FORTUNE:
The Business Life  
Testing the winds
Charter before you buy.
By Christopher Redman, Fortune contributor, with Telis Demos, Fortune reporter

(Fortune Magazine) -- Even if you can't afford to build your own superyacht - Bill Joy's boat could end up costing $50 million, depending on how many more man-hours he racks up at the Huisman yard in his quest for the best, plus $3 million a year to operate - there's a way to get onboard: Charter.

Many who are considering dropping a year's salary (or much more) on a sailing yacht start off by chartering a boat for weeks, months, or even an entire year.

Photo GallerylaunchSee more photos

"Chartering before buying is a very big business," says Allison Terrell, head of marketing for charter-broker Fraser Yachting in Fort Lauderdale. "It definitely opens the door."

Elite brokerages such as Fraser, Northrop & Johnson, Camper & Nicholsons, and Nigel Burgess act as middlemen between the boat's owner and the chartering party.

All boats have a rate that's set by the owner, but brokers can help you find a boat with the right kind of crew and amenities for the type of trip you're envisioning, whether it's a week cruising the French Riviera before the Cannes Film Festival in May (a popular option) or a year hopping between islands in the South Pacific. Brokers also arrange travel to and from the vessel, sometimes by private plane.

So what does it cost to charter a great sailing yacht? At the low end, around $30,000 a week - at the top, up to $500,000 a week. (The Mirabella V starts at $300,000, excluding options like wine from the 600-bottle cellar.)

The price depends on more than just the size of the boat. A top-quality sailing yacht, in addition to being more than 100 feet long and elegantly decorated, may have a Michelin-rated chef on board, an experienced captain who knows hidden islands to visit, and a pool or grand piano.

Alex Lees-Buckley of Camper & Nicholsons in Monaco says that Parsifal III is now the hottest boat on the charter circuit, despite an asking price of $250,000 a week. If that seems too much, then join the yacht paparazzi at yachtspotter.com and track the movement of the superyachts from your armchair. At least you won't get seasick.

For a list of 10 of the finest yachts in the world, click here Top of page

YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS
Follow the news that matters to you. Create your own alert to be notified on topics you're interested in.

Or, visit Popular Alerts for suggestions.
Manage alerts | What is this?

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.