Cruising the waters in a Princess 55 Flybridge screams success. However, the process of owning will take time. If you feel like acquiring a yacht for business, pleasure or both, you should know that there are many factors you need to consider like the size, price, maintenance issue, speed performance, and guest carriage requirements.
To choose the right yacht, here are some practical tips that you can consider:
Learning the yachting industry
The first thing that you need to do is to learn about the yachting industry. You should be aware that the industry showcases three types of yachts – standard, mega and superyachts. The name distinction is important because it relates to their size.
• Standard yachts: these are yachts that range in length from 30 feet up to 150 feet.
• Megayachts: these are yachts that range in length from 100 feet to 200 feet.
• Superyachts: these are yachts that range in length from 200 feet. In most cases, super yachts make headlines.
Understand that aesthetics are not everything
If you are a first-time buyer, you should have knowledge or experience otherwise you will be led astray by the design or aesthetics of the yacht. There are times that aesthetics are not everything because there will be technical capabilities that you will never use.
Thinking about yacht maintenance and management
The size of the yacht should be related to your interest in running and maintaining it. You can consider a DIY approach or a specialist approach. DIY will allow you to understand every nook and cranny of your vessel. This will also help you save a bit. When you consider a specialist approach in yacht maintenance and management, you have to hire a crew. When hiring, you should have an idea of what kind of crew you want.
Determining how much you can afford
You should be aware of yacht pricing so you will know what to expect. The price will depend on the builder, length, year, features and build. Smaller yachts are plenty and more reasonable. After paying in full, you should also consider the following costs:
• Insurance: as with any investment, you do your best to protect it. Yachts also need insurance and it is certainly a requirement.
• Registration: you should register the yacht. The broker will advise you about the legal requirements depending on the type of vessel you are buying and where you plan to register it.
• Berthing: before finalizing the ownership, you should think about berthing. You have to know where you intend to moor your yacht. It is crucial that you choose wisely. If you secure a berth at a famous city marina, you should think about the yacht club membership, monthly dues, and initiation fees.
• Yacht survey: after the acceptance of the offer, you will need to test the mechanical, electrical and electronics equipment. This is called a survey. The process will depend on the size of the yacht. The objective of a survey is to get an understanding of the current condition of the vessel and ascertain how much the maintenance in the next years.
Establishing the yacht’s performance
To establish the performance of the yacht, it is important that you conduct a sea trial after the survey. The sea trial is limited (to 4 hours) and it is normally the expense of the seller.