Those of us who have fallen in love with yachting probably all have the same dream. To buy our very own sailboat. We imagine it. What type it will be, how it will sail, where we will sail with it… maybe even around the world! But dreams aside, what is owning a boat all about and wouldn’t it be better to just rent one?
One analogy would be that of owning a cottage as compared to staying in a hotel. At our cottage we have everything just the way we like it and exactly to suit our needs. But most of the time we end up mowing the lawn, painting the fence or fixing up the roof. In short, there is always something to do. With a hotel we can always go somewhere different, the room is tidy, has fresh linen, and if something breaks, we just report it to reception. So what are the reasons not to own a boat?
1. Time is money
A boat eats up time and money. There is always something to improve, repair and paint. Depending on the location, the cost of mooring the boat can be a hefty. And if you are not a skilled electrician, fitter, welder or painter, these services will also cost you a lot of money. Plus, of course, your time. As owners say, the purchase price of the boat itself is the smallest part of the investment.
2. Variety of locations
With your own boat, you don't have such flexibility when choosing destinations. The boat will always be where you take it or where you last left it. For example, if you want to get from Italy to the Caribbean with your own sailboat, the crossing will take you at least six weeks of sailing with almost no stops. And you will only be in Martinique, the Bahamas is another 1000NM. And where to take the boat when the hurricanes come? You don’t have to deal with all this with a rented boat.
3. Return on investment ?
Hand on heart, how many times a year do you actually manage to get out on the water? At current charter prices, you would have to spend at least 8 weeks a year on your boat (depending on the size of the boat and the number of crew members) for it to make financial sense.
4. Flexibility
Do you want to try a catamaran, are you just going with a partner or do you need a large boat for a bunch of friends? A boat with a gennaker or spinnaker, a thirty-seven or fifty-two, a racing boat or something more comfortable boat with state-of-the-art tech? In short, with a boat from a charter company, you can always choose what you like or what suits you the best.
5. Service ?
Just like at the reception at the hotel, all you have to do is report the problem and you will be transferred to another room. You’ll get a repair or the boat will be replaced. On your own boat, you are solely dependent on yourself. When you return to the boat after a while and find that something is not working, the holiday is over. That shouldn't happen to you on a charter. Definitely not with yachting.com.
