Choosing Your Broker
Your first task in the purchase of your dream boat will be to find the right broker. It is very much like buying a house (besides, your boat will be your home for as long as you decide to cruise with it). Although there is nothing to stop you from contacting and dealing with the various brokers and their specific listings, it is beneficial to be dealing with one person whom you feel comfortable with.
Once you have called and spoken to or emailed a few brokers, you will soon discover whom you would want to have be your representative in the search and purchase of your dream catamaran. From then on, refer all your queries on to this broker who will be able to contact and speak plainly with other brokers about the specific vessels you may be interested in, arrange showings of the various vessels, and ultimately help you in your decision making process. This broker will also have valuable experience to offer you in what to expect from the purchase of your vessel and to guide you through the whole process from start to finish.
Hopefully, one of our brokers can meet all your expectations and needs.
Brokers
| Belinda Grimbeek |
| Mobile: |
954-445-5931 |
Broker |
| Email: |
belinda@justcatamarans.net |
| Comments: |
6 year's experience as a broker. A record of happy clients. |
| Biography: |
I was born is South Africa and spent most of my life growing up in beautiful Cape Town, the southern most point of Africa. As you may, or may not know, Cape Town is now one of the world’s top 10 tourist destination. And you ask: So why did you leave such a wonderful place... |
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I got married in 1996 to Kent Grimbeek and have been very happily married ever since. In 1999 we decided that we wanted to do one of three things: go sailing, fly a microlight across Australia or do a trip up through Africa in a truck. We wanted to do something before settling down to start a family. In January 1999 we put our names down advertising ourselves as crew in the Royal Cape Yacht Club. We were contacted within two weeks by the skipper looking for crew to deliver a catamaran to Fort Lauderdale. Having never sailed before, it was quite the experience. My husband is the one with all the experience, having crossed the Atlantic three times, so he was able to show me “the ropes” so to speak. Literally, on our way to the interview for the delivery, he was telling me that it’s port and starboard, a rope is a sheet etc. I was the only female aboard so was nominated as cook which was fine with me, although I still did all my share of the watches etc. I was terribly sea sick for the first 3 days (that’s when all my precooked meals came in handy for the guys), but after finding my sea legs, absolutely loved the experience.
Two months and 7000 miles later we arrived in Fort Lauderdale and were directed to 2Hulls which is where the boat was headed to be sold. We met the 2Hulls crew, in fact the crew working there at the time was Jim and Vicky Reilly who are now also brokers for Just Catamarans, and the boat was sold 2 months later. And that is how our relationship with 2Hulls began. My knowledge of catamarans expanded dramatically over the next 5 years spent working at 2Hulls and learning from the great old man of the catamaran business himself, John Sykes.
Much to our absolute delight I then fell pregnant. Wanting to be an at-home-mom, I took a long maternity leave and after doing piece-work for 2Hulls for a few months, I finally stopped working altogether. I had no intention of going back to brokering so soon, if at all, and was looking for some part time work to enable me to spend the quality time with Haley which is so important to us as parents. But, as they say, a door opened which allows me to work on my own terms, still allowing me the most important thing – to spend time with Haley. We are now the very proud parents of a “perfect” little daughter and also the very proud owners of a company that we can call our own. We look forward to seeing them both grow.
Although I’m still not as technically knowledgeable as I would like to be, I have a pretty good grip of the different models out there and I like to think that I can find anyone the boat they need in order to do the things they want to do. For me, finding you your boat is like completing a puzzle: until all the pieces fit, I haven’t found you your boat.
If there’s one bit of advice I can give to any man wanting to buy a catamaran – be sure to bring your wife along! A boat is not called a ‘she’ for nothing... |
| Kent Grimbeek |
| Mobile: |
954-605-4416 |
Broker |
| Email: |
kent@justcatamarans.net |
| Comments: |
Kent has his broker's license, together with an intimate knowledge of boat systems gained over
the years. |
| Biography: |
Born and raised in South Africa, Kent grew up in Durbanville, very
close to Cape Town. Raised in a sailing family, his father a
blue water racer, ensured that the family was introduced to
boating from a very young age. The family had a house on the
Langebaan lagoon and that’s where Kent cut his teeth starting
with Optimists, Dabchicks, Hobie 14, 16 and eventually racing
the Hobie 18 in the Cape. To date he has five transatlantic
crossings, two of which are on catamarans.
In early high school his parents built a 65’ sailboat that they
voyaged to South America and the Caribbean. On returning he
pursued mechanical engineering at college and then worked in
various fields, gaining very practical knowledge of engineering
systems and their applications.
Getting itchy feet, he jumped on a sailboat en-route to the
Mediterranean and thereafter spent the next year traveling Europe and cycling
through France and Italy.
Back in South Africa he met Belinda and got married, and in 1999 they
took passage on a 38’ catamaran delivery from Cape Town to Ft.
Lauderdale , where they were introduced to working with a local
catamaran brokerage, Kent started and headed up a service
division that greatly assisted the sales side of the business.
In 2003 when the business was bought out, Kent started Just
Catamarans, Inc and obtained office and shop space at Lauderdale
Marine Center on the New River.
The technical aspect of catamarans is high on his list and he keeps
up to date with the latest systems, developments and materials.
Kent has vast experience in all aspects of catamarans, having
refitted, repaired, commissioned, captained and sailed most
brands, he is a definite resource for any catamaran. He works
very closely with clients to find the right catamaran, to fit it
out according to their need and budget and then provide backup
for those clients, whether in Ft. Lauderdale or Tahiti.
His goal is to make your sailing experience as enjoyable as
possible, as many many clients will attest to.
He lives with Belinda, two daughters and a son in Ft. Lauderdale,
making yearly visits back to Cape Town to visit with family and
reinforce the strong working relationship he has with catamaran
manufacturers in South Africa.
Please take a look at the Service Department section of the website for more information about what we can do for you.
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