Yacht sales & acquisition advisory
Buy a yacht.
Acquisition advisory for first-time and seasoned owners, on the open and off-market.
The transaction
How an acquisition runs.
Buying a yacht starts with a brief, not a listing. How many guests, how many nights aboard, which waters, how much of the year, whether the yacht will charter, and the budget for the purchase and for running her: the answers decide the size, the builder and the age of the yacht, and they narrow a very wide market to a short list.
We search the listed market and the yachts that trade through introduction, then read each candidate before anyone travels: the specification, the maintenance and refit records, the engine and generator hours, the class and flag history, and the charter record where there is one. Viewings follow for the yachts that hold up, with an advisor aboard.
Once an offer is accepted, the purchase usually runs under the MYBA Memorandum of Agreement: a deposit held in escrow, a sea trial, and a survey by an independent surveyor of the buyer's choice, often with the yacht lifted out of the water. The findings either confirm the price or reopen it, and the negotiation that follows rests on them rather than on impressions.
The paperwork matters as much as the hull. The flag and the registration, the VAT status of the yacht, the ownership structure and, where the yacht will charter, her commercial coding are settled with the buyer's lawyers and tax advisers before closing. At closing, the bill of sale, the deletion from the previous register and the new registration are exchanged, and the crew, the insurance and the management pass to the new owner.
We work alongside the buyer's family office, lawyers and tax advisers from the brief to the handover, and stay on afterwards when the owner wants berthing, management or a charter programme arranged.
How we work
A transaction in four moves.
01Step 01
The brief
Use, guests, waters, season, the budget for the purchase and for running costs, and whether the yacht will charter. The brief sets size, builder and age before the market is touched.
02Step 02
The shortlist
Listed yachts and yachts available by introduction, read on paper first: records, hours, class, flag and charter history. Viewings for those that hold up.
03Step 03
Offer, survey and sea trial
Offer and contract, deposit held in escrow, then an independent survey and a sea trial. The findings shape the final price.
04Step 04
Closing and handover
Bill of sale, deletion and new registration, the transfer of crew and insurance, and a plan for the first season.
Related services
Related sales services.
Off-market yachts
Programmes available but not publicly listed, accessible through introduction only.
Sell a yacht
A private brokerage process for owners selling discreetly.
Yachts for sale
Yachts on the market now, from the Mediterranean to Florida, the Gulf and Asia, with buyer-side advice from the first viewing to the closing.
Field notes
Related reading.
Events
Dubai International Boat Show.
In 2026 the Dubai International Boat Show opens the Dubai season: five days at Dubai Harbour, and how an advisor prepares a client to buy, sell or host during the week.
Sep 2026
Events
Monaco Yacht Show.
The Monaco Yacht Show is the one week of the year when Port Hercule is the exhibition: where owners, charterers, shipyards and brokers meet, and how an advisor prepares a client for it.
Jun 2026
Frequently asked
Practical questions.
- What does the buying process involve?
- Brief, listing search, viewings, survey, negotiation, contract, closing. Each stage has its own lead time; the full cycle typically runs 4 to 12 months. The brokerage manages the operational sequence end-to-end.
- How is the brokerage compensated?
- Under standard market practice the seller pays the commission, typically 5 to 10 percent of the price, shared between the brokers involved. We act as the buyer's broker, or jointly with the seller's broker, and the way we are engaged is agreed in writing at the start.
- What does a pre-purchase survey involve?
- A full survey covers hull, machinery, electrical, systems, and a sea-trial run. The report is the basis for the post-survey negotiation on works and price. We coordinate the survey through specialist surveyors in the yacht’s home port.
- Is buying a yacht different for a first-time owner?
- The steps are the same, the questions are not. A first-time owner often gains from chartering a similar yacht first, and from a clear budget for running costs, berthing and crew before choosing a size. We set out what owning the yacht will involve, year by year, before the search begins.
- How much does it cost to run a yacht?
- A common rule of thumb puts annual running costs at around 10 percent of the yacht's value, more for older or larger yachts. Crew, berthing, insurance, maintenance, fuel and management make up most of it. We prepare a running budget with the shortlist, so that the price of the yacht is never the only figure.
- Should I buy a new or a pre-owned yacht?
- A new yacht can be specified to the owner but takes time, from one to several years depending on size and how custom she is. A pre-owned yacht is available now, has already absorbed her first depreciation and has a record that can be read. Many buyers compare both before deciding, and we advise on each.
- Does VAT apply when buying a yacht?
- It depends on the yacht's VAT status, the buyer's structure and where the yacht will be used. A yacht with EU VAT paid can cruise EU waters without further import formalities; one without it may need to be imported or used under specific regimes. The question is settled with the buyer's tax advisers before the offer, because it changes the real price.
- Where can a yacht be viewed?
- Where she lies: the listings we advise on are in the Mediterranean, Florida and the Caribbean, the Gulf and Asia. An advisor attends the viewing with the buyer, and the boat shows in Cannes, Monaco, Fort Lauderdale and Dubai are an efficient way to see several yachts in a few days.
Plan
Brief an acquisition.
A private advisor returns a short, considered reply within the hour.