A good ready to sail yacht can be hard to find in the current market. Thinking outside the box about where to look can help you get on the water faster. We take a look at options to find a boat in turnkey conditionIt\u2019s no secret that if you want a new yacht the wait is now likely to be two years or more. But what if you don\u2019t want to take on a refit and want to get on the water quickly? There is no simple answer, but casting the net wider, and working closely with brokers that know what you are looking for, are both crucial if you want to find a ready to sail yacht.
\nLike most brokerage businesses, Ancasta had an unusual 2021. Roger Bailey heads up their Sotogrande office. \u201cWe sold boats like never before, which was great, but it is now harder than ever to match clients with what they want. Under the \u00a3200,000 mark there\u2019s not much that\u2019s of good quality and ready to go.\u201d
\nIn highest demand are yachts suited to living aboard and bluewater cruising and, despite the relatively high entry price, multihull demand is particularly strong.
\n\u201cClients now land here in Spain on a mission to do a deal, rather than speculate about something they might want to buy. The market remains very active, but faster moving transactions tend to be much less protracted. It is worth outlining to us what your position is and what you are looking for early, even if you don\u2019t see a listing that\u2019s suitable,\u201d explains Bailey.
\nA rare species
\nYachts returning to the market after less than a year of use might draw suspicion. However, more than often it is simply due to an owner\u2019s change of circumstances and happens quite a lot, particularly with yachts of a higher value.
\nModern cruising catamarans, such as this Nautitech have become hard to find on the used market. Photo: Ancasta
\nAt the time of going to press Roger Bailey\u2019s office has a Nautitech 46 Fly listed. Less than a year old, used by one owner and in turnkey condition: it\u2019s a rare multihull prospect in today\u2019s rapidly moving market. \u201cWith new build Nautitech waiting lists well over two years, possibly three, this is a unique opportunity for someone that wants to buy a catamaran already positioned in the Mediterranean. In fact, the starboard cabins on this 46 have never been used! It is also the owners hull version, making it ideal for living aboard comfortably without compromise,\u201d he says.
\n\u201cAt present it is set up for Mediterranean cruising, but a long-term cruiser could easily add a watermaker and possibly air conditioning if they wanted.\u201d
\nThe 46 Fly is likely to sell for close to the new price and comes with many of the benefits of a new yacht, including the factory warranty from Nautitech.
\nCloser to home
\nRupert Knox-Johnston, senior broker at Oyster, has seen how demand for yachts based on lifestyle changes has driven sales at a high price point, with many first-time buyers coming to the market even in this sector.
\n\u201cDue to how most Oysters are used for bluewater sailing, maintenance standards are generally kept very high, many [yachts] we list on behalf of owners are ready to go on another big adventure straight away.
\n\u201cThough there is a significant gap between new build Oyster prices and used, we have seen buyers at every size of yacht in the used market recently. We sold one Oyster 82 sight unseen recently, something I have not seen before with such a large yacht. Where a good yacht isn\u2019t selling, it tends to be because it is hard to view or to survey, generally due to travel restrictions. However, yachts we sell do sometimes end up back in the UK for listing.\u201d
\nRupert currently has a rare 2015 Oyster 545 listed located on the east coast of the UK for \u00a3849,000 (ex VAT). Lightly used by bluewater standards and capable of fast passagemaking, it too has a price reflecting market demand, but has recently been reduced.
\n\u201cThe 545 is based on the successful 54 hull, but with an updated look and more modern systems. She\u2019s an ideal yacht for a couple to double-hand or a family, with electric reefing systems. Her current owners undertook two Atlantic crossings and cruised the US east coast and Caribbean. She\u2019s ready to go again and has been beautifully maintained,\u201d explains Rupert.
\nA global perspective
\nFor some models of yachts that are built in limited numbers, their scarcity can quickly turn the search global. While Australia and New Zealand remain particularly cautious about admitting visitors, they are also locations where yachts often end up at the end of a tradewind adventure. With the passage back to Europe adding serious wear and tear, or the alternative being the additional cost of shipping, many owners choose instead to fly home, listing their yachts for sale in Sydney or Auckland.
\nSydney is a major port, making shipping to Europe relatively easy. Photo: Matt Cumming\/Nautor\u2019s Swan
\nThis means that buyers in Europe can broaden their search to the other side of the world but will have to bear the cost of shipping back to Europe \u2013 something that could still be worth it to get the right yacht.
\nWith some yacht builders bringing new designs out quite regularly, demonstrator yachts are often not needed for very long and are kept in perfect order. Usually heavily specified on the options list, and with neutral design choices, they can make a great shortcut to a new yacht that hasn\u2019t been heavily altered for a specific owner.
\nUK Nautor\u2019s Swan dealer and service centre, Vortec Marine, currently has a new 2020 Swan 48 demonstrator with factory warranty available for \u00a31,063,710 (ex VAT). The only catch? It\u2019s located in Australia.
\n\u201cThe new model Swan 48 has been hugely popular since launch and this is one that\u2019s basically unused. You could go sailing in the southern hemisphere straight away or, alternatively, have her shipped back to Europe. Either way it is likely to be the quickest way to get hold of a 48 in the current market,\u201d explains Vortec\u2019s managing director, Ross Collingwood.
\nShipping companies like Australia-based Taurus Logistics estimate shipping from New Zealand and Australia to Europe take around 50 days, though it\u2019s worth noting that shipping delivery dates are rarely guaranteed and can take much longer.
\nRoger Bailey of Ancasta points out that the brokerage market is now much more set up for \u2018remote\u2019 viewings: \u201cBrokers are now used to showing boats virtually, providing a lot more images and generally making it easier to view from another country. With travel restrictions changing all the time it is well worth arranging virtual viewings of a yacht you are serious about before flying out yourself.
\nJoroen Slot and his family previously owned a Lagoon 450 in Hong Kong, they are now cruising the Mediterranean full-time. Photo: Joroen Slot
\nWe bought our yacht unseen
\nJoroen Slot purchased a Forgus 52 pilothouse in Sweden while still living in Hong Kong. Formerly a pilot for Dragonair, he decided to sell up and sail away with his young family when he was made redundant as the pandemic took hold. \u201cWe had lived on our Lagoon 450 in Hong Kong for over a year at one point, but that boat was on finance while I was working.
\n\u201cTo cruise long term, we were looking for something strong and safe that was also good value. I was heavily influenced in my criteria by reading John Kretschmer. The Lagoon was \u00a3400,000, this was \u00a3150,000, the difference is that we are now sailing full time and I feel very safe in the Forgus offshore. The Lagoon we only used when we had spare time at weekends.\u201d
\nThe Forgus 52 was found in Sweden. Photo: Joroen Slot
\nSlot engaged a surveyor in Sweden that was recommended by the brokerage to undertake a survey.
\n\u201cPerhaps there is an obvious conflict of interest there, but we still did it. The survey found some of the things wrong with the boat, but not all of them, some I was surprised he didn\u2019t pick up. The main thing he found was moisture in the front of the hull, so we knew about that from the beginning.
\n\u201cOne of the things that I think made this boat available was that it\u2019s a quirky pilothouse design, only three of them were built, but the Swedish build quality is excellent.
\n\u201cWith hindsight I would have liked to have viewed the boat before buying, but ultimately, we\u2019re now sailing full-time and that was what we aimed to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
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A good ready to sail yacht can be hard to find in the current market. Thinking outside the box about where to look can help you get on the water faster. We take a look at options to find a … <\/p>\n