Tips for Buying a sailboats
You know you want to take your boating to the next level and purchase a yacht, but you also realize you may not be an expert when it comes to yacht purchases. You aren’t alone. The global yacht industry is projected to reach $74.7 billion by 2022 — and the United States captures 47.4% of that market. As the industry continues to grow, more and more people are searching for tips for buying a yacht. We’ve compiled a list of our own you can use as a yacht buying guide. You’ll find information on everything from the basics — like setting a budget and deciding on a type of yacht — to the specifics, like working with yacht brokers and setting contracts. Follow these 14 pieces of advice to find the perfect yacht for your preferences and budget. Reference
1. Decide on a Type of Boat
You’ve decided you want to purchase a yacht, but there are hundreds of makes and models out there — how will you ever choose? How can you separate the must-have features from the ones you can live without? The answer is to begin with making a list of how you plan to use the yacht. When you picture your life with a new boat, what are you doing? Where are you going? Who’s on the yacht with you? How long are the trips you’re going on? Chances are, you have answers to at least some of these questions, and the answers to these early questions will lead you to focus on the layout and living arrangements of the boat. While the performance of the boat isn’t a detail you should ignore, the reality is that you want your yacht to be spacious and comfortable — after all, a yacht is a home away from home.
2. Set Your Budget
It’s important to remember setting a budget for a boat is not determining what purchase price you can afford to pay — it is so much more than that. You need to be sure to include money for insurance, fuel, ongoing maintenance and storage throughout the entire year.
In some cases, you’ll find that budget sets a limit to the size of your yacht — whether that is regarding fuel efficiency or the cost of storage space. Size matters when it comes to these factors, so it’s important to see the sticker price as only part of the equation. Otherwise, your excitement could quickly turn to stress. Be thorough in your calculations so you know what you can afford, then begin searching for yachts that fall within your budget.
3. Decide on Equipment
When it comes to yachts, equipment is a word to describe a lot of distinctive features. First, think about the tools that will be in the living quarters of your yacht. What do you want to have available to you as you’re out on your boat? Some common conveniences include:
– Refrigerators
– Freezers
– Grill
– Blender
– Washer and dryer
– Waste systems
– Air conditioning
– Heating systems
– Generators
The second group of equipment falls into more of an electronic category. Consider the devices that may help get you where you want to go, as well as those that can provide entertainment. Here are some of our favorites:
– Bluetooth integration
– Premium audio system
– Satellite TV system
– GPS system
– Satellite radio
– Night Vision camera
– Underwater lighting
As you’re making your list of needs and wants for equipment, don’t forget to take into consideration the length of time you’ll be out at sea. For someone who is planning weekend trips, many of these amenities may not be necessary. However, for someone who is planning on living on board for weeks or months, there may be some equipment you don’t want to live without.
4. Attend a Boat Show
Boat shows are an excellent opportunity to window shop for specific yacht makes and models. Doing your research online and gathering brochures from dealers is a fantastic way to find yacht makes and models that have the features you’re searching for in a yacht, but attending a boat show is exceptionally beneficial. Boat shows expose you to hundreds, if not thousands of boat exhibitors — many of which will have yachts for you to see up close in-person. Make sure you take all decision-makers with you. If you and your spouse are making the purchase, bring them along. This way, you can be sure you both get the same experience with the yachts you’re considering and can speak to specific likes and dislikes after the boat show. If you have your list narrowed down to a few types of yachts, check in with the manufacturers, as many of them will have a list of boat shows they’ll be attending throughout the year. Then, you can be sure to see the models you’re considering. Even if you don’t find your dream boat, you may discover innovative new features you didn’t even know existed.
While traveling around the world or across the country to attend a boat show is likely going to be the best way to see the most boats, it isn’t necessary. You can ask your local yacht club, marina or a yacht broker about boat shows that may be a little closer to home.
5. Read Boat Reviews
We all read online reviews for products and services we anticipate purchasing, so why would a yacht be any different? Much like new product reviews by industry journalists, yachting journalists often review new boats. Reviews aren’t just for brand new yachts — you’ll find online reports on a variety of makes and models from well-known journalists and yacht owners across the globe. While we don’t advise making a yacht purchase solely because of an online review, it should certainly be a part of your online research. These reviews give you an opportunity to see how different makes and models stack up in the opinion of the professionals, as well as a chance to discover smaller nuances people may have noticed after purchasing a specific yacht. Initially, you may begin by reading yacht reviews in popular publications and websites to help you start to determine what you’re looking for in a yacht.
Once you have narrowed your list of potential yachts down to a few, consider taking a deeper dive into researching online reviews for those specific models. All of this is extremely beneficial as you continue to search for your perfect yacht.
6. Consider Yachts You Can Grow Into
One of our tips for buying a yacht is to balance the budget with a size you can grow into. Buying and selling in a short period isn’t ideal. While it may be a little intimidating to think about navigating a bigger boat, it’s something you will get used to — and it’s worth it to make sure you have the space you need. How can you determine if you’ve accounted for growing space? Here are a few questions that can help:
– How many people do you want to be able to accommodate on day trips? What about overnight trips?
– How much time will you spend onboard? Will you be making lots of overnight trips? If so, will they be mostly weekends excursions or extended journeys?
– Where will you be traveling? Will boat traffic density, weather and the tide affect your preferred size?
If the answers to these questions leave you considering a larger boat than you initially anticipated, it’s important to revisit your budget. What can you afford? If you could get a larger boat, but would then have to sacrifice some features — is it worth it? Take some time to consider these factors. We can’t emphasize enough that you shouldn’t rush decisions regarding your yacht purchase. Yachts not only function as boats but also as a living space. So, like a house, you want to be sure it’s going to meet your needs.
7. Make Sure You’re Comparing Apples to Apples
Once you have the specifics nailed down, you’re probably going to find models from a few different manufacturers that seem to have your list of needs and wants, but at very different price points. It’s essential to keep this in mind before comparing the two and signing on the dotted line for the cheaper model.
Get more: tiara boats for sale
