THE ULTIMATE LUXURY

Owning a yacht is the height of decadence, says Bill Jamieson, but costs don’t have to be astronomical

Bill Jamieson looks at the super-yachts on the market, and their prices are not always as deadly as you might expect

Who has not dreamt of holidays on a pleasure craft? There are few thrills more exhilarating than setting out for a day on the loch, scooting from cove to sheltered inlet with a glass of Chablis on the foredeck and grilled salmon with trimmings being prepared in the gantry.

An expensive luxury out of reach for most of us? Look again. The harbours around Scotland’s coasts are crammed with vessels of all sorts – from floating gin palaces to the modest two-person yacht and dinky speed boat.

Each can exude a sense of high life and luxury, but on a budget within reach of many. Were this not so, our lochs and sea coasts would not be bustling every summer with an astonishing variety of pleasure craft. Visit Crinan or Balloch on Loch Lomond, and you will soon see how accessible boat ownership has become.

Let’s not pretend that owning a boat is a costless hobby. Maintenance, upkeep, harbour charges and insurance can amount to a hefty sum. But prudent budgeting can bear down on these, and useful income can be generated by short-term hire fees.

When it comes to capital costs, boat purchase can appear hugely expensive. We automatically think of the top-of-therange luxury cruisers featured in lifestyle magazines and millionaire profiles in the Sunday supplements.

This summer alone has featured photographs of the world’s most expensive yachts moored in UK harbours – from multimillionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s £91 million, 243ft expedition ship Sherpa equipped with a helipad, two VIP suites, four guest cabins and a bar and dining area, to the Katara, the secretive floating palace built for the Qatari royal family. This £200 million, 410ft monster dropped anchor off the south west coast this summer. She did so in conditions of such stealth even her automatic identification system (AIS) was switched off.

But even this was dwarfed in turn by the 644ft luxury cruise behemoth The World alongside which she was moored. This 196m giant, with a crew of 280, is the largest private residential ship on the planet and home to just 165 ‘residences’ (not cabins, please). Cruisers spend extensive time exploring the most exotic and well-traveled destinations, and return onboard to a lifestyle that exists nowhere else on earth. The one-, two-, and three-bed ‘residences’ start at $600,000 (not including annual ship fees, which can run into the thousands). But these are the unrepresentative tip of the iceberg of marine craft which is visible every day scooting across Scottish waters. Take, for example, the range of craft currently available at Balloch-based Marine Sales Scotland. Prices range from close on £300,000 for vessels equipped with a bewildering array of extras and gizmos to more modest but stylish craft available at prices below £15,000.

For example, there is the VIKO 21 sailing yacht/cruiser, 21ft in length and 6ft beam. This vessel is just three years old and offered in as new condition. The purchase price of £14,000 includes a road trailer.

For experienced boat owners with time on their hands to restore her back to her original condition there is the 2006 Maxum 1800SR capable of 220hp. ‘Great potential and the perfect family runaround,’

say the selling agents. It is priced at £6,495 for quick sale.

Finally for bargain-hunters is a 1999 RYDS 440 GT on offer at £3,995. This is a sports boat and road trailer, powered by a Yamaha 40hp oil injection 2 stroke outboard motor – ‘a fantastic boat’, says the vendor, ‘for pottering about, fishing and water sports’.

Among the many more sophisticated yachts on sale this year at Balloch is a 47ft fiberglass Sealine vessel hailed as the best of its type in the world. Extras include power sliding roof, teak cockpit, wet bar, integrated barbecue, air conditioning, twin en-suites, electric hob and microwave, and TV/DVD and radio in all cabins. This 2018 model is priced at £275,000.

Other stylish offers in Balloch include a 2018 Nord Star 28 Patrol boat filled to the brim with top of the market specification. There is a full walkabout deck, she is capable of sailing in all weathers and there is comfortable accommodation for four in an aft and bow cabin. It’s on sale at £179,950.

For a head-turner in a lower price range, there is the brand new stylish crystal blue Regal 28 Express available now for immediate delivery. This visual stunner features diamond stitched cockpit upholstery with champagne Italian leather upgrade to the saloon sofas. This boat, says the brochure, ‘will turn heads wherever she goes’. It’s available at £99,999 with part exchange option, and further details of this and the other yachts featured here are available from Cameron House Marina.

As for the COVID-19 pandemic, it has hit the marine and pleasure craft industry in several ways. All forms of boating, including skippered charter and passenger boat operations, were put on lockdown and while restrictions were eased on 4 July social distancing requirements are still in operation.

And of course, the huge economic uncertainty inflicted on households has caused consumers to hold fire on big ‘non-essential’ purchases. That said, household savings have on average risen during the pandemic, which could point to catch-up purchases ahead. And assuming there is no widespread second lockdown spilling into next year, yacht sales should see a revival in 2021.

What of running costs? There is no simple guide for there are as many different answers as there are boats – varying greatly in size, engine power and condition. Well maintained 35ft boats can be run for less than £100 a month. Others can find themselves paying ten times this amount. Other things potential buyers need to consider are depreciation (as a rough guide, new vessels generally lose around 40-50 per cent of their initial cost over the first 8-10 years, with around half that figure loaded on the first two or three years), moorings, boat yard and routine maintenance costs, equipment replacement, upgrades and renewals, fuel, insurance and ‘contingencies’.

Yet for all these extra costs, there is little to beat the thrill of skippering your own luxury yacht – the glorious sight of a wellmaintained vessel skimming over the loch – and the sheer sex appeal of yacht ownership. Who would quibble at a few extra expenses here and there?

‘This boat features diamond stitched cockpit upholstery’