Dolphin Cat

[Limpet]

I'm told there will be a Dolphin '46 at the Oakland Strictly Sail event this Wednesday through Sunday.
Any suggestions from Dolphin owners or those with first hand experience, on things to check out that trouble/concern you. This could be anything from head room to the electrical system.
On the other side of the coin, if there are real positives I should examine, please post those too.

Thanks,

[bryanweaver]

I spoke with the U.S.rep about the boat going to the Oakland show. At the end of last week it was holed up in Morro Bay waiting for a break in the weather. When you get to the show ask for Phil Berman, tell him Bryan Weaver recommended him. We have been talking on the phone a bit lately.

I've seen the Dolphin 460 at the Miami show and liked it, but that does not say much since I only know the boat from walking around on it for 20 minutes, Although it is out of my budget, it seems to be a very good value for the money. It has daggerboards, a separate nav/map/computer room in one hull which I thought was a good way to centralize things. It also has some single bunk beds, which I had not seen before, not really private, but it does offer something other than sleeping on the saloon table.
I think it has teak decks, which to me would seem like another thing to have to maintain. Fit and finish were good, and much of it real wood instead of plastic.

The saloon roofline seems like a cross between a Lagoon and a FP, the windows are vertical, but it does not seem as blunt as a Lagoon.

Not much else. Sorry, no real info here.

[Limpet]

I had a few conversations with Phil Berman. He went into this big rant about how he does not want to waste time with customers who are not loyal. Frankly he turned me off big time. What seemed clear is that he wanted his commission. he is not much more than a car salesman or a realtor, although he is fairly knowledgeable about the various cats out there, or at least that’s how it seemed on the surface.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by Limpet

I had a few conversations with Phil Berman. He went into this big rant about how he does not want to waste time with customers who are not loyal. Frankly he turned me off big time. What seemed clear is that he wanted his commission. he is not much more than a car salesman or a realtor, although he is fairly knowledgeable about the various cats out there, or at least that’s how it seemed on the surface.

. . . because Phil Berman is definitely knowledgeable about all things catamaran, and especially Dolphins. I can't excuse whatever he did to offend you, Limpet, and while he has been thorough and business-like, without exception, in my dealings with him, you aren't the first to come away feeling a bad vibe.

I imagine he has been strung along by a few, or even many, "tire-kickers" over his numerous years in the business. I'm not inferring that you are one as well, but it's possible that that was the feeling he got from you.

That leaves you with the "turned off" feeling you got from him. It's unfortunate, but it happens.

If you are serious about Dolphins, however, you probably can't find a more informed source than Phil Berman.

Good luck in your search.

TaoJones

[bryanweaver]

Sorry to hear about your experience with Phil. I got the same spiel about loyalty. My experiences have been positive, in fact I get the impression that he is trying to find the best solution for the buyer imposed limitations, in my case: limited budget, type of sailing (pacific coast) conditions and boat type/condition, rather than just throw things at me hoping I will bite onto something. I appreciate his candor when it comes to the negatives for each boat/model and his perception of asking price vs. going market price. This is all used boats though, no new boats.

For you, he may have been too pushy and "protective" of his livelihood which turned you off. He sells boats, so he is a salesman and unlike a car salesman, he actually knows his product. Just like a real estate broker, he wants the transaction to go through him so he can get paid for his effort. In fact, most commercial RE brokers make a buyer sign exclusivity agreements if they are a buyers broker. They work on speculation and invest the time hoping it will pay off. I don't think he is much different, although there is no signed agreement which would be a turnoff for most people.

If you don't get along with Phil, getting a Dolphin may not be a smooth experience, since he is the US distributor.

[Limpet]

It appears the experience base for Dolphin Cats is very small on this forum.
I heard that the Dolphin 460 arrived in San Francisco Bay on Sunday.
However, the weather is not looking good for Sticktly Sail this week.
Last year it was nice and sunny, but almost no wind.