A typical crew includes, at minimum, a captain and a chef, with larger vessels adding stewardesses, deckhands, and sometimes a separate engineer or watersports instructor depending on size and itinerary. The captain manages navigation, safety and all vessel operations, liaising with marinas and handling the practical realities of moving the yacht from anchorage to anchorage. The chef manages every meal on board, typically working from preferences guests share in advance, covering dietary requirements, favourite dishes and any occasions to mark during the week.

Provisioning is arranged before embarkation, guided by preferences guests provide through their consultant ahead of time, and refined once on board as the week develops. Guests are not expected to shop, cook or clean at any stage, and the crew adjusts the day's plan around weather, guest energy levels and preferences that shift once the holiday is under way.

Survey is usually the first stage to take longer than anticipated. A proper condition and valuation survey involves a haul-out, a detailed inspection of hull, systems, engines and rig, and a written report that can run to dozens of pages. Scheduling the haul-out around yard availability alone can add a week or more, and the surveyor then needs time to prepare the report properly rather than rushing it.

A yacht sales consultant is involved before a purchase or sale completes. Their work covers identifying suitable vessels against a buyer's brief, arranging viewings, coordinating survey and sea trial, and guiding negotiation through to completion. Once the transaction closes, this part of the relationship is largely finished, though a good consultant remains a point of contact for future purchases or sales.

Running costs deserve their own conversation. Crew, berthing, maintenance, insurance and management fees add up well beyond the purchase price, and a consultant should set out realistic annual figures in EUR rather than a vague estimate. Ask what ongoing Ocean Independence yacht sales management involves and whether that sits with the same consultancy or a separate specialist.

Raise the survey question directly during the viewing itself: what has already been surveyed, when, and would the seller support an independent survey of the buyer's choosing rather than relying on an existing report. A seller and consultant comfortable with independent verification is a good sign in itself.