Buying a charter boat

[Sailing_Matt]

When considering buying a boat I've noticed that there are a lot of cheaper AWB's for sale by sunsail/Moorings which are either in the Caribean or the Med (I know they will be quite worn out when sold thus the low price). I guess the hastle/adventure factor comes into play when you consider sailing the yacht from say Turkey to the UK.

Just wondering if anyone has bought one of these and sailed one back to the UK and roughly how long it would take, assuming that you take it at a leisurely pace, stopping frequently along the way?

 

[Twister_Ken]

Matt,

The topic of buying ex-charter has been covered many times here - using the search function will take you to previous threads.

As to the passage plan, that depends on you more than anything. It would be easy to spend ten years sailing Turkey to the UK. Or you could do it in ten weeks. Or, given cheap airlines, you could just leave it down there, and become one of that envied band, a Mediterranean sailor.

 

[TradewindSailor]

Don't expect to jump into an ex-charter boat and immediately sail it back to the UK. It will need a thorough survey and then you will need to do some serious sea trials in order to test the boat and equipment.

Charter boats tend to have a very basic specification .... for short offshore or inshore sailing. Passage making is quite different. Any repairs that have been made are likely to be of low standard .... just enough to keep it in service. The sails are usually light weight ..... and the engine very tired. The electrical system is probably going to be well below cruising standard .... they spend most of their lives attached to shore supply or motoring.

Don't forget that the compass will need swinging too.

Search this site for Sunsail or Moorings. You should then get an appreciation for the treatment of these yachts .... especially when you add 'insurance' to your search.

 

[HoratioHB]

Thought about this long and hard. Sunsail for example seem quite good at refitting boats after their charter period but even with a survey you are never really sure how she has been looked after. For example the boat we chartered last year - the engine hours counter wasn't working (amongst many other things) So what would you believe when you come to buy?? Yes they are low prices and you can get a lot of boat for your money but then you have to fit a lot of stuff. Also when you come to re-sell what is more attractive - a lightly used privately owned boat or a well looked after but ex charter boat? In terms of an investment we decided not to go this route.

 

[alldownwind]

I guess you could get a bargain but who knows? I have personally seen a charter yacht run at 6 knots straight into a concrete quayside, the damage was terrible to behold but I suppose has been repaired (to the boat, not the quayside!). And I remember reading about an ex-charter boat that had a serious hull failure (ex-caribbean boat) and it was later deduced that it had probably fallen over on land in a storm in its previous life and had a very poor repair.
I guess the lesson is, hire a very good surveyor!

 

[krevetka]

I can only add one experience - my own. I took over an excharter boat from Sunsail. I had a full survey, which revealed no issues at all, and the boat was really in excellent condition. Engine was fine, a new set of sails had just been fitted. Even with that though, I did spend some money afterwards bringing her up to scratch. An important thing I think is how long the boat has been in charter, mine was in for 3.5 years, I think anything longer than this is going to be a problem. I certainly agree that a charter boat will not be fitted out for blue ocean sailing.

 

[ostra4]

We purchased an ex-charter moody from Neilsons company in Greece .Survey showed no issues .She had nearly new sails ,new yanmar engine and was well maintained .She did need money spending as you would exspect after 15 years !We put in new floor and other items spending around 5 k all told but we now have a nice boat at a price we couldnt have afforded in UK.There are good buys to be had but as above get good survey is the key .

 

[Sailfree]

Charter boat are like private boats there are good ones and dogs.

The very worse boat is one that has not been used and not cared for the best IMHO is one that has been regularly used and well looked after.

I have sold 2 ex charter boats the first I part-exed with the dealer as I was not happy about the standard of maintenance the 2nd I sold to a person that had chartered it frequently. 3 years later he is still a very happy and proud owner and the boat has now been in charter for 6 years. If I wanted a 38' again I would not hesitate trying to buy it back.

Boats like being used and the best boats having caring owners that repair/replace things when necessary.

 

[Sailing_Matt]

Thanks for the replies, a lot of good answers, a lot of things that I had not thought about.

Cheers.

 

[steve_cronin]

If you want a boat that is instantly identifiable as ex charter...

...then buy a Sunsail or Moorings leave-off.

Those two companies have custom spec'ed versions made especially for them with easy-care items. they are both identifiable by not only their names but by the custom vinyl graphics. They will never come back to anything like expected residual value and will always be harder to sell.

Buy from a company that uses standard production boats and you are on to a much better prospect.

Steve Cronin

 

[thailand69]

Re: If you want a boat that is instantly identifiable as ex charter...

I dunno though, if I was in the market for a boat I could leave abroad somewhere warm all year and just use for holidays then an ex-charter boat already based out there would be on my list (with a Surveyor!)........subject to price.

Just cos' a boat has been in charter for 3 years does not automatically mean that in 4 years it sinks.

 

[steve_cronin]

Yes I agree but

DON'T buy from Sunsail or Moorings.

It will be difficult to unload a "Sunsail Odyssey" or a "Moorings 39.3" with their very distinctive dedicated colour scheme and specification. Other charter companies in those same areas just use standard production boats which will, after say three seasons of charter use and about six of your personal use be about right in residual value terms. The obvious ex-SS, ex-M boats will always be that and therefore far less attractive to future purchasers.

Steve Cronin