credentials and sufficient experience can be challenging for the inexperienced buyer. For help finding the person you need, there is no better place to go for a list of accredited marine surveyors operating throughout the United States than the online membership roster of The Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (2007) – otherwise known by the acronym, SAMS.
2) Don’t forget about insurance!
Another top-of-the-line broker, Murray Lord of Fort Lauderdale and Rhode Island-based Churchill Yachts, writes that insurance will usually be about 1.5 percent of the final cost of the yacht; you will need to keep this in mind when you get ready to pick out your prize. Although insurance is not necessary when purchasing your yacht – unless you are financing (Cayre, 2007) – it is hugely important: none of us can predict the future and none of us should have to pay through the nose for something that couldn’t have been foreseen…
So, do yourself a big favor and shop around for a marine insurance company that offers competitive rates and generous coverage – Florida’s American Marine Insurance Group (2007) is one of the best companies and as a good a place to start as any. |
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3) Know what it is you want your yacht to do for you.
Established Broker, Murray Lord (2007) suggests that people keep three simple things in mind when looking at a yacht:
- Will you be using your yacht for long-distance trips?
- Will it be a commercial vessel or a private one?
- Will it be for sailing around-the-world or will it just be for sailing in local, familiar waters?
Another good question to ask yourself is whether your yacht is going to serve as a “home-away-from-home” (with all the comforts) or, instead, is going to be used for more modest pleasures? In the end, if you know what functions you want from your yacht before you buy, you will come a lot closer to buying the boat of your dreams.
4) It’s all about the Lifestyle!
When you buy a boat you’re also saying something about the lifestyle you want to lead. Michael DiCondina (2007), Vice-President and General Manager of Sales for Hargrave Yachts out of Fort Lauderdale, usually recommends that his customers buy customized and to buy new if they can; that way, you get everything you are looking for. After all, your yacht is a statement about you
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