3 Ways to Sail your own Yacht without being Rich

by Kevinor Moore/Sail-World Cruising on 12 Oct 2008 Kevinor Moore here offers solutions for the dreaming sailor who can't easily dole out the large sums of money usually associated with yacht ownership:

There are plenty of folks out there who dream of owning their own yacht and for most of them that's all it will ever be, just a yachting dream that will most probably never come true. Then again, you may be one of the lucky or fortunate few out there who already own a beautiful yacht all of your own, in which case there is no need for you to read this article any further.

There are, however, other alternatives to outright ownership of a yacht that many people are blissfully unaware of - which is a great shame because the dream may be a real possibility after all. The main obstacle for many would-be owners is of course the huge cost. Even the smallest of vessels often run into large sums of money.

In the following set of scenarios, Solution 1 can lead to Solution 2, which can ultimately lead to Solution 3, all of which can be achieved without belonging to the rich set:

Solution 1:
The most obvious solution to the cost element of owning your own yacht is to charter a craft with a group of like minded friends or business colleagues. This is a great way to spread the cost and share the crewing duties.

You could even charter a craft complete with skipper and crew to do all the work whilst you and your friends just relax whilst enjoying the cruise - that way you won't even have to worry about who's turn it is to prepare dinner or do the dishes afterwards. You won't even have to concer yourselves with the actual technicalities of sailing the ship itself.

If you are looking for a carefree yachting experience this is probably going to be the number one option for you, especially if you want to sail without any seafaring knowledge at all. It's also a great way to gain some experience of what the whole yachting business is all about - and why folks make so much of a fuss about it all.

Solution 2:
Then of course there are the more seasoned and experienced yachtsmen who have the know-how but not the huge amount of money needed to own a yacht or schooner all of their own.

A great idea for these guys is something called a 'boat share' and these schemes are becoming increasingly popular all over the world especially on sunny coastlines and in leisure ports.

In essence, you can buy into a a share of a yacht or schooner for the estimated life of the craft and you would be entitled to a set number of pre bookable sailing days throughout the year every year for the life of the craft. The fee usually includes all the mooring fees and any maintenance costs that are likely to be incurred during the share period.

This is a great way to experience the thrill of sailing on the open seas at a fraction of the cost of buying and maintaining your own luxury yacht. It is sure to make perfect financial sense - even more so when you consider the amount of time most owners would practically be able to spend on board every year.

Solution 3:
If however you are convinced that a life on the open sea cruising around the world is all that will satisfy your wanderlust there is the ultimate option and you may be surprised by how many people actually embark upon it.

These guys (often married couples) sell everything they own on land and buy their own sea going yacht which then becomes their home too. Then they sail off to whereever the fancy takes them, drop anchor and go ashore for a little exploring until the itchy feet kick back in - at which point they are off again.

This option is probably only suited to folks who have a long history of sailing especially on open water for long periods of time, maybe even as skipper or crew themselves. Then again, there are many cases where those determined to live the yachting dream have gained the experience first with the sole intention of sailing the seven seas even though they have never set foot off land before.

The bottom line is that just like everything else in this life yacht ownership is always a possibility if you are determined to live your dreams. So maybe the first question for any would be sailor should be 'How badly do you want it?'.

Once you have the right answer to that one it is likely you will find the ways or means to fulfill whatever you desire in life - including your own yacht.

Maybe some of you reading this article right now are just about to embark on that journey. Good luck!

To read more articles by Kevinor Moore, go to his website