After years of dreaming about owning our own sailboat, we’ve finally made it a reality! We’ve purchased a yacht and are now planning the adventure of a lifetime, as we prepare to live, work, and sail across the Mediterranean next year.

But why did we decide to ditch the dream of buying a Monohull?

In this video, I break down the top five reasons we decided to buy a catamaran over a monohull for our upcoming sailing adventure across the Med. If you're thinking about buying a sailboat or curious about the benefits of a cat over a monohull, here's our top reasons to buy a catamaran!

We've made our decision, we hope we don't regret it...

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Thanks to @EXCESSCatamarans for sharing their footage
®Excess Library – Videomaker Arnaud Scius

I can't believe I'm actually typing this but we've just ordered our very own yacht! This was such a big, shared dream for us, we never thought it would actually happen.

After years of sailing other peoples boats and dreaming about having our own, we finally took the plunge and ordered a brand-new sailing catamaran! We plan to live aboard and sail across the Mediterranean next year!

I flew out to France to attend the Cannes Yachting Festival to see our boat, an Excess 11 Catamaran for the first time since putting in a deposit down. I also needed to decide the specifications so we can finalise our order with the boatyard. I’ll also take you on a tour of the excess 11. This is all very new to us, we've never spec'd a boat before. There are still a few things we haven't quite decided....

Thanks to @EXCESSCatamarans for sharing their promo footage
®Excess Library – Videomaker Arnaud Scius

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Last month, I went to the Cannes Yachting festival and became a first time yacht owner as we ordered a brand-new catamaran! But was buying a brand new yacht the right decision?

Well in this video I'll take you behind the scenes of our yacht buying journey from the last couple of years, as we search to try and find a used Excess 11 catamaran. We'll dive into one of the biggest decisions for anyone considering buying a boat: should you buy brand-new or go second hand, and we'll discuss what should you consider when buying a new boat.

Which is better, New Vs used? Let's find out!

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lifestylegibbon
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Thanks to @EXCESSCatamarans for sharing their footage
®Excess Library – Videomaker Arnaud Scius

After years of dreaming, we finally did it — we bought our very own boat! Six months ago, we decided on the yacht, chose our spec and placed the order, and now, the big moment is here: we're seeing our yacht for the very first time as the team at Excess Catamrans invite us for an exclusive tour of their factory in France!

What started as an exciting Excess factory tour quickly turned into unexpected chaos when we headed to the marina where our yacht will be launched in the coming weeks. Let's just say… things didn’t go exactly as planned! 😅 We saw Violette Dorange finish the Vendee Globe 2025!

And our adventure is just beginning! Next month, we embark on our first major passage — 10 days across the Bay of Biscay and through Orca Alley - as we prepare to live aboard and sail across the Mediterranean this season 🌊⛵

🔔 Subscribe & follow our journey! #Sailing #YachtLife #BoatTour #factorytour

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Thanks to @EXCESSCatamarans for hosting us in the factory and sharing promo footage
®Excess Library – Videomaker Arnaud Scius

When we set out to buy our dream catamaran, we knew we wanted to be completely self-sufficient with no reliance on marinas, no noisy generators, just clean, renewable energy from the sun. But when we got professional quotes to install a solar and battery setup, we were shocked—over €20,000 just to install solar panels and batteries! 😱

And at that price, we felt like we were getting ripped off! So, instead of giving up, we decided to take matters into our own hands.

In this video, we dive into one of the biggest and most expensive challenges we’ve faced on our journey to living aboard, but we’re determined to make it happen! 💪

If you’re planning to install solar on your boat (or just want to follow our crazy journey), make sure to like, subscribe, and drop us a comment below! Have you installed your own solar power system? Let’s chat in the comments! 👇

🔔 SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss our full solar installation video coming soon!

00:00 - 00:33 Introduction
00:41 - 2:12 The Problem
2:28 - 3:30 20,000 Euros!
3:32 - 4:57 - Plan B
5:00 - 6:17 - Professional Advice
6:18 - 7:15 - CAD Solar Arch

#Sailing #BoatLife #Catamaran #SolarPower #DIY #OffGrid #SustainableLiving #Liveaboard

Instgram: www.instagram.com/lifestylegibbon
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Thanks to ​⁠​⁠@EXCESSCatamarans for sharing promo footage
Thanks to ​⁠​⁠@SAILTAHITI for their XS11 footage

In August, my girlfriend and I made the bold decision to order a brand new catamaran as we chased our shared dream of living on a sailing yacht and exploring the world together.

My videos are documenting our journey as we navigate the process of becoming 1st time yacht owners, as we get to grips with the process of buying a brand new boat, getting it into the water for the first time and preparing ourselves as we transition from working busy city lives to living and working aboard our very own catamaran next year!

In this video, we break down how you can buy a brand new yacht in the Mediterranean without paying VAT, saving tens of thousands of euros on the purchase price of a boat. We'll discuss my learnings around the 18-month VAT rule, who it applies to and strategies for non-EU yacht owners to legally navigate the Med without paying VAT. Here's your guide for how to buy a brand-new yacht without paying VAT. I'm certainly not an expert and I'm only discussing what I've learnt over the last few months, so please speak with an expert.

📌 Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:33 Who does this apply to?
1:59 What is the 180 day VAT Rule?
2:17 180 days on your clock
2:53 How to prove you left EU waters
3:36 How to buy a brand new yacht Ex VAT
5:04 Quick tips
5:24 Conclusion

💬 Have questions about the 18-month VAT rule or want to share your experience? Drop a comment below, and let's chat!

Don't forget to LIKE, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE to follow our yacht buying and sailing journey ⚓

Previous videos:
Help! We Bought a Yacht: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i6ll9Q75Hw
The REAL Reasons We Bought A Catamaran!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6GZQgxzD1o
New Vs Used, Which is Best?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olr-DqYZYsI

Follow us!
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lifestylegibbon
TikTok: Lifestylegibbon

Thanks to @EXCESSCatamarans for sharing their footage
®Excess Library – Videomaker Arnaud Scius