Hard Standing Storage Costs Croatia & Greece

[siwhi]

We are looking to buy a small sailing boat to spend around 3 months each summer in Croatia and / or Greece. Likely size is 26-32'. The boat would be in the water for 3 months at anchor / town quay, and then left in secure hard standing storage for the remainder of the year. My question is, what are the cheapest options for such storage? Connections to airports, facilities, views, etc are unimportant as we are driving down. Price is the main factor, but obviously the yard need to be able to lift and store the boat securely.

A secondary question is, does anyone know of any 'off the beaten path' boat brokers / websites / small ads, etc, to pick up a c. £10k sailing cruiser anywhere in the region? I've looked on the mainstream websites, which I guess cover most of the market, but the choice is limited (including CREO, Network Brokers, Pinnacle).

Many thanks!

 

[Metabarca]

When I was looking for a berth for my boat (32') in the northern Adriatic, I looked at every marina between Zadar (Zara) and Lignano, and the cheapest were in Monfalcone. This was a few years ago, but I doubt things have changed. Monfalcone benefits: ten minutes to airport (Ryanair to Stansted), safe and secure storage, highly skilled assistance, good chandlers, good food. If travelling by road, good connections via Tarvisio/Salzburg, and avoid potential long tailbacks at Croatian border. Drawback: a day's sail from Pula (Pola) (but pleasant day sailing to be had locally), and other locations worth visiting further north of this, such as Rovinj (Rovigno) and Poreč (Parenzo).
For buying locally (in Italy), try Subito.it and plug in Trieste as location.

 

[Solent Cruiser]

We are looking to buy a small sailing boat to spend around 3 months each summer in Croatia and / or Greece. Likely size is 26-32'. The boat would be in the water for 3 months at anchor / town quay, and then left in secure hard standing storage for the remainder of the year. My question is, what are the cheapest options for such storage? Connections to airports, facilities, views, etc are unimportant as we are driving down. Price is the main factor, but obviously the yard need to be able to lift and store the boat securely.

A secondary question is, does anyone know of any 'off the beaten path' boat brokers / websites / small ads, etc, to pick up a c. £10k sailing cruiser anywhere in the region? I've looked on the mainstream websites, which I guess cover most of the market, but the choice is limited (including CREO, Network Brokers, Pinnacle).

Many thanks!

You've had a really good reply about locations. I can't comment on any of that. My input, which although challenging I hope is useful, is that you shouldn't leave a boat ashore for 9 months on a regular basis and just 'use it' for 3. Most yachts are not designed to be on their keels moth-balled for such a length, repeatedly and without a break in the ashore period. Your vessel, it rigging, its hull, it's engines and its other systems also decay rapidly. This is more so and more likely with a distant owner. I'd advise against it. Save your money. Hire/ Charter - cause that's what it sounds you need to do, with respect.

 

[siwhi]

When I was looking for a berth for my boat (32') in the northern Adriatic, I looked at every marina between Zadar (Zara) and Lignano, and the cheapest were in Monfalcone. This was a few years ago, but I doubt things have changed. Monfalcone benefits: ten minutes to airport (Ryanair to Stansted), safe and secure storage, highly skilled assistance, good chandlers, good food. If travelling by road, good connections via Tarvisio/Salzburg, and avoid potential long tailbacks at Croatian border. Drawback: a day's sail from Pula (Pola) (but pleasant day sailing to be had locally), and other locations worth visiting further north of this, such as Rovinj (Rovigno) and Poreč (Parenzo).
For buying locally (in Italy), try Subito.it and plug in Trieste as location.

Thank you Metabarca for a very interesting and thought provoking response. I had discounted Italy because I had assumed, based on a few fleeting stops while en route somewhere else, that the marina prices were through the roof. Clearly this is not necessarily the case. Additionally Monfalcone has the benefit of being closer to home. I will certainly look into it.

 

[siwhi]

You've had a really good reply about locations. I can't comment on any of that. My input, which although challenging I hope is useful, is that you shouldn't leave a boat ashore for 9 months on a regular basis and just 'use it' for 3. Most yachts are not designed to be on their keels moth-balled for such a length, repeatedly and without a break in the ashore period. Your vessel, it rigging, its hull, it's engines and its other systems also decay rapidly. This is more so and more likely with a distant owner. I'd advise against it. Save your money. Hire/ Charter - cause that's what it sounds you need to do, with respect.

Thanks for the advice! I understand and appreciate your sentiment. Unfortunately I can't really see a better option given our budget and desire to spend the next, say 4 or 5, summers in the Adriatic / Med on a small affordable boat for 3 months or so each year. Chartering is prohibitively expensive for more than a couple of weeks and essentially geared around a short holiday. Fractional ownership / sharing (which we have done for a couple of seasons) is also out as we'd like to spend the whole summer on board. Buying an old Centaur in the UK and sailing around is a great idea, but I've sailed the route a few times and we now just want to spent the summer in the Med rather than the Atlantic coast. Trucking a boat down is also expensive.

I'm not too worried about losing value, (there would be little further to lose as the depreciation has already occurred at our price point), but of course decaying systems is a problem. I'm after something with a sound hull and engine, but not at all interested in electronics, save perhaps the sounder (since I navigate by tablet), or other bells and whistles as I expect they will be near end of life in any case at our price point.

There may be other possibilities I haven't considered though!?

 

[grumpygit]

We are looking to buy a small sailing boat to spend around 3 months each summer in Croatia and / or Greece. Likely size is 26-32'. The boat would be in the water for 3 months at anchor / town quay, and then left in secure hard standing storage for the remainder of the year. My question is, what are the cheapest options for such storage? Connections to airports, facilities, views, etc are unimportant as we are driving down. Price is the main factor, but obviously the yard need to be able to lift and store the boat securely.

A secondary question is, does anyone know of any 'off the beaten path' boat brokers / websites / small ads, etc, to pick up a c. £10k sailing cruiser anywhere in the region? I've looked on the mainstream websites, which I guess cover most of the market, but the choice is limited (including CREO, Network Brokers, Pinnacle).

Many thanks!

Somewhere I will no doubt get shot down but here's my two pennies worth. I agree with nearly all what Metabarca has said about Monfalcone except the drawbacks are cost and mosquitos, I'm a Yorkshireman so I have an aversion to both. We also don't know you means but with you only wishing to spend around 10k it conjures up an idea.
We were in the Hannibal Marina Monfalcone for a couple of years 07-09 but it was expensive, then circa €6500 p.a. for a 15m sailing yacht plus lifting charges. Things may have changed and deals may be available but I wouldn't hold my breath, also there are other marina's in that proximity that may be more cost effective.
It's a good area to sail for the sake of sailing and sailing into Croatia can also have it's pro's and con's but mostly it has some drawbacks on the pocket.

IMHO Greece is a far better playground with so many options, we came in 09 and never left. There's plenty of yards, anchorages, town quays but very few marina's.
I think you will also have more luck on finding a suitable boat in your price bracket. Your choices in Greece are the Ionian or the Aegean, mainland or anyone of the larger islands, take your pick.
Brokers are plentiful but as most not always reputable. Apollo Duck, no reports, Williams and Smithells who's sort of ok, Network Lefkas totally useless, Greg Yachts who's akin to the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Online there is of course the main platforms such as Yachtworld etc. There is also Car.gr which does have a boat section.
Good luck on which ever way you choose to go.

 

[BurnitBlue]

If you are content with 3 month during the year than Greece is unbeatable for destinations and safe affordable storage. I keep a 34 foot boat in one of the Preveza boatyards. When I compared prices to Spain using the published web tables I was paying two thirds the Spanish price. I was, however, using six month on the hard six month on anchor for both countries.

A small 25 foot boat is ideal as you would not squander a significant part of the permissable three month allowance on maintenance.

 

[Ningaloo]

I wouldn't be too concerned about leaving the boat ashore for 7-8 months of the year. Most boats in the Baltic do this in much harsher conditions than the Mediterranean . You should allow 2-3 days at the start and end of the season to remove sails, canvas and running rigging and winterize engine and other systems. Try to find a yard with cradles rather than just using props and ensure that the hardstanding area is solid - preferably concrete.

 

[siwhi]

Somewhere I will no doubt get shot down but here's my two pennies worth. I agree with nearly all what Metabarca has said about Monfalcone except the drawbacks are cost and mosquitos, I'm a Yorkshireman so I have an aversion to both. We also don't know you means but with you only wishing to spend around 10k it conjures up an idea.
We were in the Hannibal Marina Monfalcone for a couple of years 07-09 but it was expensive, then circa €6500 p.a. for a 15m sailing yacht plus lifting charges. Things may have changed and deals may be available but I wouldn't hold my breath, also there are other marina's in that proximity that may be more cost effective.
It's a good area to sail for the sake of sailing and sailing into Croatia can also have it's pro's and con's but mostly it has some drawbacks on the pocket.

IMHO Greece is a far better playground with so many options, we came in 09 and never left. There's plenty of yards, anchorages, town quays but very few marina's.
I think you will also have more luck on finding a suitable boat in your price bracket. Your choices in Greece are the Ionian or the Aegean, mainland or anyone of the larger islands, take your pick.
Brokers are plentiful but as most not always reputable. Apollo Duck, no reports, Williams and Smithells who's sort of ok, Network Lefkas totally useless, Greg Yachts who's akin to the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Online there is of course the main platforms such as Yachtworld etc. There is also Car.gr which does have a boat section.
Good luck on which ever way you choose to go.

Thank you, interesting comments. Car.gr is new to me and has a few. As I expected, it looks like the value for money is not as good as in the UK, but that's the way it is!

Yes, we have very limited means, so the focus is definitely looking at ways to cut expenditure!

 

[siwhi]

Thanks for the further replies. The collective wisdom seems to suggest that Greece is in general better value and has more choice, at least in terms of boatyards, and probably in the cruising grounds too. That's as suspected, but was hoping there might be some viable storage options in Croatia too. I know the Ionian well (was a flotilla skipper), and have owned a few boats before, but I have never bought or kept a boat in that region, so less aware of the options available.

 

[Metabarca]

In reply to Grumpygit, Hannibal is one of the two swish(er) marinas in Monfalcone. The other is Lepanto. Both pander to the foreign, mainly Austrian and German market and people who want to come and spend the weekend on the boat without really going anywhere (restaurant, pool, etc).
No, the place to head for is one of the following: Ocean, Cadei, Nautec, Timavo, Crack Boat (no really!). These cater for locals who need to put their boats ashore to work on them or for storage and they offer far fewer frills (tho' Nautec has also gone a bit upmarket). Mosquitoes are a problem, yes, (though not so much last year), but if you're just parking your boat, why should you care?
I agree that Greece is great too... but you have to get there. Either a long, aggravating drive or ferry from Ancona (unclear whether Venice will still take in ferries any more).

 

[steve yates]

You've had a really good reply about locations. I can't comment on any of that. My input, which although challenging I hope is useful, is that you shouldn't leave a boat ashore for 9 months on a regular basis and just 'use it' for 3. Most yachts are not designed to be on their keels moth-balled for such a length, repeatedly and without a break in the ashore period. Your vessel, it rigging, its hull, it's engines and its other systems also decay rapidly. This is more so and more likely with a distant owner. I'd advise against it. Save your money. Hire/ Charter - cause that's what it sounds you need to do, with respect.

Given that so many boats sit onn the hard in the uk for years, and are then sold and sailed without major issues (that were not already preexisting) I dont think the OP has any reason to worry about this.