To be honest, whenever I see those carefully edited Instagram photos—where sunlight streams onto a flawlessly white deck and the sea looks an almost unreal shade of blue—I can’t help but laugh.
A journal documenting the hardships and painful experiences of a novice sailor, along with the pros and cons of sailing. Summary: Don’t be fooled by the blue skies and turquoise waters shown in yacht shows. This isn’t just a list of pros and cons—it’s a record of my experiences over the past five years.
I’m Old Chen. I’ve been in California for fifteen years. I specialize in helping people find used boats. Don’t trust those heavily edited photos. You can’t tell rotten wood underwater just by looking at it. Search for “catamaran for sale usa”—the results are full of brokers.
Note: The author of this article is a Western sailor who has lived in Cancún, Mexico, for many years and has chartered private catamarans in the Caribbean more than 15 times over the past three years.
—A Must-Read Comparison of Actual Expenses Before You Buy: Don’t be fooled by sales pitches. Power catamarans may look glamorous, but their maintenance costs could end up costing you a fortune. This article is based on real-life lessons learned from owning four boats over five years.
Abstract: Compared to monohulls, catamarans aren’t as stable, and beginners, lacking experience, are indeed very prone to capsizing. From the first time I got into catamarans and hit a snag until now—a span of three years—I’ve already gone through four different catamarans.
Abstract: Some people think that yacht travel is limited to places like Cannes and Monaco, but that’s a really boring way of looking at it. In this article, I speak as a yacht enthusiast who has traveled to more than 30 countries and encountered countless pitfalls along the way.
Abstract: If you find yourself in South Africa and are looking to sell a boat quickly, a service like “We Buy Boats” is likely the fastest option available. This article offers the firsthand perspective of an amateur boat owner from Europe or the United States.
I lived on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica for nearly five years. During that time, I took group after group of friends out to sea on more than thirty trips, starting with those monohull sailboats that had such a strong smell of diesel it could make you seasick…
Abstract: Owning a catamaran in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) sounds like a dream come true, but the maintenance bills can bring you back to reality in an instant. This article begins with the real-life experience of an ordinary European or American boat owner.
Synopsis: I’ve just returned from a power catamaran charter in the British Virgin Islands. This post is all practical advice based on my real-world experiences as an amateur sailor—from choosing a boat, navigating, and anchoring to managing daily electricity and fresh water usage—all lessons learned through trial and error.
Author’s Note: As a yacht enthusiast who sails throughout Europe, I have had the opportunity over the past five years to experience catamarans from various brands, such as Lagoon, Bali, and Leopard, and have chartered different models for extended periods in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.
