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sirgallivant said..
The truth is, the yacht sold itself,

Good yachts tend to do that.

Checking out "Rhapsody" for you before you travelled was a pleasant and educational experience and Nic Cox the broker (unfotunately now retired) was one of the gems in the game.

You still owe me a sail and a beer on the Harbour should we both live long enough for that to occur.

Neither forgotten

It's worth remembering the broker works for the vendor only.

He may omit to reveal weaknesses in a boat but if you ask direct questions you can can get a sense of his views.

I view them as a resource when buying, no need to like or dislike them. Too often I have seen a buyer walk away from a good boat because of a poor process with broker and surveyor only to buy a lemon because they felt comfortable with another broker.

Test sails consume an inordinate amount of time for a broker but I still insist on one. As a buyer you are wise to sign a contract that allows you to back out with full refund of deposit at anytime prior to settlement. The test sail is an small extension of the survey essentially. If there is one niggling problem after another that can tell a story and then there's the engine... the survey doesn't cover this. Running it and observing colour of exhaust, inspecting oil and talking to mechanic who services it is all useful when down on the boat. Either that or get an independent mechanic to inspect it.

I always approach a broker with with respect as it is only a losing game to do otherwise.

My 5c

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for their input on this. I am very grateful.

I must confess my tardy response is due to the heightened emotions the issue elicited from some members. It was certainly not my intention to cause a furore. I felt embarrassed and did not quite know how to respond.

Morning Bird is very kindly going to have a look at the boat with me while it's on the slip on the 14th. I have commissioned an independent surveyor to do the pre-purchase inspection.

I have insisted the vendor commit to a thorough hand-over prior to sailing to Queensland.

Photos of her pretty bottom to follow

Kind regards to all
Trace