Unused yacht that needs exercise?

[luff'em]

I and my co-skipper are looking for a yacht to do the Falmouth 500 race next year and the Azores and back the year after. We'd ideally like to avoid buying one as we only need it for those two races and other than that we charter with our families wherever we want to sail.

We've looked at chartering a full race yacht (J 109), but the costs are huge and we might as well buy one.!

What we thought was:

There are lots of boats about that don't seem to do much. There's got to be someone who wants to keep their boat, but maybe needs some work done on it, such as new sails and rigging etc and we could come to some arrangement where we deliver it back to them in better condition than we got it by upgrading and replacing agreed items and everyone wins. Obviously there's insurance issues to resolve but it might just work out.. If only we could find that illusive owner.. So, anyone fancy that or know someone who would?

Cheers

 

[Avalon]

Interesting idea. Would a boat need to be MCA coded for this type of arrangement?

 

[Boat44]

Yes, an interesting idea; but I suspect it will prove a difficult search. Too much wear and tear in general on the boat to interest most owners.

Either buy one and sell it when you are done. (Do a cash forcast, monthly payments might not work out that bad !) Or look to charter something else/a bit older. (PM me if this interests you)

 

[alant]

Interesting idea. Would a boat need to be MCA coded for this type of arrangement?

Under MCA regulations, I seem to remember a 'get-out' clause - "vessels in a race, going to a race, or, coming from a race", are exemptions under manning (& probably coding) rules.

eg, how many UK Flagged ARC boats, with 'paying' guests, have a commercially endorsed YM Ocean skipper+ YM Offshore as mate, as normally reqd when 150 Nm+ offshore?