Should I buy a charter sail boat?

Owning a sailboat in the British Virgin Islands seems like the ultimate dream. However, it’s not always the cheapest way to go sailing.

I’ve run the numbers a lot of different ways, a lot of different times and I’ve decided that owning a charter boat makes sense in three situations:

You sail a lot. If you think you’ll use 4-7 weeks a year, then you should definitely consider buying a boat.
You want to own a boat to use full time in a few years. For example, if you plan to take a year sabbatical, or retire, and sail around the Carribean for a year than buying a charter boat might be an economical way to purchase the boat and get some experience. (On the flip side, buying a used boat is always cheaper than buying a new one.)
You just really want to own a boat. Sometimes the satisfaction of owning it might just be worth it. Also, it might be easier to convince your friends and family to go sailing if the boat is already paid for.

If you want to know more about buying a charter sailboat, I recommend the resources at Sail Online – they require registration though.