Question 1

What's included in the 5-year ownership cost?

Accepted Answer

The estimate covers the largest recurring opex lines: marina berth, professional crew, hull and machinery insurance, and fuel for an indicative usage profile (Côte d'Azur, European registration, mixed cruising and harbor weeks). It excludes refit cycles, owner travel, tenders and toys, and one-off repairs — those are typically budgeted separately and depend on each yacht's history.

Question 2

Why is the Private scenario more expensive than Charter?

Accepted Answer

In the Charter scenario the yacht offsets some of its annual cost with charter revenue (typically 8-14 weeks per season, depending on size band and itinerary). The net annual cost shown is gross expenses minus realistic charter income after broker commissions and crew bonuses. Private ownership shows the gross figure because the yacht stays exclusive to the owner.

Question 3

How is charter revenue estimated? Is it realistic?

Accepted Answer

Charter revenue is modeled from published Mediterranean weekly rates for comparable yachts in the same length band, multiplied by a conservative 50-60% utilization estimate to account for shoulder weeks, weather, and owner-blocked dates. It excludes APA (advance provisioning allowance — separately billed). For yachts you might actually charter, ask your LYRA broker for a yacht-specific revenue forecast based on real bookings in your target itinerary.

Question 4

Why do costs change by region?

Accepted Answer

Marina rates, crew costs, fuel prices, and tax treatment vary substantially by cruising ground. Côte d'Azur is the most expensive baseline (premium berths, European crew salaries, French VAT). Caribbean is generally cheaper for berth and fuel but adds transatlantic delivery. UAE and Asia have their own structures — typically lower berth and crew costs but higher import duties and limited service-yard depth.

Question 5

European vs Offshore registration — what changes?

Accepted Answer

European registration (typically Italy, France, or Malta for Mediterranean operations) keeps you inside EU customs and simplifies cruising EU waters but obligates VAT on the hull and EU labor rules for crew. Offshore registration (Cayman, Marshall Islands, BVI) avoids EU VAT and offers more flexible crew contracts, but EU operations require Temporary Admission and trigger a VAT exposure if mishandled. Your broker and yacht-management firm advise on the right flag for your usage pattern.

Question 6

How does crew cost scale with yacht size?

Accepted Answer

Crew is the largest single opex line at almost any size and grows non-linearly. A 20m yacht needs 1-2 full-time crew (~€80-150K/year). A 30-40m yacht typically requires 4-6 (~€350-600K). Above 40m you're at 8+ crew with senior captain, chef, chief engineer (~€700K-1.5M+). Salaries also depend on flag, certifications, and rotation patterns. This is the single biggest underestimate in informal ownership-cost conversations.

Question 7

What's typically NOT included that I should budget separately?

Accepted Answer

Refit cycles (5-year and 10-year surveys, ~10-20% of original price), owner travel and provisioning, tenders and water toys (depreciation + storage), berth deposits in high-demand marinas, repaints (€100K-500K depending on size), and unexpected machinery work. As a rule of thumb, add 20-30% on top of the calculator's estimate for a realistic all-in operating budget across a typical 5-year ownership.

Ownership cost for Sunreef Yachts ULTIMA 44

Photos

Private ownership scenario

Charter scenario

Annual reference values