"Am extremely grateful that Kim was highly recommended to me, although my experience working with him went far beyond what was advertised as "a top surveyor".
Because I was extremely selective on what kind of boat I wanted, I took on the challenge of buying a boat on the other side of the Atlantic, a project that became more challenging when the week of the sea trial, I had a medical emergency that blocked me from flying, and thus inspecting the boat in person at the critical time to decide on the deal.
While I was fortunate to have my own broker able to travel without me, having an independent surveyor working only for me, now became critical, and Kim's extraordinarily thorough survey gave me the confidence I needed to complete the transaction, something I was glad I did when I eventually got my own eyes on Rhumb Do.
At this point I have to note the survey went above and beyond what was asked for, knowing I was buying my once-in-a-lifetime ultimate dream boat, Kim extensively detailed in the survey what kind of service and maintenance I'd want to do in the first few years of ownership, and then knowing my new medical condition, detailed precisely what kind of medical supplies would be prudent for the kind of sailing/cruising I was planning.
So now I owned a beautiful sailboat in Gibraltar, and had to get her to the U.S., which was a very sudden reality that demanded immediate response. Kim told me he would enjoy the chance to sail her more, and that was all I needed to ask him if he'd keep an eye on her in Spain, and put together a professional crew to get her to the shipping load-point in Mallorca. They did so quickly and efficiently, and then, when the shipping service delayed the pickup for a month, he coordinated with his partner skipper based there to help me manage the boat in a great marina, and even negotiate a couple expert repairs at great prices. No complaints from Kim that the mission was changing dramatically, just solutions.
During the time in Palma, I finally had opportunity to travel to see her, and was able to convince Kim for one more adventure, he joined me with a partner for a three day weekend of sailing my new baby in one of the ultimate sailboat playgrounds, taking me through the nuances of the boat, practicing reefing procedures, and along the way helping to identify a few maintenance issues that needed sorting. Throughout I was being hosted in an epic sailing paradise, with colossal sailboats dancing all around us, learning from Kim's engaging retelling of his own racing adventures just what makes the sport so special.
It took months to buy a boat in Europe, get her moved to the right places for transatlantic shipping, and I would recommend it only to the most obsessed sailor. I would however talk even one of those out of the folly if they didn't have someone like Kim that had the enthusiasm, experience, and patience to work with."
Because I was extremely selective on what kind of boat I wanted, I took on the challenge of buying a boat on the other side of the Atlantic, a project that became more challenging when the week of the sea trial, I had a medical emergency that blocked me from flying, and thus inspecting the boat in person at the critical time to decide on the deal.
While I was fortunate to have my own broker able to travel without me, having an independent surveyor working only for me, now became critical, and Kim's extraordinarily thorough survey gave me the confidence I needed to complete the transaction, something I was glad I did when I eventually got my own eyes on Rhumb Do.
At this point I have to note the survey went above and beyond what was asked for, knowing I was buying my once-in-a-lifetime ultimate dream boat, Kim extensively detailed in the survey what kind of service and maintenance I'd want to do in the first few years of ownership, and then knowing my new medical condition, detailed precisely what kind of medical supplies would be prudent for the kind of sailing/cruising I was planning.
So now I owned a beautiful sailboat in Gibraltar, and had to get her to the U.S., which was a very sudden reality that demanded immediate response. Kim told me he would enjoy the chance to sail her more, and that was all I needed to ask him if he'd keep an eye on her in Spain, and put together a professional crew to get her to the shipping load-point in Mallorca. They did so quickly and efficiently, and then, when the shipping service delayed the pickup for a month, he coordinated with his partner skipper based there to help me manage the boat in a great marina, and even negotiate a couple expert repairs at great prices. No complaints from Kim that the mission was changing dramatically, just solutions.
During the time in Palma, I finally had opportunity to travel to see her, and was able to convince Kim for one more adventure, he joined me with a partner for a three day weekend of sailing my new baby in one of the ultimate sailboat playgrounds, taking me through the nuances of the boat, practicing reefing procedures, and along the way helping to identify a few maintenance issues that needed sorting. Throughout I was being hosted in an epic sailing paradise, with colossal sailboats dancing all around us, learning from Kim's engaging retelling of his own racing adventures just what makes the sport so special.
It took months to buy a boat in Europe, get her moved to the right places for transatlantic shipping, and I would recommend it only to the most obsessed sailor. I would however talk even one of those out of the folly if they didn't have someone like Kim that had the enthusiasm, experience, and patience to work with."
- "Rhumb Do" - Rustler 37 - 04/08/24
