Boating in Spain

[Mr mastic]

Hi everyone

I'm new to YBW although I've been boating and sailing for over ten years. The wife and I are looking to purchase a cruiser in Barcelona. Q1 Are there any issues I need to know about buying and keeping in Spain before we proceed ?
The boat is Spanish registered.
Q2 I'm looking at a birth in either Port Olympic or Port Forum, does anyone on this forum keep a boat there
or tell me anything about either.

Regards

 

[kashurst]

Hi buying a Spanish registered boat is no problem and the Spanish registry keeps good records of all the boats ownerships and vat status. However if you plan to live in Spain for more than 180 days a year you are classed as resident and you may be required to do the Spanish qualification. If you are just a frequent visitor then you may be better reregistering the boat as British. The boat then falls under UK rules and doesn't need to be inspected etc so makes life simple. You must have an ICC in Spain regardless of boat registration.

 

[DavidJ]

Agree with kashurst and will add something to your berth choice.
Port Olympic is full of life, noise and restaurants open 'til it seems all night. If this is you, then best of luck but I would choose somewhere quieter. Forum is bleak but handy for Barcelona, but how many times do you really want to visit the city? If close to the city is what you want then Port Vell is the answer.......fabulous visitors location.
Ginesta in the south is near a quarry ....avoid! loads of dust.
The cruising ground around Barcelona is dull dull dull until you get to the Balearic's
My two choices would be:
Empuriabrava (where I am) on the tip of the Pyrenees great cruising gound within 10 mins. It's huge so lots of services but on a canal system so has a small feel. Often windy though. Poor toilet/ shower facilities but well run and secure marina. Cheap flights to Girona and Perpignan
San Carles. Lots of really friendly forumites there. Well run marina with lovely club house. Nice town nearby. Great location for the Balearics. A few too many mosquitoes when I was there but perhaps it was just the time of year. Cheap flights to Reus (Barcelona)

You need to take advice on unregistering a Spanish registered boat.......things like this in Spain are generally not easy.

 

[landlockedpirate]

Port Olympic is full of life, noise and restaurants open 'til it seems all night. If this is you, then best of luck but I would choose somewhere quieter. Forum is bleak but handy for Barcelona, but how many times do you really want to visit the city? .

DavidJ is being very polite, I will translate.

Port Olympic is a concrete hole in the ground which every night fills with noise to such a level that sleep is impossible. I would also echo's his comments about cruising ground, its very dull round Barcelona.

 

[Hurricane]

You need to check but I thought that only Spanish qualified skippers can drive Spanish registered boats in Spain.

The solution would be to transfer the boat onto the British Register - either the SSR or the Part 1
The SSR is easy and cheap to do.

As said above, you will then need an ICC qualification - again easy to get

Finally - check out Sant Carles - that where we are berthed
Lots of Brits here and very friendly - We have a berth holders forum - register for free at www.scmchat.com and see what we are all saying.

Good luck

 

[Andrew38]

Like Hurricane I'm based at Sant Carles and would certainly recommend it - we've more than doubled the days we've used the boat in the two seasons we've been there. More and more airlines seem to be flying into Reus now plus Barcelona El Prat has v good connections all year.

As I'm looking at swopping my boat for a new one I'd have some immediate concerns about cost effectiveness of buying boats out in Spain. I have no experience of buying boats there only at possibly selling one through the Spanish dealer for my Beneteau, so I could be totally wrong but if it raises a question mark here and there for you then it might be of help.

Firstly, the Spanish not only pay VAT at 21% but also a 13% luxury tax.

Secondly, Spanish agents (should this be applicable in your case) seem to charge a minimum of 10% plus vat which is higher than the UK

Thirdly, apparently, there is a 5% deposit required to be held by the owner or the agent, by law, for 6 months after the sale as the owner must guarantee the product. If the price you are paying is competitive then this is good news but generally I am told owners just build the 5% onto their selling price.

Obviously it is possible that Spanish owners just take an even bigger depreciation hit than even we do; if so then I would investigate the effect of changing to UK registration on the luxury tax, as if it has already been paid then it would make resale in Spain easier.

For the record it costs about £5k to transport a UK 45 foot boat to Sant Carles.

Just a few thoughts

 

[jfm]

As hurricane and others say above it would be easier to register the boat in the UK. Doing that registration is easy but the UK register will not accept the boat until it has been removed from the Spanish register, and THAT is the hard bit. It is somewhat common practice to contract that the seller does that, and delivers a certificate of deletion to you on completion ie before you pay

I also agree that the coast there is dull for cruising

 

[Montemar]

Take a look at Roses which is just around the Bay of Roses from Empuria Brava. The marina is small but the town is very nice. The coast is known as Costa Brava ( wild coast ) for good reason and France is not far away either.

 

[Mr mastic]

Thanks guys for the info its much appreciated.
Sant Carles looks good to me.
I'm looking to purchase a ten year old Sealine and was under the impression i didnt need to register anything anywhere has i'm buying a Spanish registered boat in Spain ?
i have my Coastal/Yachtmaster and my UK ICC.

your thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Hurricane]

Thanks guys for the info its much appreciated.
Sant Carles looks good to me.
I'm looking to purchase a ten year old Sealine and was under the impression i didnt need to register anything anywhere has i'm buying a Spanish registered boat in Spain ?
i have my Coastal/Yachtmaster and my UK ICC.

your thoughts would be appreciated.

You need to talk to Mark (Elessar) on this forum
He bought a Spanish Sealine from a little village about 10 miles from Sant Carles
He took his boat back to the UK and did some extensive refitting.

Hopefully, he will see this thread and help