Bringing a boat from Norway to the med

[TSailors]

Hi there. Does anyone know the expenses, time, etc, involved in bringing a boat from, say, Norway to the med?
It will probably be small enough to be brought using the canals route. Around 35 feet probably.
Many thanks, -t

 

[PlanB]

First question - what sort of boat?
We really need more precise information on your preferred timescale, whether you want to do it in one season or stopping en route, engine size, starting and finishing points........................................................
If you search the forums, you'll find loads of posts, including several by me, on the subject.

 

[westernman]

If you are going to pay some one to do it for you, transport by road will workout cheaper.

 

[Hoolie]

We took our boat from the UK down through France and it was quite a memorable adventure. But we struggled at times in the canals as there is never as much water as claimed.

 

[Hoolie]

.

 

[srm]

The critical dimension for inland waterways is draught. We looked at taking our 35ft boat inland, but decided not to risk it.

 

[Sandy]

Hi there. Does anyone know the expenses, time, etc, involved in bringing a boat from, say, Norway to the med?
It will probably be small enough to be brought using the canals route. Around 35 feet probably.
Many thanks, -t

Depends on how you do it.

Your draft will be the first thing to find out as that will dictate if you can use the canal system.

If not then things are very variable:

Are you planning to do this as one or two hops, e.g. Norway to Brest then Brest to Gibraltar. Plan on 100NM per 24 sailing hours.

Are you going to pay for a delivery skipper, food, fuel.

If you plan a slower coastal hopping trip add in marina costs, meals out etc, etc.

p.s. If you are a UK citizen then we have the 90/180 day rule to think about.

 

[Wansworth]

Hi there. Does anyone know the expenses, time, etc, involved in bringing a boat from, say, Norway to the med?
It will probably be small enough to be brought using the canals route. Around 35 feet probably.
Many thanks, -t

Contact Halcyon yacht deliveries……sometime on the forum

 

[TSailors]

First question - what sort of boat?
We really need more precise information on your preferred timescale, whether you want to do it in one season or stopping en route, engine size, starting and finishing points........................................................
If you search the forums, you'll find loads of posts, including several by me, on the subject.

It will be a sailboat, roughly about 35 feet, we intend to bring it from Norway to Greece, hopefully this summer. We intend to sail it ourselves. Either through the French canals or "all the way around" the Gibraltar.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Cheapest and quickest solution is to put it on a lorry and enjoy your summer in the med. Have a friend who did that with a Sunbeam 37 last year after pondering exactly the same issues ... drop it in at Trieste/Koper and cruise down Croatia, Montenegro, to Greece.

 

[Tranona]

It will be a sailboat, roughly about 35 feet, we intend to bring it from Norway to Greece, hopefully this summer. We intend to sail it ourselves. Either through the French canals or "all the way around" the Gibraltar.

That is a major undertaking and there is really not time starting now to buy and prepare a boat then sail there either through the canals or round the outside.

Taking a boat from outside the EU VAT area into the EU is not straightforward. You will need to apply for Temporary Admission when you first enter which will allow you to use the boat for 18 months. This can be renewed by leaving the EU and re-entering. Most of the time you will be in the Schengen area so if you reside outside that you will also be limited in the time you spend there. You will need an ICC with CEVNI endorsement if you are using the canals. The practical limit for the French canal system is 1.5m draft and few sailing boats, particularly modern ones of 35' have shallow draft.

You don't say what style of boat you intend buying, but be aware that older style Scandinavian boats are not ideal for use in the Med. The more modern style boats with wider beam, more space below large cockpits and sugar scoop or open transoms are far more suited to med style sailing and mooring. They also tend to have bigger tanks, fridges and the ability to fit a bimini, all of which make for easier living in hot climates.

If your intention is to keep a boat in Greece it perhaps makes more sense to buy one there, EU VAT paid that means you have no constraints on where you can sail plus it will already be equipped for Med use. As already suggested if you just want to get a boat there, sail it to Germany or Holland and then truck it to the Adriatic. Not cheap, probably 10k euros for thee truck and handling at both ends. Delivery by sea in "delivery" mode - that is sailing continuously and only stopping for weather or fuel would take about 5 weeks around the outside and twice that through the canal system. However that misses what is probably the best cruising in Europe, particularly from the western end of the Channel round to the westernstern Med. This can be done in a series of day sails, except if you choose to cross Biscay direct and can be done in a long summer from May to October, or better in 2 summers, spending the winter in Portugal or southern Spain. Apart from coats southern Spain there is little sailing in the Med from November to April.

Hope this gives you some idea of the possibilities

 

[Koeketiene]

Taking a boat from outside the EU VAT area into the EU is not straightforward. You will need to apply for Temporary Admission when you first enter which will allow you to use the boat for 18 months. This can be renewed by leaving the EU and re-entering.

As the third country is Norway, VAT isn't such a big issue as you might think.

Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norw... - EUR-Lex

 

[Tranona]

Nothing in there that says Norwegian VAT paid boats have free circulation in the EU, so it will still need to comply with EU TA rules or be imported and pay VAT

 

[capnsensible]

Providing nothing untoward shows up during pre sea checks and a short sea trial, it really doesn't take too long to prepare an awb for this trip. 3 days, probably less of you don't keep stopping for a cup of tea. It's effectively a loooong coastal sail, masses of pit stops available on the way to make good any deficiencies discovered on passage.

Wouldn't linger too long before getting going though.

How far north in Norway are you starting?

 

[westernman]

Providing nothing untoward shows up during pre sea checks and a short sea trial, it really doesn't take too long to prepare an awb for this trip. 3 days, probably less of you don't keep stopping for a cup of tea. It's effectively a loooong coastal sail, masses of pit stops available on the way to make good any deficiencies discovered on passage.

Wouldn't linger too long before getting going though.

How far north in Norway are you starting?

3 day trip from Norway to Greece?
Wow. That is really fast sailing.

 

[capnsensible]

3 day trip from Norway to Greece?
Wow. That is really fast sailing.

Did you miss the bit where I was talking about preparation time?

But remember, nothing goes to windward like an Airbus.

 

[mjcoon]

But remember, nothing goes to windward like an Airbus.

RIP Concorde!

 

[Tranona]

Providing nothing untoward shows up during pre sea checks and a short sea trial, it really doesn't take too long to prepare an awb for this trip. 3 days, probably less of you don't keep stopping for a cup of tea. It's effectively a loooong coastal sail, masses of pit stops available on the way to make good any deficiencies discovered on passage.

Wouldn't linger too long before getting going though.

How far north in Norway are you starting?

That may well apply to a straight delivery trip. However from what little the OP has said (wonder if he will come back with more information) he has not decided on the boat let alone bought it. If you make the assumption that he is not just delivering, but sailing as many do, for pleasure to relocate into the Med there is an awful lot more to do than just make sure it is safe enough to get there.

 

[capnsensible]

That may well apply to a straight delivery trip. However from what little the OP has said (wonder if he will come back with more information) he has not decided on the boat let alone bought it. If you make the assumption that he is not just delivering, but sailing as many do, for pleasure to relocate into the Med there is an awful lot more to do than just make sure it is safe enough to get there.

It's still not difficult.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

That may well apply to a straight delivery trip. However from what little the OP has said (wonder if he will come back with more information) he has not decided on the boat let alone bought it. If you make the assumption that he is not just delivering, but sailing as many do, for pleasure to relocate into the Med there is an awful lot more to do than just make sure it is safe enough to get there.

If he has not bought it then he is looking at starting south sometime August at best on what will be for a boat of the size he mentions about 4 weeks sailing to get to Gib then he has another 3 weeks or more of Med sailing to get to his destination, all doable providing the boat is serviceable. I made no allowance for weather but he could expect quite a bit of motoring against adverse winds and certainly a week or more waiting for weather to pass and a window for his biscay crossing. Should he be thinking marina hopping then the timescale increases significantly. It will depend on the boat and how he decides to sail it.