Purchasing your own yacht is not something to be underestimated, you will need a lot of time, patience and probably a bit of grit and determination thrown in there too! If you don’t have prior experience then it can be very easy to get carried away with the whole process, people will treat you differently than you are used to, it’s an odd feeling but, you are entering into a whole new world so, keep it simple and follow your instincts;
Use the experience of others
Based on others previous experience, here are some key techniques and consideration to keep in the forefront of your mind at all times;
Keep an open mind
If you have gotten this far then the chances are that you have something in mind in terms of what style of yacht you want and perhaps even a rough idea of what features you are hoping to get. Clearly the first thing to do would be to consider your budget and don’t raise your hopes too high. When you buy a luxury yacht from a leading yacht broker, there is at least one downside, generally speaking, they cost a lot of money so you may not get everything you want based upon your budget.
Looks are important but it’s no good looking good, staying put
Of course, you want your yacht to look good and, who doesn’t but, certainly if you are buying second hand, you may find that you get a much better vessel if you focus on practicality instead. There’s a high chance that, at some point in your life, you’ve been blinded by ‘beauty’ and jumped into something you probably shouldn’t have, or at least held off a little bit longer.
Remember that experience when looking at yachts because, to be fair, most of them look good from the outside, how about the inside though and the mechanics? Make sure that the mechanical parts of the vessel have been serviced regularly and that everything works as it should or, is listed so that you are aware.
Ask questions no matter how daft you feel
If there is a log that shows parts like the engine or steering column have been repaired or replaced it’s important to ask further questions so that you understand why. Sometimes, they can be a sign of misuse or an accident, a surveyor will be able to help you check things over, you’ll also want to see the thing out of the water on a dry dock, sometimes there are some surprises when you see the bottom.
You may think that some questions you have are ‘trivial’ but, you must ask them, sometimes trivial questions uncover something that may benefit you or they may uncover something a little more sinister. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know. Click here for BOI information on sailing in Thailand.
The purpose
Your purchase will be much more valuable to you if you consider the motivation behind what you want to buy a yacht for in the first place. Think about where you are likely to go, are you going to live on it or just have it sat there for little trips in and out of the harbour? Running costs can be a real surprise so you’ll want to make sure you know what it costs to keep the thing running and to keep it in good shape.
