Do you advise buyers or sellers?

Both. On a purchase we act for the buyer, as the buyer's broker or alongside the seller's central agent; on a sale we act for the owner. When we represent one side of a transaction, that side is stated in writing from the start, so there is never a doubt about whose interest we serve.

How is a yacht broker paid?

Under market practice the seller pays the commission on completion, typically up to 10 percent of the sale price, shared between the broker who lists the yacht and the broker who brings the buyer. The terms of our own engagement are agreed in writing at the start, whichever side we act for.

How long does a yacht purchase take?

Once an offer is accepted, the sea trial, the survey and the closing usually take four to eight weeks. The search before it depends on the brief: a few weeks for a common model in good supply, several months for a rare yacht or a precise brief.

Are all yachts for sale listed publicly?

No. A share of the market trades through introduction: owners who prefer discretion, yachts changing hands within a family or a company, or owners testing interest before deciding. We follow those yachts through brokers, shipyards and owners' representatives, and present them only to buyers whose brief fits.

What should a buyer check besides the yacht herself?

Her paperwork as much as her condition: the flag and registration, the VAT status, whether she is coded for commercial charter, her class and survey history, and any outstanding liens. These shape the price, the running costs and where the yacht can be used, and they are settled with the buyer's lawyers before closing.

Can a yacht be chartered after purchase?

Yes, if she is registered and equipped for commercial use and her crew is certified for it. Charter income can offset part of the running costs, though it rarely covers them all. Our charter management plans the season so that the owner's own weeks come first.

Where are the yachts you have for sale?

The listings we advise on lie in the Mediterranean, Florida and the Caribbean, the Gulf and Asia, and they change every week. The current selection is on our yachts for sale page, grouped by builder, and further yachts are presented privately to buyers whose brief fits.

Large superyacht bow underway on open water

Service

Yacht sales & acquisition advisory.

From first acquisition to off-market opportunities: Balthazar Yachting advises private clients on the purchase and sale of yachts with clarity, discretion and global market access.

Speak to a yacht advisor

The transaction

How a transaction runs.

Buying or selling a yacht is a transaction in several parts: the brief, the market, the inspection, the contract, the flag and the handover. Balthazar Yachting advises private clients, family offices and their advisers through each of them, on the listed market and through the yachts that trade by introduction, with the same discretion on either side of the sale.

On the acquisition side, the work starts before the market is touched. The programme, the budget, the flag, the cruising profile and the way the yacht will actually be used set the brief, and the brief narrows the field. We then cross the listed inventory with the yachts available privately, read each candidate on paper, attend the viewings, brief the independent surveyors and follow the sea trial. The survey findings shape the negotiation; the contract, the registration and the transfer of crew and management follow.

On the sale side, the first decision is how visible the yacht should be. Some owners want the widest reach across the broker network; others prefer a quiet release to qualified buyers before any public listing. We set the asking price from recent comparable sales and the yachts competing for the same buyers, prepare the yacht and her records for inspection, and run the viewings, the offers and the closing.

Most brokerage transactions follow the MYBA Memorandum of Agreement: a deposit, usually 10 percent of the price, held in escrow, a sea trial and survey period, then acceptance and closing. The flag, the VAT status of the yacht and the ownership structure are settled with the buyer's lawyers and tax advisers before closing, not after. Where the yacht will charter, her commercial registration is planned at the same time.

The listings we advise on lie in the Mediterranean, from the Riviera to the Balearics and the Adriatic, in Florida and the Caribbean, in the Gulf and in Asia, and viewings are arranged where the yacht lies. Dubai, where Balthazar is headquartered, is one of the markets we know best.

A purchase is also the start of an operation. Berthing, crew, management and, where the owner wants it, a charter programme are arranged through our owner services, so that the yacht is ready for her first season.

How we work

A transaction in four moves.

01Step 01
Defining the brief
Programme, budget, flag, cruising profile and the principal’s actual usage pattern. Sometimes this includes specific shipyards or pedigrees the owner has in mind.
02Step 02
Auditing the market
The listed inventory cross-checked against the off-market network. We work with brokers, owners’ representatives and shipyards we have history with, and with disclosure on commission structures.
03Step 03
Inspection and negotiation
Surveys, sea trials, broker negotiation, contract structuring. The buyer’s interests are represented straight.
04Step 04
Closing and handover
Registration, flag transfer, crew continuity, post-sale operational set-up. The advisor remains a point of contact after closing for the owner-services brief if the principal wants one.

Active markets

Where transactions cluster.

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Specialist services

Areas of focus.

Standards

Family-office discipline, applied to yachts.

Confidential representation.
The brief stays inside the advisor and a small set of trusted introducers. Discretion is the default posture across the engagement.
International reach, local depth.
We work with brokers, shipyards and owners’ representatives across the principal markets. Disclosure on every chain is the default posture.
Owner-aligned across the engagement.
The advisor’s incentive is the long relationship. The right acquisition is rarely the first yacht seen. The advisor’s role is to narrow the field before inspections begin.

Field notes

Practical questions.

Do you advise buyers or sellers?: Both. On a purchase we act for the buyer, as the buyer's broker or alongside the seller's central agent; on a sale we act for the owner. When we represent one side of a transaction, that side is stated in writing from the start, so there is never a doubt about whose interest we serve.
How is a yacht broker paid?: Under market practice the seller pays the commission on completion, typically up to 10 percent of the sale price, shared between the broker who lists the yacht and the broker who brings the buyer. The terms of our own engagement are agreed in writing at the start, whichever side we act for.
How long does a yacht purchase take?: Once an offer is accepted, the sea trial, the survey and the closing usually take four to eight weeks. The search before it depends on the brief: a few weeks for a common model in good supply, several months for a rare yacht or a precise brief.
Are all yachts for sale listed publicly?: No. A share of the market trades through introduction: owners who prefer discretion, yachts changing hands within a family or a company, or owners testing interest before deciding. We follow those yachts through brokers, shipyards and owners' representatives, and present them only to buyers whose brief fits.
What should a buyer check besides the yacht herself?: Her paperwork as much as her condition: the flag and registration, the VAT status, whether she is coded for commercial charter, her class and survey history, and any outstanding liens. These shape the price, the running costs and where the yacht can be used, and they are settled with the buyer's lawyers before closing.
Can a yacht be chartered after purchase?: Yes, if she is registered and equipped for commercial use and her crew is certified for it. Charter income can offset part of the running costs, though it rarely covers them all. Our charter management plans the season so that the owner's own weeks come first.
Where are the yachts you have for sale?: The listings we advise on lie in the Mediterranean, Florida and the Caribbean, the Gulf and Asia, and they change every week. The current selection is on our yachts for sale page, grouped by builder, and further yachts are presented privately to buyers whose brief fits.

Plan

Speak to a sales advisor.

A private advisor returns a short, considered reply within the hour.

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+971 4 608 6008

enquiries@balthazaryachting.com