Motor yacht finance
Funding for flybridge and sports motor yachts, including used imports brought in from Europe, placed with lenders who write marine every week.
Whole-of-market — 60+ lenders searched, including
Can you finance a motor yacht?
Yes. Motor yachts are funded as marine assets on hire purchase or a marine loan, secured on the boat. Used craft are fundable and make up most of the market, including imports, though funders take a close interest in engine hours, service history and whether the boat has been lying afloat in salt water without use. The usual sticking point is establishing clean title. With no registration document, ownership is proven through bills of sale and Part 1 or Small Ships Register entries, and any outstanding marine mortgage has to be settled out of the drawdown before the boat becomes yours.
Used kit: Yes — used is the mainstream here, and boats up to around twenty years old place comfortably where engine hours and service records are evidenced.
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What would a motor yacht cost per month?
Asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what the buttons show, with the equivalent APR beside it. Your exact rate depends on the asset, the term, the deposit and the lender.
Prime is an established, profitable business with clean credit. Specialist covers newer businesses and credit that needs explaining — the asset itself carries part of the risk, which is why finance is often available where an unsecured loan is not.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 5.15% flat rate (equivalent to 9.9% APR representative), you would repay around £628 a month; total amount repayable approximately £30,150, of which £5,150 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and may receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Rates shown are indicative flat rates with the equivalent APR alongside — the two are not the same number. Indicative only and does not constitute a quote or an offer of finance. Subject to status and lender approval.
How lenders treat it
Powered leisure craft are placed with a small marine panel because the mainstream asset market simply will not write them. Funders want a full survey with engine and generator reports, and on a larger boat they will want sea trial evidence rather than a dry inspection. Import purchases attract extra scrutiny: VAT paid status, the currency the deal is done in and where the boat physically sits at completion all affect who can help. Where the buyer is an individual buying for pleasure the agreement may be regulated, which changes the panel again. The berth, the lift and the antifoul contract are separate commitments and cannot be added to the boat agreement.
Makes and models we fund
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| Princess V50 | Sports motor yacht |
| Princess F55 flybridge | Flybridge motor yacht |
| Sunseeker Portofino 40 | Sports cruiser with aft cabin |
| Sunseeker Predator 60 | Fast planing sports yacht |
| Fairline Targa 43 | Open sports motor yacht |
| Fairline Squadron 50 | Flybridge cruising yacht |
| Sealine F530 flybridge | Family flybridge motor yacht |
| Bavaria Virtess 420 | Coupe style motor yacht |
| Volvo Penta IPS600 pod drive | Twin diesel pod propulsion |
| Volvo Penta D6-440 shaft drive | Inboard diesel repower package |
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Who buys one
Often a business owner in their forties or fifties buying a first flybridge boat for family use on the South Coast or in Scotland, or an existing owner trading up a size after a couple of seasons. The trigger is usually a boat found at a dealer or broker with a season slot and a berth already lined up. Buyers commonly want the purchase funded rather than tying up working capital, particularly where the business is mid-way through its own investment cycle.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
How it is treated for tax
Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
Motor yacht finance questions
Can I finance a motor yacht I am importing from Europe?
Frequently yes. The funder needs to know where the boat is at completion, who is transporting or delivering it, and that VAT has been accounted for. Currency and exchange timing are worth planning early, because a delayed survey can move the position between agreement and drawdown.
How much do engine hours matter?
A great deal. Two identical hulls with very different hours are not the same asset to a funder, and low hours on an older boat can itself be a concern because unused diesels deteriorate. Service records, oil analysis and a recent engine survey settle the question better than the hour meter alone.
Will a lender fund a boat with a generator and tender included?
Usually yes if they are fixed to the boat and listed in the inventory. Loose items such as a towed tender, jet ski or dock gear are treated separately and may need their own arrangement, so put the full inventory in front of us before the agreement is drawn.
Do I need a sea trial?
On anything with significant machinery, expect one. A dry survey cannot assess how the engines, gearbox and steering behave under load, and most marine funders regard a sea trial report as part of the file on a larger powered boat rather than an optional extra.
Can my limited company own the boat?
It can, and for genuine commercial use that may be the right route, but if the use is private there are tax and benefit-in-kind consequences to take advice on. From a funding point of view a company purchase is assessed on the business, which opens up different lenders than a personal purchase would.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
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Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
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Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call 0333 772 4864 · serving Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wakefield, Selby, Tadcaster & across North & West Yorkshire.