Geoff Jaquest has recently joined the team at Boatshed Suffolk and we thought it would be a nice idea to find out a little more about him.

Hi Geoff, what was you first experience of boating?

My first experience was when I decided to buy a "Mirror Dinghy" from the Daily Mirror newspaper when I was around 17 year old. It was in kit form and took me 6 weeks to build. Thereafter I taught myself to sail on the river Medway, Kent.

What did you do before you came to work as a broker for Boatshed?

I have been retired since 2009 and moved from Kent to Norfolk and enjoyed the Broads and the sea with my first cruiser, a Broom 35 Sedan. This became too big for the two of us so we downsized to a Sovereign 28ft cruiser which is much more manageable. Prior to retiring, I worked in Security for a company attached to the MOD on Long Range Surveillance and also specialising in Royal Household security and Government Premises.

What is it you like about being a broker?

Being a broker gets me out and about enabling me to meet other boaters and hopefully get listings which means a source of income as opposed to doing nothing productive.

What would you say was your typical day?

Firstly I check all emails and make contact to whoever needs to be contacted. Troll the internet for boats etc. Visit as many boatyards, marinas etc, as possible to get myself know to the owners and establish a working relationship. On Sundays I usually go Clay Pigeon shooting in the morning, fly fishing is also a sport I love.

If you were stuck on a desert island, who would you like to be stranded with?

My partner as we get on so well!

What is your first memory of boating?

Watching "Lady Helmsman", a racing Cat, perform trials at Southend reaching speeds of up to 30+ knots!

What is the best experience you've had on the water?

My best experience would be on the Broads with a hired 40ft Broom boat and 5 other people. We had wall to wall sunshine for 2 weeks and loved it.

And what would be the worst experience?

Being a crew member on a Chris Craft Sport Cruiser and acting as a rescue vessel for the Putney to Calais C class power boat race. The owner turned out know nothing about boats and we were stationed off the Goodwin sands when we lost power! When I asked him to get on the radio, he didn't even know how to switch it on !!
Fortunately I did and we managed to get one engine going and was escorted back to safer waters.

What is your favourite anchorage?

Favourite spot is "Cockshoot Broad" on the North Broads. Very quiet and unspoilt. Often known to be able to see Swallowtail Butterfly there.

When onboard what is your favourite food to enjoy?

We have a Cobb BBQ and even whilst cooking you pick it up and move it to another place. It will cook a whole roast joint so roast beef and all the trimmings is my favourite.

If you could choose only on voyage, where would it be?

CAPE TOWN! I have spent time there and the harbour area is fabulous, cheap and food is to kill for.

Have you ever been offered some great advice that you'd like to pass on?

Do what you can do, try what you can't do and don't dwell on the past.
Embrace the now and the future.
Getting old is a privilege, the alternative is unthinkable!

Geoff we'd like to wish you all the best with Boatshed Suffolk - if you are interested in joining the Boatshed team, check out the Boatshed Business website.