With the recent renewed interest in the Tempest Class and the fact that there is currently no Tempest builder in North America, used boats – at least competitive used boats – are becoming extremely hard to find. So what are your purchasing alternatives?
New:
Without doubt, if you have the budget, buying new from Mader (www.bootswerft-mader.de) or Boatique (www.boatique.fr) will get you a fabulously-built boat for the same price - or less - than most other sport boats, and of course you will own one that:
¬has had the benefit of years of development and refinement
¬requires only one other person to race
¬will permit you to race in many exotic locations (Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Britain, Germany, France, Holland, Martinique, etc), and most importantly
¬will remain competitive enough to win a World Championship in 20+ years.
Clearly, buying new offers excellent value for money.
Used US:
If buying new is not in your budget, the obvious answer is to purchase an old North American boat and either renovate it yourself or have it done professionally. This has been done to great effect by many recent Tempest owners (please see “rebuild of US 160” elsewhere on this site), and will get you on the water for a tiny fraction of the cost of buying new. However due to the age of most of these “fixer-uppers”, the old auto industry adage of “buyer beware” takes effect. It is recommended that if you are considering an old US boat, reach out to the US Tempest Association at USTempest@yahoo.com to get an opinion of the boat’s potential. Many old boats are extremely cheap and can still be made race-able if time and money are invested, but there are also boats that are likely never to repay the investment of upgrading to racing spec, and thus are far better suited to simply becoming day sailing platforms.
Used Abroad:
The less obvious option, but one that perhaps offers the best compromise between quality and value for money, is to import a used boat from Europe. The primary benefits of going this route are twofold:
¬because the Tempest has been continuously built in Europe, used boats will tend to be newer than those available in North America
¬Because the class is strong in Europe, used boats are likely to have been better maintained and upgraded than those available in North America
Physically inspecting a used boat for sale in Europe undoubtedly poses as quite a challenge, and you may be wary of entering into a transaction in this manner. However, it’s really no different than buying from the east coast if you live in the west (or vice versa), other than there’s water between you and the boat rather than a continent! Simply request plenty of photos taken from all angles be emailed to you and feel free, once again, to refer questions to the US Tempest Class (USTempest@yahoo.com). Some of the US Tempest Association officers have spent time in Europe and know many of the European Tempest boats and sailors, so it is possible that we can get an opinion from someone other than the seller who actually knows the boat. Ultimately, however, you will have to rely on the Corinthian spirit of a fellow sailor to represent his/her boat honestly.
You can expect to pay anything from $5,000up to $40,000 for a used European Tempest, depending on age, condition, equipment and of course, the exchange rate.
OK, so you now own your beautiful, well-maintained Tempest, but it’s a few thousand miles from your home. What next?
¬Well, the first challenge is to arrange to get the boat to your proposed shipping port. If the seller is close, he/she will often deliver the boat him/herself, either for nothing or a token fee that covers gas and meals. If this is not an option, every country has delivery services that will pick the boat up from the seller and drop it off at the port. Prices vary depending on distance, but the Internet will reveal what companies charge what.
¬Next is finding a carrier. The advantage of buying from Europe is that the Atlantic is a principle shipping route to the New World, so finding a carrier to bring your boat to the US is relatively easy and inexpensive, although both price and carrier will vary depending on in which country your boat is residing. For a starting point, Wallenius Wilhemsen Logistics has experience bringing boats to North America from Europe, but it is suggested that you email/contact as many carriers as you can to obtain quotes.
Note: As of winter 2010/2011 the approximate cost (Ro-Ro) of shipping a boat - including all completed paperwork, Agent fees and export fees - from Europe to the eastern US coast was $3,000, and to the west coast was $4,000, but some ports are subsidized so ask for costs to and from as many ports as possible (for instance, in Southern California there is Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles and Port Hueneme. You may have to drive further to get to one, but it may also save you many hundreds of Dollars in shipping fees). Make certain you get a written quote before you agree to use their services.
Shipping Ro-Ro is a safe enough method as most ships tend to pack the boat surrounded by new cars, so the Stevedores will make sure that nothing will move in transit. However, taking shipping insurance is still recommended as it covers the boat from the time it is left at the departure port until it is picked up from the arrival port.
If you choose to ship your boat in a container it will cost a lot more.
¬It is highly recommended that you engage a European Shipping Agent. The cost is minimal but they will ensure that all export and shipping paperwork is in order and give delivery instructions, etc. They can also be used to source different carriers and shipping options.
¬When the boat arrives in whatever North American port you have chosen, you will need to make all sorts of intricate and complicated arrangements (unloading, storage, customs, etc) so once again it is recommended that you employ a US Shipping Agent (this can be one of your choice or one recommended by the carrier) to ensure all the paperwork is correct. Understand that there are fines and penalties levied on imports that do not possess the correct documentation, so it is likely to be a false economy to try to avoid using an agent.
Note: As of winter 2010/2011 the approximate cost of importing a boat – including all completed paperwork, Agent fees and import fees – into the US was $1,000. Make certain you get a written quote before you agree to use their services.
Case Study:
This 1986 Mader, in structually excellent and cosmetically good condition, and still carrying 20lbs of lead correctors, was imported from Europe to California during the winter of 2010/2011. The cost to purchase the boat - which included a modern Proctor "swept-back spreader" rig, 2 mains, 2 jibs, 2 kites, a cover and a road trailer - plus all shipping costs, delivery costs and import costs, was less than US$10,000
Conclusion:
Because of the exceptionally high standard employed by the Tempest builders, it is possible to find European boats as mature as 25 to 30 years old that are as in a sound condition as brand new ones. Thus it is conceivable that one can find and import a competitive Tempest all the way from Europe into North America for less than $10,000 (as was shown recently), which is a fraction of the cost of buying a US-based used Viper 640, Open 5.70, Ultimate 20, Melges 20, Melges 24, etc., and offers a very viable alternative to trying to modernize an older US boat.
Please bear in mind that the options contained herein are to be used as a guide only, as prices, protocols and requirements vary from country to country and year to year. The USTA accepts no responsibility for any issues arising out of importing a boat into North America, but will be glad to help in any way it can.
For help or more details, please contact USTempest@yahoo.com.
