Great Vid! Thanks for the math. I spent some time converting to US Dollars, and it still makes sense. I'm sold on Sunseekers, just because of the looks. Shoot, I've spent so much on boats in my life, (and by the way, not a penny wasted) My next boat will be a Sunseeker.
OMG finally we get a boat review giving us realistic cost of ownership along with the good, the bad and the what could be ugly. Anyone looking to get into boat ownership needs to pay attention to this.
If it floats or flys rent don’t buy As well as the 33 k it’s costing there is also the opportunity cost of that money not invested Also 33 k net means you need to earn 50 k a year to pay that 33 the 33 invested would maybe earn you 2 / 3 k invested in shares with dividends Better to charter in the med or Croatia for a week with friends and buy a couple of paddle boards instead , Seems like a great idea a boat until you actually own one then you’ll find out the hard way
He can make that table disappear, but the boat will make your money vanish even faster. 😄 I’ve have about 10 years of experience with motor yachts, mainly between 60 to 70 feet, typically powered by twin MAN V12 engines. Owning a motor yacht is an incredible experience, but the costs can be overwhelming. In the marina world, everything seems to cost double. A water pump that’s €600 online might be €1200 at a harbor store in France. Why? Because they can. When your pump breaks, you need a quick replacement, and they know it. It’s a “millionaire’s world,” and everyone offering services is charging premium rates. The service can often be poor, and unless you manage the people working on your boat, you’ll end up wasting both time and money. Fuel is another big expense. Diesel prices are sky-high at marinas simply because they know boat owners will pay. A 70-foot motor yacht can have 3000-liter fuel tanks, meaning it costs over €6000 to fill up. The twin MAN V12 engines can burn around 350 liters per hour at a cruising speed of 24 knots. Add to that the fuel consumption of the generator, and you’re looking at €300 a day for the generator and 1000€ for the engines a day. If you’re cruising 15 days a month, that’s about €8000 in diesel alone. Insurance runs around €6000 a year, and if you want to hire a captain, it’s about €4500 per month, plus a deckhand at €3500 per month during the season. Without help, you’ll be spending your holiday working rather than relaxing. If something breaks, like your swim platform in the middle of the season, it can easily ruin your entire holiday, and repairs could cost €30k or more. Things like this happen all the time. At the end of the season, it's best to haul the boat out, which costs around €1500, and putting it in covered storage can be as much as €2600 a month for 8 months. Repainting the hull will cost another €6000, and during this time, you’ll likely get a long list of "necessary" repairs that could total €145k You’ll need to be there in person to verify what's real. Annual maintenance like oil changes, impellers, pumps, and filters will easily run you €25k. If you’re mooring in Ibiza, a 70-foot berth costs €80k a year, and in Antibes, it’s €40k. To be completely honest, owning a 70-foot yacht requires millionaire status just to keep up with the constant expenses. Whether it's a new or old boat, the costs are crazy, and they don't stop in winter. On top of all that, there’s always the chance of damage from other boats or bad weather, which happens often. I owned a 65-foot motor yacht with MAN engines, and despite perfect maintenance, the yearly cost, including berth, crew, and diesel, ranged from €150k to €200k. And don’t forget taxes on top of that. My advice: charter a yacht, don’t buy one. If I have to do it all over? I will do it again 😂😂😂. What a great time me and my family had sailing boats. And we will continue to do so. ❤
@@ApriliaCollector Crikes AC ! Love your feedback . I do agree boating is priceless really. What other machine can move you anywhere in the world with your family and friends and watch the most beautiful scenery ? Nothing 🌅
@@BoatscoukI agree. the fitted engines make a big diffrence. A Volvo D6 engine is 3 times cheaper that a MAN V12. But real men want V12 engines on a boat 😂
Watched a million boat videos. This one, is by far, the most helpful and useful of them all. You have a wealth of experience James. Thank you for passing it along to us. And for making them fun to watch! Bring back the toilet jokes.
Thank you, love the fact that you are honest about engine and floor. Most if all telling it as it is £33k to run a 47 foot boat as a ball park figure. This takes nothing away from the boat but shows real professional sales from a professional sales company. Its clear you want people to be able to both buy and run there boats. Don't worry about the helm as other boat RU-vidrs can talk about them.
Ah thanks for your nice comments Jaffa. I try to tell you all the same things as if you were viewing the boat to buy her. I think it’s important you know the good and the bad. JB
I’m an American. Aside from the fact that you remind me of Ricky Jervais, I’d like to say thanks for the walk-through. Especially the bit where you break out the numbers. Cheers from across the pond, sir.
I worked as a broker / salesman / IT in the yacht brokerage world for many years in the 90s and 00s, the one thing I learned above all else was never buy your own boat, borrow someone else's. Portofino was a superb boat I borrowed one a few times, the Princess V 40s were better quality though in the day. Dunno what Sunseeker are like now I have not been on anything more glamorous than a fishing boat for years now. Interesting video, brought back some good memories.
Great video! Owned a 48 1991 Searay for 15 years. These numbers are certainly close. I don’t sail as much anymore, (probably 20 hours/year) but fuel and maintenance are tied to each other. Less fuel, less maintenance. The rest is fixed. I budget 20000 but in Portugal which is cheaper. Also I don’t do enough maintenance because it’s difficult to find for a Searay in Portugal. My toes curled at the mention of finance - I was fortunate enough to have the money to buy mine outright. The boat will depreciate as fast as the value of the loan. It’s scary. I never would have bought my boat on finance. Really the numbers to look at are the operating costs. You have to have that money and be comfortable to burn it annually. Otherwise this is really not for you. It will drive you mad and miserable.
Really enjoyed that. Brilliant explanation on the ‘V’ drives. Love how straightforward and thorough you are regarding the costing. Learnt what GRP is ‘Glass Reinforced Plastic’ = every day’s a school day. Becoming a big fan of you James xx
as a rule of thumb a boat will cost you at least 10% of the sale price to run each year. that includes all yachts even the super yachts in excess of 10million
Just watched the first 6 1/2 minutes and this is by far the best boat review and hilarious sense of humor I’ve seen in a long time. I’m definitely a new subscriber I look forward to seeing more of your reviews. Absolutely love the humor and honesty! Bevy of beauties, ice makers are horrible, trash in wine cooler, speedometer inaccurate etc 🤣 now this is helpful!
Thanks for your no BS comments James I am in Aus (Bris) and nearing a total upgrade of a 45 Carver converting your money to Ausie $ is about right.. It is great to buy second hand (at the right price)-V drives not for me!....thanks again!
It makes a heck of a lot of sense to buy boats only when you have a home with private dock. That knocks out 12K in berthing fees. This would be my gold standards for buying boats. If you do not have enough money to own such a home, you probably ain't rich enough to buy such a boat. It is like buying a Ferrari without having a garage.
Lovely boat and a great team you have there at Boats U.K., looked after me when I bought and sold my boat through them. Give it a couple years (when I’ve retired and got some more time to enjoy boating) and I’ll be down to see you all again.
Well, contrary to some others' views, I love this ... perfect for us. Nearly bought one a year ago. And, a very amusing review James, keep 'em coming, I like the warts and all style. Very refreshing. I'll be in the market later this year for something very much like this... I'm only an hour away from you so I'll come and have a look.
Great video! I learned what a drive is and types of floors! Very informative! Spoke in a clear manner and speed! I loved it! Good job!! Also gave up some things to be wary of but without shaming the boat or turning a potential customer off! I would be happy to have you a ms a sales guy!
They say if you want a million pounds in race horses or marine or aviation then start off with 5 million!!! I am into helicopters and even a basic Robinson 44 ( single engine and most popular A to B fly from home helicopter) costs 600 k and running costs of 700 quid a hour and then the maintenance and insurance to come , if it needs maintenance then you will get ripped off and it will not be in the air until the maintenance team says otherwise
Bet BORRIS J and rest of parliamentary ex PMs can afford one ,probably the EX Scottish pm has one hidden away with fleet camper vans at mansion they won't find with super cars .
Great video, what a terrible design, its like a seagoing caravan. Boats are merely a device for suspending oneself above fish, my Aluminum boat has more usable cockpit than that, and i pull it out of the water every time. Almost zero depreciation
Korrrr mate, tha's a reely good demonstrashun of 'ow you lie on a sunbe'. Sorry eye can' 'ang abou' godd-a go. This fellow does a really good imitation of the Tommy Cooper voice. ....wha 'ee 'as poshed up a bit.
Lesson no 1 unless you want to lose 50k a year- don't buy a boat as described. Charter one for the 10 days a year you will actually use it. Buy a garden room for 10k to drink in.
What a brilliant review ! I can't afford to service the the toilets on this boat, let alone worrying about v drives and what not. But when I can afford it - I'll be listening to James.
A party maybe, but ‘massive’? I think not. Only £280k? I bet someone bought it? Oh well, there’ll be another I’m sure. Thanks for showing us what you have for sale.
You addressed the financing and the depreciation, but you didn't include them in the final calculation. Even if you're a cash buyer who doesn't need financing, the financial cost (capital tied up) is still there, and it's going to be a similar cost to financing. The realistic figure is therefore 75K per year rather than 33K. You have been very optimistic about maintenance costs as well. Dry dock, hull maintenance, engine overhaul, ... try doing that for an average of 5K per year. Good luck. A yacht is a lifestyle and a money pit. If you can afford to spend 75K without batting an eyelid, go ahead, by all means. Have fun. Enjoy !
Apparently the hot potato is depreciation, I would suggest that there a couple more, 50 hrs use a year it’s going to cost me 33k = £660 ph of use, and this is in the Uk with its shitty weather. I think I will pass !
Remember engine hours are not useage hours. Typical day. 1 hour drive to bay . Relax 6 hours. 1 hour back. Total is 8 hours of use but only 2 engine hours 😍
Before you start get yourself a proper boat cradle made look at the crap it's sat on all it takes is some tit kick a prop out the way and you'll have a bigger bill ...these boats are just rich peoples toys if you can afford to buy it the maintenance of it is chum change.
Honesty and professionalism makes a huge difference. You deliver in this video essencial information to any potential buyer in this category and they will be thankful for that. Liked video and subscribed channel. Thank you.
Maybe mention the distance and cost with much slower speeds. I admire the honesty, this has got my thinking about how I can own and run a boat. The transparency allows me to understand what is required! Love this channel.
My rule of thumb is 10-20% of what it’s worth set aside annually. If you can’t do that and set fire to it you can’t afford the boat aka toy. It’s that simple. Very very very simple math. I own planes, boats, off road cars etc. 10-20% of value folks.
Well I'm writing a review, but before I wrote it I read the previous and most say the same thing, they appreciate your candidness, as do I, enjoy the comments and humor. 6 feet tall and fat body lying on the aft deck with 2 babes currently unavailable.........lol.......keep it up.....
I think it depends how the boat is configured. To whether or not the Vdrives, put the boat out of balance. Any shipbuilder worth his salt, would take that into account. I am pretty certain Sunseeker would have done the maths. 🙂
If I was going to buy a boat knowing the yearly cost just to have it parked up.. well, I wouldn't buy a boat for less than half a million, your annual costs should be less than 10% of the value of the boat to make it worth having.
Great video James. As always loving your honesty and for sure this is a great boat……but still not a Princess!!! And agree on your estimate of annual costs-we have a V45 so not dissimilar overall and reckon that our is costing us around 30k a year without any finance.
From James' illustration with the 20 pound notes AND his video shot of how close together the engine/V-box/shaft mechanicals are located, another V-drive negative becomes obvious: a less horizontal shaft angle. Couple that with the V-drive mechanicals to service, and one REALLY has to want that larger aft cabin.
I have a sun seeker, its great but order a size larger than you usually wear……a boat…..oh sorry i thought you were talking about my sun seeker golf shirt, it was all i could afford!
I Haven't a clue about boats, as I was watching chimps throwing poop at one another and came across this! But I know what V Drive and rounded wood means noe 😂
I don't want to be negative but you talk about two cabins on a 47 as it was alot and 47 is really small but there are loads out there with 3 and 4 cabins much larger then those ones with headroom and space to walk. This defenetly is not worth the money. Real disappointment
Nice vid - thanks, very informative, what I did learn is that I cannot afford a boat, well maybe the boat initially but then I would be living on the boat full time - this would of course be in dry dock as I would have no money left for running repairs and certainly not the fuel. My parents still cry that I did not take a career in medicine or law, but to be fair, I faint at the sight of needles and I don't own a suit, and wigs make me itch. In saying that however I do like a sea view - I once spent a weekend in Brighton in a hotel with a sea view, well it was a cheap hotel and the only sea view was available if you stood on the toilet in the bathroom and looked through the small window - to be fair the breakfast was pretty good though, apart from the bacon, I suspect it was not proper bacon and maybe turkey - nothing against turkey, but it's not bacon is it. Anyway that aside I think I will stick to watching videos on things I cannot afford - thank you once again.
Ok here’s my Boston take away, 42k US dollars ( about 70k if you finance) I was thinking it was a lot of money but then I remembered he was using currency to explain the engines which made me think really what’s money for use it as a prop to explain something of just let it blow around the table it no big deal! I’ll buy two as long as we agree a the definition of a boat is a hole in the water which money flows thru. All joking aside, we’ll done! Informative and entertaining.
£33k might be ball park for running a 47 footer in the UK, but here in the Balearic Islands you can add another £20k for berthing costs! However, we can boat and swim for 7 months from April until at least the end of October, which will make the cost per day used lower.....
Very different to my "yachty" days in the Med inthe 1970's. Very few regulations then & consequently the calibre of crew ( mostly 8:02 recruited in the local bar) were highly suspect, but we had a lot of fun! I wish I could find an article written by Australian author, Morris West (his motor yacht was berthed in Antibes, France- "Cowboys of the Meditteranean". Anyone have a copy? You'll understand about we "cowboys"!!
I’m going after a cheaper boat after finally convincing the other half and I’m honestly shocked at how affordable it really is. I want a boat like this, not this one but same vein but have to prove myself first haha! Nice to know that if the time comes 🤞we could swing it! Probably still want more of a project that consumes my every waking moment but then I’d probably be divorced and have to live in it!
