Advice for purchasing first yacht

While we're waiting for more replies, it seems that style is an important factor here. But style is subjective. So it might be helpful for you to name some yachts that do have the sort of style you are hoping for.

Kelly Cook

Westport 50 meter. No problem with the helo. As it is a purpose-built boat, rather like a private jet, you don't have to go through the agonies of a custom build, and the boat will deliver on time, on budget.

You won't get it before the end of the year, though.

Caveat. I'm prejudiced, because I build Westports for a living, OK?

john

Hey John,
Isn't VANGO a Westport? And she has that helo I've seen launching off the deck. Get this guy a visit on VANGO and you may have another yacht to build.
BDi, read those threads on the shadow boats and come on back and ask any questions you may still have. We have a member from the shadow industry as a regular on the forum and I'm sure he will tell you anything you need.

Yup. Vango is Hull #1. Evviva is Hull #2, and will be at Lauderdale this fall. Hulls #3,4,5 are in production and on schedule.

john

Here's a shot of Vango when I saw her in NY a few weeks ago. I like how the aft awning folds up to give more room.

Here is a useful thread on the issues around operating a vehicle from a yacht -

> Technical Discussion > Why is it so difficult to get a car on a yacht?

So far as I know (which is very little) one of the minuses to the shadow boat scheme is the need to employ a 2nd crew. But a shadow vessel would most certainly free up your styling choices for the main yacht!

Kelly

Hi,

There is a lot of knowledge around here, owners, captains, brokers, project managers and designers, that could give advice. The problem is that we are all different and as you can see, even most yachts are different from each other.

In my experience, your third yacht has the chance to be perfect. Which means you have to make your own mistakes before getting there...

So your approach of buying something and then start a design and new construction process is perhaps the fastest way of getting there. If I were in your position I would buy a pre-owned Feadship of around 150 feet to start with, to gain experience and have as a benchmark for the next yacht.

Hi,

That is sound advice from AMG but if you do decide to go this way please don't let yourself be fooled by brand names. Feadships have their share of weaknesses as they age and you would be very short sighted if you did not get a thorough pre-purchase survey carried out by a reputable company.

I have recently finished a large new build project and a now looking for a shadow boat for the same client.

Whilst there are far more reputable than disreputable folks involved in the business it is a sad fact that Yachting is very much affected by the smoke and mirrors tricks that seem to pervade so much of life today.

To quote an oldie " The foul taste of a bad deal is in ones mouth long after the sweetness of a low price has gone".

Absolutely, a survey is always needed, (as important as having your own project manager for a new construction). The reason I said Feadship is the simple fact that there are always a number for sale and they keep their value pretty well if the intention is to sell it again after 2-3 years.

But of course there are other good pre-owned yachts to find, but in general you need a little more knowledge to pick the best...

All good advice here so far, AMG hit it on the head when he said you will be on your third yacht before you get what you want.

Not to sound fecetious, but never havin owned a yacht before I am going to venture that you may not actually *really* know what it is that you want.

In cases like this, I advise doing some chartering first. You will get exposure to several different yachts, captains, crews, and locales with a financial impact quite a bit less than if you steamroll into a decision that you may regret later, based on not having experience in the arena.

Then, if you are still hot on the idea, buy a used yacht that is of good quality and pedigree. Hopefully by this time you will have established a solid, trustworthy relationship with a knowledgeable and experienced yacht broker, and a captain, both of whom can help guide you on your journey.

Although there are plenty of people who have their hands out looking for the next fat cat to come along, there are also many professionals who want to see a new yacht owner get the most possible enjoyment out of their yacht... it's good for the owner, it's good for the industry as a whole.

So, best of luck, hopefully you will keep us posted on your adventures.

I dont see the point of having vehicles on board, unless they are something very special or armored. vehicle rental will be possible in most if not all places where you would have been able to get your vehicles ashore (at a quay) and having a local driver that knows the area would be the best choice anyway.

Getting a vehicle ashore while anchored in a bay would be quite difficult. You would need to deploy some kind of big landing craft. It would however be entirely possible to have a small tender which is a landing craft carrying motorcycles or 4 wheel motorcycle ATVs.

Just the idea of having a yacht with a position for a helo aboard, I would take the Calaxis 145', but I think if you would need to order now as the delivery date isn't that clear because it's the first hull. Be sure to look through all the sponsor links around - there are a lot of nice yacht builders around here.

I had a brain fart. Is it feasible to just charter a shadow boat with toys? That would really streamline this, err, career launch for bdibernardo.

Kelly

I’d like to use Jannick’s statement as a lead-in. I hope this provides further insight…

We have a good number of the world’s most reputable builders supporting YF. They are not here by chance. The reason is because I haven't gone out of my way to reach certain builders. I believe the builders that are present here deserve the exposure we are providing. As you look around the banners on YF, you may wish to keep this in mind.

As Lars said, some of the most notable people in the industry are also present here. Among the various positions, ranging from chief build engineers to captains, designers, etc… my position brings a different perspective and it manifests itself in the builders that grace our pages. Unlike a magazine with an infinite number of pages for advertising, we have a very limited number of banner positions. It’s extremely important to the success of our new medium to have only the finest builders onboard. In some cases, we’ve had vacancies and have chosen NOT to fill them. I think this speaks volumes.

I would urge you to look past the historical marquis names or aesthetic appeal that has made some brands popular. In recent years, there are builders producing yachts that surpass the de facto standard and in many ways, are ahead of the curve. Buying a new yacht is not just about choosing a likeable design & layout. It’s also about people. I think you would find, as I have, the builders that support YF are among the best to communicate with and are building truly exceptional products.

BTW… I wouldn’t try to “read between the lines” on the above. We could sell these banner positions to Fortune 500 types all day long who want to put their product and services in front of our readership and YF would enjoy a nice income. But it’s not about money. It’s about community and a passion for excellence.

Enjoy your journey and welcome aboard.

Wut? You mean we're not going to be flooded with adverts for $5000 watches?

thanks a lot

yeah - i didn't meant it like visit the sponsors but like visit these yacht builders

i never wondered about the sponsors - on yachtforums there's no need for expensive watches or other stuff that hasn't to do with yachts - i'm very happy with these sponsors and you Carl!

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) will be coming up soon at the end of October. You should plan on spending two or three days looking at one of the largest displays of megayachts in the world, and you might even run across some yachtforum members....

Tucker Fallon