Owner Profiles and New Launchings at HYS
Malö 36, "Spindrift"
We wanted to thank all the crew at Hellier for a great boat purchasing experience. Hard to believe that at the start of our two week cruise we decided to stop in New London to take a "peek" at a Malo 36 that we might be interested in. Two weeks later, we were returning home with our new boat Spindrift!
Not only did you have to make arrangements with the sellers who were in Seattle and France, the Hellier team had the Malo hauled, painted, zinced and returned to the water while we were leisurely cruising in Vineyard Sound. All we had to do is pull up to your docks, close the deal and sail off with with a beautiful boat!
We highly recommend Hellier to anyone looking to purchase a sailboat. Please do not hesitate to use us as a reference as satisfied Hellier customers.
Dawn and Paul Gudelis
s/v Spindrift
Island Packet 465, "At Last"
Celebrating a very special sail, (from left to right) Mark Gorrel, Bill Springer, Senior Editor of SAIL magazine, Janet Gorrel and Hellier General Manager Rick Dieterich share a glass of champagne at the Hellier dock.
The occasion? The maiden voyage of the Gorrel's new Island Packet 465 "At Last" and Best Boats 2008 review for SAIL of Island Packet's newest model all in one! Look for the article in the December 2007 issue of Sail magazine.
Irwin 34, "Mara Ceo"
I want to Thank You again for the sale of Mara Ceo. The whole process was handled in a very professional manner. Your salesman Bill Conroy kept me updated on any leads and returned my phone calls promptly with answers to any questions I might have had. I especially liked your relaxed style. It made everyone involved in the sale of the vessel feel very comfortable. Bill, if you are an example of the rest of the Hellier team I would not hesitate to recommend you to anyone I know, to sell or purchase a vessel through Hellier Yacht Sales.
Paul Croteau
Island Packet 445 "Sail La Vie"
I would like to thank you for the outstanding dealer support I received on the purchase of my new Island Packet 445 from Rick Dieterich of Hellier Yacht Sales.
Bill and Stephanie Wulfsohn with daughters
Becki(15), Jackie(13) and Carolyn(10)
My initial contact with HYS was the result of seeing an ad for the boat on the Internet. This is my first and only transaction with Rick and Hellier Yachts and it far exceeded my expectations. Rick was upfront, open and honest on the negotiation for purchase and delivery of the boat, all agreed upon work was done on time, to a high quality level, with no surprises or extra costs.
In my particular case, I had my boat delivered and commissioned to Lake Erie. Rick made all the arrangements to ship the boat. In fact, he even helped me research and find a marina that would accommodate my boat and fit my needs. Ultimately, Hellier Yachts sent four people to commission my boat - including Rick and the President of Hellier Yachts (Vin Petrella) himself. During commissioning, every aspect of the boat was explained to me in detail. Service support after delivery has been outstanding.
I have found the Island Packet 445 to be extremely comfortable, outstanding on the water and of excellent construction quality. The boat is very well designed for live aboard comfort and great fun to sail. Steady in light winds and stable in heavy winds, my boat cuts extremely comfortably through the Lake Erie chop. In a nutshell, I am extremely happy that I purchased an Island Packet from HYS and Rick Deiterich.
William A. Wulfsohn
Sail La Vie – Island Packet 445 #15
Island Packet 370 "La Bella Vita"
Don and Linda Barry are the proud new owners of "La Bella Vita" Island Packet 370 Hull #58. Don and Linda recently took delivery of their new yacht at Hellier Yacht Sales. Don, and sons Mike and Dan, are shown in the photo as they left for their trip to Huntington, Long Island. This will be "La Bella Vita's" new home.
Linda provided ground transportation for the departure. Normally, "Conan", their Jack Russell Terrier, would be part of the crew as well. For the delivery, he was guarding the home front. The Barrys traded in their Beneteau 361 as part of the process to acquire "La Bella Vita". The entire family are experienced sailors and they look forward to expanding their cruising horizons aboard their new Island Packet.
All of us at Hellier Yacht Sales wish them fair tides and favorable winds!
Catalina 36 Mk II "Mai Toi"
I am Captain of the Catalina 36, Fleet 5 Long Island Sound Owners Association. This is my 2nd C-36 and my first experience with Hellier Yacht Sales. I previously owned a 1999 C-36 which I bought from another local dealer so I have the experience of buying two identical boats from two competing Catalina dealers.
I have to say my experience with Hellier Yacht Sales was outstanding and far exceeded my expectations. Their commitment to excellence from the sale to the delivery of my C-36 was second to none. We are primarily weekend cruisers and this being our 2nd C-36 we knew exactly what we wanted.
Hellier Yacht Sales was very knowledgeable. They made recommendations on upgrades and accessories specifically targeted to our sailing lifestyle. The sales team at Hellier Yacht Sales was intimately familiar with their product and together we literally built our own custom C-36.
Hellier also followed through on the sale with service. We were extremely satisfied with the end product and the service we received from Hellier Yacht Sales which continues to this day.
Taurus International Corporation
Richard E. Toth
Vice President & General Manager
Jeanneau 49DS "Azzurra"
Piero Melchiorri and Francesca Scerrato recently purchased a new 2005 Jeanneau 49 Deck Salon from Hellier Yacht Sales.
Piero and Francesca live aboard their Jeanneau in Stamford, Connecticut and this is their second "Jeanneau Home". They traded their 2003 Jeanneau 43 Deck Salon for their new "Azzurra". The decision to select this yacht from Hellier Yacht Sales was consummated at the 2006 Norwalk Boat Show after many months of discussion and research.
In Piero's own words:
"As you know, this is the second Jeanneau that I have purchased. We love our new boat, a Jeanneau 49 Deck Salon, but we also loved your excellent service and professionalism. Unlike our previous disastrous experience with the delivery of our Jeanneau 43 Deck Salon which we bought from another dealer, buying our boat from you was painless. It was really a very pleasant experience and your post sale service has been very good. Looking forward to having you aboard!"
It has been our pleasure to provide a pleasant experience for Piero and Francesca. We look forward to responding to their needs going forward. We enthusiastically welcome them to the "Hellier Family".
Catalina 350 "Nunki"
This is written especially for those contemplating their very first purchase of a sailboat. We had been shopping for a sailboat for several years, but for one reason or another, we never took the plunge. Until one day at the Newport Boat Show, my wife Deborah and I stepped onto a Catalina 350. It was perfect!... just what we'd been dreaming about. We realized the time was "either now or never." We put down a deposit, and even went on a sea trial. We feel in love with the 350 even more.... but something wasn't quite right. The "buying experience" left us with many questions, and an uncomfortable feeling.
Not willing to abandon our dream easily, I perused the web in search of other Catalina dealers, and I happened upon Hellier Yacht Sales in New London, CT. Although they were a distance away, we gave them a shot - and they have far exceeded our expectations.
So what's made Hellier so different? Maybe it's all the little things that have added up to one big pleasurable buying experience. First, the entire staff at Hellier is wonderful. Rick Dieterich patiently guided us through the customization process, thoughtfully advising what options we may want to include, as well as what to avoid. Being "newbie" sailors, we had a thousand questions, yet Rick and Vin were always patient and eager to help. Finally, when the day of commissioning arrived, Vin and Rick devoted the entire day to carefully explaining and demonstrating the boat's many systems. Rick followed up later with a day of electronics calibration and some much needed "hands on" docking practice.
Although Deborah and I have many years of power boat experience, this was our first time at the helm of a sailboat. We soon realized that perhaps a bit more instruction was needed - and again Hellier came through. Located on site is American Sailing Academy instructor, Roger Potvin. After a few days under Roger's excellent tutelage, we mastered the basics, and we felt much more confident with our 350, "Nunki". Finally the time had arrived for us to bring her home to Greenwich Bay, yet the weather wasn't cooperating. Two nasty nor'easters slammed into New England, forcing the Nunki to remain tied to the dock. Again, Hellier came through, understanding our situation and allowing us to remain at their dock in New London. Soon the weather cleared and summer finally arrived, and Nunki made her maiden voyage to her new home port of Greenwich Bay, RI.
Catalina built us a beautiful sailboat – Hellier made our dream come true.
John and Deb Morgan
Island Packet 440 "Elysium"
In the fall of 2005 we found ourselves pining, once again, for our retirement yacht. We stopped at Hellier Yacht Sales just to look at a boat we thought we might like for future reference. We walked out that day having found the boat of our dreams (an IP440). And, we never thought we could make it happen so quickly. The folks at Hellier helped us find a way to realize that dream right away.
Together, we worked out the list of options, costs, and financing, enjoying every moment of the process. Hellier worked within our budget and helped with the financing, insurance, and timing as well. We took delivery just in time to maintain the interest rate we needed only a few days before the New Year. It was, indeed, a happy holiday.
Over the winter we worked together putting in all the dealer options and visiting our new boat (Elysium) as progress was being made. Hellier sent us pictures when we could not be there. They also made some great suggestions that we hadn't thought of. When Elysium was commissioned in the spring, they spent days with us going over all the systems and doing some sailing. They made sure we were completely satisfied and comfortable before seeing us off as we sailed her home.
The boat is as incredible as we knew it would be. Our experience with Hellier Yacht Sales and with Rick Dieterich in particular was one of the most pleasurable experiences we've had making a major purchase. They even went out of their way more than once to accommodate last minute changes and additions within our budget and timetable. It was an extremely enjoyable experience. Best of all, we made some new friends and look forward to a long relationship.
Jim and Pam Ireland
Catalina 36MKII "Serenata"
At a time when quality of service and integrity in business practices has become a rarity, what a joy to find a company than not only meets, but exceeds expectations.
Your guidance and expertise in assisting us with the commissioning of our new Catalina and keeping us informed every step of the way was greatly appreciated.
Thank you for the meticulous work and care you have taken with making "Serenata" such a wonderful boat, and for your cheerful patience in dealing with her new owners.
Bob and Leslie Lloyd
Catalina 350 "Dreamline"
It's hard for me to believe it's been a little over a year since I first met Rick Dieterich. For years I had dreamed about living on a sailboat; Rick and the crew at Hellier helped me make that dream come true.
Taking the plunge and buying Dreamline was pretty big for me, and I'm not sure I would have been able to do it without Rick's advice and help. He was right there whenever I had any questions and kept me up to date to where she was in the production and outfitting process so I could answer all the questions I was getting hit with from friends & relatives. She has performed flawlessly all summer long - a testament to the pride and attention to detail during the outfitting and commissioning process.
I would not hesitate to recommend Hellier to anyone in the market for a boat, and I know that if I ever decide to upgrade I'll be headed back up to New London to visit some people that I consider to be my friends.
Matt Burleigh
