charter???

[christiner]

Has anyone had any experience buying a used boat out of charter. I know there are risks but it''s all we can afford and we are pretty handy. Any advise?

[Jeff_H]

I have been around quite a number of ex-charterboat re-building projects. While occasionally I hear someone describe a success story, most time these boats cost considerably more to put back into shape than the difference in price between a private yacht and a chartered boats.

The ex-charter boats that I have been around have needed some combination of:

-New Deck hardware: (Charter boat deck hardware is often down spec''ed from the standard).
-New sails (these boats get 5 to 10 times the normal annual use of a private yacht in a single season).
-Standing and running rigging.
-New and upgraded electronics, refrigeration, pressure pumps and galley equipment.
-New Upholstery
-New or rebuilt engine

and so on.

These boats have also typically been banged around so that years later core damage, hull/deck joint failures and other forms of hard-use glass damage shows up.

There are better ways to go.
Respectfully,
Jeff