Wealth ! . . . How Yacht Owners Are Perceived

[sww914]

I don't say I have a yacht, it's a sailboat. Yachts are shiny and have crew with matching undies. I'm almost out of undies. I'm not buying a stitch of clothing until this boat is ready to cruise.

[sabray]

I made 2 million dollars in 2007. I have no idea what I spent it on. Also being forgetful I failed to claim the 2 million with the IRS. Unknown to me I am a wealthy yacht owner. I sail wearing salmon colored shorts a spiffy shirt and ascot. My hands are soft because I use the finest oils and calmay soap.my watch is magnificent.. All the lines on the yacht are neatly coiled. The bright work would stun you. I never sail to windward the Crew does that. Have to run it's tea time. Alistaire be so kind and bring forth another bud.

[Pelagic]

Using Gord’s statistics…Life is a Luxury… a Darwinian reality for many and on such a base level that we create armies and social rules to protect us.

We carefully navigate around those areas of abject poverty, so I think it is only within our peer community that the “yacht owner perception” has any meaning in this discussion.

For those not involved in yachting, their perception is more of the J-Class boats of old, not realizing that plastic molds have made pleasure boats available to the masses.

I believe the solution to change the perception is to be more involved with introducing youngsters to sailing and boats.

For Example: We started a very successful sail scholarship program in the Philippines at the cruiser oriented Puerto Galera Yacht Club primarily to help change the local community perception about yachts, by getting their kids involved.

It worked well and has now evolved into a sailing school with our most talented scholarship kids being the instructors Learn Sail Philippines Sailing Courses Puerto Galera YouTube Sailing Video

Perhaps this is a way to change the perception, where it will do the most good!

[mbianka]

I was recently out on a week long cruise and anchored just outside a mooring field of a pennisula full of wealthy people with houses to match. For three days I watched as some kids hung out on a new forty foot sailboat moored nearby. Some of them came and went with the fast ski boat that was tied up to the sailboat and they also had a Jet Ski that they tied up to the sailboat too. The kids had a ball and the wife was also there too. As the weekend approached the dad showed up. In the evening I saw him laying on deck his back leaning on the mast just staring catatonic like. With the ski boat, jet ski still attached to the sailboat. I just felt sorry for the guy because it looked like having those toys was costing cost him a lot more than the money he paid. I also thanked my lucky stars that I could enjoy my 1986 boat a lot more than he does his new ones. He was obiviously wealthy but, I thought myself richer than he was.

[maytrix]

I don't think anyone's perception is going to change. If you have more then they do, they likely will think you are "rich".

And as far as boating stores charging higher prices for the same items you can find in other stores, it probably comes down to them wanting to make a profit. How many people visit West Marine (or similiar store) each day compared to Home Depot? Boating supply stores just don't get the same traffic as stores that may carry similiar items, so they need to raise their prices to make up for it.

[webejammin]

We moor our sailboat in a marina where only a few folks have sailboats and the wealthy neighbors ( soon not to be because of fuel prices they say ) have power boats with twin 454's that use huge amounts of fuel and there fuel tanks hold hundreds of gal at about $4.00 a gal. Were not wealthy but happen to have bought an apt complex in the past housing boom for cheep and I really don't talk about my life on the water to my tenants because we spend less money on our slip with electrict and boat maintance than my 1 br apt's rent for. Anyone can get a good tan on there apt padio so that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Got to go, the island I'm moored on is having a live band for free all afternoon. Living the great American life and proud of it.

[Kettlewell]

I believe the solution to change the perception is to be more involved with introducing youngsters to sailing and boats.

There are lots of seaside communities here in the USA where boats and boating are just part of ordinary life and kids grow up with a healthy knowledge of the water and boats. My kids took sailing lessons in the summer for several years on an island where we joined the yacht club for $75 per year. They called it a "yacht" club even though the largest boat was less than 20 feet long. Lots of towns in places like Maine have working waterfronts where the lobstermen have boats around the same size and value of many yachts. I currently keep my boat at a self-service "yacht" club where most of the members are ordinary working folks with older boats that we all putter on and try to keep in decent shape. We put the docks and moorings in and take them out ourselves, and the commodore of the yacht club can frequently be seen cleaning the bathroom or painting the bottom of the work skiff. Our annual budget for the whole club is a lot less than many a business person's salary.

We are not misunderstood everywhere!

[David M]

The world can only be made fair by making everyone equally miserable. At least this way some people are loving life.

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

I currently keep my boat at a self-service "yacht" club where most of the members are ordinary working folks with older boats that we all putter on and try to keep in decent shape. We put the docks and moorings in and take them out ourselves, and the commodore of the yacht club can frequently be seen cleaning the bathroom or painting the bottom of the work skiff. Our annual budget for the whole club is a lot less than many a business person's salary.

I like the sound of that. My yacht club only has one member and no docks, just one mooring ball. I do have friends near by though so I have someone to bitch about all the work I have to do.

Actually I recently found out there's a local club whose only facilities are reciprocal. Very cheap dues and for your money you get to stay elsewhere. So I guess all yacht clubs aren't created equal.

[Me-and-Boo]

"Perception is reality", a common phrase in my old profession. You want to portray your opponent as a tool of the rich - he has a "yacht" and belongs to the "country club" (not mentioning his "yacht" was a dink and the "country club" was a public pool). You want to portray your life as one with the rest of the work a day people "I have a row boat" (nothing about it has an engine room large the size of a large bedroom and takes a crew of 10 to dock and the only rowing was on the dink of the shore craft).

I grew up in Michigan, many people had boats.When told of a boat or two in the family the question was "What make?". A few had rich family and drove a great power boat. Others, like me, rowed their boat and did not venture far on to any of the Great Lakes. But, a boat was common enough to not raise questions of wealth. It was only when describing the boat did the idea of money arise. If you had something that could handle the Lakes in the winter in a storm - you had a lot of money.

Where I lived in the West, if you said you had a boat the first question was "Where?". The only waters of any size were a handful of reservoirs and floating any "yacht" on those was laughable. A few people had power boats, a very few had large power boats. There the mention of owning a boat had a perception of money, not commonality with the public.

Where I live now saying you have a boat is similar to saying you have a pickup truck. Common enough to not raise an envy flag, but for the most part not everyone on the block owns one. Homes are sold with "Comes With Slip" on the for sale sign.

Part of the problem is the word "yacht" and the phrase "pleasure craft". Those are enshrined in the law. We don't have much ability to change the meanings. We can only try. (I will try to post a law from 1912 that describes how to put your registration number on the hull, commercial, and how to put your hailing port on your yacht, private, soon)

[Bill S]

In the 1970s I was standing in front of my apartment about 20 feet from my car. It was a busy area so it was not obvious that I was connected to the car. The car was a beater VW that was maybe worth $400. I had two pair of cross country skis mounted on racks on the car. The skis were worth about $75 a pair. Two young kids walked by and commented. One said those people must be rich they have skis.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by mbianka

..... The kids had a ball and the wife was also there too. As the weekend approached the dad showed up. In the evening I saw him laying on deck his back leaning on the mast just staring catatonic like.......... I just felt sorry for the guy because it looked like having those toys was costing cost him a lot more than the money he paid. .... He was obiviously wealthy but, I thought myself richer than he was.

Lol… Perception is reality

I do that all the time and it is one of my happiest, inspiring moments of the day, which is why I love the name of my boat… “Star Gazer”!

Having worked for those yacht owners who have the very highest level of budget, I can tell you they are just as passionate of their boat as we are with ours, which makes it a great leveler at any anchorage.

The fact that their multi-national corporations and developing projects keep them engaged and active, does not detract from the same wonderful feeling they have when stretched out and relaxed on their Super-Yacht, with the family happy and nearby…

All is then right with their world and they can stare out at the horizon, past the onboard perfection and seek inspiration.

A few have told me, that is when they seem to be able to sleep best, meditate and listen to their inner voice, without the distraction of corporate volume.

Not unlike what we do ourselves, but just with different distractions.

They get to the point where being involved in developing projects, is not because they need the income, but because they have this realistic feeling that if they do not do it.... it wont get done!

Creating something where there was nothing before, keeps them young.

[smurphny]

Originally Posted by maytrix

... it probably comes down to them wanting to make a profit. How many people visit West Marine (or similiar store) each day compared to Home Depot? Boating supply stores just don't get the same traffic as stores that may carry similiar items, so they need to raise their prices to make up for it.

They might increase their profit and get a lot more people in their stores if they did not, for example, charge as much for a half dozen screws as you can buy a whole box for online. Their prices are much higher for lots of items than their competition.

Concerning the issue of not paying too much, the TRULY rich usually did not get that way by spending twice as much as they had to...just the opposite. They're fairly smart, do their homework and usually pay less. They are the ones who will drive 10 miles to save a penny on gas because they know it's the only way to NOT have prices get too high. I view it as a sort of duty in a capitalism to shop around for the best price.

[oldcal46skipper]

Originally Posted by smurphny

They might increase their profit and get a lot more people in their stores if they did not, for example, charge as much for a half dozen screws as you can buy a whole box for online. Their prices are much higher for lots of items than their competition.

*** Okay, It is Sunday morning, you want to take the family sailing, but you need some fasteners to re-attach a loose whatever...
Choice 1- Go to your local West Marine store, open 363 days each year and staffed by friendly locals who are most likely boat owners, get the fasteners you need and take the family out for a SAFE day doing what we all love.
Choice 2-Tell the family we cannot go sailing today since I want to save
$0.02

Competition may be defined by the consumers desires and expedenciency

I am also a "Frugal Sailor", a West Marine part time Associate, (16 years), stock holder and a "Realist", i.e. I trim my sails when the wind changes.

Tom

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by scook1

Sometimes I find a great difference in the way the word "yacht" is received, and the way the word "boat" is receievd. Yacht has a negative, rich connotation. Boat is fun and friendly.
Spencer

Only in the English language. "Yacht" is used versus "sailboat" as it translates into other languages and maintains the meaning of a private vessel. Some of the translations of "sailboats" are downright hilarious.