Customize cautiously

Author : Nikki Henderson

The conversation that dominates one of the two annual Outremer Week events surrounds options:

• “What options have you gone for?”
• “We aren’t sure … should we go for a Stay Sail?”
• “We’ve spent years doing research. Cork decking is for sure the best.”

I could make a list five pages long. Which shows how vast the choice is. In the Western World we aspire for choice. The freedom to choose is seen as relative to wealth and success. The more authority, money and safety you have – the more choices are at your disposal. That shapes our expectations.

Outremer is an iconic brand selling to people who are accustomed to choice. Every size of boat starts at a ‘base’ price with basic kit onboard. * And then there is a long list of ‘extras’ you can pick as new owners. Each ‘extra’ has a cost associated. And these extras are wide ranging, from changing the mast material from aluminium to carbon fiber, to a saloon table that raises and lowers rather than being a fixed height.

* NB ‘Basic’ is relative. Outremer are a high-end brand and their ‘basic’ does not mean ‘cheap’; Exchange the word ‘basic’ for minimalist.

Further to the standard list of options, are custom options.

I’ve heard of owners requesting saloon tables that open and expose a full length 88 note electric piano with weighted keys; adding in skippers’ quarters along with a head in the bow locker; or changing the size of the engine.

All the extras – custom or not – are comparatively (with the base price or a land equivalent) expensive. A boat isn’t like a house. Nothing exists in isolation. Every added ‘extra’ adds weight, changes the stability of the vessel, alters the power requirements, and slows down the production timeline. That could then impact the waiting time for dozens of other boats too. Not to mention – before building even starts, extensive design work is required for the new ‘extra’. Every extra also adds another element of risk to the tried-and-true standard model. So, the shipyard also has to take that into account with pricing, particularly when considering the warranty work after the build.

Most owners are spending close to 1 million euros (minimum) for their new Outremer. As buyers of a relatively luxury product, the psychology of choice comes back into play. The more money we spend the more choice we expect. And so, onwers take no hesitation at all in selecting option after option after option. Dishwashers, carbon bulkheads, rotating masts, upgrading the mattresses, a hot water tap – I mean, why not?

The choice to customize your boat is both a blessing and a curse.

On one hand, some of the ‘extras’ really are life-transforming for people. A washing machine has a notably high return for investment. Do remember though – it’s never just a washing machine. You now need to possibly increase the output of your watermaker, consider power and it will take up space. But, with all those compromises, things like a washing machine really are worth adding in.

But on the other hand, too much choice can breed discontent and become overwhelming. Before knowing it was possible to have a dishwasher, you would have likely been content with your double sink and high-pressure water tap. Before knowing there was any other option, you may never have realised there was a difference between your black painted aluminium mast and their carbon one. Before picking up the list of options, the size of the screen on your navigation table hadn’t even crossed your mind – But now, you are four hours deep in research on “the best size for a chart table screen on a 52-foot catamaran”.

Before you know it, all that choice can make you second guess everything! We can all suffer from ‘the grass is greener’. We can all fear regret. It’s so easy to spend too much time on things that fundamentally aren’t that important. And all the options can easily detract from the point of buying a boat – which is, to free yourself from the values of ‘land-life’ and open yourself up to the simplicity and deeply fulfilling lifestyle of life at sea. The choice ends up becoming dissatisfying.

If I have caught you early enough, I recommend committing to your goals with the boat project before you look at any options. Then write down what is most important to you:

• Is it speed?
• Is it comfort?
• Do you love cooking?
• Is the galley key? Or is it more about eating?
• Will you eat out more than eating in anyway?

Once you have all your answers – prioritise these. Or add them into a three-way system: ‘must have, nice to have, not bothered’. With this prioritised list, you now have a filter system. Every option and choice that you face in the extensive build process can run through this filter. It will help lead you down paths of opting only for the options that are authentically important to you.

Choice and options seem like a road to the ‘perfect’ boat. But, on a final note – let’s just break down ‘perfect’. For one, ‘perfect’ to you is never perfect to anyone else. The more customized a boat is, in theory, the harder it will be to sell. ‘Perfect’ now is not necessarily ‘perfect’ later. Once you become a cruiser, what is important to you will change. More of a blank canvas will leave you scope to add things in later.

If I were building an Outremer – ah, I’ll dream – I’d probably make choices that leave me the most future choice. In other words, I may up spec the rigging to allow for a staysail but not necessarily opt to buy a staysail straight away. I’d not put in too many instruments, because I hate too many holes in the boat. If I find myself yearning for instruments in the future, I’ll add them in slowly. And anything I don’t feel strongly one way or another, I’d just stick to the recommended ‘factory’ option.

Good luck to you all navigating this endless list of possibility! I hope you manage to keep your eye on the prize. Something about cruising … life is so fulfilling; we rarely look back. Don’t fear regret – just dive in – and enjoy!