Beyond the Brochure
Walking the boat show docks today in Genoa, getting on and off yachts along with brokers from all over the world, I am reminded that when it comes time to choose your charter yacht, the best thing to say to a broker is: Tell me something that isn’t in the brochure.
The things that reputable charter brokers learn and discuss at boat shows are the kind of tidbits that can make or break your yacht vacation–things that you will never find printed in any brochure, anywhere. If you have narrowed your choice of boat down to two or three, ask the broker what he can tell you that isn’t anywhere in the brochures. You just may be shocked at the important information you receive, information that you otherwise would not know until you were onboard and it was too late.
Some examples from today:
* Some charter motoryachts in the 100-foot and smaller range are investing in zero-speed stabilizers, which ease a yacht’s motion at sea. These stabilizers used to be only on the largest megayachts. Now, you can find them on more entry-level-priced boats, sometimes at the same price as same-sized yachts that do not have them.
* At least one style of 80-foot motoryacht here in Europe is being built with a private breakfast nook right inside the master stateroom. What a lovely little hideaway spot for a morning cup of coffee or an afternoon cocktail–something you will not find in many other yachts of the same size.
* At the top end of the motoryacht charter market, there are still yachts that do not offer high-speed, wireless Internet. As one frustrated captain of a 150-footer told me, he’s been trying to get the yacht’s owner to invest in a system for months, all to no avail–even though a same-size yacht built by the exact same company does offer WiFi at sea, and charges $40,000 a week less for charters!
These are the kinds of things you aren’t going to learn about in any brochure, or from any broker who fails to attend these kinds of boat shows and see what’s happening onboard each yacht firsthand.
Learn to look beyond the brochure, and to ask questions to make sure your broker truly knows the boat he’s recommending. Your vacation will be better for it.