He sold nothing much below €100,000 and this is 20+ years ago.

What stunned him was people who had never owned any sort of sea going vessel before would roll up and look at some €200,000+ vessel. Then they'd ask;

"Is there an option list?"

"Yes of course" … So he'd hand them the list and many said "Yes we'll have that…"

"Which option?" he'd enquire

"Well, all of them" … Turning €200,000+ into €250,000+

Then after establishing they had zero idea of how to operate the vessel they had purchased he would say:

"We offer a three day training course to explain how to dock, leave the dock, use the equipement and radio etc ….. We charge a nominal €100 (yes, €100) for the three days … would you like to do that?

Do I have to? is it like a legal requirment or something?

Err, well no, but we would advise ….

"No, don't want that"

The occasions that these type of people crashed their new vessel into the dock side or got lost at sea and had to be rescued was shall we say, numerous.

People, the public, they are quite astounding in my experience. Men especially, you are not born with an innate skill to use sea going vessels, or a canoe … You are not innately skilled at riding motorcycles or driving cars or flying planes.

You have to be trained … just as your trainers had to be trained because none of these skills are instinctive. For pities sake. 🤨