Buyer's Guide
Buying a superyacht, without illusions.
A plain-spoken guide to the steps of a purchase, what it truly costs to buy and to keep a large yacht, and the legal questions that protect a buyer. Written for owners and their advisers — not for the market.
Part I
The steps of a purchase
A well-run acquisition is a sequence of decisions, each taken with evidence. These are the six that matter.
Define the brief before you look at a single yacht
The most expensive mistakes in yacht buying are made before the search begins. Decide how you will actually use the vessel — cruising grounds, guests aboard, season length, crew expectations — and let that drive length, range and layout. A clear written brief prevents emotion from steering the purchase.
Appoint one adviser, not several
A buyer's consultant works only for you, unlike a listing broker who is paid by the seller. One accountable adviser coordinates the search, survey, negotiation and legal work, and keeps your identity out of the market until you choose to reveal it.
Search on and off market
We start with discreet off-market approaches to owners, captains and yards, without naming you. New-build slots and discreetly marketed vessels also deserve consideration when they fit the brief; every candidate is assessed on its merits.
Survey and sea trial before you commit
An independent hull, machinery and systems survey, plus a measured sea trial, is the single most important protection a buyer has. Speed, consumption, noise and stabiliser performance should be verified against the builder's book, not the broker's brochure.
Negotiate on evidence, then contract properly
Survey findings, engine hours, refit history and comparable sales form the basis of negotiation. The purchase is then documented through a standard memorandum of agreement with a deposit held in escrow, completion only against clean title and documentation.
Plan ownership before completion
Flag, ownership structure, VAT position, crew employment, berthing, insurance and the maintenance calendar should all be settled before the keys change hands — not discovered afterwards.
Part II
What it really costs
The purchase price is only the beginning. These are the cost lines a serious buyer models before making an offer.
Purchase price
Pre-owned superyachts range from a few million euros for older 30-metre vessels to well over one hundred million for recent large new builds. Price is driven by builder, age, condition, refit history and how motivated the seller is — rarely by the asking price alone.
Survey, legal and closing costs
Budget for the pre-purchase survey (haul-out, sea trial and reporting), legal review of the memorandum of agreement and title, escrow and registration fees, and any broker or consultancy fees agreed in your engagement letter. Together these are a small fraction of the price — and the cheapest insurance you will buy.
Refit and personalisation
Almost every pre-owned purchase carries a refit: interior work, paint, systems upgrades, tenders and toys. A disciplined buyer sets a refit reserve at the outset — commonly five to fifteen per cent of the purchase price depending on the vessel's condition.
Annual running costs
A widely used planning figure is eight to twelve per cent of the vessel's value per year, covering crew salaries and rotation, berthing, insurance, fuel, maintenance, class surveys and management. Crew is usually the largest single line, followed by berthing and maintenance.
Depreciation
Yachts are depreciating assets. Well-maintained vessels from the established northern European yards hold value better than most; bespoke or lightly used vessels from lesser-known builders depreciate fastest. Buy the best-maintained example you can, not the newest.
Part III
The legal considerations
Yachting law rewards preparation. These are the questions your advisers should answer before completion, not after.
Title and encumbrances
Before completion, confirm the seller owns the vessel outright and that no mortgages, liens or maritime claims attach to her. Title searches, bills of sale tracing the full ownership chain, and deletion of prior registry entries are standard protections in a properly documented purchase.
The memorandum of agreement
Most superyacht purchases use a recognised standard form of sale agreement, amended to the deal. Key protections for the buyer include a deposit held in escrow, completion conditional on survey and sea trial, clear allocation of risk at delivery, and defined remedies if the seller fails to complete.
VAT and tax position
The VAT status of a yacht determines where she may cruise and be used. A vessel with documented EU VAT-paid status moves freely in European waters; one without it may face import VAT on entry. Temporary admission rules, charter versus private use, and the tax residence of the owning structure all need advice from a specialist maritime tax adviser before completion.
Flag and registration
Choice of flag state affects regulation, manning requirements, privacy and resale. The registry should match how and where you intend to use the yacht, and the owning entity — often a dedicated company — should be structured with your legal and tax advisers, not improvised at completion.
Crew employment and compliance
Crew must be employed on proper contracts with certification, payroll, social security and rotation handled lawfully under the flag state's rules. Safety management, insurance and class compliance are continuing legal obligations of ownership, not one-off tasks.
Confidentiality
Ownership structures, non-disclosure agreements with yards and brokers, and careful handling of documentation keep your name out of public registries and industry gossip. Discretion is a legal discipline as much as a personal preference — and it should be agreed in writing before the search begins.
This guide is general in nature; every purchase turns on its own facts, and we would be pleased to discuss yours in confidence.