Doten Consulting Ltd.

Once Upon a Time . . .

Doten Consulting, Ltd. (DCL) came to life in 1987 when Principal Consultant Neal Doten decided to work for himself. DCL initially provided management and training consulting services to Fortune 500 and federal government clients.

After a number of years of living aboard his sailboat and sailing the coasts of California and Central America, he reinvented DCL to serve clients in the boating world. His more than 30 years of sailing and cruising serve as a solid foundation to help other boaters. Three cruises (CA to Mexico '99 -'00, CA to Panama '05 -'06, and CA to Mexico and Sea of Cortez '15-'16) covering 12,600 nautical miles provide a wealth of real-world, real-time experience.

DCL now focuses on three primary services:

(1) assisting in finding cruising and/or live-aboard boats (power or sail);

(2) consulting in planning, equipping, and training for power boat or sail boat cruising; and

(3) presenting cruising seminars (“Know Before You Go”).

Preparation is 80% of success

Ask me about the other 20%

Services

Boat Search and Acquisition — Power and Sail Cruising Preparation — Cruising Presentations

Boat Search and Acquisition

You may be in one of two groups of people: those who have a boat and want to replace it with one larger/smaller; or those who don’t have a boat but want to buy one suitable for their desire to cruise and/or live-aboard. In either case, you may not have the time to do a successful search, or feel that you don't have the boating knowledge and experience to find the right boat. DCL can help.

My clients walk in the broker’s door knowing basically what they want in a boat and specifically which of the broker’s boats they want to inspect. Plus, DCL provides advice regarding boat equipment and systems, thus saving you time and effort when analyzing the boat regarding costs for upgrading, replacing, or repairing. Those issues are critical to helping you find the right boat at the right price.

DCL may assist with all phases of the process except the purchase price negotiation; that is strictly between you and the broker or owner/seller. However, DCL will discuss negotiation issues with you before and after such meetings. As with cruising preparation services, you decide how much assistance DCL will provide; consulting is done on an hourly basis – you only pay for what you use.

DCL gives you a marketplace advantage and YOUR boat is out there.

Now is the time. Let DCL help you.

Power and Sail Cruising Preparation

Every year between September and December, there is a migration down the California coast to Mexico or farther south. People with power and sail boats are finally going "cruising." Their success (and enjoyment) is entirely dependent on how well they are prepared to deal with whatever Mother Nature has in store for them.

DCL is a valuable source of information for questions like these:

When should I leave?

Where do I stop along the way?

Is my anchoring gear adequate?

Do I need (radar, watermaker, liferaft, autopilot, etc.)?

What navigation skills/charts/electronics should I have?

Realizing that one's cruising budget is typically less than desired, DCL works with each client to provide only those services they need. The first two hours of the initial consultation (working through the Cruising Readiness Checklist) are FREE. Then, if the client believes there is value in continuing with the process, DCL charges by the hour – a rate that is half the labor rate of most boat yards.

What are some of the services offered? Here is a partial list; each client defines his/her own needs in this regard:

"Classroom" and on-the-water training

Radar fixes and plotting (GPS use and DR computing/plotting)

Route planning (checkpoint coordinates, mag headings, distances, enroute times)

Boat handling skills (reefing, anchoring, heaving to, night sailing, dinghy launching/retrieving)

DCL has the experience to help you plan, prepare, and navigate with confidence. If you are going cruising and you have questions, DCL has answers.

Cruising Presentations

Know before you go!

Fear of the unknown is a natural thing. You can significantly reduce the stress associated with cruising in unfamiliar waters if you have some idea of what to expect. Do yourself a favor. Take advantage of the knowledge I've gained as a result of three cruises to Mexico, the Sea of Cortez, and Central America as far south as Panama.

Where to go and how to get there
- routes and suggested passage times
- anchorages, harbors, and marinas
- personal observations and experiences
- planning and preparation suggestions for the boat and you
What to look for along the way
- natural hazards (rocks and reefs)
- man-made hazards (ship traffic, fishing lines and buoys)
- areas where wind and weather can create problems
Local resources wherever you are

food, fuel, and dining-out
boat equipment, parts, and other gear
transportation available boat-to-shore and ashore

Been there. Done that. Let me help you.

All presentations are PowerPoint shows that include: photos, videos, charts, and satellite imagery. These things plus an interactive format allow you to ask questions and get answers.

Here are choices for a look at your potential cruising areas: Cruising Presentations

You can't change the wind

But you can adjust your sails

Contact

If you want to find a power or sail boat for cruising or living aboard, if you want to go cruising in your power or sail boat, or if you want to know what it’s like to go coastal cruising, DCL can help.

Neal Doten
Principal Consultant
consultnd@aol.com
650.366.4431

Boat Search and Acquisition, Cruising Presentations, Power and Sail Cruising Preparation