Only on questions #5 and #6 do I feel comments need to be made by myself.
As always I look forward to receiving your comments and questions.
1. Is "explorer yachting" the right thing for me?
Obviously, this is
anyone's decision and taste. But if you like seeing places you would
otherwise never get to, and if you like to see them while avoiding mass
tourism, airline flights and hotels, this is a wonderful way of getting
around the world in style and luxury.
2. Can I handle a boat like this with my wife?
A large and comfortable
boat requires some work and maintenance, and it depends on you how much
of
that you want to handle yourself. As an experienced skipper, you and
your
wife will be able to run the boat, although on longer cruises you may
want
to have some additional crew members for watches. Without experience,
you
would want to have an experienced captain for the first couple of years
and
then decide how to move on. Some of the Inace owners have decided to
run
the boat totally themselves; others have hired a crew - so both models
are
possible.
3. What is the "quality of life" on a boat; what limitations exist?
Explorer yachts like Inace offer any luxury you would find in your home
onshore. In that sense they are very different from sailing boats
(typically smaller size, limited space on deck, larger number of people
on
board) and many of the smaller offshore vessel that are de facto coastal
cruisers, not ocean going vessels. Inace yachts offer very large space
inside (eg master bedrooms with his/her heads), several guest rooms,
very
large galleys and dining facilities, and enormous outside deck space on
several levels. The yachts are totally independent from onshore
facilities
with their own generators, watermakers, and storage facilities
(refrigerated
and frozen), and you can live on them with as much luxury as onshore.
They
are truly like a floating home, and this is the way many people are
actually
using them.
4. What is the typical usage of a boat?
Typical uses range from
live-aboard cruising in the Mediterranean during summer and in the
Carribean
during winter to global cruising and circumnavigation over extended
periods
of time. With a crew on board, you will have added flexibility on when
and
where you will use the boat.
5. *Do I need any formal qualification for running such a boat?
This
depends on where the boat is registered (John: at least that's what I
think); a US-registered boat requires a coast guard licence (?);
European
registration requires (?). A boat registered in (eg Cayman Islands?)
requires no formal qualification (?). For ocean cruising, however, you
would be well advised to either have respective experience or have a
qualified crew.
*#5 is correct in the fact where you register the boat will have a good
deal to do with requirement for operations. However, the most important
issue is how the boat will be used, private use or charter. If a vessel
is used for hire, you will need professional crew no matter were the
vessel is registered.
The other factor is the insurance company, if you do not have a large
amount of experience they will probably require professional crew to be
aboard.
6. *What is the annual budget for a boat of this nature, depending on
usage,
crew and typical maintenance cost?
Typical maintenance includes (John:
for
you to answer; pulling it out of the water once per year engine/machine
inspections etc); typical crew costs (with/without experienced captain);
typical budget for running the boat (assuming about 5000 NM of travel
per
year).
*#6 As you can see by the questions there are a great number of factors
to be taken into account in regards to operating cost. This is an issue
I feel must be handled on a one to one basis with the client when the
operating parameters of the vessel have been clearly defined.
Best regards,
Client name withheld at this time
