BUYING THE RIGHT YACHT

In this multistep series, I plan to give you a guide to the steps involved in purchasing the right yacht for your family. This is a basic guide and cannot act as a substitute for using one of our highly knowledgeable Yacht consultants. But it will give you a basic understanding of the process.

Step 1. Finding the Right Type, Make and Model.

There are a lot of different yacht models and types to choose from. I suggest starting out thinking about what type of boating you imagine yourself doing and what type of layout would best suite your needs. This is where our knowledgeable consultants can really help guide you in the right direction. These are examples of questions we may ask. You can be prepared ahead of time, by giving these questions some thought.

• What is your perfect day on the water?
• Do you envision yourself and friends day boating or more long-range cruising?
• Do you fish, entertain or cruise?
• How much time will you be spending on the boat? Weekends or Live aboard?
• How many people do you see regularly hanging out on your boat?
• Will you be frequently sleeping aboard the boat? How many others will be sleeping aboard the boat with you?
• Where do you plan on keeping the boat? Behind your house, marina or dry stack facility?
• How much boating experience do you have?
• How quickly do you want to get to your destination?
• Do you have slip size restriction?

With these questions in mind, it then becomes a matter of zeroing in on the style of boat that fits your boating dreams. There are several overlapping styles to choose from.

Here are the 5 main categories:

1. Express Cruiser
2. Flybridge
3. Motor Yacht
4. Sportfisher
5. Mega Yacht

I will explain each of these 5 Categories in follow up articles.

A very important consideration when thinking about what boat will suit your boating style, is how much you want to spend before you begin the search process. Keep in mind that the initial purchase of the boat is just one cost to consider for your budget. The idea here is to ensure a fun and stress-free boating experience. Here at Bayport Yachts we will help you calculate a budget for the care of your boat, so it will not only give you many hours of enjoyable boating, but when it comes time to sell your boat in order to go newer and or bigger, your boat will be attractive to the next owner.

Next time I will go into the 5 categories of yachts I presented, as well as tips to assist in finding the right boat. Again, this is where our professional Yacht Consultants are extremely valuable and helpful. We will start out quickly in assisting you if you have given some thought to the questions we have presented. We will get you started on your voyage and enjoying the Boating Lifestyle.

Respectfully your Yacht Guide,

Fred DeHoff