Never make a snap decision...

Never make a snap decision when it comes to boats. Remember, use your head, not your heart. That being said, once Anna whispered that she wanted the boat, I went straight into negotiation mode. The boat was more than I had wanted, expected, or even dared to dream of, but if Anna wanted it, I was sure as hell going to get it. For a good price.

Øyvind gamely engaged me in a duel of words as we discussed the potential selling price of his boat. I made an offer, and he refused, informing me that he had other people interested. A classic ploy, but this time it might even be true. He was out on the boat only hours before with another buyer. But was that buyer serious? I challenged Øyvind to call his 'interested party,' and find out just how interested he really was.

The conversation went something like this..

"Hi. This is Øyvind. You came to see my boat...Yes, that's right. I have another couple here interested in the boat. They made an offer. Are you willing to meet their offer? Are you interested in the boat? Ah, I see. Okay, thanks. No problem. Bye."

As I suspected, the other party was not serious. Interested does not mean ready to buy. So Øyvind and I haggled for a bit, then settled on a price. It was much closer to the asking price than I would have liked, but to be honest, if he had not budged, I would have paid the full amount happily. I too wanted the boat desperately. We shook hands, and the deal was made.

We were going to buy a Beneteau Clipper 311.