TESTIMONIALS
The Mahina boat consultation service was an invaluable tool that saved countless hours of weeding though unworthy vessels. John's extensive knowledge of blue water cruisers and and experience gained from countless sea miles provided insight that many brokers are not able to provide. Through our e-mail correspondence, John aided us with information that is often overlooked or unknown to other yacht professionals. Thanks to Mahina's support, we are confident that we found the boat that best fits our goals.
-Mike
 Hello John.
I have finalized the purchase of the IP 45 and am sailing (as we speak
along) the east coast of Australia (wireless broadband connection 40 km
offshore). Am very happy with the choice, her performance exceeds my
expectations..
Thanks very much for your valuable advice over the past months.
Regards Stefan
 We took advantage of John Neal's consultancy service as we planned for our retirement dream of owning a cruising sailboat. John's input regarding possible boat models, equipment to consider, and help with decisions on many aspect of our purchase were invaluable, as was the practical training we received from John and Amanda during our Pacific cruise with Mahina Expeditions in 2004. In 2008 we took delivery of our Hallberg-Rassy 43, Diomedea II, in our new home port of Sydney, Australia. As we learn about our local cruising grounds, weather, sailing conditions and the running of our boat we constantly refer to the notes from John and Amanda's cruising seminar. Their help and counsel has made our transition from dreamers to boat owners a joy. Our boat has turned out to be all we had hoped for and is perfect for us as we grow in our knowledge and abilities as sailors.
Anne Reeckmann and Gary Holmes, Sydney, Australia.
John Neal provided us with perfect counsel. By making an initial investment
in his services, we benefited from decades of knowledge about every aspect
of cruising sailboats: from design to construction; performance to safety,
equipment inventory to maintenance demands. His continuous stream of
well-informed, prompt, and up-beat responses to our queries enabled us to
find the ultimate boat for our family. He wisely steered us away from
several boats that would not have served us well. And when it came time to
making an offer and closing on our dream boat, his words of patience and
years of experience helped us to navigate a rocky buying process. Given our
limited budget, without his support it is likely we would have ended up with
a boat that was far from ideal.
Kim Berry, Mark Baker, Anson and Devon Baker-Berry
Happy owners of Anthea, 1977 Swan 41
I am pleased to provide a reference for John Neal's cruising boat consultation service. My wife and I used John’s services to help select our new performance bluewater cruising boat, a Saga 43 we have named Sarah Jean II. READ MORE
 When we decided to buy a Hallberg-Rassy 46 in 2001, I contacted John to pick his brain about how to equip the boat. We went through options, safety equipment and spares to carry around. John was very helpful to share his knowledge with me, and we ended up with a very good setup, as close to the "perfect boat" as possible!
My wife and I also joined one of the expeditions on Mahina Tiare to become comfortable with the HR46 before taking delivery of our own .
John not only provided a wealth of information, but we also started a lasting friendship with John and Amanda, and any time our cruising paths converge, we make sure we have the opportunity to share an anchorage with them and have dinner together !
Giorgio and Laura
s/v Indeed
Due to his knowledge and connections, John saved us both time and money in finding the right boat for us. He explained to us what to look for in our future home and consulted with on our purchase. John steered us toward the right boat and people, and with some unusual luck we bought our boat within 2 months of the beginning of that complicated process.
Livia and Carol
"John's help was invaluable when we were looking for that "perfect boat" to fulfill a life-long dream of sailing offshore. I had some ideas and he was a great sounding board for them and would send me notes back with his thoughts. Buying that "last boat" is a painful process and he helped guide us through it. He put us in contact with people he knew for "checking out their boats" and he gave us the name of the broker that would be instrumental in helping us buy KTooT (she was in Annapolis.). As this process took almost year from the first email to the purchase, John never let us down as he always answered our questions - sometimes we sent several a day!
We would highly recommended his services to anyone who is thinking of buying a boat for offshore. We look forward to our journey ahead and feel he helped us make a great choice - she is comfortable, seaworthy and most important - we feel safe in her. Thanks John!"
"I am pleased to provide a reference for John Neal’s cruising boat consultation service. My wife and I used John’s services to help select our new performance bluewater cruising boat, a Saga 43 we have named Sarah Jean II. READ MORE
I took advantage of John Neal's boat purchase consulting service when I
was in the market for my first boat. My goal was to buy a 35 to 40 foot
yacht capable of blue water cruising, should I decide to do so in the
future. Having never owned any type of boat in the past other than a 12'
aluminum fishing boat, I figured that I was probably a mark waiting to
be taken advantage of in the used yacht market.
Frankly, I was surprised
at how quickly John answered all of my questions. Over the space of a
couple of months we exchanged many emails and two or three phone calls.
Typically I would send John a link to a Yachtworld ad and ask him what
he thought. He had several original suggestions of boats he thought
might be on the market soon that fit my specifications. As a result, I
purchased an Island Packet 35 with which I am extremely happy, with no
doubt that I got a great deal on a very seaworthy boat.
J.G. Seattle
Hi John,
I think you will be glad to hear that Stefan and I closed on the purchase of our new (used) boat in June. That means we're one step closer to sailing off into the sunset and you're off the hook for providing consultation! We've had a wonderful summer getting to know the boat and sailing all over So Cal.
We have a lot to thank you for, including answering a bazillion questions, reviewing numerous Yachtworld listings, saving us countless hours by steering us away from junkers, and hooking us up with an honest broker. As far as the recommendation of the surveyor, Robert Noyce, he did a lot to accommodate us with buying the boat remote, and provided a very detailed summary of the survey. Warm Regards,
Ginny & Stefan
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