Buy Yacht, Sail Pacific, Sell in Oz = Free Trip

by Ani Linton/Sail-World on 9 Nov 2008 Comparison of yacht markets between the USA and Australia reveals that similar yachts are much less expensive in the USA. Entrepreneurial sailors are flying to Miami, purchasing a boat and then sailing it to Australia, enjoying a romantic and exciting holiday on the way. Sell the boat at the higher prices prevalent in Australia, and you've had a free crossing - and now there's even a Transpacific Rally in 2009 to make it easier.

Yes, you could buy a boat and then join a flotilla of yachts sailing the trade winds across the indigo blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. The idea of sailing in the Pacific Ocean has an allure which will forever pull at the hearts and minds of many - exotic islands, riddled with secluded tropical islands and unexplored coral atolls. The diving is exquisite, the cultures are unique, the waters are crystal clear, and the fresh foods and tropical fruits to re-provision with are tantalising.

The same warm trade winds that pushed the early traders in their windjammers, still blow reliably and consistently. When you get to Australia, sell it on the higher market, where there are fewer boats to choose from, and your transpacific sail could be absolutely free.

The organised cruise is being operated by a boutique international yachting company with the whimsical name of Yarra's Edge Yachts (YEY) who saw an opportunity to assist their clients with a charismatic and inexpensive way of sailing across the Pacific, or, for Australians, of purchasing a cheaper yacht than they could get at home.

Organiser Graham Stephens of YEY says, 'Most Australians would rather sail their yacht back than have it transported, but they rarely do, because they’re not confident to embark on the journey by themselves.'

It therefore just seemed a natural response for YEY to organise a ‘Trans Pacific Rally’ for yacht buyers to make the sea crossing with the guidance and support of an experienced team of yachtsmen.

But Graham acknowledges that there is an ulterior

motive. The cruise allows the YEY team to indulge their passion for sailing and exploring in the Pacific.

Among the experienced team is Graham himself, who is a third generation seaman, a highly experienced wreck diver, a graphic surveyor and also a coastal and celestial navigation instructor. He has also run ecotours throughout the Pacific, and will be an ideal colleague for such a cruise.

Then there's marine scientist, Jake van Oosterom, who will also be part of the team, sailing on some of the legs. Jake’s fields of interest, other than ‘avid diver and keen sailor,’ include exotic topics such as ‘tropical biology, marine ecology, plate tectonics, volcanic hotspots, and physical oceanography’. He has been involved with BOM in Coral Sea projects, and coral research in the Great Barrier Reef with the Australian Institute of Marine Science. His wide knowledge will be a considerable asset to the Rally

The Trans Pacific Rally will begin on February 14 in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, one of the world’s most famous whale watching locations. The route is planned to utilise the trade winds, taking the shortest path across the Equitorial Convergence Zone (Doldrums). Three weeks has been allowed for the fleet to sail from Mexico to the Marquesas. This is the longest open ocean stretch. Two weeks has been set aside to reprovision and explore the dramatic landscape of the Marquesas with its mountainous pinnacles descending into a dramatic seascape of caldera and underwater caves. It also offers the possibility of encounters with a variety of large sea creatures, like manta rays, and huge schools of hammerhead sharks.
The path takes the rally from the Marquesas, to the Tuamotus, Tahiti, The Cook Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia before arriving in Queensland, 11th October.

Bruce Crump, YEY’s logistics expert, has allowed for the greatest possible flexibility for rally participants. 'Some people may wish to fly home at various stages or change crew, which has all been considered in the route planning.'

The route is also timed for various other reasons such as humpback whales breeding season where they gather in their hundreds around the protected and remote waters throughout Tonga.

You don't have to be planning to purchase a yacht to participate. Photographers, or anyone interested in crewing, are welcome to register their interest with YEY Blue Water Cruisers.

Naturally, if you do wish to investigate purchasing, YEY are there to help. The YEY crew search the global market constantly and are able to assist in locating appropriate vessels. A list on the YEY website shows blue water cruisers available in the US that would be suitable for the journey and are excellent value. The range includes modern light displacement vessels through to traditional heavy displacement vessels and sizes from 36’ to 60’. Prices vary from US $47,500 to US $350,000. Only vessels that are excellent value and meet the requirements of such a journey have been listed in this section of YEY’s website.

Of course, the pitfalls are obvious. For Australians who wish to take advantage of the lower US prices and want to acquire a boat for their own use, it's a win/win situation. However, for non-Australians wishing to sell the boat at the end of the journey, if you are impatient and can't wait until the yacht sells at a good price, you could be taking a significant risk. YEY also provide facilities for selling vessels upon arrival.

For more information on this venture go to http://www.yey.com.au/tpr.html