One of the most common question I get asked about my time working aboard superyacht is “What are the costs associated with owning a superyacht?” Since no two superyachts are the same and since no two superyacht owners request the same from their yacht and crew, the answer is often hard to give out.
If the superyacht is moved every day from one destination to the next, your annual fuel bill might brake the million dollar mark, but if you plan on keeping it docked in front of your villa to be taken out on weekends only, then fuel costs might not be an issue.
Since the question seems to be asked a lot by those who are simply curious or those who are seriously thinking about splurging on a shinny new white boat, the people at Luxury Yacht Group, an agency that provides creative solutions for yacht management, crew placement, sales and charter, have put together the Luxury Yacht Operating Cost Calculator.
Using this great tool, I decided to calculate the average costs of a 150′ superyacht with 9 crew members and a 12 week charter season. Here are the results:
| Engine Costs | ||
| Fuel | $ | 83,222 |
| Heat Exchange | $ | 4,091 |
| Rebuild Costs | $ | 69,168 |
| Service Costs | $ | 23,323 |
| Total | $ | 179,804 |
| Generator Costs | ||
| Fuel | $ | 65,047 |
| Service Costs | $ | 25,202 |
| Rebuild Costs | $ | 13,500 |
| Total | $ | 103,749 |
| Maintenance | ||
| Deck | $ | 7,599 |
| Interior | $ | 29,378 |
| Paint | $ | 97,365 |
| Onboard Tenders | $ | 9,563 |
| Water Maker | $ | 2,113 |
| Total | $ | 146,018 |
| Hydraulics | ||
| Bow Thrusters | $ | 5,357 |
| Active Roll Stabilization | $ | 20,357 |
| Total | $ | 25,714 |
| Dockage and Transport | ||
| Dockage | $ | 199,125 |
| Dockage while owner is aboard | $ | 42,000 |
| Ocean Transport | $ | 300,000 |
| Total | $ | 541,125 |
| Crew Costs | ||
| Salaries | Annual | |
| Second Officer/OOW | $ | 48,000 |
| Deckhand | $ | 36,000 |
| Chief Engineer | $ | 84,000 |
| Chief Stewardess | $ | 66,000 |
| Stewardess | $ | 67,200 |
| Chef | $ | 60,000 |
| Deckhand / Engineer | $ | 38,400 |
| Midgrade Captain | $ | 120,000 |
| Total | $ | 519,600 |
| Crew Payroll Services | $ | 3,600 |
| Crew Medical | $ | 12,600 |
| Crew Liability | $ | 3,300 |
| Travel | $ | 15,300 |
| Food | $ | 57,488 |
| Uniform | $ | 24,750 |
| Training | $ | 4,500 |
| Day workers | $ | 23,310 |
| Total | $ | 664,448 |
| Communications | ||
| Wireless Internet Card | $ | 1,344 |
| Satelite Data Link | $ | 54,000 |
| Satelite TV | $ | 1,440 |
| Crew Cellular | $ | 1,095 |
| Navigation | $ | 3,808 |
| Total | $ | 61,687 |
| Guest Costs | ||
| Dining and Spirits | $ | 42,000 |
| Entertainment | $ | 5,400 |
| Water Sports | $ | 9,600 |
| Total | $ | 57,000 |
| Administration | ||
| $ | 24,545 | |
| Office Supplies | $ | 16,821 |
| ISM & ISPS/ ISM Mini | $ | 6,300 |
| Total | $ | 47,666 |
| Charter Revenue | ||
| Sales (12 weeks at $200,000/week) | $ | 2,400,000 |
| Charter Broker Fees – Retail Broker | -$ | 360,000 |
| Charter Agent Fees – Central Agent | -$ | 120,000 |
| Total Net Income | $ | 1,920,000 |
| TOTAL ANNUAL EXPENSES | $ | 1,827,543 |
| Annual Profit/Loss | $ | 92,457 |
Obviously, the costs of owning a superyacht vary widely on the choices you make, but one think is sure, you can significantly offset the costs by chartering it out for a minimum of 12 weeks a year. One way to stand out from the fleet of superyacht available for charter is to brand your superyacht – build a website, publish a great blog and be social. Need an example, check our MY Starfire‘s digital success.
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