‘Upgrading our boat with Val Wyatt Marine’

At Val Wyatt, we are incredibly proud of the community we have created across our marina, which is underpinned by the number of long standing relationships and friendships that we continue to enjoy with our customers.

Many are first time boat owners whilst others are experienced boaters who have enjoyed sailing or day boating for a number of years. In fact, such is the strength of the relationships we build, we are lucky enough to have clients that have shared their entire boating journey with us, from newcomers to seasoned boaters – a journey that has included vessel upgrades as their needs change.

One example of this is Mark & Caroline, Val Wyatt customers since 2012, who chose to upgrade their Intercruiser 27 Cabin for the Intercruiser 29 Cabin.

Mark recently shared his experiences to date with us:

How long did you have your Intercruiser 27 Cabin for?

We bought our Intercruiser 27 ‘Cloudbreak’ in 2012 and we owned her for six years. We really enjoyed the boat and made some fantastic memories. However, in late 2017 we took the decision to upgrade to an Intercruiser 29, ‘Formosa’.

‘Cloudbreak’ was mainly a weekend boat. It didn’t have a shower and the cabin was compact. This meant that if we ever went away somewhere for longer than a weekend, we were regularly spending nights in various marinas so that we could shower.

‘Formosa’ appealed to us because of the additional space, especially within the cabin, and with a shower, and the fact it has an invertor, which means we can use our coffee machine.  The extra room and additional features make it far easier for us to go away for a week or two at a time.

Did you consider trying a different brand of boat altogether?

No, we didn’t. During our time on ‘Cloudbreak’, we were completely convinced by the quality of the boat and the builder. It made perfect sense to stay with Intercruiser, therefore the 29 Cabin was an obvious choice for us.

They have a long-standing partnership with Val Wyatt, and they always delivered an exceptional experience. We also believed they are the highest quality of boat at that price point. We have owned an Intercrusier for more than ten years in total and we have had no major problems – for example, there hasn’t been a single crack in the fibreglass over that period.

The only minor problem that needed addressing in the four years we have had ‘Formosa’ was the rubber trim around the bathing platform shrinking. This was replaced under warranty, with minimal fuss.

How was the overall process managed?

Once we made the decision to upgrade, we approached Val Wyatt and they helped to manage the process for us. Obviously, we wanted to achieve the best price for ‘Cloudbreak’ and therefore we decided to part-exchange her when ordering ‘Formosa’. This ensured that Val Wyatt would handle the sale at the end of the 2017 season.

‘Formosa’ was built over the following winter period. We discussed various optional extras to ensure our new boat met our exact needs. Intercruiser would send regular photographs and videos to show how they were progressing with the build. Also, from a legal perspective, Val Wyatt’s expertise and experience meant it was a very safe and straight forward process, which was reassuring. The boat was delivered for the beginning of the 2018 season, and we named her after an island on the Thames at Cliveden Reach, which is one of our favourite mooring stretches on the river.

Fantastic. Is ‘Formosa’ moored at Val Wyatt Marine?

Yes. We have always moored our boats at Val Wyatt. We appreciate the beautiful grounds and facilities, especially the fact the site is secure. The team are always on hand to help with any questions and to assist with your vessel, which is important for us. They also winterise and store ‘Formosa’ each winter, as well as carrying out a regular maintenance programme to ensure the boat remains in peek condition.

There is a friendly community at Val Wyatt. In fact, the marina recently hosted its annual barbeque, which provided the perfect opportunity for everybody to catch up.

Now you have upgraded, where do you like to take ‘Formosa’?

Most of our boating has been weekend boating, however we have enjoyed quite a few one and two week trips. When we do a weekend trip, we stay relatively local, for instance to Henley’s Regatta Meadow.

We have just returned from a fortnight trip to Lechlade, which is the furthest navigable part of the Thames. From the marina, it was 26 lock gates each way and by doing this, you get to enjoy very remote, beautiful parts of the river.

Our favourite places include Pangbourne Meadows, Goring and Days Lock upstream, and downstream we love Henley, Medmenham and Cookham. Closer to home, we also like to moor at Wargrave Reaches. Often, it’s nice to moor in very peaceful remote spots a long way from civilisation.

In June 2023 as intended, Caroline and I took Formosa onto the tidal Thames in London and spent a few days moored at St Katherine Docks near Tower Bridge. On the way, we stopped at Cookham, Runnymede, Shepperton, Hampton Court Palace and Imperial Wharf near Chelsea. A lot of planning but a wonderful experience.”

We hope you enjoy ‘Formosa’ for many more years. Thank you for your time Mark. 

If you’d like to learn more about the boats we currently have on sale, browse our online boat catalogue. If you have any further questions, please contact us here.