Chartering a yacht instead of getting your own boat – why?
Being a captain of your own ship is a dream for many of us, especially the sailors. And although walking around on quay and dreaming about having your own yacht may give you romantic visions of carefree sailing that are strongly detached from reality, because instead of being the key to freedom, your own yacht is more duties than pleasure. The way to be independent without giving up on sailing is to charter a yacht that, contrary to appearances, can give much more...
Once for a while every sailor thinks about having his own yacht. However, your own yacht would build up your ego and can be the fulfillment of many desires, it turns out that chartering a yacht is simpler, gives you more possibilities, ensures independence and deprives you of any worries, at the same time making you able to focus on other passions and ... expenses for most of the year.
Whoever has ships has expenses...
Common sense supported by an economic calculus for formalities speaks strongly in favour of chartering. A charter always comes out cheaper than maintaining your own boat. The cost of purchase is one thing - many of us may be convinced that such a one-time expense is completely within their reach. It turns out, however, that in the balance of profits and losses, fixed costs connected with regular maintenance, replacement of equipment and defective parts should be assumed at the start. On top of that, there are the technical issues relating to the storage of the yacht - every manoeuvre in the port, slipping or simply transporting it with a boat trailer involves costs, especially if we decide on something bigger. All I have to do is remind myself of the dizziness that I felt when I transported Twister from the place where he was overwintered and launched in one of the water areas I was looking for... In addition, there is insurance and other current charges, and the very cost of buying the boat makes an unpleasant sum of money... It is impossible to count the time we will spend on matters related to the yacht, from the logistical ones, such as transport, to the most demanding ones, such as repairs and maintenance.Your own yacht: illusive independence
Your own yacht is associated with independence and the ability to swim wherever you want to go. Theoretically this is true, but... Again we come back to the question of costs - every transport of our yacht is not only a logistical challenge, but also a financial one. And although sitting at the helm of your own boat and setting the course are only limited by your own fantasy, somehow you must first find yourself in the area. A charter - albeit for a certain period of time (one or two weeks) - gives you the opportunity to choose regions of the world and... vessels. Do you dream of a catamaran? No problem! You prefer to feel the power of horsepower - you decide on a motorboat. After such an adventure, do you find that you appreciate the sails above all? There you go. It remains to find the answer to the question of what waters or part of the world we want to sail in, gather a team of trusted people and take the course to the horizon.Never bite more than you can chew...
Having your own vessel will certainly develop your skills. With passionate sailors around you, you can certainly count on their help in technical matters, e.g. renovating a yacht or choosing a place to spend the winter. However, if you want to sail, you need to have the necessary qualifications and patents. Although you don't need a "paper" for smaller vessels, I consider any sailing without the right skills to be at least reckless. Ignorance of the laws of physics in sailing usually results in accidents, and the lack of basic knowledge of the law causes senseless collisions. The patent itself does not solve the problem either - by taking over the helm you take responsibility for the yacht and the crew. If you do not feel up to it, even the most impressive yacht will not provide safety. The solution is to sail with more experienced sailors who will steer your yacht. But is that what this is about? A yacht charter will allow you to enjoy your time on board in fabulous corners of the world, where you probably wouldn't dare to sail alone. The skipper will allow you to take over the helm and if you know what to do on board, you will certainly be of great help to him, whether it's helping with mooring or reefing the sails. By looking at his behaviour you will be able to draw conclusions for yourself and learn about the conditions of sailing on different seas. And with an agreeable captain you won't even notice that he's someone from the outside - not only will he be a great companion on the water, but he'll be happy to go wherever you want to go.With business in mind...
In order to reduce the costs associated with the purchase and operation of the yacht, you can simply enter the company with someone and thus divide the expenses in half. However, in reality this does not look so great, because co-responsibility causes more problems than benefits. You can, of course, treat the yacht as a business and decide to charter your own yacht, which will allow you to reduce the cost of maintaining it even with a profit. However, this is not why we take care of every little thing in our house on the water, so that we can easily give it into foreign hands, even for a week or two. What is more... Does supply really match demand? If we follow the charter market, we see that the competition is huge. So think if you are able to offer something special that will make the charterer choose your vessel... In conclusion, if you are not short of money and time - definitely think of your own vessel. But if you want more variety and focus on sailing - a charter is the only right solution. A wide range of vessel types, hundreds of available ports in different parts of the world and a guarantee of peace of mind when you want to relax under the sails. You charter a boat, get on board and leave all your worries behind stern. Tempting in the face of a world full of decisions, responsibilities and deadlines...Information about author
