Buying Ex Charter Lefkas Greece

[noswellplease]

Thinking of buying Ex Charter Lefkas,something around 40 feet. Wondering if it would be best to buy start of October when charter season winds down or wait till Spring? My thinking is that the best of the bunch will be bought end of season and what is left carries over to the Spring. Of course you have the extra expense of Winter laying-up but maybe that is worth it if you get a better boat. Any thoughts on the matter would be appreciated or other ways to keep down costs of purchase....Thanks in advance.

 

[KellysEye]

Off season is likely to be cheaper. As a rule of thumb charter boats are well maintained for obvious reasons but don't touch a Kiriacoulis boat, the complaints about them by LateSail customers were legendary.

 

[Tranona]

Thinking of buying Ex Charter Lefkas,something around 40 feet. Wondering if it would be best to buy start of October when charter season winds down or wait till Spring? My thinking is that the best of the bunch will be bought end of season and what is left carries over to the Spring. Of course you have the extra expense of Winter laying-up but maybe that is worth it if you get a better boat. Any thoughts on the matter would be appreciated or other ways to keep down costs of purchase....Thanks in advance.

October is a good time as the best choice of boats. Also may get a chance to have a freeby weeks charter before you buy. Sail Ionian have probably the best maintained boats and I see they have a couple in your size range. You can get a deal with them to keep the boat over the winter and guardinage in season if you want. Ignore the previous post advice - very happy with my Kiriacoulis boat. Whoever you buy from just make sure that everything is completed before you take it over as there is no comeback. I sat on my boat for a week as the small amount of remedial work work was being done and missing bits replaced. Also make sure that the paperwork - deregistration, bill of Sale and VAT invoice is all correct.

 

[doug748]

I saw this on the 'bay last night:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dromor-Ap...UST-BE-SEEN-/281767141344?hash=item419aa15fe0

Might be a dog, class may be poor, engine may be at the bottom of the Ionian, no idea. Nothing in particular to do with your post except it does show that a little money can go a long way with semi-abandoned dreamboats.

 

[crazy2]

I would avoid ex charter boats, they may be cheap, if you are lucky they may be well maintained, but also suffer a lot of damage, remember they are being used by inexperienced crew and the coast line around Lekada is mainly rocky. Most charter boats have found themselves on the rocks at some point in there lives! I would also avoid any boats that have been kept in Vliho marina (Marias yard) as all the boats in this yard fell over in a storm a couple of years ago. Use a good broker that you feel you can trust, not just one that wants to sell you anything. I used 2sails and they were very helpfull, honest and not pushy. Best time to look is end of season, you can always negotiate the winter storage, owner has probably paid 50% up front, he will know that if he does not negotiate the rest he will have to pay in the spring & may not have found a buyer. Be wary of boats that have stood for a long time in the yard, they may have done so for a reason. Check the v.a.t has been paid, Greece is in need of extra income, don't let the broker tell you it doesn't matter! Good luck

 

[Tranona]

I would avoid ex charter boats, they may be cheap, if you are lucky they may be well maintained, but also suffer a lot of damage, remember they are being used by inexperienced crew and the coast line around Lekada is mainly rocky. Most charter boats have found themselves on the rocks at some point in there lives!

That is a sweeping statement and not my experience of owning a charter boat there. If you buy from a reputable operator the boat should be well maintained and any damage repaired properly. My boat did 7 seasons chartering with only one bit of damage that needed repairs - and you can't see where it was repaired. If you buy a boat that is coming off charter after 5 or 6 years the only thing that will be significantly different from a private boat will be engine hours. However this is actually a benefit because the engines are better for regular use and regular oil and filter changes. Many boats are actually privately owned and managed by the operator so the operator has an extra responsibility to the owner to keep the boat up to scratch as well as ensuring charter customers get a boat in good condition.

As with buying any used boat caution is required in inspecting the boat for signs of damage and wear, but there is no reason why an ex charter boat should not be good value.

 

[crazy2]

Don't know what you are talking about tran. Only a couple of weeks ago Sail ionian had five boats on the rocks in Friskardo, same happened in Kassos with sailing holidays & island sailing. Just check out the videos of Vliho storm, sail ionian had many of there boats damaged, probably the ones they are selling now?

 

[vyv_cox]

We met a family a few years ago who were sailing a recently purchased ex-Sunsail boat. It was quite immaculate, barely a mark on it. I would have been very happy to buy similar. When my son worked for Sunsail he saw many professional GRP repairs carried out near their Vounaki base, done to a very high standard such that they were indistinguishable from new.

 

[Tranona]

Don't know what you are talking about tran. Only a couple of weeks ago Sail ionian had five boats on the rocks in Friskardo, same happened in Kassos with sailing holidays & island sailing. Just check out the videos of Vliho storm, sail ionian had many of there boats damaged, probably the ones they are selling now?

I have seen the storm video - and been on the Vliho quay in severe weather. I noted all the privately owned boats that were damaged (and the ones recently in Gaios). The damage from such events is not limited to charter boats so exactly the same caution needs to be applied to any boat that is used in areas where rocks are common.

The majority of charter boats do not suffer excessive damage and if they do are more likely to be repaired properly as they are a business asset and don't earn money unless they are working.

 

[neil1967]

I'm biased, as I own a charter boat, although in Turkey not Greece, but I'll echo what Tranona says. Certainly for the smaller operators, they rely on getting a lot of repeat custom, and they do that by providing well maintained boats. They cannot afford to have scruffy yachts that are constantly breaking down. I have seen some of the largest operators boats, and I'd venture that our 8 year old charter boat,looked after by a small (30 yacht) company is in significantly better condition than a 4 year old boat we sailed from a big operator that was about to be retired. So, as with all boats, check and check again, and I suggest that you might get a better maintained boat from a smaller company. But certainly you can't say that all charter boats are maintained or treated the same, in the same way that not all privately yachts are not all treated and maintained the same.

 

[Melody]

A well-maintained charter yacht can be a better buy than a private one. The most important thing is to get a good survey. The surveyor should be able to tell you if the hull has been damaged.

Definitely buy end of season for the best choice and prices. There are likely to be few yachts in spring as owners will start taking bookings if the boat hasn't been sold by the beginning of the year.

Prices of second-hand yachts in Greece are likely to be comparably higher this year. It's been impossible for Greeks to get loans for new yachts so they've been hanging onto their current boat, meaning there are fewer on the market so prices go up. It's also been an extremely good charter season this year and next year promises to be the same so, again, people are not selling.

Look in September/October and GET A SURVEY.

 

[KellysEye]

>Many boats are actually privately owned and managed by the operator so the operator has an extra responsibility to the owner to keep the boat up to scratch as well as ensuring charter customers get a boat in good condition.

The Sunsail and Moorings fleets, the bigggest company, are all privately owned, the owners get four weeks free charter a year anywhere in the world they have boats. Having chartered one or two of their boats for over twenty years the only problems we had were a dodgy battery, in Greece, and a fuel supply problem, in the Caribbean, otherwise they were all in good nick. When the boat is sold it is in good condition and very good value.