Landing a Big Deal on a Yacht

We normally think of a yacht as a personal extravagance.  It is something you buy to celebrate your success and to give yourself the kind of luxury that success affords.  And it gives you the chance to have some very private holidays and vacations in high style with an attentive crew on board and still to have the privacy and complete liberty that is not possible in a hotel or resort.  This combination of freedom, privacy and luxury is what makes yachting such an attractive pastime for so many including perhaps many of your friends.

But there are some very solid businesses reasons for maintaining a yacht as well.  And whether you make that yacht a private possession or a corporate asset, you may find enough business reasons to maintain the craft to make it entirely a business expense.  And it will be one that will pay off well for the cost of the yacht along with maintenance and storage.

A corporate yacht gives you options for business entertaining that really cannot be matched at even the finest restaurant in town.  By outfitting the yacht properly when you buy it, you can make sure here is a luxurious dinning room and all of the accessories to put on a fine business dinner.  If you will be entertaining business clients from out of town for a day or so, you can use the comfortable bedroom suites of your yacht to provide them with the finest in comfort and luxury with a crew who knows that these are VIP guests and to treat them as such.  Nothing will put your guests in a better mood for negotiation than spending the night on the gentle waves of the sea on the yacht you provided entirely for their comfort.

When it comes time to close that big deal, that same dining table is an outstanding setting to lay out the paperwork and step through the complex process of business deal making.  Because you are essentially "on your turf", the yacht seems to send the message that coming to an agreement is the right thing to do.  And you have total privacy aboard your yacht so the parties can take breaks and go out on deck and look at the stars and the moonlight on the waters to have their spirits refreshed to come back and put ink to paper and strike a deal that could bring your company millions in business.  One deal alone might pay for that yacht for decades and you still have it available for the next company Christmas party.

The yacht has other valid business purposes along with romancing clients or striking deals with business partners.   The yacht setting is a delightful way to reward loyal employees with an evening of celebration of the completion of a great project.  By gathering select managers and spouses to the seclusion and luxury of a yacht, you communicate to them the value of their work and can instill company loyalty and a desire to succeed that is a huge asset to any business.

The reason a yacht is so often a great way to do business entertaining or to host a business meeting or conference is that it communicates success.  On board a yacht, your guests or employees get the message that this is a company that is doing very well, that is willing to invest in the finest for its clients, partners and leaders and that this company is going to be successful for a long time to come.  This is a powerful message to send and the yacht speaks it elegantly while providing an ideal setting for relaxation, forming of business friendships and resolution of conflict as well.

High Adventure on Your Yacht

It is not uncommon for a yacht trip to be exciting.  To take a cruise around the Mediterranean or the Caribbean and enjoy exotic cities, cuisine such as you never have known before and a nightlife that never ends may be the ultimate of luxury and pleasure for many yachters.  But there is a breed of yachting enthusiast who like the crew who must climb tall mountains that are as dangerous as they are beautiful, they must use their yachts to find high adventure.

There is no question that a well made yacht is the perfect way to approach finding an adventure of a lifetime.  By definition, adventure is going out there "without a rope" and finding excitement where it can be found.  That means that unlike those who stay in charter waters, you will use your yachting adventure to seek new places to explore, to find danger where it does not want to be found and to have excitement that only life threatening adventures can give.

A typical high adventure yacht outing would be to sail around the outback of Australia where the untamed lands and peoples are not used to seeing such a vessel and may not be friendly to your arrival.  Because you do have the relative safety of the yacht, you can pick and choose when to go ashore for some hunting or exploring.  Your objective is twofold which is to get around the entire continent and to stop and explore every day.  To make the journey even more exciting, only take provisions for a few days of a journey that will take weeks.  That means you must find food on shore in hostile environs which pits you against nature for survival.

Perhaps less dangerous but just as exciting is a deep sea fishing adventure.  There are ocean fishing charters that are pretty safe and virtually family friendly and which go to tried and true fishing spots near shore.  But to take your yacht many days out to sea to stalk the great fish of the deep knowing that the fish may win the battle is achieving that goal of any extreme sporting enthusiasts which is to find the edge of any sport and an edge that may mean danger for sure.

Similarly diving in unexplored waters can be thrilling and risky all at once.  With your trusty crew above, perhaps you might go treasure hunting to find lost booty in sunken pirate ships off the coast of Africa.  Lowering yourself to these depths means you are in places where anything can happen to you.  You don’t know what kind of beasts might lurch out from those dark places in that sunken ship or what other dangers might trap you beneath the waters.  But your spirit of adventure means you will face those dangers if nothing more than the sheer sport of it.

Another kind of adventure seeker may use their yacht to maneuver them as close to an untamed forest, mountain range or beach to venture out to camp and explore.  The very act of mapping and finding your way in a dense setting like this adds risk because if you get lost, there are no cell phone towers to help you find your way out.  Knowing that is the level of danger you are in is just the adrenaline rush high adventure seekers love.

This is the kind of adventure that owning a yacht and putting extra care into the reliability and durability of that yacht is crucial.  You may not be able to find a charter group that will provide a yacht and crew to take you on an adventure where the entire party and the yacht itself may not return from.  So you can start months or years ahead of your great adventure to prepare your yacht to be as tough as you in rough seas and equipped with sophisticated equipment for communications and logistics so that yacht is your lifeline to rescue if such a thing is needed.  This is not the kind of yachting for the faint of heart or stomach.  But when it comes to this kind of adventure, without a great yacht, you will never have that one in a lifetime experience.

Girls on a Yacht

For some reason when we think of luxury yachting, the image of Mr. and Mrs. Howell from Gilligan's Island living an extravagant lifestyle comes to mind.  But yacht charter companies can tell you that more and more the conventional stereotype of people who are enjoying even a very luxurious yacht is changing dramatically.  The popularity of taking a yacht out in some exotic location like Greece, the Mediterranean or the Gulf Coast is growing so fast that groups are taking them out and sharing both the costs and the fun of the adventure.

One innovative approach is to book an all girls yacht excursion to one of these exotic locations and tailor it around a boat for you, your sisters or cousins and friends.  You would be able to put together an ample budget with everybody being involved and by chartering a luxury yacht, you can cruise in style and enjoy all the freedom and excitement of a wonderful vacation and some safety in that you can secure the ship. 

Many modern charters are starting to offer all girls yacht charters and you can find packages that will also offer a female skipper and crew to provide for all your needs, including security.  While someone in the group might balk not keeping a sexy deck boy on board, you will have plenty of chances to flirt when you get to the beautiful destination ports such as the French Riviera or Greece.  And you can go on shore and have the kind of romantic adventures they make movies about and then go out to sea with the girls to have a slumber party to tell each other all about them.

If you decide to use the resources of an all girls yacht to discover a new part of the world, your ability to get to and explore new locations every day may change the way you view traveling forever.  A trip to Southern Europe can have an entirely different feel when a Yacht is your hotel, your restaurants and your means of transpiration as well.  And because you may wish to see many of the ancient cities that are a short distance from the shore, you can plan many sightseeing trips from port, enjoy the history of some of the oldest cities in the world and be onboard the yacht by dinner time ready to cruise to the next destination.

The great thing about yachting that all of the girls will love is the mobility.  Unlike booking rooms in a luxury resort, you can be off the shore of a different country virtually every morning when you wake up.  And if there is any situation where every gal on board can be pampered in a way that makes you feel like a "princess", a luxury yacht can do the trick.  Because you can customize your crew when you plan a fully staffed charter yachting adventure, if you want you can include a masseuse or any other specialized luxury you and the girls want to enjoy and share.

As in any all girls situation, when you get out to sea, the dress code can be just as relaxed as you want it to be.  So if you get far enough from civilization and the deck is for sunbathing, you can really get a good tan without concern about prying eyes.  And there can be no better description of luxury than to go from an afternoon of drinking wine and sunning to a gourmet feast prepared so all the girls can give in to their pleasures which is what vacation and true enjoyment is all about.

There is such a huge variety of things that can be done on a week long yacht trip that you will want to use the anticipation time before the outing for the girls to pool their requests and come up with an agenda.  From swimming in the Ocean to cruising for whale watching to finding a remote beach only for you to enjoy to dancing all night in one of the great European or South American hot spots, you can mix high adventure with natural beauty with a sophisticated night life.  There will literally be something for everyone and everyone will experience new thrills when you get a group of best friends together to discover the world aboard a charter luxury yacht.

Getting Coverage for Your Floating Home

In terms of how a yacht becomes an important part of your lifestyle and the cost of a yacht both in terms of purchase and maintenance, in many ways your yacht almost becomes like a floating home.  Unlike a fishing boat or a boat used for commercial purposes, most of us buy a yacht to spend some significant time on and we equip that boat so it can be a home away from home for however long you habitat on that vessel.

When you look around your yacht, it's really an amazing design feat.  It is at the same time a boat with all the pleasantries that make living there a joy and the resources to host guests and even hold parties.  So while you certainly can afford both the purchase and maintenance of a yacht, getting insurance to make sure any damage can be covered is smart. 

Unlike a home, a yacht is by nature in a more hazardous environment.  Because your yacht is also a vehicle and it spends most of its time on the water, there are things that can happen to it that must be considered in your insurance policy.  So make sure your policy covers every possible form of loss so you can get your yacht repaired or replaced if need be and to cover any harm that might be caused by an accident.

Obviously, you are going to include in the base policy the cost of the yacht and the basic equipment that came with it including the engine and other equipment necessary to operate the yacht as a sea going vessel.  Your basic insurance policy is going to cover damage to the vehicle from weather or from on board accidents.  But it should also be worded to cover the other ways that a yacht could be damaged or destroyed.

Explosions are a very real danger in the operation of a yacht.  Unlike your home, that vehicle is always carrying a large quantity of explosive fuels just under the feet of you and your guests.  If the yacht hits another vehicle or is hit by one or through equipment malfunction, that yacht can explode which can destroy that luxurious boat.  So make sure your policy has coverage for this kind of loss and that there are no exclusions because of the cause of the explosion as that may not always be possible to know.

Next take into account any expensive items that may be on the yacht that are not part of the yacht itself.  You may have any number of lifestyle amenities that would be expensive to replace such as the sound system, television or video equipment, furniture and supplies such as a fully stocked wet bar.  While these items are not difficult to replace, they do represent a cost that should be covered by yacht insurance.

Weather related damage should be represented in the yacht insurance if you use the vehicle on a body of water that can bring a catastrophic storm such as a hurricane or even tornados.  Now you might want to have your insurance agent help you calculate the statistical likelihood you would need such insurance.  But you sure will be glad you had it in the event that a destructive force of nature took a toll on this investment you have made in your yacht.

Think through any situation that might result in damage or destruction to your yacht or that could result in financial loss.  An accident with another boat could cause significant damage to the other vessel.  If it turns out the accident was the result of an error on the part of your pilot, you could face a large financial liability.  Similarly, if your yacht had a fire in dock or an explosion that caused damage to the dock or to other boats, you will be held responsible for that damage.  So just as you are covering the damage to your yacht, make sure monies are in the insurance policy to cover collateral damage as well.

You are not inexperienced in knowing the costs of owning a fine luxury such as a yacht.  You no doubt already have gotten insurance to cover theft and the basic threats to that vehicle.  But it's worth your while to go back and review that policy to make sure that it is comprehensive in nature.  You will be glad you did.

A Yacht Club That is Right for You

While there is no law that says you have to join a yacht club when you get a yacht, there are a number of good reasons to do so.  A yacht club gives you the chance to socialize with others who share your passion for yachting.  Unlike being with people who give you that "odd" stare when you talk about how great yachting is, your fellow yacht clubs members will nod knowingly because they too share the passion.   Yacht club members are often an outstanding peer group to be a part of who can also help you with questions about yachting, and what kinds of yachting outings you might enjoy.

Yacht clubs are tremendously social experiences and often the club will meet on board a different member's yacht each month so you can see how other member's yacht and enjoy some luxury at their expense as well.  Then when your turn comes to host the club on your club, you also have a chance to show off your yacht which is also great fun.

When you first buy your yacht then, you may wish to begin looking for a great yacht club that can give you the support group you want to enjoy your new passion with.  Going about finding the right kind of yacht club should be a process you are patient with because yacht clubs often have their own personalities.  But yacht clubs are almost always gracious settings so you can visit different clubs each week and feel welcome.  And its ok if you visit once or twice and move on to another club.  In fact, if you have a particular kind of yacht club that would fit your needs, sister clubs may point you in the right direction.

Like a lot of things, the internet can be a lot of help just finding the various yacht clubs in your area.  And when you start the search, you will often find that the better yacht clubs have web sites up with pictures, publications of their schedule of events and lots of information that will help you sort out which ones you want to visit.  Many yacht clubs have a specific focus around a particular kind of yachting so you can cut down a lot of phone calls by just finding out which ones fit your approach to the sport.  So if you are interested in yachting as a form of family entertainment, you may not want to join a yacht club devoted to yacht racing or fishing expeditions.

If you are just getting started in yachting, a yacht club can be of great help offering classes in sailing or other skills related to the sport.  So one way to get to know a club is to sign up for a short course on yacht management, sailing or yacht maintenance and not only will you learn important skills, you meet others in the club and find out if the club is right for you.  For the kids you may be able to find classes in scuba, water skiing or other water sports that they will want to know on your summer yachting adventure this year and the yacht club can help them get ready and make new friends as well.  Again  the classes are often listed on different yacht clubs web sites and you can sort out which clubs offer both educational and entertainment classes that would help you enjoy  your yachting adventure to the fullest.

Just as some yacht clubs are focused on niche interest groups in yachting such as yacht racers or those dealing in very high end luxury cruise, you will find yacht clubs that focus on why you want to enjoy yachting in the first place.  So you may be looking for a yacht club for singles because owning a yacht is part of your ongoing quest to meet new people and maybe new lovers.  Other yacht clubs may be oriented toward a family experience so not only will the events be family friendly, everyone in the family will meet peers in yachting families. 

Who knows, you may even find yourself making some lifelong friends in the yacht club, friends you may wish to join with on your next big yachting adventure.  And if that is the outcome of joining a yacht club, then that social scene will have been one of the best groups you ever joined.

A Society of Yacht Lovers

If you either have or find yourself developing a genuine fascination and love of not only yachts but the lifestyle of yachting, you are not alone.  When you begin either using your new yacht or regularly chartering a yacht for a weekend of luxury or a special vacation, it's easy to fall in with a society of yacht owners where you can share your enjoyment of these very special boats and learn from each other as well.

Yacht clubs are one way that yacht owners and yacht lovers alike gather routinely to share their common interest in diverse settings.  Even if you are not a yacht owner yet yourself, it isn't hard to get an invitation to yacht club meetings where your enthusiasm for yachting will only intensify.  One way that the knowledge about yachting spreads easily in almost a viral way at yacht club gatherings is that these societies commonly mix together those who enjoy luxury yachting on a motor yacht to those who love sailing to those who own yachts as big as cruise ships to those who are into yachting for the thrill of yacht racing.

In this way even if your addiction is to luxury yachting, by socializing with yacht racing enthusiasts, you can find yourself a guest at a yacht race and get the thrill of that lifestyle in your blood.  After viewing your yacht as a place to relax and cruise or sail the seas at a leisurely pace, to see yachts that are customized and trim and ready for high speed racing, you will see yachting an entirely different light.

Similarly if you are a speed yacht enthusiast, you may only see yachts the way race horse owners see their thoroughbred animals.  But when you "rub elbows" with those who know the joy and fun of luxury yachting, you will see their fascination with your lifestyle and be eager to share theirs with you as well.  So if you trade a couple tickets to the next big yacht race for a weekend on a luxury yacht, you will get a new appreciation for why those big lumbering yachts that are built for comfort, not for speed are so appealing.  For both the yacht racer and the lover of luxury yachting, this exposure may lead to yet another area of yachting that you may wish to own a part of as your next big yacht investment.

Yacht clubs are also good ways to learn about new destinations and theme yacht excursions that you may wish to try out the next time you are planning a yachting adventure. You may never have considered yachting around the British Isles and combining your love of the luxury of your yacht with an exciting vacation exploring historic sights and taking in some of the best culture in the world.  So as other yacht owners "brag" about their last great yacht adventure, you can be taking some notes and open up whole new ways you can keep your love of yachting fresh and new each year.

Meetings of the yacht club often are held on member yachts or in some location where the members can explore an aspect of yachting together.  One of the major boat and yacht shows and expos in town is a great place to hold a yacht club meeting because as much fun as it is to explore new yachts yourself, its so much more enjoyable to do so with other yacht lovers and to discuss and compare yachts with people who know them and love them like you do.

If you join a yacht club, you should fully expect and actually want to see other club members use the meetings to "show off" how great their yacht is.  Your fellow members will value your opinion and seeing you express admiration for their fine yacht and its excellent facilities.  And it won't be long before it might be your turn to host the yacht club onboard your vessel where you can lay out the red carpet for an elite group to admire what you have done to build the dream yacht paradise for you and your family and friends.