15 tips for buying a yacht

With the help of modern sail control systems, even senior yachtsmen with experience together can fly a yacht like this Swan 66, Lionessa... But the operating costs and maintenance costs of such systems in a year can add up to six figures.

Walk on a small boat through any of the main marinas where cruising yachts are based, and you will understand that - there is no such thing as "Ideal cruising yacht".

When you buy a used sailing yacht, the basic rules for buying are the same for every yachtsman: You need a yacht that you can easily maintain, including the possible costs of re-equipment and repairs, your boat must meet your specific needs (depending on the composition of the crew and the intended sailing area) and in the end this yacht must be in such a condition that it can be sold more times to another owner.

Indeed, a yacht built in a single copy can be much better than "Classic plastic boat" mass-produced but that does not mean your luxury boat experience will be better than consumer products.

Below are my tips accumulated over several decades and over 100,000 miles traveled in different seas on a variety of boats from high-tech ocean racing yachts to simple wooden dinghies with split sail.

Tip 1: Remember the 30:70 rule: The yacht manufacturer spends 30 percent on construction and the remaining 70 percent of the cost comes from other suppliers, almost all of which need to be changed from time to time and very often at higher prices. This 30:70 rule is good for understanding why boats tend to drop so much in price - 50 percent in the first decade and 75 percent after the second decade.

Tip 2: Focus on the total purchase price of the yacht: this is the purchase price plus the cost of essential equipment and repairs. Experience suggests that usually the cost of buying a boat is 50 % and another 50 % should be spent on additional essential components. A very common mistake when buying a boat is not to reserve the required amount in the amount of the full cost of the boat for additional repairs and equipment. You will also need to prepare a realistic budget for the year of yacht operation and marina maintenance prior to purchasing. A yacht that is stuck on the shore does not bring joy to the owner.

Tip 3: Do not be fooled by the long list of additional equipment and pre-sale cosmetic repairs. The fact is that most of this equipment is likely to need replacement or repair. It is also important to understand that the broker and the seller, by embellishing the boat before selling it, can sell it more profitably, but it will not walk better after that. It is also worth considering with skepticism all the assurances and accounts of the seller about recent investments in the boat. Are the "New sails and anchor chain" so different from those that have been since the construction of the yacht, in fact, the new sails can be much better than the original ones from the construction, but , this is a very rare case, you are unlikely to meet it in real life.

Tip 4: The main costs of rearmament and repairs are likely to be attributed to - sailing equipment, spars and engine. 15 or 20 years of operation, just the right time to pull out the mast and check all the standing rigging and attachment points, carefully disassemble everything, inspect and check for mother-in-law and corrosion, replace blocks, check the pulleys on the top of the mast and steps, and replace worn out components as needed. If you plan to operate the yacht intensively offshore, it would be a good idea to replace any major rigging components you are in doubt about. You will have a really very bad day if you lose your mast on the high seas. Fresh paint makes the mast more beautiful, but often no corrosion is visible underneath.

Tip 5: Typically, after twenty years, it is time to pay all bills that relate to the engine or later buy a new engine. There are two options: to overhaul an already installed engine (this will save half the cost of the engine) or to buy a new engine. As a rule, the cost of removing the existing engine is comparable to the cost of removing the old engine and installing a new one. By changing the brand of the motor, you significantly increase your costs for this operation. It is important to remember that experienced motorized hikers cover almost half of all miles, especially if they frequently use inland waterways and canals. A reliable engine is very important and essential on a yacht. I have never heard complaints about the fact that the engine starts whenever it is needed! It is also necessary to have on board a minimum set of spare parts for your engine, it can be very difficult to buy them somewhere in another country or remote area.

Tip 6: Nothing affects the comfort of a yacht as much as its size. Within reason, almost everything can be changed on a yacht except its size. But size is a double-edged sword, because the cost of maintaining a slightly larger yacht can be manifold. With an increase in the length of the body, its useful volume increases. A 40-foot boat has twice the volume of a 30-foot boat. When discussing boat size, focus on the length of the waterline. Length matters because it affects storage space and crew accommodation, generally a longer boat will go faster and will behave more gently on the water. A larger yacht allows you to take more people and supplies for long voyages.

Tip 7: A properly equipped 60-foot yacht with electric winches including halyard winches and mainsail and jib sails can be steered by an elderly couple on the open ocean crossing. But the cost of the cost of maintaining and servicing such a yacht for a year can be six figures. Most voyages are made in more modest boats up to 40 feet in length, where all the work is done using traditional means and equipment that does not require such an expense. This whole industry was created in the 1960s and 1970s when a 25ft fiberglass boat was considered large enough and comfortable for sailing on the high seas.

Tip 8: As mentioned above, there is no such thing as a perfect cruising yacht, even the size of the purchase budget does not matter. Moreover, the idea of the ideal cruising yacht changes with experience, intended use and age. Boats are always progressing in their development. The cockpit is centrally located with two deckhouses fore and aft, perfect for use when the yacht is mostly docked. However, on the other hand, for sailing on the open sea, the aft open cockpit is more suitable. Staysail twists and electric winches make life easier on board, but they add to the cost of operating the yacht. Almost everyone tends to underestimate the annual maintenance costs.

Tip 9: Beware of the abundance of joinery and the overly loose use of teak on the deck. It looks luxurious but doesn't add to the ride quality. The abundance of wood on the deck is very expensive to purchase and difficult to keep tidy all year round. Unless money is falling out of your pockets, try to avoid teak decks, except that teak is difficult to maintain, it gets very hot in the tropics. Regardless of how well the teak is glued or screwed to the deck after 15 years, it is almost ready for replacement, nowadays the cost of work and material for replacing a teak deck is such that for this money you can buy a good yacht.

Tip 10: If you have a choice, try to choose a boat that has been designed by a professional yacht designer with a good name and reputation, such a boat is definitely better than the one that was built and designed by one person in a small shipyard. I came to the conclusion that designing and building yachts is not exactly the same thing, everyone has to do their job and then a good result is obtained. Better to focus on cruising yachts and not consider sport racing yachts. When you have already decided on the segment of your search, study the history of a particular yacht that you liked, talk to the owners of such yachts and experienced yacht inspectors, if possible, contact the club or the association of the owners of these yachts, these contacts can provide you with a lot of necessary information. Whichever you choose, remember that a boat that lives on the islands has a definitely more difficult life than one that is based on the mainland.

Tip 11: If you are actually looking for a boat for long voyages, carefully and thoroughly study the layout of the yacht you are about to buy in terms of ease of use at sea. Bow or stern double beds are good at port, as are swivel chairs in the saloon, but without 7 foot long berths to comfortably anchor in and sleep in during a storm, your crew will be agonizingly trying to sleep on the cabin floor and daydreaming when this transition will end.

Tip 12: Just like Napoleon's armies, the crew travels on their stomachs. The spacious saloon looks good in the docked port, but at sea you need a galley where the cook can rest his feet well and not fly around the cabin with pots on every wave. If you plan on eating well at sea, nothing beats a large refrigerator and a crew equipped with rods and fishing gear.

Tip 13: Ship toilets can break and break, usually at the wrong time. The spare parts help, but the second toilet is much better. Repairing a toilet at sea is the worst job imaginable.

Tip 14: Regardless of the size of your budget and your boat, give your safety the highest priority. This means that your boat must be equipped with a certified ocean liferaft, EPIRBs, as well as lifejackets equipped in accordance with the requirements of SOLAS with a safety end, you must have a VHF radio with AIS, a sufficiently efficient bilge pump and even a satellite phone for crossings on the high seas. ... Before making purchases of various electronics, first buy everything that will ensure your safety. It's really nice to have an SSB radio on board, a large screen chart plotter, an autopilot, a TV, a Wi-Fi router and so on. But you need a raft, first of all, if not for you, then for your team and those you love (even if they do not travel with you).

Tip 15: If you are tormented by doubts, walk by. Until the boat ignites your passion, it is not the right boat. Find the most competent and qualified inspector. Ask him what the boat needs to be replaced and the estimated cost of work and materials. I have never regretted the money spent on a good inspector, it is better to leave and not buy a problem boat than to regret later when it’s too late. Before buying a yacht, you always need to go out to sea on it and not just walk quickly under the engine and return to the pier, you need to set all the sails and see how all the equipment works in a good wind.

Looking back and remembering all the cruising yachts I owned, my favorite was a 45-foot two-masted aft cockpit yacht built in the early seventies from fiberglass, she had a center keel and two head sails. She did not have any of the options that are considered mandatory on all modern yachts (a small portable generator provided the yacht with electricity, and yet we calmly crossed the Pacific Ocean on it in different directions. Right behind her, my favorite yacht is a wooden ketch hung with blocks and tackle built in the sixties, which didn't even have winches. The big boat still does well in the Pacific Islands, the smaller one does in Alaska. In conclusion, I want to say that you can go well, very far and long on the simplest yachts.

Author: Peter Berman

Engineer by training with more than forty years of experience of sailing yachts in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Caribbean islands Peter berman wrote a book on refitting and repairing cruising yachts Outfitting the Offshore Cruising Sailboat (Paradise Cay Publications, 2011).

A source: Cruising world

29.07.2016