Try Before Buying: Why You Should Always Charter First

Thinking about buying a yacht, but haven’t spent much time on them? Perhaps you’ve gone out on one of your friend’s boats or you’ve recently been overwhelmed by desire for the superyachts you saw at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Or maybe yacht ownership has been a dream for a long time — one that is finally going to come true.

Wait a minute. There’s something you really need to know before you rush out and buy a yacht.

You should always date before marrying

You may have fallen in love at first sight, but you barely even know them yet. Not all yachts are created equal, but when you’re brand new to the superyacht experience, they all look pretty incredible. The danger is that while yachts are indeed wonderful, not all of them will be an ideal fit for you and your family. If you rush in without the proper research and advice, you could end up buying a boat unsuitable for your needs.

That is why you need to charter first. Chartering before you buy could save you from buying the wrong yacht and give you the confidence that you’re choosing wisely.

Two ways to try before you buy

There are two approaches you can use to try before you buy. You can charter yachts that aren’t for sale but are the size, build and layout that you think you want. Or you can charter yachts that are also on the sales market, giving you the opportunity to literally try the specific yacht you’re considering before buying it.

Over a one-week charter, you will notice things that you could never hope to see on a viewing or even during a sea trial: issues of liveability, suitability and performance.

If we consider an analogy on land, it’s the opportunity to live in a house before deciding if you want to buy it. You can get used to the spaces and use the facilities, but even more importantly, see if it feels like home. A yacht, after all, is like a much-loved second home, a place where incredible memories are made with family and friends.

It makes sense that you should jump at the opportunity to try it out first. In fact, you might even want to try a few, as there are thousands of yachts in the world, and each one has its own personality and charm. By trying a range of charter yachts, you can feel confident in your selection, rather than sitting at anchor looking at the yacht next door and thinking, “I wish we’d bought one with a beach club.”

What you’ll learn by chartering yachts before buying one

You learn an enormous amount as a charterer about which kinds of yachts best suit you and your family or friends. You might realize half-way through the charter that you would have preferred a master cabin on the main deck for extra privacy or that perhaps your low-key family group doesn’t need such a high ratio of crew.

You may conclude that since your kids love the water toys you’re going to need a yacht with a toy garage or that since you spend all your time on the sundeck it’s essential to have a Jacuzzi up there.

You’ll also learn practical things like how much fuel the yacht goes through in a week of cruising, and if you’re chartering a yacht with the intention of buying it, you can also get a preview of the crew and decide if they are a good fit for your needs and personality.

Avoiding mistakes that can be a headache later

You might even find through chartering that the type of yacht you thought you wanted to buy is not at all suitable for your needs and thereby avoid problems that could really affect your enjoyment of the vessel.

You might realize that the Bahamas are your favorite cruising ground, so that deep-draft superyacht you’ve got your heart set on won’t get you access to those beautiful shallow anchorages. Or that your wife gets a bit queasy on a fast planing yacht as it zips across the waves, but is absolutely fine on a yacht with zero-speed stabilizers.

You also might discover that the yacht isn’t in as great a condition as you originally thought during your initial viewing or that you really need separate cabins for the kids rather than putting them together in the twin as planned. There are so many aspects to yacht ownership that may not become apparent until you’ve spent extensive time onboard.

Can’t my sales broker tell me which yachts will suit me?

Yes, your sales broker will be able to expertly advise you on the yachts that should suit your preferences based on what you tell them, but there’s simply no substitute for personal experience.

After all, if someone told you that you could go and live in the house you wanted to buy for a week, with no obligations to buy it, wouldn’t you say yes? It’s a no-brainer. Where possible, you should always try before you buy — if not the actual yacht, then something very similar.

Please contact us to find out more about the yachts in our charter fleet so you can begin your journey to yacht ownership with complete confidence.