Family Offices
Yacht acquisition, run as an acquisition.
A defined brief, a target universe, structured diligence and discreet execution.
A yacht purchase above ten million dollars has more in common with a private company acquisition than a consumer transaction. There is an asset with staff, a compliance calendar, a corporate wrapper, an annual operating budget and a resale market with almost no public price data.
How we structure a mandate
- Brief. Length range, hull form, build era and region, cruising intent, crew tolerance, purchase budget and — separately — annual operating budget.
- Target universe. Every vessel worldwide that fits, typically ten to fifty yachts, whether or not any of them are for sale.
- Approach. Discreet, representative-led contact with owners, giving each an easy way to decline. Most will.
- Diligence. Independent survey and machinery specialist, class and flag standing, crew contracts, management agreements and — on a share sale — the corporate entity itself.
- Execution. Offer subject to survey, deposit in escrow, negotiation on findings, closing through counsel.
Reporting
Every approach is reported, including the declines. A search that produces three serious engagements from thirty approaches has worked as intended, and the record of who said no is itself useful — it tells you where the market genuinely is.
Where we are candid
Comparable transaction data at this level is poor, because private sales are not published. Any valuation is a triangulation, and we will show you the working rather than present a number as settled fact.
Register an acquisition brief.
Five questions to open the file. The detailed brief follows in conversation.
Step 01 / 05
Requirement
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you work with the family office rather than the principal?
Routinely. A significant share of activity above $10 million runs through a family office or its advisors, and the principal is frequently not involved until a shortlist exists.
Can the principal remain unnamed during a search?
Through the search and initial negotiation, yes. Identity is generally required at closing for title and anti-money-laundering purposes, and purchases through corporate structures are standard.
What ongoing costs should be modelled?
Plan on roughly ten percent of purchase price annually as a starting figure — crew, dockage, insurance, fuel, maintenance and a refit reserve — then refine it against the specific vessel, crew complement and usage pattern. Depreciation sits outside that figure and typically exceeds it in the early years.
Do you advise on ownership structure?
We coordinate with maritime counsel and tax advisors who do. Vessels above roughly $10 million are commonly held in a special purpose company, and transactions are frequently structured as share sales, which changes the diligence materially.
Your next yacht may never be publicly listed.
Tell us what you are looking for. We will search the private market and come back to you with what is genuinely there.