Why some of the world’s most successful people choose to own yachts

After almost 25 years in the yachting industry, I’ve lost count of the number of times someone has quoted one of these two sayings to me:

“The two happiest days in a boat owner’s life are the day they buy a boat and the day they sell it.”

or

“If it floats, flies or f****, then rent it.”

If I earned a dollar every time I heard one of them, I’d probably be able to afford a 100 metre Superyacht myself!

I find these sayings frustrating because they almost always originate from somebody who knows an owner that was badly advised, bought the wrong yacht or entered ownership with unrealistic expectations. We want happy owners that stay in yachting, not people feeling like they got their fingers burnt and putting off future clients entering our rarified world.

For me, every owner should go in with their eyes fully wide open and then if they decide to buy, they will have a great experience.

Owning a Superyacht is a luxury, and a very fun one at that, but it’s expensive. If people go into ownership without understanding all that it entails, or worse, they simply buy the wrong boat at the wrong price, it can be a rude awakening. This can all be avoided with the right advice.

As per my previous article, I’ve had many clients in the past who I have told not to buy a yacht and guided them to charter instead. See  more here regarding Charter v Ownership

Here, I would like to focus on all the amazing positives of yacht ownership and the unique experiences that it offers. 

If you buy a yacht that properly matches your requirements and expectations, and you pay fair market value, I truly believe that yachting remains the most luxurious and special way to spend time with family, friends and loved ones.

A yacht is worth 1,000 holiday homes

This is my response to those rather negative sayings about yacht ownership above. If you can afford it, a yacht is worth 1,000 holiday homes and more.

No villa can offer you a different view every day or multiple destinations within the same holiday. If you don’t like your neighbours, you simply move to the next bay! 

A yacht allows you to spend the summer from May through to October moving seamlessly from the Balearics Islands in Spain, to the South of France, the Amalfi Coast, Venice, Croatia, Greece and Turkey (to name just a few Mediterranean cruising areas), all while enjoying the same home, crew and service throughout. Similarly, you might cruise the Baltic Sea, Scandinavia, see Polar Bears in Svalbard or go to Alaska one summer.

In the winter months you might be in the Caribbean, the Indian or Pacific Oceans. The experience is highly personalised. Your crew and chef know your preferences intimately; your wardrobe stays onboard – all you need to decide is where and when to join the yacht. 

What makes yachting especially compelling is the access it provides to places and experiences that are simply unavailable any other way often in remote destinations where luxury accommodation on land does not exist. There are destinations, such as the Galápagos Islands, where access is tightly controlled and opportunities for visitors are limited. In many parts of the world, private yachts can provide access to extraordinary cruising grounds and experiences that are difficult or impossible to replicate through conventional travel.

Owning a yacht means you can position it where you want, when you want, 365 days a year. Ultimately, ownership is about freedom: the freedom to travel on your own schedule, experience destinations in your own way and create a lifestyle that is entirely your own.

Since Covid, there has also been a clear shift towards prioritising experiences and flexibility. Remote working has made extended, remote travel possible, while Starlink has transformed onboard connectivity and made life at sea completely compatible with modern business life. 

This fact alone has made ownership much more compelling to many more people as they can spend enough time on board to justify ownership these days.

Time with Family

Many yacht owners tell me that time on board is the only time each year when the entire family is truly together. They are actively together while everyone can enjoy different things on board. Three meals a day you are all around the table reminiscing on the fun you’ve just enjoyed. Multiple clients have told me that they spend more time with their teenage children on board their yachts than they do during the rest of the year combined.

Experiences & Activities

One of the great pleasures of yacht ownership is the wonderful variety that it offers.

For some owners, the appeal is spending the morning diving in a remote spot, the afternoon exploring a historic town ashore and the evening enjoying dinner on deck, prepared by a world-class chef. For others, it might be surfing a break only accessible by boat, taking the children waterskiing or simply swimming off the stern before breakfast in a secluded bay with no one else in sight.

A yacht gives you access to experiences that are difficult and sometimes impossible, to arrange from land. You can move effortlessly between nature, culture, sport and entertainment, with the yacht acting as your private base throughout.

For those who want to use yachting for more social purposes you’ve got the Monaco Grand Prix in May, over the summer there are beach clubs in St Tropez, nightclubs in Ibiza and fun to be had in Mykonos, while you might celebrate the New Year under the fireworks in St Barths. 

For others, the greatest luxury is doing the exact opposite: disappearing to quiet anchorages, remote islands and places few people will ever reach.

The beauty of ownership is that the experience can be shaped entirely around you. Adventure, privacy, activity, food, family, culture or celebration. A yacht allows all of it, often in the same trip.

Privacy & Security

For many owners, privacy is one of the greatest luxuries a yacht provides.

You can spend weeks travelling with family and friends away from crowds, paparazzi and public scrutiny, while maintaining the same standards of comfort, food and service that you would expect from the world’s finest hotels.

For business leaders, public figures and families who value discretion, this can be one of the most compelling aspects of ownership.

The yacht becomes a private sanctuary where time can be spent with family and friends away from the pressures and visibility of everyday life.

Conclusion

Ultimately, people don’t buy superyachts because they need them.

They buy them because there is no other asset that delivers the same combination of freedom, privacy, family time and true adventure.

A yacht is not simply an asset. It becomes a platform for experiences and memories that would otherwise be impossible.

If ownership is approached with the right expectations and the right advice, it remains one of the most rewarding luxury purchases that one can enjoy.

For more insight into how to buy a superyacht see here