Yacht Buying Savvy

We moved to our own domain

2011-08-21T17:24:00.000+03:00

Dear readers, friends and visitors!

We both, Adriana and myself, have the great pleasure to announce you that this blog has been moved to his own domain, at The Yacht Owner which is a Wordpress platform.
I'm not going to explain now the reasons of neglecting it here, but it'll be all right to visit there, and to see a real evolution in yacht brokerage. The schedule there will be better planned, :)

Thank you for being patient, :)
Visit The Yacht Owner!

Back Again (insider tips)

2011-02-09T19:45:00.002+02:00

I have to expose now some "secrets" about assessing brokers and boat owners, when approaching them to buy your first boat. Doesn't matter at this stage if you buy a motor boat or a sailing one. Let's presume you don't have the minimum budget for a brand boat, like the samples exposed in my previous posts. They can be "custom" made, definitely no name brands, like a few that I'm going to show you here.

This is the boat, as real as it could be. Seeing the name is no help in a better society.

This is what you got. No name. You depend exclusively on the broker. Please click on each picture to see the difference. In a better organized society, if the broker spoke beforehand with the boat owner, they'll have at least an agreement, if not a "concrete molded" contract, so he will not start negotiating with you, the client, to "cut off" the broker. What is happening when there are no brand names involved? For example, in a country like Turkey, a foreign customer, and believe me, the farther away he is, the "better" he'll be "treated", there is no way for him to find the real price a boat owner will be happy with. That is the "not written law". If you act alone, you will be told a bunch of lies. The broker has his own price, not even the owner knows. Of course, the owner "agreed", verbally agreed to an asking price when contacted by the broker, but if you, as a customer, try to contact directly the owner, you'll be told a different price, maybe bigger than what the broker will tell you. In Turkey, this is called pazarlik, and they, the Turks think of themselves as "good" traders. If you accept the asking price, you're done. It is always more than he expects, because he expects from you to try to down the price automatically. If you come from a highly civilized country, you'll accept maybe just a little reduction from the initial price, a 2% perhaps, which is actually with something between 40 to 50% more than what the owner told the broker. And it's done.
If a broker is not experimented, he won't have an answer for any question. He'll lie, and lie, and lie some more, just to close the agreement, to have some 10% of almost any price, (as advance payment, or deposit, or whatever it's called) money you'll lose in any good designed contract if you change your mind to buy. If he has some experience, he'll know the real price of the boat (the owner will be happy with any sum close to the real price), he'll put separately the commission and start negotiating with the boat owner exactly in your name, because he represents you. In reality? There is no such a broker in Turkey. Also, the bunches of owners dream to big money for their boats, even if they worked them up to more than their value, sometimes without refitting, but pretending the contrary.
In Turkey, you will be advised from the beginning to not survey the boat. "It's not necessary" you will be told. And it's right, in a way. The greater majority of the boats for sale in Turkey, don't have what is called Class Certification. If the surveyor is Turkish, he'll be in an agreement with the broker, 99%.
If he's foreigner, he'll advise to not buy that peculiar boat, but if you made your mind, he'll know of another one, with a "positive" survey as recent as possible done, so you "will save the money for surveying this one". If this is the case (and I've seen plenty), he'll absolutely have a commission from that deal, even greater then the broker's, from the surveyed one. The difference between the two boats is minimum, the second one maybe dearer, being "freshly surveyed" and all.
Unfortunately, I've seen brokers in other countries who are the same. Check this:

"Part of our offer will be to have a marine survey completed with the findings to your satisfaction. I know many certified surveyors and I’ll recommend several that are “top shelf” and ask that you interview and select the one you prefer"- this is part of an American broker presentation. It continues with some Q&A style : "I've heard that surveyors and Brokers team up just to sell a boat?"

"I've heard of that happening but I do nothing of the sort. I know surveyors from a professional standpoint". That is a lie. It is better for you to come to buy with a specialist you know from before, a guy you trust, and it is not a local, that of course, if you are new to anything related to yachts, boats, and the stuff... To be continued...

Sailing Yachts 3

2011-02-01T13:24:00.001+02:00

Today, I'll present two models from Germany, this time, The Hanse Yacht Building Company.

The sources of the success of HANSE yachts which include ultra-modern developments, originate in Wedel at the Elbe. In 1981, times were changing and Michael Schmidt had to make a major investment into the insolvent Schwarz shipyard. Motor yachts had been built there. Sailing yachts were to be the future of this yard. Rolf Vrolijk, the designer of the America`s Cup winner “Alinghi” and now one of today’s most successful yacht designers in the world, was still at the beginning of his career. He, as well as Wilfried Reiners were assigned to design and build a boat in Wedel for the Admiral`s Cup which was sponsored by the Düsseldorf exhibition. This project determined the future. The big bang of Hanse`s history was the HANSE 291. This boat was an unbeatable offer which caused great fuss and excitement comparable to that of a big bang. That was in the summer of 1993. All workers of the old shipyard in Greifswald were unemployed and coincidentally in Sweden, Karl Baier, the builder and owner of all of the rights to the “Aphrodite 291” was willing to sell and Michael Schmidt bought the tooling and name.

Now it was time to take the chance: the shipyard together with the Swedish boat builder Bent Elgaard, was ready to take-off. After four weeks of taking up the work in Greifswald, the HANSE 291 was exhibited at the “hanseboot” as a best buy offer of only 44.444 Deutsche Mark. There was symbolically a big hammer hanging above the yacht so that obviously there was something special going on at this exhibition booth. The HANSE 291 offered all the basics of a sailing boat: good sailing features, auxiliary engine, bunks, pantry, and pump toilet. Being so well equipped for the price, the boat gripped the hearts of sailors and Michael Schmidt drew up thirty contracts at the show. From then on the motto was “Evolution instead of Revolution”. The HANSE 291 was developing from the experience of its owners and the shipyard evolving into the HANSE 292 and 301. Of all the models, I choose the 545 and the 630e. First, the 545

The master cabin, a sample of comfort.

Still from the en-suite bath.

Still of saloon.

You can drink your own water.

Galley area, classic and stylish..

Another caption from the beautiful interior.

The standard layout.

The deck. Below, a visual of the aft.

The Hanse 545 has a LOA of 16.20 m / 53'9", a LWL of 14.60 m / 52'10", the beam of 4.91 m / 16'1", the draft of 2.80 m / 9'2", a displacement of ~18.7 t. An approximate price in USD is 350,000 for the newborn.

It is just gorgeous, and most of all, economic. They have a M/E of 110 HP/80.9 KW.

The 630e is a high luxury item, counting the prices requested by some brokers. I've seen a 900,000 Euros quotation and I've seen a 770,000 Euros quotation, for the same year, 2011. One can easily estimate it at around 700,000 Euros.

Doesn't look different, but it is, I assure you.

At a LOA of 19 m / 62'4", a LWL of 17.10 m / 56'1", a beam of 5.20 m / 17'1", and a draft of 2.95 m / 9'7", the displacement of just 23.7 t makes her suitable for any boat lift.

The interior is as any luxurious yacht can provide. Below are more captions, from almost all the parts of this magnificent boat.

The master bedroom.

Work area, which is provided also in the cabins.

The functional galley.

Dining in style.

The super functional interior layout.

The spacious deck.

The navigating equipments are exactly what you need.
I'm impressed by this German company. At a series models production rate, they offer quite a lot. This is not advertising here, it's only a presentation, a personal one to be more precise, for any specialized consulting in the matter, your requests are welcomed.

Pricing in a Marina

2011-01-28T23:33:00.001+02:00

I just found this table for the pricing method of some Turkish Marina, which may be a custom there, but one have to check first. For a calculation in advance, it is good to anticipate.

To calculate your price, multiply your boat LOA with your beam to get square meters, then find the column corresponding to this size. As you see there are sizes between 24 - 59.99 m², 60 – 119.99 m², 120 – 179.99 m² and 180 m² and more, fact that makes four area columns. The time period is calculated in days, and as you see, the smallest factor is for a whole year. Find the multiplication factor for the number of days you plan to stay. Then, multiply this factor with the boat area you found in m² and after that, multiply it with the number of days you plan to stay. The result will be the price in Euros, for the whole period. The best part is that this includes a half price haul and launch with ten days of hard standing, with the water and electricity costs also included.

Let’s say you own a Beneteau Oceanis 58, and you plan to stay 365 days.

Multiply 18.24 m LOA with 4.99 beam which makes the area 91.01 m². You look in the 2’nd area column the 60 – 119.99 m² column and find the multiplication factor 0.255

Multiply 91.01 with 0.255 and the result with 365 and you’ll have the price of

8,470 Euros for a whole year, which makes the parking of your luxurious 5 star yacht, cheaper than any sort of lodging you can find outside the marina, with electricity and water costs included, 20.20 Euros/day, a joke.

Price List
m2	24.00 59.99	60.00 119.99	120.00 179.99	180.00 +
Daily	1,153	1,210	1,328	1,502
30	0,713	0,749	0,820	0,957
60	0,551	0,632	0,691	0,841
90	0,461	0,530	0,576	0,704
120	0,429	0,451	0,486	0,597
150	0,401	0,419	0,450	0,555
180	0,373	0,391	0,417	0,516
210	0,346	0,363	0,386	0,480
240	0,324	0,339	0,356	0,446
270	0,300	0,317	0,330	0,414
300	0,280	0,294	0,305	0,385
330	0,260	0,273	0,281	0,358
365	0,243	0,255	0,262	0,333

The Marina view looks like this:

and your Oceanis looks like this:

Just imagine! 10,000 Euros are a small part of a week price if you charter your 3 cabins Oceanis.

Sailing Yachts 2

2011-01-25T16:09:00.001+02:00

Still in Europe, we're going today in Germany.

Since 1978 Bavaria yachts have been synonymous with premium quality, solid and lasting values as well as an outstanding price-performance ratio. More than 3.000 motor and sailing yachts per year leave the shipyard ranking among the worlds largest and most successful yacht manufacturers.

Cruiser 32, a 9.99 m ocean cruising yacht, with 2 cabins and a small Volvo Penta 18 HP.

Looks cozy, isn't it? 2'nd hand models can be found with 40-50,000 Euros.

This is a Cruiser 55, 16.75m three, four or five cabins as you wish and your purpose may be, as well as an 110 HP Yanmar Shaftdrive for main engine.

One of the best offers of the Germans, it is around 280,000 Euros the 2011 model. Actually I like so much this model, I'm gonna show some more pics of her.

The three cabins interior plan.

The cooking area.

The master bath, and below, a bath detail.

They have also in development a model called Vision. Below are an exterior picture and a picture of the interior living area.

This is the one. Sleek and comfortable 15.70 m with 3 cabins and a main engine or 75 HP.

An accredited Bavaria yacht dealer is offering the a Vision 44 made in 2006 with 130,000 Euros, this pushing the price of the newborn 50 toward 200,000.

The Southerly brand has become internationally recognised as the market leader for variable draft cruising yachts. Innovative design, powerful sailing performance, superior build quality and luxurious accommodation are the characteristics of this British ten models current range. I'm going to present here 2 models.

The Southerly 110, a 2 cabin 10.82 m LOA with 3.57 m Beam and a Yanmar 29 HP as a main engine.

The interior is not bad at all, but my pick of this company is the next boat:

The 57 RS, a 17.73 m LOA / 5.20 m Beam 3 cabin cruiser with a 140 HP main engine acquired from Volkswagen, and al the luxury and comfort an English person would imagine.

The saloon.

The galley.

One master cabin, better looking than more I've met at this type of vessel.
Enough for today, I hope to find the time to entertain my visitors as soon as possible, with some sea travel stories. I think I'm going to bother you with some procedures first, of purchasing a boat for yourself, after that a spicy pinch of insider info.

Sailing Yachts 1

2011-01-24T20:49:00.002+02:00

Let me continue the yacht types presentation with some famous sailing brands. The first which come in mind is one you find in all the world marinas, and that is Jeanneau. This is a Beneteau Group brand, of whom I'll present more with the time passing. A short presentation of this one I found necessary.

In 1957, Henri Jeanneau, already passionate about airplanes and automobiles, had just discovered a brand new passion for powerboating, one that began as he watched a boat pass by his window. Soon afterward, in Les Herbiers, France, home to a rich heritage of artisan work, he began building a wooden hull with which he participated in the 6-hour Paris race, the largest national race at the time. He was first to cross the line, and this galvanized him. So, a past time became a trade. In 1959, he hired canoe builders as apprentices in his new business, “the Nautical Hall of the West,” which would become, a few years later, the Jeanneau shipyards. France was seeing unprecedented economic growth, and the new company executive quickly understood that the appearance of new electric appliances designed to ease household chores would allow families to devote more time to leisure activities – to the sun, to the sea, and to boating!

From the artisan work of the 1960’s that was the norm in France and elsewhere – each boat was unique, and often customized while still on the production lines – to 2007 and the new technological advances similar to those seen in the aeronautical field, allowing Jeanneau to create boats using 3-dimensional design software and digitally controlled laser-cutting machines. Over the past 50 years of development, the men and women of Jeanneau have evolved in their fields while preserving their passion for the sea and love of work well done. At Jeanneau, the woodworkers have held on to their planes and mechanics have kept their tools for repairs. In the beginning, to test the solidity of the first fibreglass boats, a boat was hitched to a towrope and put in on Lake Tricherie, about 10 km. from the Les Herbiers, France factory and yards. There, at full speed, it was launched over a wooden ramp and into the air, clearing a nearby road, to land in a field. Henri Jeanneau was at the helm, of course. Today, real-life tests are conducted on ocean crossings or circumnavigations.

The smallest of them all is Sun 2000. (around 16,000 Euros for about 6.64 m of fiberglass)

Here is the Sun Odyssey 409, a model of 12.34 m / 40' , and below, you have an interior image.

They come equipped with a 40 HP motor, but are mainly sail drive. The company estimates this model at around 120,000 Euros.

This magnificent, seaworthy sailboat is a Sun Odyssey 45 DS, estimated at around 183,000 Euros for her's 13.75 m / 45' and is equipped with a M/E Yanmar of 54 HP.

These are only samples of sailing boats built by Jeanneau who has some power models as well.

We are meeting again this French firm. The BENETEAU adventure began more than a century ago on the quays of Croix-de-Vie in Vendée. For 120 years, the core of the Boatyard's profession has been innovation. From the first sardine boat to the First 50, from the shipbuilding tradition to more advanced technologies, our expertise has grown. However, it is still the pioneering spirit of Benjamin BENETEAU that is the driving force behind our 2,500 co-workers. To date, more than 42 000 BENETEAU yachts have sailed the seas of the world. At their helm, keen owners with whom we share the same values of performance, modernity, safety and respect.

The Sense 50' is a 14,98 m sailboat blending simplicity with refinement.

The First 50 is another 14,99 m model. I think the nicest and the best models of sailing boats built by Benneteau are the Oceanis. From 31’ to 58’, all nine Oceanis models are tireless cruisers designed to deliver comfort in all its forms, beginning with the comfort of a stable, high-performance hull.

The new Oceanis 58 is 18,24 m LOA and has a luxurious interior design.

There are many brands on the market. Looking through the models, online or at the exhibitions or in walking through a yacht port, generically named "marina", you'll see that the differences aren't so noticeable giving some parameters. They can change a little bit the interior design and it is normal as the LOA become bigger so will be the fantasy of the designers. I'm talking now for both types, the sailing and the power boats. The great majority of sailing boats have main engines, it is normal, as it is easier to enter a port or to throw the anchor by maneuvering the motor, not the sails. I'd like these days to dedicate a few posts to Beneteau Group, because they reunite power and sail alltogether, and the brands they have put together are all at the highest standards. So, my future presentation will be mixed, from now on. I'm sure that when you buy a boat for your own, you know already what you want.

Some Nautical Terms and other Tips

2011-01-21T17:31:00.002+02:00

Some nautical terms need to be mentioned, this blog is for everybody, not only for specialists.

LOA means Length Over All, and is the longest length of the yacht.

LWL is the Length of the Water Line.

Hull is the shell and framework of the floating part of the boat.

As a tip, you can know what could be the approximate speed of a boat, just knowing the LWL. This is called Hull Speed, sometimes displacement speed, and is the square root of LWL in feet, multiplied with a constant, calculated to be 1,34.

“v” is measured in Knots (kn), which defines another important nautical term. So, 1 kn is a speed unit representing 1 nautical mile per hour (mph)
1 nautical mile is 1.852 km/h or 0.514 m/s and approximately 1.151 mph
In the modern naval architecture, the hull speed is too "yesterday", more important is considered the Froude Number, or the speed/length ratio, given by this formula:

where “v” is the velocity (speed) in kn, and “LWL” is the length at the waterline. Actually, the Froude Number is

where “g” is the gravitational acceleration (this is also a constant, 9.8 m/s² ) and “L” is actually the waterline length.

courtesy of Wikipedia

I considered this a tip because when you ask for the maximum speed of the boat, you can check the answer by calculating quickly and discretely the hull speed. If the difference is less than a knot, than the owner is a good guy. This may be especially available when you buy in Turkey, I've seen people lying about the speed and about a lot of other things, another one being the qualifications they have.
Originally speed was measured by paying out a line from the stern of a moving boat. The line had a knot every 47 feet 3 inches (14.40 m), and the number of knots passed out in 30 seconds gave the speed through the water in nautical miles per hour. This method gives a value for the knot of 20.25 in/s, or 1.85166 km/h. The difference from the modern definition is less than 0.02%.

Of course, when you buy such a yacht (this is a Ferretti 800), you don't need the discreet check I was telling you about, :)

Motor Yachts - Part 5

2011-01-21T00:12:00.000+02:00

We continue with another famous company, The Italian Ferretti, who consider themselves the best flying bridge motoryachts builders.
They offer models of the highest luxury, combining the classic with the modern, the price range showing exactly that.

The Ferretti 500 with a twin Cummins 600 can reach up to 30 kn, giving value to her 15,11 m and 3 cabins.

The 530 can be delivered with two types of M/E, twin MAN 730 or twin MAN 800 CR, 16 m, 3 cabins more space than the 500. It is hard to evaluate the difference in money, but it seems obvious that this model is an evolution in design, power and scope. I found two made in 2002 with 510,000 Euros and one in 2006 with over 600,000 Euros.

Ferretti 700, a piece of art at 21,20 m, space, comfort and a contemporary design. The prices for this model seems to be only on request, because all are new.

The Ferretti 800 and Ferretti 881 RPH, both the Company's Jewels regarding flybridges.
The interior is also king size, because the LOA of the 800 model is 24,71 m and the LOA of the other is 27,07 m.

The next posts will show some nautical things, before continuing with the motor yachts or sailing yacht types.

Motor Yachts - Part 4

2011-01-09T18:12:00.002+02:00

Beneteau Flyer Gran Turismo 38 with a 12,10 m LOA

Swift Trawler 34, achieves the union between the maritime world and travel culture. 11,14 m LOA, 425 HP engine.

These were the Beneteau samples of Motor Yachts. As most of you knows, this French Yacht Builder Company is one of the most famous sailing yachts builder in Europe. When The time will come and I'm going to show them, you'll love theirs models. I personally liked especially the Ocean 58.

This sleek look and superb design won me entirely. Over 18 m LOA, 3 or 4 cabins + bow cabin, but it's estimated at 400,000 Euros, the new as a baby-born one. See you tomorrow, thought I'll show you more, being Sunday, but that was why I haven't uploaded more.

Motor Yachts - Part Three

2011-01-06T23:25:00.002+02:00

I thought and thought and I came to the conclusion that is better to continue with the motor yachts, not disrupting with sails yet. (there is a surprise though, at the end of this post)

An American Company producing motor yachts available in lengths from 30 to 37 feet, based in Rockland, Maine, by the name of Back Cove, was inspired in his designs by the lobster fishing boats.

Back Cove 30 is a LOA 30’ 6” (9.3m) and a standard 315 horsepower 6 cylinder diesel Cummins

Back Cove 34 has a LOA (not including anchor roller or swim platform) 34’4’’ ft (10.46m)

The Back Cove 37 has a LOA (not including anchor roller or swim platform) 38’ ft (11.59m)

Beneteau is considered the leading yacht manufacturer in the world and have been producing vessels since 1884.

Beneteau is known also for his sailing yachts, but now, I'll present here some models of motor yachts and power boats.

With a LOA of 14,8 m and a power of Twins 435 HP Volvo Penta, the overall layout of the MonteCarlo 47 FLY offers two very special living spaces: the cockpit and the luxuriously-appointed flybridge.

The Beneteau Antares 42 with a Twin Yanmar of 380 HP at a 13,99 m LOA is "perfectly designed for family cruising"(they say). For less than 300,000 Euros for a custom one, this 2 luxurious cabin cruiser is a dream.
More on Beneteau and other Motor Yachts, later.

A surprise: Bloesma Van Breemen named Valquest (just an avant-premiere of what will be presented on this blog...)

more on this kind of sails combined with power, another time.

Motor Yachts - Part Two

2011-01-05T18:52:00.001+02:00

I'm going to continue the presentation of the motor yachts, with this default font, hoping it'll show better in the page, :)

Aicon pays attention to the design and style of it's luxury yachts, which are built not only to be aesthetically beautiful , but also to be extremely comfortable , functional and seaworthy.(Aren't they all?)
They developed a collection of flybridges from 54 to 85 and open (62, 72, 82)

Some sample models:

The flybridge 54 model has a LOA (length overall) of 57'9" (17,61 m) and is equipped with 2 Caterpillars as M/E, each of 705 or 800 HP.

The Aicon Flybridge 56

The Aicon Flybridge 64

The Aicon Flybridge 75 or 85 (from this position is hard to make a difference.) A 75 model is 23,22 meters with 2 Caterpillars of 1550 HP, and the 85 model is 26,5 m with twin Caterpillars of 1825 HP

The Aicon Open 62

The Aicon Open 72

The Aicon Open 82

Prices on yachtworld, one of the most prestigious sites specialized in boat selling, are between a few hundred Euros to several millions, depending of LOA and the year of built.

This is again an Aussie/NZ specialized company, running in a family called Leigh-Smith. They offer the Sedan, Flybridge and Pilothouse models in different variants, totaling 7 yachts as follows:

The Sedan 46 has a 14 m (46 ft) LOA, and twin Cummins QSB 5.9 of 440 HP Electronic Diesels.

The 46 Flybridge has a 15,1 m (49'10") LOA and the same twin motors as the Sedan.

The Alaska 57 Pilothouse is a 17,98 m LOA (59') walk-around decks, three cabin configuration with full-beam master stateroom equipped with Twin QSM 11 Cummins 670 HP Electronic Diesels M/E.

I don't know really why am I bothering with this Australian brands, maybe I'm going to start a business there? Prices are huge, seems a real bargain to buy from Turkey, the hybrid gullets and sell them there, if the market power is realistically represented on the net. But to buy from Turkey without being cheated, you need someone like me. You will be aptly advised and even with my hypothetically commission you'll be in the poll position.

Another Australian, The Allan Barnett, which offers four motor yachts models – the Chesapeake 58, High Seas 63, High Seas 70 and High Seas 97. The feature of these motor yachts is the twin skegs running along the hull. These skegs protect the twin propellers and allow the motor yachts to sit upright when beached, unaffected by tide.

The beached Chesapeake 58'. The Chesapeake 58 is based on the hull design of a commercial fishing vessel and built by a commercial fisherman. 17.82 metres LOA with Twin C255 Cummins Diesels of 255 HP at 1800rpm

The High Seas 63. As you see, not very luxuriously and modern looking as the Italian models, but very reliable they say. 62’9” (19.20 meters) LOA, Twin Qsb 301 Cummins Diesels of 301 HP at 2600 R.P.M. A price quote for a 2009 year old (almost new we can say), is 2,850,000 Australian Dollars. The materials are steel and Aluminum.

The Italian Aprea Mare, "dall 1849", the creators of the famous Gozzo of Sorento. The origins of the gozzo are faraway in the past. Its main characteristic is the double pointed hull with a very similar shape both in the bow and in the stern, with the boat that was found under the ashes of the ancient Roman town of Ercolano.

The models are Flybridge, open, comfort, midcabin, cabin.

The 68 Fly of a 19,4 m (63'8") LOA and twin MAN V10 of 1110 HP is capable of a maximum speed of 33 knots.

The 32 Comfort is a 9,9 m LOA with Twin 220 HP Volvo Penta M/E, and is priced even under 200,000 Euros, somehow.

The Maestro 82 in the picture, is 3,800,000 Euros, a 2009 model, 24,15 meters LOA and twin MTU M/E of 1823 HP. I've taken the info directly from yachtworld. I have a feeling that one can find a multitude to choose from, just wait my next posts. I'm thinking of diversify with some sailing types or brands, leaving at the very end the sails/power combinations.

Motor Yachts - Part One

2011-01-04T22:05:00.003+02:00

This is a compilation of the Motor Yacht types, an alphabetical order of the most known brands. As this is useful for them as it is for the readers of this blog, I haven’t considered to ask permission for the pics or the text excerpts I’m going to use in this article, directly from the mother sites of each motor yacht brand. It is a complex one, in more parts, which will cover the first issue of the yacht choosing process. I’ll continue as soon as possible with the types of yachts using sails as the propulsion and the combination of power with sails, being more specific with the boats built in Turkey.

I’m using lists from wikipedia as well. (I guess, I'm going to use their boat types lists, I'm not sure).

The Charles Chang's Activa Marine from Australia, specializes in power yacht construction, from the smallest (46 ft) to the luxury (85 ft).

Here are some model samples:

The new ACTIVA 4600 Euro Style Sedan/Flybridge has a three cabin design, new window styling, new flybridge layout, new stainless arch and optional hard top and extending the cockpit and swim platform.

The new ACTIVA 5100 Sedan/Flybridge has wide side-decks, a spacious Foredeck and the large Cockpit.

The ACTIVA 6400 represents a high water mark for all raised pilothouse motor yachts.

The 7000 is the flagship of ACTIVA raised pilothouse fleet.

This motor yacht is the largest version of the ACTIVA Legacy range of Motor Yachts.

"The Motor Yachts can be built to survey requirements with a choice of ABS or USCG [USA] NK [Japan] Lloyds [UK] MSA [NZ] USL Standard [AUST]."

They act modestly: "With so many models to choose from and supplier prices changing monthly because of the movement of the US dollar, prices can’t be posted on the web as they constantly change."

This is as unprofessional as it takes, because it drives the potential client to the brokers, and the brokers are automatically "+" at the price evaluation. Either they put on top of the builder's price or they claim to have a certain commission paid, you understand what I mean. Of course, a broker sometimes can be invaluable.

I'm offering you some Australian prices here, as the company is based there. A new 4600 is $ 795,000. 1 Aus$ = 1.0066 USD that meaning the price is almost in USD. A 5300 is 1,25 Mil, a 5800 is 1,49 Mil, a 6400 is 1,85 Mil, a 8000 is 3,75 Mil and the 8500 Legacy Model is 4,250,000 Aus/US Dollars.

Don't understand what was so hard to publish...

Let's continue with another brand.

The Azimut, who reminds me of the beautiful Savona where the acquisition of the service and delivery center, with the refurbishment of the Benetti Shipyards in Viareggio and the building of a new industrial plant near Torino, is almost unchallenged in the production of fiberglass hulls for yachts and mega-yachts over 24 meters long.

Here are some samples of the models built by this prestigious company.

They make the Flybridge-Range, the S-Range, the Leonardo and two models of Magellano.

The Azimut Flybridge 38 was made to meet the needs of the yachtsman. Environmentally friendly, easy to maintain and extremely easy to handle, his lack in length is counter-measured by the style, elegance and comfort.

The Azimut S-Range yachts are for performance and comfort. This is a 68S

Azimut Leonardo 100 is a 30 meters class of his own. The flybridge with space, the real combination.

The Magellano 74 is the yacht for cruising around the world without crew.

The prices are also high, a 2003 flybridge of 39 ft. can be found with around 240,000 USD and a used Magellano 74 with a new hull, with 2,900,000 Euros.

More companies and yacht models, as soon as possible, after I fix the routine with this blog, :) Daily posting is ideal, :))

Yacht Economics

2010-12-30T15:29:00.003+02:00

A yacht is in fact any type of vessel, other than a dinghy, propelled by sail, power or both and used for pleasure cruising or racing.

Depending more on your budget, and less on your pleasure, you can determine what kind of yacht you can afford. A yacht is an expensive toy, and not everybody is made to possess one. (You know, if I want to sell a boat to anybody, I can pretend the contrary, and be quite believable). If you buy something with less than € 20,000 the thing you bought is not a yacht, is something else. A masted dinghy is cheaper. The rough wood price is between $ 500 and $ 1,500 per cubic meter.

Some skills are required to maneuver a yacht, some papers and certificates, brevets and licenses, exams passed and so on, even if someone, a former client, told me that in France you are allowed a lot or funny things if you keep some limits, to have one means a lot more responsibility than having a car. In Turkey for sample, the Coast Guard (Sahil Güvenlik) is prosecuting everybody if they don’t present the required papers, I mean the dinghy owners as well.

(courtesy of Coast Guard site, Turkey)

Formed in 1982 as the maritime wing of the gendarmerie, the coast guard is now separate but also reports to the Ministry of Interior. The coast guard is responsible for maintaining the security of the coast and territorial waters, for conducting missions to protect its Exclusive Economic Zone in the Aegean--the boundaries of which are under dispute with Greece--for search-and-air-rescue operations, and for protecting the marine environment.

Sometimes they are right, most of the time, they aren’t. They allow the daytrip boats to carry tens of drunken tourists through the bays, not serviced by more than two or three people at the same time, only if the boat owner presents the crew’s papers and the boat assurance with the fire department approval. Don’t think I have a sting against Turkey, on the contrary, Turkey is a perfect place to buy a yacht (almost the yacht buying heaven, another exaggeration from my part and not only), and less regulations to register one and more…

In Turkey you can find the boat of your dreams, with a real price. This “real” price is closer to the building materials value, adding the manufacturing value.

A yacht is going to cost you after you buy it, as well. Try to find the price of Marina’s rentals per week, and you may have a idea then, of what to do investing in a yacht.

The Rules

2010-11-30T12:13:00.004+02:00

After today, I'm going to take every point in the previous two posts, Purchasing a Yacht, Part one and Two, and extend a little what is all about, seriously, meaning the art of purchasing boats and the beauty of it. All, stuffed with some of my experience, too.

I remember having a beer and a sandwich on a small terrace cafeteria in Piraeus, exactly on the steep street in front of one of the numerous entrances to Aya Yorgo's dwarfs. At my table came a man in his sixties, asking somehow permission to sit. I usually don't socialize with strangers, but there were some problems at my ship and thinking of a future plan of action, nodded to the old man indifferently. There were only two tables, it was a very small buffet which served fried anchovies with onion, toasted sandwiches, Amstel beer and some sodas. Nothing else to eat. And yes, coffee. The fake Turkish one, named "Greek Coffee" there, and the universal soluble Ness. It was perfect just for a quick snack before entering the port.
"You have a golden watch, you must be very rich, then" said the guy.
I thought he wanted something to eat, and asked him if he fancied some fried fish.
"Oh no, young man, thank you. I'll pay for my beer and fish. I was just curious of your business, nothing more, that's the reason I desired to sit at your table."
I told him about my problems, that I was Second Engineer on a small vegetable oil tanker at the time, but I was thinking to start on my own with the first opportunity showing.
He, with the plastic watch, was a shipowner now, after ten years of ship broking. He told me the story of his life. How and with what he started. He was still very modest, even if as every Greek with some money in the banks had home his luxurious Mercedes Benz. Not being quite a tax offender, he had his ships under rented flags, oversea in Panama. It was usual practice.
I've learned something then. If you don't risk to leave your well comfortable "job", you'll never gonna be in a judging position.

courtesy of tripadvisor.in

I'm not judging still, even not being employed anymore. Society needs working people in key positions. Greeks were buying junks, they painted and repaired the engines with third world personnel , "worked" the ships another year with third world crews and sold them four - fives times more. Money for starters? From banks or VC's.

So, if you find yourself in the old guy's position, you may allow a Mercedes at home and a Ferretti in the nearest marina. Don't be shy, nobody will know unless you wanted them to know!

Purchasing a Yacht - Part Two

2010-11-28T20:04:00.004+02:00

7. Is it better to try the boat before buying?

This stupid question, “top” question, I found on the net recently, mingled with the process of buying a yacht. You, what do you think? Is it better or not? In some beliefs, especially in the Muslim world, it is not recommended for the groom to try the wife to be, before wedding. One might be shut, or open up if so. But a yacht? You have to trip it as long a distance as you can buy (metaphorically speaking) from the “broker”. A free tip. It’s strongly advised to check the boat without other clients on it. I’ll explain later.

8. Are the brand names important or not, when buying a yacht?

Only if you are in the “over 10 Mil” Category. Depends on what you’re ready to throw the money on: the label, or the guarantee coming with the label. Anyway, everything is limited.

9. How to find a good crew?

One can find a good crew by searching it. There are forums, there are specialized sites, you can web chatting them and if you like them, you can call them. Referrals work too, but you need to test them. If they can figure what is what, they have potential. Why? The real good crew, is already employed for Johnny Depp or Mr. Abramovich. Of course I'm joking, there are a few left for you to pick up.

10. Where to keep the yacht after I bought it?

The question must be reformulated like this: “Where am I going to keep a yacht if I’m going to buy one?” It is a good question. Some are saying that you'll be fighting the crowds in the Caribbean each winter and the Mediterranean every summer. I say, go in Turkey. I’ll show you why and how.

11. What costs me to run the yacht?

Depends on how big it is, depends on the type, if it’s mono-hull or a catamaran, and depends on the category you are a part of. Can be up to even a Million Euros nowadays, as some “broker” advised recently on an American site. Depends, I repeat.

12. Is it better to charter my yacht or not?

If you got the money Ma'am, Sir, you don’t have to rent it, otherwise, you can shoot some extra for maintenance and crew salaries if you’re chartering the boat. Don’t be shy with friends either. Prices depends on your nerve more, on the quality less.

13. How much can be the insurance and if it is necessary?

One can hope that if he’s not insuring the house, maybe he got lucky and no fire or earthquake will destroy it, no thief will empty the safe and take the other valuables. Maybe depends on the neighborhood to insure or not, a house.

With a yacht, is different. It has to be insured, there is the sea, there are a lot of other factors, you scratch it, immediately sue the insurance company to pay, and so on. Later about insurance and amount.

Purchasing a Yacht - Part One

2010-11-26T17:24:00.004+02:00

Following a dream or a social requirement if you don’t suffer of seasickness, may be mesmerizing, but can turn into a very unpleasant experience, due to the complex process of mixing brokers and owners, sometimes of boat builders, or the future maintenance and crew.

If you have hundreds of questions about it, arrange a priority for the following ones. I’m trying to answer them based upon my own experience and the one of a lot of other people in the yacht business.

1. What kind of yacht would I like, a sailing one or a motor-yacht?

That depends of what kind a person you are, and the purpose of the boat you want to buy. If you are the dynamic type, you’ll prefer a sailing yacht, speedy and ecological as it is, thrilling as any adventure one can imagine at sea. Dynamic or not, if you can afford luxury at sea, want to feel a superstar, the power yacht or motor-yacht will be the choice.

2. What PRICE are you ready to pay for the desired yacht?

On that answer can depend as well, the type of yacht you’re going to have, sailing or motor-yacht.

3. How big a yacht do you desire?

It’s simple. If you got enough, the length may be 100-150 ft. Enough means over 10 Million €. Of course, there are boats for every budget (almost). One can buy with € 100,000 something similar with a yacht, but generically speaking it’ll be just another boat, longer than 10 ft., of course.

4. What material will be your yacht built of?

Recommended is GRP, of course, this meaning Glass-Reinforced Plastic, or the glass fiber, but as good as it, and cheaper, could be the wooden boats, eventually with an epoxy coating, making them look brilliant. There are other choices as well, of course, Steel, Aluminum, Ferro-Cement, Composite.

5. Should my yacht be new or second hand?

Just my advice, be your first yacht a second hand one, not a new one. With reliable references of reliability, it is proven that the one used once at the passing of Atlantic, can be used again. If you don’t trust it but you bought it as an impossible to refuse bargain or offer, who knows, don’t do the trip over the ocean yourself, send your mother in law, or whoever, a nasty “friend” who’s courting your mistress to avidly.

Joke aside, it seems to be obvious a matter of budget first, after that the rest. Newer doesn’t mean better.

6. How can I find a good broker?

Some say “referrals”; I say instinct and referrals. Seems natural to look the guy in the eye and smell the rat if it’s there. If the boat is there too, we’ll talk about it in a next post. It’s a matter of tactics here. Shall I charge you for the precious coaching? I’m gonna think about it.

I'm not finished yet, you know, don't you?

Buying a yacht, of course – Part 2

2010-11-24T22:49:00.001+02:00

It’ll be funny, I’m sure, because to buy a yacht it’s not a stressing fact, as a lot of the published brokers claim, to sell one is even better. I’ll show all the view points, the boat owner’s, the buyer’s, the broker’s, the builder’s, the surveyor’s eventually. No advice from me, only suggestions some times, just because the instinct of the person you are, will prevail all.
Few categories of people will buy or build a yacht. Most of them are sea lovers, others are just investors. Some of them want to make the yacht their future home, which will be maybe not the last one they’ll buy, and certainly their experience will improve considerably with the time passing, buying the next, and the next after that.
There are the movie stars, or the business tycoons who need to express themselves better by buying a yacht, or have to close deals relaxed, by the way, I can’t think a better place then a boat, a luxury boat for such activities, especially money-getting ones, unless there is some sea sickness involved.

courtesy of JustJared

The best way to know what boat will keep you happy and satisfied, is to live aboard one for a while and discover what works best for you. “Awhile” means even a few days, sometimes, if in a hurry, for just a day.
Many people never debate the merits of sail versus power. Powerboat people simply look at powerboats and sailors look at sailboats. Perhaps they should ponder a little. It rarely occurs to a sailor that he might be happier with a powerboat for a home.
My area of expertise is not extended to racing. I’m not going to throw opinions on America’s Cup Class boat positions or the crew members’ assisting areas, or when will the sails be let out a little at a point of “close reach”, after “away bearing” from the wind in a certain spot of Bay of Biscay.
You’ll find here some term explanations too, tips, tricks, sea regulations, definitions, suggestions for deck gear, navigation equipment, electronics, basic tools, safety equipment, galley, engine and more, matching the needs of live aboard people, leisure or business.
Brokers claim that buying a yacht is resembling buying a car. Is it? You’ll see that on your own.

Buying a yacht, of course.

2010-11-20T22:34:00.003+02:00

What will follow is primarily a bunch of opinions on how to buy yachts or boats from Southern Europe and Turkey, mostly the last location, because they’re closer to their face value than what you may buy in Greece, or Italy.
I don’t think I’m going to advertise anyone for the moment, anyone in the boat or yacht selling business.
I want to share with the reader of this blog, my experience in the area and what one has to do to be sure that the future deal he is thinking of, is arranged at its best.
I made a lot of connections in Turkey, with the package of know-how acquired by doing this. I met people, too many people. Some of them were good, some of them were not. On the contrary, they were not only just “not good”, or “not good enough”, they were bad, bad persons.
With the time passing, I shall present all the alternatives of buying, with the assistance of a yacht broker, or on your own. What I have learned by living there, I mean in Italy, France, Greece, Spain, and Turkey, is that there are a lot of so called “brokers”, very few with genuine experience on helping the potential customers, but aiming to take the last penny they can get.
There will be expert posts, based on selling boats, technical posts concerning yachts and maritime devices in general, and a lot of original creative things, about life on sea, life aboard and so on…

Have a nice time, until I’m getting things put into a proper order.

Know-how on boats

2010-10-22T20:27:00.003+03:00

This is a beginning post to conserve my blog title, found by my dearest partner, love and IT mentor.
Very soon, the secrets of buying or selling boats, will be developed in the pages of this blog. Tips, personal opinion, technical data on living on board and many others.

Aegeean

The most important thing in this area is that if you want a boat, you’ll get it. Who claims that this was a childhood dream, has the money, but consider that is not the right time to ride the rainbow tail of his wish, is not telling the truth.
This guy never wanted a boat for him, he just imagined himself as a yachtsman, maybe a racing one, and this thought frightened him. It takes a lot of character to buy a boat to be yours, even with the pretext of buying it for the loved one, or for the sibling, “for later”, as I was told, a few times. Not one that I know, sold everything valuable, to buy a yacht and move effectively on board. This is a real step to make. But what a life he choose. From golf to golf, through the Caribbean, never to stop, never to be bored.
You believe?