When we first started looking into buying our own catamaran, we sooner or later came across the concept of charter invest.
What is it, anyway?
Several charter companies offer programs where you pay only a fraction of the new price for a boat – usually between 30 and 50 percent. In return, “your” catamaran becomes part of the charter fleet for about five years and is rented out to guests. The charter income is meant to cover running costs and loan payments. As a small bonus, you get a few so-called owner weeks each year – a handful of weeks when you can sail either your own boat or a comparable one from the same fleet. After the contract period, the boat is yours.
Sounds too good to be true? It is.
At first, we let ourselves be tempted by the idea. On paper, everything looks perfectly reasonable: you get a boat at a lower price, don’t have to worry about maintenance, and still get to sail occasionally. We even went to an information event – bright-eyed and with a few dollar signs floating around our heads.
Reality catches up faster than you think
After a lot of thought – and quite a few charter trips with different companies – it became clear to us: charter invest isn’t for us.
We’ve seen first-hand the state many of these catamarans are in, even after just one or two years. Some are shockingly worn out, poorly repaired and technically stretched to their limits. The blame lies partly with the charter companies, but also with many customers who simply lack experience or respect for the equipment.
Why charter-invest doesn’t work for us
- You’re buying a pig in a poke – you’ll only find out the real condition of your boat after five years.
- Many issues are brushed off as “normal wear and tear” – only the absolute essentials get replaced.
- After taking ownership, you’ll often face five- or six-figure refit costs.
- Hidden or structural damage might not show until it’s too late.
- Charter companies have little incentive to keep the boats in perfect shape – their focus is on maximising bookings. Between morning check-outs and evening check-ins, there’s simply no time for proper maintenance.
- We’ve never been on a single charter boat where everything worked. Never.
- Many crews treat the boat like a rental car: cold engines at 2 500 rpm, winches pushed until something snaps, interiors trashed after one season.
- In the end, you’re basically acting as the bank – giving the charter company your money interest-free so they can expand their fleet.
- You have almost no say in the equipment or layout – they’ll spec what’s easiest to rent, not what you actually need for long-term cruising. Owner’s version with three cabins? “Not profitable enough.” Four-cabin charter version instead – “better ROI.”
Final words
Just to be clear: we don’t have anything against charter companies offering charter invest. For some people, this model works perfectly, and yes – there are companies that take noticeably better care of their boats than others.
We’ll refrain from naming names here – we’d rather not receive letters from lawyers.
But one simple rule of thumb has proven true for us: the more you pay as a customer to charter a boat, the more time (and care) usually goes into its maintenance. And you can feel it – especially when, for once, nearly everything actually works as you leave the dock.
