give you 1,000 euros now and the remainder by bank transfer.
Some of the following may have been lost in translation but JP said that he had already accepted an offer from the Frenchman
But you told me he has not seen it yet
Aha - his friend saw it. He is coming tomorrow. If you wish me to stop him then you must offer me more money to knock him out of the bidding.
It was at this stage that I realised that I had been brought 1000km on a lie.
I said OK - 9,000 then and held out my hand for the shake - at this stage of the game my optimism had gone overboard.
JP pouted and then in a trice he was on the phone to the Frenchman to see if he wanted to beat my offer - although I am not sure who he was talking to. The speach was too fast for Jill or I to understand but he was certainly not telling the Frenchman that he had lost the boat he had not seen yet.
To sort this out we contacted Helene to help. I explained that she had promised that I could buy the boat at the price advertised that day. She told me that the other bidder is a frenchman and might never turn up.
At this stage I said that it is time to stop this. Then the phone rang. It was, apparently another eager buyer.
I then climbed down the ladder and told him to sell the boat to the two Frenchmen. JP scuttled down the ladder after me and dragged me to the back of the car to inspect the paperwork.
he said we must go to lunch to discuss it - he implied that I should be paying him back for his time by buying lunch.
I gave it the once over and said you sell the boat to the other buyers. I am going swimming.
The boat is, at the time of writing still being advertised.
I did send an email to Helene
So we spent the remaining days cycling around old french towns while waiting for Tuesday when we could get the cheap ferry back to blighty.
The bad thing is that we spent too many days driving across France in a hot old car. The good news is that the car did not break down and we loaded her above the plimsoll line with terrible French wine.
I shared this story with JY who sent me the link - he is a wonderful bloke
this is what he said
I am so sorry to read this mail... Seems to me like a nightmare. I can not imagine that kind of people exist...
(never trust a man in a black audi, but i didn't know that)
It's a shame for all the french...
For me it seemed to be a good deal for you, and I never would have imagined that kind of incorrectness.
I could hardly sleep last night, I felt ashamed and guilty. But I'm only naive.
I found two of my boats on "le bon coin", my Mousquetaire and a little gaff rigged open boat, and only met kind people who loved boats.
Such a story is very bitter, I only can understand you and apologize for my good/very bad idea. I will never again give some advice, and I hope you will find your boat and forget this dirty story/dirty people.
All the best, and please accept my excuses
so if you do find yourself in a French Marina and there is a Fisher 34 there with JP hanging around give him my regards and tell him that he is often in my thoughts
Dylan
PS - and the moral of this story is.... over to you chaps
Good job calling his bluff!
Perhaps he has relations who were at Trafalgar or the Nile! What a bummer. Very odd, but he does look as though he made his money flogging onions…
Close call, and quite bizarre… I guess the ‘equipment’ on board and the overall condition were commiserate with a boat that hadn’t been used for , at least, eight years… but then that’s his story? And would you really have trusted that untried engine across the shipping lanes in ‘la Manche’…. looked like you had to buy before you try and were only tempted because of the time and energy that you had put into the trip… I think you would have been kissing goodby to €9k.plus
As you know I do imperious things… but you were too quick to shake his hand, even after his moody’ phone call to his… mum, brother, aunt or even ‘ l’horlage parlent’ who knows.
Still it’s a Lesson learnt… deep breath….. and move on.
All the best, and you can keep my $ if you promise never to do anything as daft ever again ! 🤪
Cheers,
Richard.
I think you had a lucky escape actually, not sure you could have got that pos back safely. Keep the $. Chin up, something will turn up.
Sounds like you could have talked him down a bit with some of your own bluffing but in the end, if you don’t trust the person you are buying from, then you must walk away. There is a big difference between buyer beware and buyer bend over. I think you chalk this one down as a less expensive exercise than if you had bought it and found bigger problems.
So, the boat sits and rots in the back of a yard for how long? Then, you show up with cash and all of a sudden there are another TWO buyers? Sounds like every car or house I’ve ever bought. Typical sales scam, inelegantly enacted.
I wonder what he would have done if, at the first attempt, you simply said “OK. You’re an arse. This is me and my money walking way.” I bet he would have changed his tune.
Wait a few months and offer him $1000 less. It will still be there.
Thanks for the story, Dylan.
Keep the dollar.
Completely with David on this. He would have chased after you like an alternative closing sequence of Benny Hill; you shouldn’t have run so fast!
Keep the dollar
“C’est vraiment un trou de cul, celui-là,” as the French say but you don’t need me to tell you that!
I’d say the moral of the story is to buy closer to home once you have the money for a tidier boat, whenever that may be.
I admire your drive (no pun intended) to make Fisher ownership a reality sooner rather than later. Hopefully the new business model for the films will work out. If you gain some traction that way, it might be an idea to approach Amazon Prime directly with the propsition, which is what Country House Gent did:
Don’t trust black audi drivers – is the lesson.
I generally stay away from them – also having read that people in big black executive/leaders cars generally are less emphatic and behave relatively worse in traffic. Like I have noticed my self.
Some people find it a sport in it self to trick other people – and it drives them – rather than making a good deal for every party – I think that’s the case – he can’t help it. Good thing You got away from that one. Never mind the refund.
J
Was he really the owner or did he just used an abandon boat to make some fast cash?
Sounds strange. Be happy you not take it and it would be a stolen boat.
Audierne is a lovely place we spent a few days in the marina last year on our sail around Brittany. I wonder if for the price of a lunch you could have found someone with a bit of English at a local boatyard to accompany you. Or a local French speaking Brit. If it had been St Malo I could have asked a French friend to help you. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and from your comments you couldn’t have anticipated this. Good luck with the search and the film income. P.S. we have a black Audi A1.
Wow, you couldn’t make that one up! What a git. Please don’t refund I’d rather you put it to your expenses. You never know he may come to the party yet, not many would have the motivation needed to take that boat on. And as we all know that Fisher 25 is out there somewhere for you. As ever, fair winds and happy sailing.
Cheers,
Steve
No refund accepted. Thanks. I wonder if JP truly owned the boat and if so, had he been paying his yard bills? He seems to be a crook or demented or both. Over here we are familiar with the type daily.
Not just French people Dylan – there are shysters everywhere (even Suffolk). You took a gamble and it didn’t pay off – at least you had a break somewhere you hadn’t been to before.
It smells of a scam but I can’t for the life of me see how
Like others I think you had a lucky escape.
The right boat will appear and to be honest a few films from your cycling around that area would have been nice to see.
Your films have always included non sailing sections that are interesting.
Keep the faith the sailing gods will come through
Looking at the condition of the boat he should have been very happy that you wanted to buy it!! He will never sell it for this price, never.
don’t refund me.Your experience was painful, but entertaining to read.Don’t try to understand these people,they’re aliens( outer space, not foreign).If you keep refunding your not going to have the money you need. regards.
First, keep the buck. You earned it!
If there is a next time with him, maybe bring 1 or 2 K Euros in cash and the rest in the European version of a cashier’s check. Lay it all on the table in front of him. If he really wants to get rid of the boat, he’ll take it. Good luck and fair winds!
Oldersalt
former sailor, now caretaker of a 1990 Grand Banks 32
Blimey! Sad story but a warning to others. BTW none of the photos showed up other than green and purple stripes. Ted
Maybe the moral of the tale is not to think in black and white categories and to accept the fact that things in life are often contradictory and complex.
We all have pictures in our minds about „the“ Fisher 25 Owner, so are we doing with „the“ Audi TT Driver. Both might be completely wrong.
Concerning JP: I never met him so I have to be careful with my judgement, but it seems to me that he lacks a proper handling of money plus a lack of empathy ( Otherwise he wouldn‘t had let you drive 2000km (was he aware of that?) only to play games with you). Why would anyone pay fees for +/- 10 years (it must be thousands of euros) for a boat on the hard without wanting to use it anymore? It also seems to me that the guy – concerning the pricing of the boat – shot from the hip and then got aware it might have been to low. Drawing the dishonorable conclusion you were confronted with.
Maybe with a little more cold-bloodedness you would own the Fisher now. But aren’t things always so easy in retrospective?
Your Fisher will come…
Please keep that Dollar!
Lucky escape Dylan I reckon. I bought a boat abroad (Wales) last year and the deal went well. Apart from the batteries swelling up and failing after years of standing the return went well. Thanks to Fishguard RNLI for the tow in!! Boat is now on berth in gib point and well fettled. I reckon the fisher was restorable but I too would have walked away on principle. Let’s hope it sits and festers in the yard for more years costing him several euros and that he finally has to agree a sale at half what you were paying. Oh yes that karma – she’s slow but always comes around !!
As with others please keep the dollar, well dollars as it is meant as a donation to your funds. Hope you find something soon. Hope you are still using your duck punt. I take mine to Norfolk on a regulat basis and may build a second light weight one.
Keep looking Dylan – better luck next time !
I insist you keep the dollar….You have enhanced the reputation of us all. We are adventurous and can live with considered risk. And as successful and competent as you are your wife is comfortable to adventure with you.
We raised three daughters who were good students. Lots of after school activities and part time jobs. We lived 25 minutes from school and town.
I bought a lot of $2,000 cars. Knowing when to walk away was almost as important a skill as knowing what an engine should sound like. I think the $1 thing will work. My guess — $450 a week.
Hi Dylan, if the deal on the boat suits you and you’ve shot your bolt with the Frenchman what about asking one of your web site friends to engage with JP as a new buyer? – I’m always game for a trip if you’re interested – All the best – Clive
Dylan , Well that was quite the sad tale.
The saying ‘ don’t cut off your nose despite your face’ comes to mind.
He was a very unscrupulous man. I think you were right to walk away or actually perhaps to have said “ this is my offer I’ll be here for another day or so if you want my offer let me know before I leave’. Having travelled so far and needing to wait for the Tuesday ferry you had time …… it served nothing by just walking away. However pissed of you were ! It was your boat he had long since given up his moral rights by the way he had treated it.
But if it’s an and were pots and pans …….
Re Tuesday, I just had to re schedule transatlantic return flight 3 times and consistently Tuesday flights were the cheapest by far. ( of very expensive flts) It must be the day nobody travels.
Cheers Warren
$1 per film would work for me. I tell anyone who will listen how good your films are and who would begrudge $1 a go? You may lose some casual browsers, but hopefully there are enough already hooked and spreading the word. I do hope you manage to get the boat and progress the project.
Regarding the French Fisher – can’t help feeling there was something dodgy in the deal. Imagine that sickening feeling of having parted with a large sum of money only to find there was another claim on it in a foreign country. At least you had little adventure to experience and share.
Andy
Please transfer my £1 to your cheap french wine fund. Thoroughly enjoyed the story. Have a great day!
Sorry to read such a tale, suppose it is the nightmare we all fear, those of us willing to chase for boats around the wold or even our Country. Fortunately it doesn’t happen all that much but thanks for sharing the experience with us.
I was thinking the same thing, probably better off a deal was not consummated.
Crap! Although you wrote that it did not end well I was still hoping for a better ending. Nice story though, keep the dollar!
Fisher 25 for sale in the netherlands, 14000 euro’s, no windows. No clue what the owner is driving.
https://www.botentekoop.nl/motorsailers/fisher-25/cdbc780a-1f28-4fdf-bba0-6167b919859c
Sorry, just read the advert better. Too much work for a few days. Needs too much gaffa to fix that for a safe crossing.
I think so too. Have you told them that?
I am still feeling sorry for the French boat, the deceit and and all the efford it took. Hope a nice Fisher and owner come along soon.
Wel I never ! Perhaps that’s how French people sell boats ? Hope in this case he never sells the boat as fair penance for trying to mislead you. What a waste of time, it was probably best you didn’t buy it, maybe a lucky escape ? PS: I’m not sure why we had to pay a dollar to see the second half of the story but seeing as I haven’t sent you any dosh in a while you can keep it.
Was over Audierne way a couple of weeks ago and diverted to have a look at your headache. I think something is a-happening. Your boat has been moved a short distance away from where you took the photos and was no longer behind semi secure fencing. The whole area is a public car park and I don’t think has a lot to do with the shipyard – although I stand to be corrected.
I suspect you might not be the only one to be exasperated…!
Indeed, Dylan, there is a lot of work to be done to only pretty her up. I admire your courage in being willing to float an unknown entity home to blighty – through the Raz de Sein and the Fromveur!!
Hi Dylan,
I’m sorry you had a wasted trip.
I have an odd arrangement to borrow a 19′ yacht up West Scotland in the spring/early summer. Fellow was conspicuously failing to sell on ebay. But is keen to lend to me. I will pay him twice what he wanted for the boat but it won’t be my problem, unless it sinks with me in it. I hope I have more luck than you did in this arrangement, but I will have a good time walking on the West Coast of the boat is no good!
Schnark.home.blog
If the boat is no good!
It may be worth the gamble as it would be my only hope of sailing the West Coast of Scotland. It helps to speak the same language, but he’s about as communicative.
Look out for me!
Stephen.
Hi Dylan
I feel your pain in how you were treated by the sell of this Fisher. Last spring a friend of mine asked me to look at a sail boat she was thinking of buying. She was willing to pay for air fare and over night hotel accommodations if I would accompany her to look at the boat. The broker send us a survey and pictures of the boat. Each time we asked more question via email we got different answers, My friend was very interested in the boat and started calculating the total cost of getting the sail boat back to her home port. While talking to a boat transporter near the harbour where the boat was, he mentioned that a winter storm had knocked several boats over and the boat she was interested in may have been one of the boats knocked over. She contacted the broker who then send some more photos of some cracks along the side of the boat. She was getting suspicious of the deal. Mean while she found a similar boat only an hour drive away. We are now very leery of boat sellers and brokers. She is still looking and we will find the boat that meets her expectations and dreams, as I am sure that you will too Dylan.
Merry Christmas Dylan.
Hi Dylan, I was completely absorbed by your story, I just had to find out how it ended. I have never travelled as far as you did to look at a boat, but I recognise the stages where you feel you have found something promising and the enthusiasm as you set out and then the reality is not quite what you had hoped for. Then to be treated as to were was unforgivable. I’m glad you have been able to be philosophical and put it down to experience and that you managed to salvage some more pleasant time from the trip.
I’m sure you will find the right boat eventually.
All the best for 2020.
Mike
Scratch a lie catch a thife.
He’s what you call a dealing man.
He dose not really have money but he thinks he dose. I’d bet all his investments fail though neglect and penny pinching. I know lots like that and they grow old and lonely.
The tale is sad for you as you had your hopes and excitement crushed and I hate him for that, I dont know you but meet you briefly and have been a follow since you showed the refit of the “slug” (moments)
But the tale is not sad. It had a shitty part but your wife
Was with you while you drove a 1000km one way in a clapped out 19yr old passat, to look at a clapped out (apart from good steering and soild Hull) boat because ur other old boat (lovey as she is) is too small.
So the two hrs u spent with twat man were not wasted.
You spent the rest of the time having an adventure.
Sounds like you are lucky
Keep the $1 I’ve spent 10 already catching up as I’m armchair sail during the winter… Yep untill I get a wood stove on my yet to be bought boat I’ll wait till spring.
And the 80p a pop is totally worth it