A guide to finding the perfect yacht and avoiding common pitfalls

Upgrading, downsizing, or buying a boat for the first time: whatever you’re doing, it can be a nerve-wracking experience. Theo Stocker talked to a new owner, a boat buyer and a broker about the pitfalls to avoid

Whether you’re dreaming about buying your first boat, or you’ve been a boat owner for years, it’s worth considering whether the boat you currently own, or plan to own, is right for the kind of sailing you do. If you bought a boat to realise your dreams of the wide horizon, but you spend your weekends marina hopping, then handling and keeping an oceancapable yacht might take the shine off boat ownership. Equally, cramming a family of five into a 22-footer for a fortnight’s Channel cruise can be done, but is everyone going to enjoy it and want to come back?

The process of buying and selling boats can be daunting. It involves big sums of money and you may be emotionally attached to your current boat. Nor do you want to buy a dud. A little chutzpah, however, goes a long way when taking the plunge to buy your first boat or change to a boat that suits you better.

Older boats, like this Westerly Konsort, offer a lot of yacht for your money, particularly for first-time buyers

Editor Theo Stocker’s first boat is a Sadler 29, which he bought three years ago

Astraeus, Alun Jones’ new (to him) Westerly Konsort