Buying a Pre-Owned Spirit Yacht: Models, Survey and What to Check

Gwenhyfar II, the C72 we went aboard at St Katharine Docks in October, is for sale through Spirit's brokerage at £3.3 million, VAT not paid, because her owner is building a new Spirit (Spirit Yachts). She is one of three 72s built in the two years to 2023. That is roughly the position for anyone looking for a used Spirit. Around 80 hulls have been built since 1993, spread across a dozen sailing and motor models, most of them in single figures, with only a few on the market at once (Professional BoatBuilder, 2023).

Scarcity changes how the purchase works. With so few comparable sales, the asking price says less than it would on a production yacht, and the survey ends up carrying most of the negotiation.

The range

Source: Professional BoatBuilder and Spirit Yachts. Many were built to an individual specification within the model, so two yachts of the same name can differ in deck, rig, layout and propulsion.

The survey

A Spirit hull is timber planking and diagonal veneers bonded in epoxy under a sealed sheath. While the sheath is intact the hull is stiff and stable, and Spirit compares its care to GRP rather than to a traditional wooden boat. The risk is water getting past the sheath at a breach or an unsealed fitting and travelling along the grain where nobody can see it.

That puts the choice of surveyor first. We would ask any candidate how many cold-moulded hulls they have surveyed, and expect a number. Moisture readings taken through paint and sheath only mean something when compared across the hull, alongside percussion and a close look, and a surveyor who knows GRP well will not necessarily read them that way.

Below the waterline the survey should cover the keel attachment and floors, the rudder tube and bearings, and every through-hull. Groundings matter most, so the history should be established and any repair seen. Spirit rebuilt a 52 after she struck a rock in the Baltic, which shows that damage of that kind is repairable; what a buyer needs to know is who did the work and how. On deck, establish which deck timber the yacht has, since the yard's standard has changed, and check the seal at every fitting, the hull-to-deck joint, the chainplates, and the stem and transom, where end grain is closest to the surface. Grey or dark staining under varnish means water has reached the timber: cosmetic if caught early, structural if left. On an electric Spirit, the battery's age, state of health and remaining warranty belong in the survey too, because replacement is a large bill.

Records

The yard holds the best history of any Spirit. Ask the seller for the build number and permission to see the yard's file, along with the maintenance log, any repair reports and the coating specification. Spirit extends its aftercare to brokerage owners, so the builder remains available after the sale.

From offer to completion

Under a standard brokerage contract the sale is subject to survey and sea trial, with a deposit held by the broker, and the findings become either a price adjustment or a list for the seller to put right before completion. On a yacht this scarce, a short priced list carries more weight than a long unprioritised one. Most buyers plan some work for the first winter, which our notes on refitting a Spirit cover.

We have no commercial relationship with Spirit Yachts or with any broker listing its yachts. If you are looking at a Spirit and would like a second view, on a survey still to be commissioned or one already done, we would be glad to discuss it.