BY SOFIA FAY
One of the most surprising things about people who end up buying a sailing boat over 30’ is that not all of them are sailors. You would think that anyone investing that much money into a vessel already knows about boats and the immeasurable reward of hoisting the sails, turning off the engines, and knowing peace and pleasure. You would think they were sailors, knew what they were looking for, and were ahead of the game when it came to finding and buying a boat.
Not so! The Caribbean yachting industry is seeing a growing number of novices and non-sailors who are drawn to the idea of tax-free yacht charter ownership. This interest could be attributed to a booming yacht charter industry, the era of yachtie YouTubers and digital nomads, a pulsing desire to “do something different”, or the increasingly appealing thought of living this life now or planning a retirement that’s an adventurous next chapter in the sun.
Most non-sailors plan to learn to sail and become captains of their own boats, while a few are happy with the idea of hiring a skipper for destination cruising. Some may also consider yacht ownership as an investment. Well … it is in a way. Let’s call it a lifestyle investment rather than solely a monetary return.
