How to choose a yacht for a trip around the world: highlights

There is no doubt that the ideal vessel does not exist - a yacht that fits anyone and for all kinds of conditions. Some of the yachtsmen dare to travel around the world - a test to the limit of possibilities, while others prefer speed and new personal records. Others are ready to enjoy leisurely sailing trips, saturated with the sun, space and freedom. Naturally, the parameters of an ideal vessel will vary greatly depending on age, experience and crew size.

If you count as a percentage, then among the participants in round-the-world travels there are most of all married couples, much less often they dare to conquer the world ocean alone or in the company of friends. Athletes who fight the sea for awards and achievements should be included in a separate category. Here we will talk about those who travel around the world not for the sake of popularity and fame, but sees other goals and chooses not even a yacht, but rather a “floating house” in which you can spend months in comfort sailing.

If you want to rent a yacht in any region of the world convenient for you, you can successfully contact the professionals of the company 2yachts - you will definitely be helped with the choice and purchase of the boat of your dreams!

Ship size

Let's start with the size - choosing it correctly is not only very important, but also difficult. At this stage, many make mistakes: either they choose a large yacht that exceeds their needs, or they choose an incredibly difficult to handle or too expensive (in terms of price and service) yacht. It should be borne in mind that even a few feet difference can greatly affect the cost of insurance, parking in marinas or maintenance costs.

And yet size is a double-edged value, and having shown excessive frugality, many yachtsmen end up being annoyed by the limited size of their "swallow". Also, do not forget that the less living space on the ship, the more intense the relationship between people who have been living together for a long time can be. And the more space on the ship, the more comfortable, calmer and safer for the crew, also keep in mind that a lot of space will also be needed for tools, supplies of water and food, fuel and things. Typically, people who travel around the world choose a vessel 35-45 feet in length, the minimum size is determined by the behavior of the vessel at sea and the preferred level of convenience, but it will not be possible to sail a vessel longer than 50 feet alone.

Monohull or catamaran?

When choosing between single and double-hulled yachts, one should take into account the many advantages of the latter. Catamarans have almost 2 times more free space, and upon receiving a hole, they have more buoyancy in comparison with monohulls with heavy keels. There is no doubt that catamarans are more stable - it's nice when things don't roll on the table, and motors installed in each hull make it easier and more convenient to maneuver the catamaran in the harbor. Also important is the low draft of the catamarans, which allows them to enter shallow bays rarely visited by large yachts and have access to a much larger number of anchorages near the coast. But the catamaran can have one decisive minus, outweighing all the pluses - if the ship capsizes on a long wave, then by the forces of one crew it will be unrealistic to return it back to an even keel.

Body Material

Hull material - the moment on which will depend on how the yacht will manifest itself during operation and what problems you will have to face.

There are not so many wooden yachts today, but they are more affordable. The disadvantage is that such vessels require frequent and difficult care, which is especially evident in tropical latitudes. It is also rare with any insurance company to negotiate insurance for a traditional yacht with a wooden hull.

Yachts with a steel hull show great shock resistance, and when hitting an obstacle, it can bend a little at most. And if necessary, such a ship can be repaired in any port on the planet equipped with a welding machine. The weak point of steel is susceptibility to corrosion, and when purchasing a yacht, special attention should be paid to checking for hidden damage and traces of rust penetration deep into the material under the inner plating.

Aluminum is inferior in impact resistance to steel, although it is noticeably stronger than fiberglass housings. Thanks to three times less weight, using aluminum it is possible to create high-speed vessels with aerodynamic lines. However, aluminum is significantly more expensive than steel and is also prone to corrosion. Due to galvanic corrosion, the owner of such a yacht will have to constantly monitor the damage that occurs (they are concentrated in the places of contact of the hull with parts of other metals).

Fiberglass is the most modern material, affordable and easy to maintain. Repairing a yacht with a plastic hull will cost significantly less than repairing a vessel with a steel or aluminum hull, therefore, among those rented in yacht charter most of them. However, fiberglass is inferior to these materials in terms of impact resistance , among other disadvantages are the appearance of unpleasant odors and vapors in rooms, as well as osmosis (the material absorbs moisture into itself) and the need for a device to protect against atmospheric discharges of electricity.

Keel

Traditional long keel yachts such as the Island Packet and Nauticat are considered by most sailors to be the best for transoceanic voyages. And this is no coincidence - the design, in which the keel is connected to the hull in one piece, is extremely reliable, both when hitting underwater obstacles and when running aground. In addition, the long keel protects the propeller from winding up a variety of industrial debris, and the rudder feather - from failure as a result of damage.

The disadvantage of long-keeled yachts is reduced maneuverability, which is especially pronounced during mooring in marinas, where it is sometimes very crowded.

But the fin keel breaks when hitting an obstacle, sometimes breaking off part of the attachment, depriving the yacht of a part of the skin. Moreover, such a keel can be damaged over time, in the process of use - under the influence of the resistance of the aquatic environment and corrosion.

The centerboard and lifting keels allow to ensure the minimum draft, which, however, due to the complexity of the mechanism, can create leaks and require complex maintenance or replacement every 2-3 years. Due to its low mass, the centerboard is not able to provide the yacht with the necessary stability, and if it gets into a storm, the possibility of overkill increases.

Steering

The importance of the rudder when choosing a yacht for a trip around the world can hardly be overestimated, since very often failure of the steering control becomes the reason for the inability to return the vessel to the port. If you have chosen a yacht with a short keel, it is imperative to protect the rudder with a skeg. You should definitely take care of installing a spare control system on the yacht, and even several.

Motor location

Choosing a vessel for the "circumnavigation", it is quite possible not to notice such a moment as the location of the power plant and the availability of the units most susceptible to breakdowns - the starter, generator, transmission, etc., which may fail in travel. The engine requires regular inspection and maintenance, and repairs along the way can make things very difficult.

What to prefer - serial production or individual project?

When choosing options for a yacht, the idea of building a vessel "for yourself" looks very attractive, so as not to experience inconvenience from unsuitable equipment, finishing materials, interior layout and to be confident about the safety and quality of the new vessel. But the cost of building a yacht for an individual project will be much higher than for a serial one. With the possibility of self-building a vessel, costs will be significantly reduced, but for this you need to have experience and knowledge, and you will also have to invest a lot of time on implementing such a large-scale project. And do not forget that “samostroy” will then be much more difficult to sell, and it is not possible to return the funds invested in its creation.

Buying a serial yacht model does not contain the dangers of unpleasant surprises caused by imperfections - which is often the case for self-created yachts. At the same time, you need to understand that a serial yacht will have to be thoroughly prepared for the implementation of the transatlantic crossing, and this will require significant financial investments.

Yacht Survival

You can greatly affect the unsinkability of a yacht by installing sealed bulkheads when implementing an individual project. In this regard, Etap shipyard (Belgium) has succeeded, producing yachts with a reinforced hull, sealed with foam. Some of their sailors independently increase the buoyancy of the vessel by gluing foam sheets from the inside of the hull or fixing hollow air containers on the yacht. Others are engaged in strengthening the hull and arranging reliable rescue equipment, resigned to the idea that if the yacht gets a hole, you will have to leave it.

In general, choosing and preparing a yacht for sailing around the world is only half the battle, because a lot depends on the yachtsman himself. First of all, you should honestly answer the main questions: why do you need it and are you ready to stay there? After all, as you know, many yachtsmen of various degrees of training once went to sea, never returning. As practice shows, you can cross the oceans on a 3-meter yacht, because all responsibility at sea lies only with you, and you can break a new yacht specially "sharpened" for a "round the world" yacht. In such a grandiose journey, everything will depend on your experience, skill and, in some cases, composure and composure - after all, it is impossible to fight this Water World, but you can only adjust to its rules!