Buying abroad - advice!

Very Annoyed

Very Annoyed

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I've seen a boat that might be just what I've been looking for except it's in Spain!! Now that doesn't put me off and my good lady is happy to take a few days break in the sun while I look at the important stuff - that's the boat!:D

I've never bought abroad before so what are the pitfalls?
The boat in question is fiberglass, about 25yrs old it's spent all of it's life in Spain in a hot climate. Will this have had an effect on the gel-coating or any other parts of the boat?
What are the tax implications of buying abroad?
Transport - how much will it cost to transport a 35ft motor boat back to the UK?

Anything I've forgotten???
 
Very Annoyed said:
I've seen a boat that might be just what I've been looking for except it's in Spain!! Now that doesn't put me off and my good lady is happy to take a few days break in the sun while I look at the important stuff - that's the boat!:D

I've never bought abroad before so what are the pitfalls?
The boat in question is fiberglass, about 25yrs old it's spent all of it's life in Spain in a hot climate.
1) Will this have had an effect on the gel-coating or any other parts of the boat?
2) What are the tax implications of buying abroad?
3) Transport - how much will it cost to transport a 35ft motor boat back to the UK?

Anything I've forgotten???
Click to expand...

1) Yes, the gel coat will have become quite chalky. It can be cut back but will never shine permanently like new. It's cosmetic so up to you if you can live with it.
2) What nationality is the owner? Is it on any register?
3) £5-8k depending on how lazy you want to be!
 
I would advise getting the broker (or owner) to send lots of CURRENT pics (and walkaround video if possible). This is from experience of visiting Puerto Banus earlier this year to view a Sunseeker based on what must have been pictures taken some time ago which didn't reflect the neglected condition it was currently in. Had a nice weekend break though!

Same broker had lined up a viewing of a Fairline which mysteriously became unavailable only once we have arrived in Spain.
 
If you are not in a hurry, club member got a Turbo 36 back from SOF last month for £5K.Could try to get details.
Went down by canal in the spring but was not keen on bringing it back by water.
 
I'm in Menorca at moment , I've looked and not seen one boats yet that's worthy it's price against its condition, again like the UK a lack of good quality boats available according to the dealers here .
 
Factor in other costs like you will need to travel more than once, lift, seatrial etc. I had my boat lifted before I went over so when I arrived I could inspect the hull and later in the day have it launched again to seatrial it with a local engineer. Good comment on the paperwork. Don't get on a plane before getting proof of VAT and ownership / registration.
I called the builder and the registration office to check if the ownership trail was as they told me. It worked for me but you do need to allow for costs repairing the sun damage.
 
Very Annoyed said:
I've seen a boat that might be just what I've been looking for except it's in Spain!! Now that doesn't put me off and my good lady is happy to take a few days break in the sun while I look at the important stuff - that's the boat!:D

I've never bought abroad before so what are the pitfalls?
The boat in question is fiberglass, about 25yrs old it's spent all of it's life in Spain in a hot climate. Will this have had an effect on the gel-coating or any other parts of the boat?
What are the tax implications of buying abroad?
Transport - how much will it cost to transport a 35ft motor boat back to the UK?

Anything I've forgotten???
Click to expand...

Hi, I looked at a P35 in Spain a month ago , which one are you thinking of ?

I would agree with the other comments about the body , the sun can be very harsh on the fiberglass and also on the interior ,I asked for extra pictures,there was plenty of detail in them and it looked quite well but its very different when you are standing on it and can see everything .
There is a lot of extra work to be done before you get it home .
I feel it's only worth buy in the med if you are going to leave it there .

I emailed 2 transport companies in the UK at the time , got no reply from one and the price I got from the other one to bring it to Ireland was 10k + vat and that route was up to northern Spain and ferry to the UK and then over to here , so knock off about 2k for the leg to here and that gives you a rough estimate.

I did get one other quote from a European company and they said ballpark € 19k
 
Dont do as I did. When in France I bought a French Boat (which was excellent) the only problem was that it was a make which was never exported to the UK, consequently when I brought it back and subsequently put it up for sale it was virtually unsaleable as nobody had heard of the make, and I ended up virtually giving it away.
So with this boat in Spain, if you intend to bring it back to the UK hopefully its of a make which is recognisable.
 
I appreciate I am a med boater but why on earth would you want to bring a boat from the med ( exchange rate aside) back to the uk?

Poor weather, indifferent service from marinas ( do they ever help with lines ?) , cold grey sea. Spend the transport money on diesel ( the mooring will cost you no more than in the Solent .. it was some years since I looked but I can't see it has changed .
 
Thanks guys some really useful information, some that I hadn't of thought of!
The boat in question is a P35 as some of might know I'm looking for a really nice late one and thought I'd found it! Ironically a member on here has already been out to see it so I've managed to get a good understanding of the boat. irrespective of the distance, paperwork, fees, exchange rate, transport etc...etc It would seem that the boat isn't quite in the condition that I was what I was looking for! My quest to find that late, well looked after P35 continues......!
 
I bought a 14 year old boat in Spain recently, it needs a good polish apart from that its pretty much like new. It was also significantly cheaper than anything in the UK. (very smug smile on face at the moment - really pleased with it) There are bargains around. I also found the buying (and the previous selling process) very professionally done too. Check the paper work as always. Changing registry is straightforward - but use a broker who knows what they are doing. Good point re multiple visits.
 
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jrudge said:
I appreciate I am a med boater but why on earth would you want to bring a boat from the med ( exchange rate aside) back to the uk?

Poor weather, indifferent service from marinas ( do they ever help with lines ?) , cold grey sea. Spend the transport money on diesel ( the mooring will cost you no more than in the Solent .. it was some years since I looked but I can't see it has changed .
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I'd love to own a boat in the Med!! But due to work commitments I'm unable to take more than 2 to 3 days off in a row, mostly the odd day or two here and there so travelling to the med to use the boat just wouldn't be an option for me at the moment.

Great idea tho....!
 
Very Annoyed said:
I'd love to own a boat in the Med!! But due to work commitments I'm unable to take more than 2 to 3 days off in a row, mostly the odd day or two here and there so travelling to the med to use the boat just wouldn't be an option for me at the moment.

Great idea tho....!
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The flights are cheap and the weather reliable between April and October. You would probably get more boating days in the med. and then sell a half Share and only have half the costs of you don't have much free time.
 
jrudge said:
I appreciate I am a med boater but why on earth would you want to bring a boat from the med ( exchange rate aside) back to the uk?

Poor weather, indifferent service from marinas ( do they ever help with lines ?) , cold grey sea. Spend the transport money on diesel ( the mooring will cost you no more than in the Solent .. it was some years since I looked but I can't see it has changed .
Click to expand...

You have been away too long. The UK is now wall to wall blue skys and sun with clear crystal blue water. The tide now only has a 300 mm range and the wind never blows. Temp is a constant 25 degrees C and at the marinas they have bikini clad beauties helping to catch your lines. Fuel is free and your hull never ever fouls up.

Who needs the med

Dennis
 
Very Annoyed said:
I've seen a boat that might be just what I've been looking for except it's in Spain!! Now that doesn't put me off and my good lady is happy to take a few days break in the sun while I look at the important stuff - that's the boat!:D

I've never bought abroad before so what are the pitfalls?
The boat in question is fiberglass, about 25yrs old it's spent all of it's life in Spain in a hot climate. Will this have had an effect on the gel-coating or any other parts of the boat?
What are the tax implications of buying abroad?
Transport - how much will it cost to transport a 35ft motor boat back to the UK?

Anything I've forgotten???
Click to expand...

Try Bob at Fenland Boat Transport. Personally I wouldn't use anyone else. Don't be put off by his location, he is always all over Europe and is very, very competitive on price, even more so if you are flexible on dates and he can tie it in with a back or front load. I wouldn't use anyone else now.

Just as an adjunct, I agree entirely with all of the comments made by jrudge. Vilamoura and Albufeira are both almost exactly £1100 for the nine months from 15/9-15/6 for a boat up to 8m. Stick her in Gib at £9 a night for the intervening period and you have year round marina mooring for less than forty quid a week. Flights to Malaga/Faro can be had for next to nothing and you are almost guaranteed sunshine and (in Portugal at least) good winds. Why would you need more than a few days off at once when you know that less than three hours after landing you will have slipped?

I am also lucky enough to have a friend who lives aboard on the next pontoon, so using Beds on Board has enabled me to sail, pay for the mooring fees, annual lift out, scrub, antifoul and preventative maintenance as well as having the sails overhauled each year and still more than break even, including factoring in flights and the not inconsequential size of my German factotums beer habit. Added to which,many people just want the Kudos of staying on a "Yacht", by which most landlubbers expect it to be a Sunseeker or Fairline anyway, so Heaven forbid 99.9% of them actally wanting to go out on the water on something that doesn't have Sunloungers.


Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
 
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