Active Yacht Ownership: FAQ and Common Misconceptions

We have received so many questions about Active Yacht Ownership in the last few months that we have decided to do a FAQ section for AYO. I am sure that many of your doubts will be assuaged by these answers but if not, please feel free to give us a call or email us.

Active Yacht Ownership Program explained.

Catamaran Guru Exclusive Offer!

Own this 2014 model Lagoon 52 for under $1.4 million fully equipped and ready for charter. Place it in charter in the BVI with a guaranteed income of 9% annual return for 66 months! This offer is only valid for one catamaran. 

Features Include:

• Diamond-shaped vertical bows and bevelled hulls
• Rigging drawn directly from competitive sailing enhancing performance and creating a easier sail
• Tilted steering wheel which can be adjusted to three different positions for perfect visibility in any maneuver
• The interior was designed by Nauta Design and along with the Lagoon R&D Team the main goal was to combine inventiveness and elegance
• Improved use of interior space, bright and comfortable living spaces which feel “just like home” for all your guests
• Emphasis on creating continuity between life below deck and life on deck

To Carry Guns On Boats, Or not? 

This headline, "Piracy in Africa down, but not out!..." in an article in the Cruising Outpost Newsletter grabbed my attention  and with the gun debate so hot on the news right now, I thought it a good time to discuss 'guns on boats'.

Piracy in the Red Sea (one of the hotspots) is still a problem and it has been, long before we sailed up the Red Sea in 1993. Yachtsmen remain an easy target for attacks as they are considered low risk to "pirates" and are now perceived to be able to attract high ransoms as hostages. Most attacks on pleasure craft however, are opportunistic piracy by fisherman and they are usually not heavily armed...not that it is any less threatening but yachtsman can usually deal with this kind of pirate by travelling with one or more "buddy boats", maintaining radio silence and not using navigation lights while in a high risk area.    

Our trip up the Red Sea took us through the gulf of Aden to Djibuti, Yemen, Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt and in spite of the conflicts, civil wars and piracy, we had a good trip. We never felt threatened when on shore but we had some concerns on the stretch around the horn of Africa off Somalia into the Gulf of Aden. There's a 100 mile long danger zone where Somali and Yemeni Pirates prey on passing ships and yachts (as illustrated in this picture from yachtpals) and we wanted to get through this as quickly as possible.

Opinion Poll

What are the two most important features in a cruising catamaran and why e.g.

Galley up / Galley down / Bridge Deck cleance / Mast Height / Walk around beds / Performance / All round visibility / Engine under the bunks / seperate engine rooms / Fixed keels / Dagger boards, etc.

How To Make The Best Use Of Your Time At A Boat Show

The Miami Boat Show is iminent and we are running around preparing for the show and taking care of last minute details for everything to be just perfect at the "big unveil". Manufacturers, charter companies, magazines, lecturers and show arganizers all work extremely hard to make this show a perfect experience for buyers and visitors alike, a good balance between business and entertainment. Everyone will display their newest and best merchandise and this certainly will be the place to make a deal. So if you are in the market to buy a boat, you will be well served by attending a show like this. 

As many of you know, we own a catamaran and have owned many boats previously, so even though we are on the sales and consulting side now, we are well aware that the buying process happens in stages - gathering of information, reading reviews and recommendations, looking at the products available, narrowing down the list, test driving and finally negotiating and buying. The boat show is part and parcel of this process and in our opinion, the best place to see all the products in one place for comparison.