How to purchase a catamaran?

PROCESS AND DECISION

Are you thinking of how to purchase a catamaran for sailing and cruising? You are already one step further, if you are reading this article, because you already know at least the type of the yacht you want to buy – a catamaran. You probably are connected to the yachting world by your passion for sailing and you have probably made some sailing experiences on catamarans before.

We call the process of buying a yacht a “romantic journey” and, indeed, your feelings and your passion will play a big role when choosing the right yacht for you. But a yacht is a big investment. You should rather compare it to buying a house than a car or another luxury product and relying only on your gut could be tricky.

Get started

Buying a catamaran is a complex project and here are some key decisions to make:

The type of boat

We have mentioned at the beginning that, since this article is about catamarans, you have probably already decided for yourself that you wish to become a catamaran owner. This decision should be based on questions like:

How and where will I use my boat?

Do I want to live aboard for longer periods or only spend a few nights or holiday weeks?

What is the main purpose of my future boat ownership – leisure, discover new parts of the world, entertaining guests, water sports with family and friends?

Will I want/ have to charter the boat out?

Take time to answer these questions for yourself and your family or the ones who will be using the boat together with you. Once you have clarity about it, you will be able to decide about the boat type (monohull or multihull), size, configuration and equipment. Make a list of your key features and preferences. Once this is done, the next step is to look at your budget. The options that you will be closely looking at should ideally adapt both to your budget and your preferences list. Remember that it is always about finding the best possible compromise.

New or used catamaran

There’s no one right answer to this question, since the choice will depend on all the above preferences and the balance of the yacht features and your budget.
Initially, you could save up money buying a used boat. There are a lot of used boats available for much less than the same models that are new. Besides, second-hand boats are usually available immediately.

Depending on your ownership goals, we recommend to compare and consider both used and new options. But always remember these 2 important tips:

Always hire an external expert for the boat inspection! Do not rely on the information from the seller or broker.

Always go on a sea trial!

And the question you need to ask yourself: Do you want to head out sailing now or are you willing to wait?

Browse your options and go to catamaran shows

Start searching online for boat offers based on the criteria from your list. Make sure to compare models and prices and pay attention to main features and special advantages of each boat. To become more aware of what to look at, we recommend to read and watch boat reviews.

Going to see the boat personally and attending boat shows is always a good idea. By doing this, you will gradually get more and more familiar with your own boat project and aware of more details.
Especially if you are a first-time boat buyer, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Don’t hesitate to ask for help and speak to a boat broker or purchase advisor. A professional approach is much more systematic and you will get your results much faster.

BOAT INSPECTION, FINANCING & PURCHASE

Survey

When you have left the stage of the thought of how to purchase a catamaran and finally reaching the point when you have no more doubts about your boat type, size, configuration, equipment and offers you want to consider depending on your budget, it is time for boat inspection.
Surveying the boat is necessary before buying – you want to know what you’ll get and avoid unpleasant surprises. The inspection is critical with used boats, but you should do it properly with new ones too.
Never settle for what the seller tells and shows you. This is a major investment, so it’s better to dig deeper. Start with a walk-around and then arrange a sea trial to see how the boat feels like.
Sea trials are an important final part of your boat purchase journey. Once you have a decision in mind, you will feel confirmed in it after a sea trial.

Financing

You may want to use yacht loan or leasing for a number of reasons. Either you may not have enough cash to pay for the yacht in full or may not want to spend that much out of pocket. Yacht loans have a number of benefits in helping achieve your dream of yacht ownership.

Some of the pros are:

1. 1. Less cash required upfront

1. 1. No need to spend your savings or liquidate your stocks

1. 1. Invest the money you would have used to purchase the yacht outright

1. 1. Have more money available for repairs, maintenance, and other yacht-related costs

1. 1. Plan your budget with fixed monthly payments

1. 1. The lender ensures a smooth transaction and takes care of all the details for you

Watch here a short summary of how to approach yacht financing presented by our co-founder Viktor. We also have a separate article about yacht financing and financing through charter management, but we strongly recommend that you arrange an individual meeting with us to speak about your project.

Making the purchase

The purchase procedure includes several steps starting from placing the order with the shipyard, scheduling your payments, meetings about configuration and equipment and ending with the handover and after-sales options.

Before you sign the papers, make sure to read the paperwork carefully. Be aware of what’s included in the deal and what’s not. Be prepared for possible extras later on.
Moreover, if you are buying from a private person, double check that the owner actually owns the boat and if there are any outstanding bills.

When you’ve checked everything looks good, sign the papers and congratulations – you’re about to enjoy a new lifestyle as a boat owner!

Here’s how Yacht-Match can help you:

If you are at the beginning of this journey: book your individual free consultation with our purchase advisors.

Hopefully by reviewing one of our recorded webinars or through an individual meeting with us where we can share some tools and guides, you will have learned the following…

1. The added value of having an experienced and professional broker/consultant
   working with you as the principal and informing you unbiasedly and providing you with a turnkey solution and managing everything you need to receive your preferred yacht and the optional charter ownership/ yacht management.
2. You will receive professional guidance from us as your own purchase consultant and buyer’s agent starting now with some valuable tips and knowledge about your purchase and ownership options for a yacht.
3. Helping you to understand the ins and outs of the offers on the market and translating this into what is best for you!

Webinar & Download our guides/tools

WEBINAR: Catamaran Cruising Comparison

Have you missed our live webinar on the Catamaran Cruising Comparison? Don’t worry. Here you have the essence of it and the chance to watch the recording in full length and download the webinar brochure.

What were our topics?

We spoke about: we shared our comparison tools that we use when comparing cruising catamarans in the range of 38ft to 55ft and give you our inside tips and share some valuable advice on how make fair comparison and assessments on the type of sailing multihull without leading you down the “sales” pitch.

Webinar Agenda:

– Categorising multihulls: a more accurate division
– Concept and intended use
– Shipyard and build-quality/technique
– Sail ratio and the importance of good design for easy handling
– Pricing and equipment selection
– The After-Sales and Warranty: the role of the shipyard and your dealer
– Planning your purchase: the steps to order and own a yacht
– The various Ownership Solution: Blue Water Cruising/ Holiday Making/ Charter Ownership/

Webinar: The Yacht Purchase Procedure 2.0* (Sign up for the new 3.1 Webinar in May!)

Catamaran Cruising Offer 2025!