Yacht buying and ownership guides
Plain-spoken guides written for people who are about to spend real money on a boat, or already have. 28 guides, updated for 2026.
Ownership
What it costs and takes to keep a yacht running.
Boat Name Ideas and How to Choose a Good One
Over 100 boat name ideas in funny, classic, fishing, sailing and pun categories, with a simple test for choosing a name, Coast Guard naming and…
9 min readCatamaran Charter Management Programs Explained
A clear look at catamaran charter management programs, how guaranteed income and revenue-share contracts differ, what owner use really looks like…
9 min readHow to Winterize a Boat or Yacht
A system-by-system winterizing guide for US boat and yacht owners in freezing climates, covering engines, fuel, plumbing, sanitation, generators…
11 min readYacht Insurance Guide, Costs and Coverage
A plain-English yacht insurance guide for US owners covering hull and liability coverage, agreed value versus actual cash value, named storm…
8 min readThe Real Annual Cost of Owning a Yacht
A line-by-line look at annual yacht ownership costs in the US, with worked budgets for four boat sizes and the levers that actually lower the bill.
Cruising
Routes and planning for long trips.
Best Trawlers and Boats for the Great Loop
How to choose a Great Loop boat, with the hard limits every Looper boat must meet, our picks from budget Mainships to Kadey-Krogens and fast…
11 min readThe Great Loop, Route, Costs and Planning
A planning guide to America's Great Loop, the roughly 6,000 mile circuit of the eastern US and part of Canada, covering the route and its choices…
12 min readIntracoastal Waterway Guide for Yacht Owners
A practical Intracoastal Waterway guide for owners running the Atlantic or Gulf ICW, covering boat fit, draft and air draft limits, seasonal timing…
Knowledge
The vocabulary and background every owner should have.
Boat Hull Types Explained, Displacement, Planing and More
How the shape of a hull decides a boat's speed, ride, fuel burn and stability. Covers displacement, semi-displacement and planing hulls, deadrise…
12 min readBoating Terminology, 150 Terms Every Owner Should Know
A themed glossary of boating terminology for new and experienced owners, grouped by hull, deck, lines, sails, engines, navigation, rules of the…
9 min readThe Largest Yachts in the World
A ranked look at the largest private motor and sailing yachts in the world by overall length, who built them, how length and volume are measured…
9 min readTypes of Sailboats and Rigs Explained
A buyer-focused guide to the types of sailboats, sorted four ways: by rig, by keel, by hull and by purpose, with real models that show each design…
8 min readTypes of Yachts Explained
A plain-English map of the main types of yachts sold in the US, from sailboats and catamarans to trawlers, sportfish convertibles and superyachts…
9 min readWhat Is a Flybridge? Pros, Cons and Who Needs One
A flybridge is an upper helm and lounge deck above a boat's main cabin. This guide explains how it works, the main variations, its real advantages…
9 min readWhat Is a Superyacht? Size, Cost and Crew
A superyacht is a large, professionally crewed private yacht, generally 24 meters (79 feet) and up in industry usage, though many Americans reserve…
9 min readYacht Sizes Explained, From Small Yachts to Megayachts
Yacht size categories are informal, but the length thresholds behind them are not. This guide explains how yachts are measured, what each size band…
8 min readYacht vs Boat, What Is the Difference?
There is no single legal line between a boat and a yacht. This guide explains how the industry, insurers, lenders, regulators and owners actually…
Buying
Prices, surveys, financing and how to choose.
Best Bluewater Sailboats for Ocean Crossings
Our shortlist of the best bluewater sailboats for ocean crossings, from $25,000 classics to million-dollar passagemakers, with the stability and…
9 min readBest Liveaboard Catamarans
Our picks for the best liveaboard catamarans on the US market, judged on tankage, storage, payload, draft and air draft rather than brochure volume…
9 min readBest Sailboats for Beginners
Our picks for the best first sailboats in the US market, grouped by how you want to sail, with real specs, typical used prices, what each boat…
9 min readHow to Buy a Used Yacht, Step by Step
A step-by-step walkthrough of buying a used yacht in the US, from setting a real budget to closing, documentation and the first weeks of ownership…
9 min readCatamaran vs Monohull, Which Should You Buy?
An honest comparison of cruising catamarans and monohull sailboats for US buyers, covering comfort, safety, sailing ability, costs and resale, with…
9 min readCenter Console Buying Guide
Everything a US buyer needs to choose a center console, from size bands and hull types to outboard packages, layouts, brand tiers, storage…
10 min readHow Much Does a Yacht Cost? Prices by Size and Type
Realistic 2026 price ranges for new and used yachts in the US, from 30 ft sailboats to 130 ft superyachts, with the purchase-day costs that sit on…
9 min readMarine Surveys Explained, What a Surveyor Checks
What happens during a pre-purchase marine survey, what it costs, how to choose a surveyor, and how to turn the report into a better deal or a clean…
8 min readNew vs Used Yacht, Which Makes More Sense?
A practical comparison of buying a new versus a used yacht in the US market, with real price gaps from our model pages, the costs that do not appear…
10 min readUS Boat Shows Guide, Annapolis, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and More
A buyer's guide to the major US boat shows, when they typically run, what each one is best for, and a practical plan for using a show to shortlist…
11 min readYacht Loans and Boat Financing Guide
A practical guide to yacht loans and boat financing in the US, covering typical 2026 loan structures, what marine lenders check, how boat age and…