[eclipse superyacht]R_Pilguj/Shutterstock * A YACHT COSTS A LOT MORE THAN THE PRICE ITS OWNER BOUGHT IT FOR. * THERE ARE ADDITIONAL EXPENSES, LIKE YACHT CREW, DOCKAGE, FUEL, AND MAINTENANCE, THAT MANY PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT. * EVEN MANY YACHT CREW WOULDN'T OWN A SUPERYACHT IF THEY COULD AFFORD IT BECAUSE THEY'RE SO MUCH MONEY AND WORK. ------------------------- If there's one thing I took away from spending three years writing for the yachting industry and attending the Monaco Yacht Show, it's that buying a superyacht is the absolute pinnacle of indulgence for the 1%. You see, these behemoths of the sea cost a lot more than the price tag they come with thanks to the upkeep they require — it's a series of neverending expenses. There's what I like to call the Big Four that will easily wear down an owner's black AmEx: yacht crew, dockage, fuel, and maintenance, among a host of other eye-popping costs. Just ask the crew who work on yachts. I once spent a day running up and down the docks at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show asking crew one question: Would you buy a boat if you were rich? The answer, overwhelmingly, was no. Those that said yes were new to the industry — my guess is that they just didn't know better yet. Because, really, yachts are just floating money. Here's how much it _really_ costs to own a superyacht, which is generally defined as a boat at least 80 feet in length. GENERALLY, YACHTS OVER 100 FEET COST $1 MILLION PER 3.3 FEET — AND THAT'S NOT COUNTING COSTS FOR UPKEEP. Lucian BOLCA/Shutterstock _Source: _ Forbes SOME OLDER YACHT MODELS AROUND 80 FEET MAY SELL FOR SIX FIGURES, BUT A SUPERYACHT WILL MOST LIKELY SET YOU BACK BY AT LEAST A FEW MILLION. AN 84-FOOT YACHT CAN COST $1.74 MILLION, WHILE A 295-FOOT YACHT CAN COST $45 MILLION. R_Pilguj/Shutterstock _Source:_ Fraser Yachts, Burgess BUT THAT'S JUST THE BEGINNING — OWNERS CAN EXPECT TO SPEND ABOUT 10% OF THE PURCHASE PRICE ANNUALLY ON OPERATING AND MAINTAINING A YACHT. THAT'S $1 MILLION A YEAR FOR A $10 MILLION SUPERYACHT, ALTHOUGH IT VARIES. Felix Mizioznikov/Shutterstock _Source:_Business Insider SEE THE REST OF THE STORY AT BUSINESS INSIDER SEE ALSO: * The 50 best US colleges for your money * Rafael Nadal is one of the highest-paid tennis players of all time — here's how he spends his millions * Jeff Bezos is the richest person alive — here's how he makes and spends his billions SEE ALSO: WHAT A $1 MILLION VACATION LOOKS LIKE IN MYKONOS, GREECE, WHERE YOU'LL FLY IN ON A PRIVATE JET, SLEEP IN AN OCEAN-VIEW VILLA, AND CRUISE THE SEAS IN A YACHT DON'T MISS: THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE SUPERYACHTS COME WITH HELIPADS, MOVIE THEATERS, AND SWIMMING POOLS — TAKE A LOOK