Is spending the kind of money you can buy a house for on a yacht actually the sensible option for taking a sabbatical? Will Bruton on purchasing a yacht for \u00a3250,000-\u00a3500,0000.This price point could see you set off on the ARC rally and a liveaboard adventure. Photo: James Mitchell\/WCCThe average house in the UK today costs around \u00a3290,000. But rather than buying a house, you could spend that money on a yacht instead. While it might sound a silly comparison, the potential to cruise in comfort, at fast speeds, with most of the comforts of home, can be a big factor in making a cruising sabbatical happen \u2013 particularly when you\u2019re trying to recruit family to join you.
\nJohn Boughton and crew did the ARC crossing on his Grand Soleil 50. Photo: ES Productions
\nBuying a Yacht for \u00a3250,000-\u00a3500,0000: Call to adventure
\nFor many owners participating in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, the yacht they have bought to take part marks a turning point in their ownership journey, one where they\u2019ll live for an extended period of time afloat, rather than just holidays and weekends, crossing an ocean for potentially three weeks or more.
\nSome ARC participants will go on to circumnavigate. Each owner has usually completed an extensive search to find a balance of performance, comfort and, of course, something within budget. \u201cThe fleet for the ARC and ARC+ (which routes via Cape Verde) is pretty diverse,\u201d explains Rachel Hibberd from the World Cruising Club.
\nJohn Boughton\u2019s Grand Soleil 50. Photo: John Boughton
\n\u201cThis year, which crosses in November, we have everything from a Contessa 32 from 1980 and a 1976 One Tonner, to newly launched Hanses, Oysters and Nautitech catamarans. Pretty much every brand is represented within the fleet. The average size of yachts has crept up slightly over the years and is now around 14 to 15 metres. The average age of yacht is around 20 years old.
\n\u201cThe biggest changes over the years have been the increasing numbers of catamarans and the number of new and one-year-old boats. In terms of people, we also have more families sailing with young children and generally a slightly younger demographic.\u201d
\nThe Norton family bought their Oyster 56 to sail round the world on The Bluewater Rally. Photo: Sheila and Brian Norton
\nAt the larger end of the ARC fleet, yachts worth well over \u00a32m can be seen, often new, but between \u00a3250,000 and \u00a3500,000 is a middle ground: comfortable mono- and multihull yachts that are well set up for an ocean crossing with little compromise.
\nClose to perfect?
\nJohn Boughton had owned three yachts and already completed one ARC crossing when he bought his Grand Soleil 50 in advance of the ARC 2024. His choice of boat was led by experience. \u201cWe had a 43ft Elan Impression the first time we did the ARC. We wanted something that was faster and more comfortable than the Elan, but could also easily be handled by two once our ARC crew (totalling four) left the boat.\u201d
\n\u201cWe\u2019d owned two aft cockpit Moody yachts in the past. I knew that while the aft cabins were big, the compromise of a centre cockpit boat on outside space was a big one. Once you get somewhere warm, you spend much less time below deck and comfort on deck becomes more important. On the Elan we owned before, we ate perhaps three meals below deck throughout the whole season.\u201d
\nPhoto: James Mitchell\/WCC
\n\u201cWe looked at all sorts of deck saloons, also Oysters, but we didn\u2019t quite have the budget for a larger one, which means the cockpit would have been quite tight on room,\u201d he explains. When it came to sailing, the Grand Soleil\u2019s appeal was that she was fast for her size and also offered something Boughton insisted upon.
\n\u201cI really don\u2019t like in-mast furling, and she has a fully battened mainsail, which worked well for us. For downwind light winds we ran with an asymmetric only. This made things easier short-handed. We had a carbon pole but only used it for the genoa. Overall, I think the sailing configuration was something we really got right,\u201d explains Boughton. When it comes to things he would change, Boughton explains that there were only minor improvements to make. \u201cThe freezer was a cheaper model that used a lot of power, so we replaced that.
\nWe also upgraded the solar, with additional panels we used only at anchor. We considered fitting a generator and there have been some occasions in the Med where that could have been useful for some form of air-conditioning, but generally we haven\u2019t missed it.\u201d Following the ARC, Boughton had the yacht shipped back from the Caribbean and is shortly to list her for sale with Berthon.
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Cruisers compromise
\nHowever, there was one compromise. While most new generation cruising yachts of around 50ft have long motoring ranges, John Boughton\u2019s Grand Soleil had a modest 280lt fuel tank. With not much wind towards the end of the ARC crossing, he found the boat needed a little more fuel than he had in the tank to make landfall in St Lucia.
\nSheila and Brian Norton making the most of the liveaboard life on their Oyster 56. Photo: Sheila and Brian Norton
\nAn ex-Royal Navy helicopter pilot, Boughton used a Navy technique to transfer fuel between ships. \u201cI put out a call to other yachts via the ARC WhatsApp group, something we checked regularly via Starlink internet. A catamaran nearby responded, and we arranged to do a ship-to-ship transfer on a long line with several jerry cans of fuel they could spare,\u201d he recalls.
\nStarlink also came in handy on another occasion: while he was on passage he became a grandfather and was able to video call family back home. \u201cA major change from my previous ARC a few years before,\u201d he notes.
\nAfter the big adventure
\nThe Norton family bought their Oyster 56 in 2009 to take them around the world on The Bluewater Rally, which started and finished in Gibraltar (it no longer runs). Sailing as a family of five, once they\u2019d completed their circumnavigation, they kept the yacht and continued to use her regularly.
\n\u201cWe had her in the Mediterranean for five years in Malta and Turkey, then on the South Coast on the Beaulieu River. After that, we headed to Norway. On the way, we discovered the West Coast of Scotland, and despite having circumnavigated, we realised we\u2019d never sailed anywhere more beautiful,\u201d explains Sheila. \u201cWe sailed into an anchorage one day and, all in the same place, at the same time, saw seals, an otter, deer and then an eagle above us,\u201d adds Brian.
\nSoutherly 42RST, 2010 is a Shallow draught cruiser that has completed a trip through the Canal du Midi to the Med, well-maintaned and ready to go again. Three cabins, in-mast reefing, bow thruster, full cockpit tent. networkyachtbrokers.com
\nFrom Scotland, the couple sailed to the Shetland Islands, Faroes, Norway, and spent over 100 days cruising Iceland. They are now planning to head to Greenland and possibly Newfoundland. For the Norton family, the 56 has proved adaptable to all the sailing they have undertaken, more recently mostly double-handed. \u201cA big part of it is that we really know the boat and what she can do from her being our home.\u201d
\nAn emerging obstacle
\nBluewater boats that are well equipped and well maintained are selling quickly in today\u2019s market. With the newbuild sector seeing significant price increases due to rising raw material and labour costs, a used yacht that\u2019s ready to go is likely to not be listed for long if it\u2019s reasonably priced. Those buying new for the ARC are also having to order their yachts with longer lead times.
\nSoutherly 42RS, 2006, Night Song. One of only four prototype 46RSs built before the more famous Southerly 49, this example has been cruised internationally and at home. Swing keel and three cabin layout. Lying Essex, UK. clarkeandcarter.co.uk
\nInternationally, broadly the same trends are being seen across the used market. In France a market analysis suggested sales are moving fast above \u20ac300,000, particularly when the yacht is well maintained. Another report from TBZ yacht management suggested that a 5-10% price correction post-Covid had now fully settled, with offers falling lower as well.<\/p>\n
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The post Buying a Yacht for \u00a3250,000-\u00a3500,0000: Inside the World of ARC Sailors Buying Their Dream Boat appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Is spending the kind of money you can buy a house for on a yacht actually the sensible option for taking a sabbatical? Will Bruton on purchasing a yacht for \u00a3250,000-\u00a3500,0000.This price point could see you set off on the … <\/p>\n