The diversity of the superyacht market can be overwhelming. Considerations such as, where and how am I intending to cruise, how many people do I want onboard, how fast and/or economical do I want to be, do I intend to be onboard for extended spells, will I be working onboard, what features are important to me, will I be spending more time indoors or outdoors; all these factors, and more, have a major bearing on the suitability of any given yacht for your lifestyle.

We are able to guide with precision based on your preferences, but nothing will substitute spending a week or longer on a yacht that fits your initial brief. This is without question the best way to determine which factors are most important to you, and likely to provide increased clarity as to where and how you tend to spend most of your time, thus influencing layout considerations, amongst other variables.

One of the benefits of the yacht market is that plenty of the yachts for charter are also directly available for sale.

The first and most fundamental decision to make. If you are here and reading, you’ve likely already made it. The difference in experience offered by the two is so marked, and tends to elicit such strong views withing the yachting world, it almost doesn’t do either yacht type justice to compare them side by side.

Sailing yachts allow for the ability to cruise without any engines running, solely powered by the wind. Aside from the serenity of doing so, this has astronomical effects on overall fuel consumption.

Higher performance sailing yachts also provide access to competing in some of the well-known and highly celebrated yachting regattas all over the world, along with the fabulous social scene that goes with them.

Motor yachts typically offer greater interior and exterior volume, higher cruising speeds, more direct passage-making and, in many cases, greater flexibility in layout and onboard amenities.

Amongst the circa 150 shipyards worldwide specialising in yachts over 30 metres, their offerings can broadly be divided into custom, semi-custom and production series.

Pedigree matters. The quality of a yacht’s build has direct implications for reliability, maintenance and insurance costs, and ultimately resale value.

The Dutch and German yards have a well-earned reputation for producing some of the finest fully custom and semi-custom yachts over 50 metres. Lürssen, Feadship, Abeking & Rasmussen, Amels/Damen, Heesen, Oceanco, Royal Huisman and Nobiskrug are amongst the names that command a justifiable premium in both the new-build and second-hand markets.

Italy offers perhaps the broadest spectrum of builders. Benetti, CRN, Codecasa, Baglietto, Rossinavi, Tankoa, Fincantieri and Mariotti have established reputations in the larger custom and semi-custom market, while Sanlorenzo, Custom Line, Ferretti and Azimut are particularly strong in production and semi-custom yachts.

Italy also dominates much of the high-performance and open-yacht sector, with Pershing, Riva, Mangusta and AB Yachts amongst the leading names.

The UK remains an important centre of yacht building, particularly in the production and semi-custom market, with Sunseeker and Princess enjoying established international followings.

Turkey has developed considerably as a yacht-building centre. Turquoise, Bilgin, Mengi Yay and AKYACHT are increasingly credible options for buyers seeking semi-custom and fully custom yachts, often at comparatively attractive price points.

For sailing yachts, specialist yards including Royal Huisman, Perini Navi, Vitters, Baltic Yachts, Nautor Swan and Southern Wind have built some of the most important performance and cruising yachts of recent decades, combining increasingly sophisticated engineering with highly individual design.

The explorer-yacht sector has also produced a number of increasingly prominent builders, with Cantiere delle Marche in particular establishing a strong reputation for capable long-range yachts.

Chartering yachts and visiting boat shows remain some of the best ways to understand the differences in build quality, engineering, design language and layouts favoured by individual yards, and how closely these align with your own priorities.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Yacht layouts and interiors are as varied and individual as their owners. Having a clear sense of your own preferences goes a long way towards narrowing the field.

Production yachts are, by design, created to appeal to a broader audience. This is not necessarily a disadvantage. Decades of experience have gone into refining layouts and making efficient use of space around the way most owners, families and guests actually spend their time onboard. Much the same applies to the semi-custom market.

Fully custom yachts are different. They are designed around the priorities of a specific owner, which can result in layouts and features that you either find exceptional and essential, or completely unnecessary.

Cabin configuration is often the starting point. How many cabins do you need, how should they be arranged, where should they sit within the yacht, and how much flexibility is required? Some yachts feature relatively similar guest cabins throughout, while others offer full-beam master suites with private balconies or dedicate an entire deck to the owner. VIP cabins may divide into two, while staff or security accommodation may sit close to the principal suite.

Then come the wider lifestyle considerations. Do you need a gym, cinema, dedicated office, sauna, beach club, swimming pool, helipad or lift? Do you require particularly wide decks or wheelchair accessibility? Which of these are priorities, and which are simply desirable?

Some yachts prioritise exterior living, with expansive deck areas, alfresco dining and easy access to the water. Others sacrifice some of that space in favour of greater interior volume. As yacht size increases, it becomes increasingly possible to achieve both.

Interior styling matters, but it is also one of the easier elements to change. Incoming owners frequently alter furnishings, finishes and décor to suit their own taste. Structural layout is far less forgiving.

For that reason, it is generally better to choose a yacht whose underlying arrangement already works for you rather than trying to force a fundamentally unsuitable layout into something it was never designed to be.

You are likely to have heard various rules of thumb for estimating annual yacht running costs as a percentage of purchase price. They can be useful as a very broad guide, but they are also capable of being wildly inaccurate.

The true cost of ownership depends on a wide range of variables: the yacht’s size, age and build quality, where and how extensively she is used, crew requirements, fuel consumption, berthing, insurance, maintenance schedules and anticipated refit or survey work.

Two yachts with a similar purchase price can therefore have very different annual operating costs.

For a realistic picture, the numbers need to be built around the individual yacht. We can prepare detailed operating budgets against specific candidates, allowing you to compare expected ownership costs before making a decision.

Chartering is one of the most effective ways to offset the running costs of yacht ownership.

It can also help keep the crew engaged, ensure the yacht remains in consistently high condition, and build a strong charter reputation over time.

This should not necessarily dictate which yacht you buy. The qualities that make a yacht attractive to you — condition, layout, design and onboard experience — are often the same qualities that appeal to charter guests.

The main consideration is whether the yacht already complies, or can be brought into compliance, with the regulatory requirements for commercial charter.

Yachtsman’s charter management team has a proven track record of maximising charter performance, advising on everything from crew profile, toys and equipment to seasonal positioning, pricing and presentation.

Visit our Charter Management page for more detail.

The fun part.

Following our initial discussions, having identified precisely what you are looking for and what is most important to you, we go to work.

Using our vast network built up over decades in the business, we will provide you with a shortlist of the best candidates. This may include some publicly listed yachts should they meet your requirements, as well as off-market opportunities well known to us privately.

We will then arrange for live inspections. In all cases, we will already have vetted and visited any given yacht in advance of insisting you join us for a viewing. Not just highly advisable, we would say it is a prerequisite, to see the vessel in the flesh before making any form of offer. It also tends to be an enjoyable and informative part of the process.

Should the pre-owned market be unable to deliver to your precise requirements, you may wish to consider the new build option. Visit our Build page for more information.

Just like any home, you will want to make it yours. The degrees to which you may want to chop, change and imprint can vary widely. You may have bought a yacht that is so in keeping with your own tastes, that all is left to do is to deliver some fresh linens and have some of your own artwork put up. It may be the case that the layout of the yacht is perfect, but the interiors need a full overhaul. Perhaps the exterior areas need some attention to bring them up to scratch.

Or it may well be the case that you have taken on a project, with a vision.
We have project managed with some of the top shipyards, naval architects and interior designers in the industry, and are able to deliver on time and within budget, whatever the scale and scope of works required.

Visit our Refit page for further information.