Phone call this morning first thing from the broker......
"You know the VAT status of this boat, and the original invoice...."
"yeah"
"Well the seller can't find it......"
Long pause................................
"OK..... well he better start looking harder....." "its a show stopper"
"One other thing..... the boat is part one registered"
"right... thats news"
"you know that means that the VAT certificate isn't important..."
"I beg your pardon!" "I think you'll find you're wrong there......"
"OK... we're working on it... leave it with us"
In the mean time, the surveyor, Nick Vass, is there doing the survey..... and to his absolute credit, when the broker explains the situation, Nick immediately comes back to me and says that he'll complete the survey and then only write it up when the VAT issue is resolved, and if it isn't resolved, he won't charge us!!!!!!! (more on him in a minute - top guy)
A few worrying hours afte r the broker conversation, they come back to me to let me know that they now have in their possession an original invoice with the VAT number on it, with the words "full and final payment received".... actually, its enough for me, and i'm OK with that, but they have gone one stage further, and with the exact date of sale now established, have spoken to the original broker of the boat when it was new, who are searchign their archives to see what else they have. Besides this, we now have the original certificate of conformity, the guarantee, the hull certificate, and a large pile of other paperwork, so a breath of relief.... we've really set our hearts on this boat.....
One other thing.... as part 1 registered, we've decided that a name change is more hassle than its worth... so decision made... she's staying as Morgana of Dartmouth. (is Dartmouth a port of registry?)
OK.... Nick Vass (who also surveyed our last boat) completed the survey, and a long phone call this evening confirmed what I already suspected... she's in great condition... Nick gave me a verbal summary, producing a long list of good news, with the following defects also highlighted:
Wooden grab rail on port side is a little cracked
Shower on swim platform is disconnected, but pipes exist and are stopped off
engine controls could do with a dab of grease
small area of corrosion on gearbox below impellor housing needs quick wire brush, and a dab of paint
needs new fire extinguishers
gas hoses on cooker need replacing
barometer glass loose
minor kink to lower starboard stay... looks OK for a while, but worth checking with a rigger with a view to replacing.
and also, one seacock (the fridge and icebox drain!) that is a bit stiff, and pipe needs new clips.... but the broker is getting that sorted as a safety issue without prompting.... so good news
Other than that, not a lot wrong... hull is as dry as a bone, and everything else looks OK... all electronics work, fridge and heating work well, etc etc
Valuation... in his opinion, we've got a bargain! he valued a similar sized boat last week from another major manufacturer, same offer price, had a chartering background, and it wasn't a patch on Morgana either in terms of condition, or construction quality...
Final thing.... we've now got to get everything moving in time.... cheques are raised, and will be sent tommorrow by registered post, guaranteed next day delivery, once final value is agreed (to allow for minor bits and bobs doing), insurance will be sorted tommorrow, so that we get the certificate in time to get funds released from finance company... only thing remaining is a copy of the survey for the finance company.... Nick solves this one.... "i'll get you the report as soon as I can.... however, if you e-mail the finance company with my details, the boat details, and your own details, and cc me in on it, then i'll reply with a few lines summary confirming that the boat is seaworthy, and worth the agreed price... thats should keep them happy"
Top bloke... he's gone out of his way to help.... been very flexible and generous in his approach, been very willing to spend significant time discussing the conclusions (nearly an hour this evening), and twice produced me good detailed surveys that I feel I can trust... and at a very competitive price.... highly recommended...
So..... we are nearly there....
Delivery trip still on track..... seller OK with us loading her up next weekend... all looking good.... just need to keep everything moving.... and get confirmation from brokers that she'll be launched in time.... | 
