Should You Consider Buying an Ex-Charter Boat? Fountaine Pajot Aura 51 and Behind the Scene Surve...

Wiley Sharp and Keagan Steyn are back with another episode of Cat Chat Live: Life Between the Hulls. They open by comparing this summer's noticeably busier buyer activity to last year's slower season, then dig into what actually goes into prepping for a survey — from wrangling a haul-out slip for a 65+ foot cat headed up to Newport, RI (Keagan's first survey north of Florida) to the small logistics, dockage, food, confirming who's showing up, that keep survey day running smoothly. This week's Make & Model spotlight is the Fountaine Pajot Aura 51. Wiley and Keagan compare it to its predecessor, the Saba 50, and talk through the five-cabin charter layout, integrated solar without an added array, the new electric drive option, and how it holds up under sail. In the FAQ segment, they tackle a question they field constantly: is buying a boat out of charter a smart move? They break down bareboat vs. crewed charter fleets, why maintenance records and crew longevity matter more than people assume, and why boats coming out of smaller boutique operators often turn out better-loved than ones from the mega-fleets. They close with their Brokerage Picks of the Week: two very different Aura 51s — Vienna, an ex-charter five-cabin boat in the BVI, and a private four-cabin Aura 51 ready to cruise out of Fort Lauderdale. Got a topic you want covered on Cat Chat Live? Drop Wiley and Keagan a note — and if you're enjoying the show, subscribe and leave a review.