Hadn't considered that angle at all! I've been sailing up and down between
Auckland and the Bay of Islands (and beyond) for 26 years and know a lot of owners and
boats. I know of some yachts which have hit bottom and I know a number of repairers and
marine surveyors. I was in Opua myself recently (I often stop there on my way to my holiday place further north) to check out a couple of 44 footers. Problems! I'll take a leaf out of your book and refrain from naming them. I'm unimpressed with your slight that I could be a gazumper of some sort. Gazumping to me was unscrupulously jacking up house
sale prices, esp. in the UK. The chances of me wanting the boat you're interested in are very, very
remote. In complete good faith, I was doing nothing more than offering a bit of local knowledge, hopefully helpfully. Additionally, since I'm regularly up that way anyway, I wouldn't have wanted, expected or accepted petrol
money.