Learn to buy, own and cruise a multihull from people who’ve done it.
Seven modules, in the classroom and online, taught by TMC brokers who have captained, cruised and owned these boats. Learn how to choose the right boat, how buying really works and what ownership takes, so your first boat is the right one.
- 01Before you shopMindset, crew & budget
- 02Picking a boat
- 03The purchase process
- 04Insurance, flag & documentation
- 05Weather, passages & safety
- 06Life aboard
- 07Before you set offOwnership costs & refit plan
For buyers who want to get it right the first time.
A multihull is one of the biggest purchases you’ll make, and most expensive mistakes happen before the offer: the wrong boat, the wrong budget, the wrong plan. The Academy gives you the knowledge our brokers built over decades on the water, before you spend a dollar on a boat.
Already know exactly what you want? Go straight to a TMC buyer’s broker.
In the classroom, online and with a broker who knows your plans.
Learn live with TMC brokers and fellow future owners, then go back over any module online whenever you need it. Along the way, you’ll have member tools and a broker in your corner.
Seven modules, from first plans to setting off.
We start with what to know before you shop and finish with what to know before you leave the dock, ending where every owner should: the real cost of ownership.
Mindset, crew & budget
Is cruising right for us, and what will it take?
- What the cruising life really asks of you and your crew
- Sabbatical, seasonal or full-time: choosing your horizon
- Agreeing roles and expectations aboard
- Setting a realistic purchase and cruising budget
Picking a boat
Which multihull fits the way you’ll cruise?
- New versus pre-owned, and when each makes sense
- Owner’s versions versus ex-charter boats
- Size, layout and systems for your cruising grounds
- The models that hold their value, and why
The purchase process
How does buying a boat actually work?
- Reading listings, valuations and sold comparables
- Offers, acceptance, deposits and escrow
- Survey and sea trial: what to look for and when to walk away
- Closing anywhere in the world
Insurance, flag & documentation
How will you own her, and where?
- Insuring a cruising multihull, including named-storm zones
- USCG documentation versus a foreign flag
- Sales tax, duty and import questions to plan for
- Owning personally, through an LLC or as a business
Weather, passages & safety
How do you move the boat safely?
- Reading weather and choosing a window
- Passage planning and watch systems
- Safety gear and emergency procedures
- When to bring in a delivery captain or extra crew
Life aboard
What is day-to-day cruising really like?
- Power, water, provisioning and connectivity
- Routine maintenance underway
- Anchoring, moorings and marinas
- Working, schooling and staying connected from the boat
Ownership costs & refit plan
Before you set off: what will she really cost?
- The annual cost of ownership: insurance, dockage, maintenance and haul-outs
- Refit and upgrade priorities, and what to do first
- Finding the right yards and contractors
- Planning for resale from day one
Everything you need to shop with confidence.
- A first-draft budget and timeline
- Your boat brief and shortlist
- A step-by-step purchase roadmap
- Your ownership questions, answered
- A passage and safety checklist
- A fit-out list for the way you’ll live aboard
- Your cost-of-ownership plan
Buy your boat with TMC and the Academy is free.
Enroll for $2,500. Buy your boat through TMC within 18 months and every dollar comes back to you as a credit on your closing statement.
Enrollment
- All seven modules, in the classroom and online
- TMC Premium Membership included
- A TMC broker who knows your Buyer Profile and plans
- Monthly Buying 101 classes, free as always
- 100% credited at closing when you buy through TMC within 18 months
How it becomes free
- 01Enroll and learnPay the $2,500 enrollment fee and start the modules. Your 18 months start on your enrollment date.
- 02Buy through TMCWhen you’re ready, buy your boat through The Multihull Company within 18 months of enrolling.
- 03Credited at closingThe full $2,500 appears as a broker credit on your closing statement, reducing what you pay at closing.
The enrollment fee is a program fee, not a deposit toward a boat, and is not held in escrow. The closing credit applies once, to one boat purchased through The Multihull Company within 18 months of the enrollment date, and is shown as a broker credit on the buyer’s closing statement.
Start with Buying 101. It’s free.
Our free monthly class is the easiest first step. A TMC broker walks through the essentials of buying a cruising multihull, answers your questions live, and shows you what the Academy goes deeper on.
- What cruising really costs, before and after you buy
- How to narrow down the right multihull for your plans
- How buying a boat works, from offer to closing
- What to learn first, and where the Academy fits
Buying 101
Our first class is Wednesday, November 18 at 6:00 pm ET, live with a TMC broker. After that it runs monthly, and each class is recorded so you can watch any time.
- Date
- Wed, Nov 18
- Time
- 6:00 pm ET
- Cost
- Free
Before you enroll.
Do I have to buy a boat?
No. Some students use the Academy to decide whether cruising is right for them at all, and that’s a good outcome too. If you do buy through TMC within 18 months, the Academy is free.
How does the Academy become free?
When you buy through TMC within 18 months of enrolling, the full $2,500 is applied as a broker credit on your closing statement, so it comes off what you pay at closing.
Is the enrollment fee a deposit?
No. It’s the fee for the Academy program, not a deposit toward a boat, and it isn’t held in escrow. Boat deposits are handled separately when you go under contract.
How is the Academy different from working with a buyer’s broker?
The Academy teaches you what to look for and what ownership takes. A TMC buyer’s broker finds your boat, negotiates for you and guides you through survey and closing. When you’re ready to shop, the broker you met in the Academy can step in as your buyer’s broker.
I’m already an experienced sailor. Is this for me?
Often, yes. Many experienced sailors are new to multihulls, to buying a boat abroad or to owning a cruising boat full-time. If you already know exactly what you want, you may prefer to go straight to a buyer’s broker.
What if I’m just curious about cruising?
Start with Buying 101, our free monthly class, live with a TMC broker and recorded so you can watch any time. It’s the best way to see whether the Academy is your next step.
Join us for the launch.
Here’s when we start: free Buying 101 on Wednesday, November 18 at 6:00 pm ET, and the TMC Buying Academy beginning December 1, 2026. Pick your session below and a TMC broker will confirm your seat.