To Buy or To Charter?

[Macblaze]

One thing that is pro charter or even pro have-your boat-in charter is that when you show up your boat is ready to go and when you leave you just walk away. If you have limited time available to cruise, then the week (or more) on each end of a cruising season can make a big difference.

I just spent one morning scrubbing the dinghy and I still have to find the slow leak... I'd much rather be sailing :-)

[Alec H]

8 weeks per year is a lot of charter time and a lot of money. You will be buying memories and experience, but the money will be gone. Check the charter fees for boats and locations that appeal to you. Add up the cost for 5 years of chartering (the term for most charter management contracts) and you might find you are spending the equivalent of a downpayment for the same boat.

Our boat is part of SunSail in Tortola. It has generated enough revenue to pay all its expenses, the monthly mortgage, and a growing back account that will finance our cruising when we take her out of charter. The program allows us unlimited use as long as the boat is not booked.

[Horus]

To have the needed maintenance done, you also need a lot of money every year, or to spent a lot of time for maintenance.
"Owning a sailing vessel is like to be under a cold shower and destoying banknotes (1000-ands or more)"
I still like to be the owner of my vessel.

[Mirage35]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

One thing that is pro charter or even pro have-your boat-in charter is that when you show up your boat is ready to go and when you leave you just walk away. If you have limited time available to cruise, then the week (or more) on each end of a cruising season can make a big difference.

I just spent one morning scrubbing the dinghy and I still have to find the slow leak... I'd much rather be sailing :-)

And when I do an honest self-assessment of my record on home maintenance and similar, I have to admit that there is very little evidence suggesting that this would be my highest priority on a boat ...

[jwing]

CHARTER is the slam dunk correct option. This is based on your given condition that the money is about a wash. Even if that includes paying to have somebody do all the maintenance, chartering is the way to go for this reason:

You get to have a nice boat almost anywhere in the world that you would want to sail. Lets' say you want to sail the Windwards, then Tahiti next trip, then Thailand, then Belize. Now how are your going to get your boat to all those places? If you charter, the boat is already there.

You may want to own and charter, like I do. Buy small; rent big. Have a small, simple, cheap, easily maintained boat close to home for your between-big-trip sailing fixes.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

One thing that is pro charter or even pro have-your boat-in charter is that when you show up your boat is ready to go and when you leave you just walk away. If you have limited time available to cruise, then the week (or more) on each end of a cruising season can make a big difference.

I just spent one morning scrubbing the dinghy and I still have to find the slow leak... I'd much rather be sailing :-)

Another case in point, I'm currently in Panama City, preparing to head over to work on my boat at Shelter Pay Marina. I will be there for 2 weeks working...which could otherwise have been spent sailing.

[malyea]

If you have to ask......charter.

[Mirage35]

Originally Posted by malyea

If you have to ask......charter.

Thanks for the succinct summary. For me, for now, that's probably the last word.

[malyea]

Originally Posted by AnglaisInHull

Thanks for the succinct summary. For me, for now, that's probably the last word.

... ;-) ...