How to Buy a Yacht: 12 Steps from Brief to Delivery
How to buy a yacht step by step: brief, budget, buyer’s broker, survey, sea trial, renegotiation and closing, with the red flag to watch at each stage.
Independent research · Mediterranean · Caribbean · Gulf
The cost of a yacht is never the price of the yacht.
Crew, dockage, refit cycles, flag and VAT: 118 guides that price ownership the way an owner's office does, then match you with a specialist who has nothing to sell you.
118buyer guides
16topic hubs
41market reports
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Start with the hub that matches your stage: first purchase, running costs, flag choice, or resale.
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Core buyer guides with costs, checklists and broker-ready framing.
New vs Used Yacht: Which One Should You Buy in 2026?
New yacht depreciation hits 25% in year one. Used yachts carry hidden maintenance. Here's the actual math, with a 3-year cost model and decision framework.
Annapolis Boat Shows: Sail and Power Buyer Guide
Why Annapolis splits into two shows, what the in-water format lets a sailboat buyer inspect, and how Chesapeake conditions shape the boats on display.
Atlanta Boat Show: Buying in a Drive-to-the-Water Market
Why an inland metro show is really a trailer-boat show, how Lanier and the coast pull buyers in opposite directions, and what to settle before you sign.
Bluewater Sailboat Buying Guide: Hull, Rig and Range
What makes a sailboat offshore capable: hull and keel, rig choice, tankage and range, what the survey looks for, and what an offshore refit really involves.
Boat Maintenance Schedule: Weekly, Seasonal, Annual
What to check every trip, every month, every season and every year, what each interval costs, and what a surveyor finds when an interval gets skipped.
Get matched to a specialist
Tell us budget, LOA, region and use case. We route you to a licensed broker, surveyor, or finance partner, not a generic listing blast.
- • How to buy a yacht: end-to-end process
- • Ownership cost guide: annual run-rate model
- • Yacht financing: marine loan structure
- • Cost calculator: budget scenarios
Request a yacht buyer consultation
Share your budget, LOA target, and use case. We reply within one business day.