How long to find your boat?

[Thedreamoneday]

I'm looking to buy a new (to me) boat next year in Greece, I was going to give myself 2 weeks towards the end of the season to look round and hopefully find 'The One'.

If you bought yours abroad I'm interested in how you went about it, what issues you came across and how long it took to find the right one. Did you go looking with a particular model in mind, did you get one or did you end up buying something else? Also if you did it again (buying the boat) would you go about it differently?

Just keen on finding out what other people did in what I'd imagine being a very exciting/ possibly stressful time.

 

[ribrage]

I'm looking to buy a new (to me) boat next year in Greece, I was going to give myself 2 weeks towards the end of the season to look round and hopefully find 'The One'.

If you bought yours abroad I'm interested in how you went about it, what issues you came across and how long it took to find the right one. Did you go looking with a particular model in mind, did you get one or did you end up buying something else? Also if you did it again (buying the boat) would you go about it differently?

Just keen on finding out what other people did in what I'd imagine being a very exciting/ possibly stressful time.

Don't rush the process , it took me eighteen months to find what I was after, if you look off grid you can often find the boat of your dreams for less money and in need of a little TLC

 

[Tranona]

Really depends on what sort of boat you are looking for. If you are looking for a recent ex charter boat then there is a cycle when they come on the market at the end of the season. It might then be possible to look at a number of boats in a relatively short period of time. If looking for a private boat, one that had been bought elsewhere and sailed there, end of season might still be good, but boats may not be so accessible for easy viewing, and owners may be elsewhere.

If you have not been looking before you will probably find a trip to Corfu and Preveza/Levkas around October would give you a good choice to look at to get a feel for what is available. When you get round to buying, ensure that you get good documentation as many boats have had colourful histories.

 

[Thedreamoneday]

Don't rush the process , it took me eighteen months to find what I was after, if you look off grid you can often find the boat of your dreams for less money and in need of a little TLC

18 months!! Wow, that's a long time- daft question but what do you mean 'Off grid'?

 

[Thedreamoneday]

Really depends on what sort of boat you are looking for. If you are looking for a recent ex charter boat then there is a cycle when they come on the market at the end of the season. It might then be possible to look at a number of boats in a relatively short period of time. If looking for a private boat, one that had been bought elsewhere and sailed there, end of season might still be good, but boats may not be so accessible for easy viewing, and owners may be elsewhere.

If you have not been looking before you will probably find a trip to Corfu and Preveza/Levkas around October would give you a good choice to look at to get a feel for what is available. When you get round to buying, ensure that you get good documentation as many boats have had colourful histories.

I was thinking late sept early oct next year and spending the time around the Corfu, Preveza/ levkas area.

One other question, do you think the brokers advertise all their stock on line? Apollo duck, own sites etc as I'd thought there would be more on offer or do you think I'm talking rubbish?

 

[jordanbasset]

Do you have a particular type, make or model in mind. If not I suggest trying to narrow it down by looking at boats closer to hand, so that when you do go over there you can concentrate on the type of boat you are interested in.

 

[Thedreamoneday]

Do you have a particular type, make or model in mind. If not I suggest trying to narrow it down by looking at boats closer to hand, so that when you do go over there you can concentrate on the type of boat you are interested in.

I've been narrowing it down so have a rough idea what I'm looking for, this will be reduced further to maybe 2/3 types by the time I'm looking to part with my cash.

The main reason for the post though was to find out what other people have done.

Cheers

 

[Bertramdriver]

Took us two years and SWMBO found our boat in Greece on the internet. I had a clear idea of what I wanted which she completely ignored and badgered me into looking at it. I initially thought the boat I eventually bought for a ridiculously low price to be ugly, too old and tired. But after 10 years of cruising I have total confidence in her; strong, very sea worthy and now super comfortable and reliable. She's still ugly but I'm on the inside so I don't care.

Buying in Greece is straight forward if you spend another €2000 and use a lawyer, especially if the boat is UK registered (as a high percentage are). Don't put your trust in the Brokers. Lefkas / Preveza is a good place to start but also the Athens marinas like Alimos, Olympic and Glyffada, where most boats are owned by desperate to sell Greeks.

Take your time, be flexible and haggle the price until the seller is ready to walk away, but don't sign until you have a full survey and pay to take out a Brit surveyor. Don't use a local. They can be a bit too close to the Broker.

If you are a serious buyer there are enormous numbers of boats for sale, from 5 year old superyachts to ex charter 30" sailing yachts. Don't be afraid of buying an older boat as there is an infrastructure to help revive it, and it's less stressful when some idiot decides to initial and decorate your gel coat for you.

So cash is king, as always.

Good luck
Sorry forgot the obvious. Only a small percentage of boats are for sale on the internet. Walk around the marinas and ask in the office and you'll be shown boats which have not been widely advertised. I for example can show you an immaculate 1980's Baltic 40". A bit of work and would be ready for a circumnavigation. I know the buyer is desperate to sell but it's not widely advertised as the owner has a pathological dislike of Brokers. Just put in the effort.

 

[TQA]

6 weeks to find it 2 weeks to haggle the seller down to my price.

 

[Tranona]

I've been narrowing it down so have a rough idea what I'm looking for, this will be reduced further to maybe 2/3 types by the time I'm looking to part with my cash.

The main reason for the post though was to find out what other people have done.

Cheers

Not entirely sure that others' experiences are particularly helpful as there are so many different ways that people end up with their specific boats. Brokers are fairly active because unlike in the UK the majority of buyers do not live in Greece so have to do just what you are planning. On the other hand, as Bert says, there are many boats potentially for sale that you only hear about via the grapevine or seeing a sign hanging on the boat. Many boats are for sale for years because it is difficult to find buyers in the short summer period, so a bit like here they end up shoved in the back of a yard slowly falling apart.

Good up together boats that are seriously for sale are more likely to be advertised widely and placed with brokers. That is partly why I asked what sort of boat you are looking for, as that in part determines how you go about finding it. So, if you wanted a late model ex charter boat you could buy it (almost) by remote. But if you are looking for a specific older boat, perhaps that needs work, you need to be on the ground to find it, determine it is a better wreck than you expected, then find the owner to do a deal. There are an awful lot of worn out boats there and you could spend a lot of time trying to sort out the better ones.

Think you have to be prepared to do a 2 week trip without the expectation of actually finding anything - but treat it as a bonus if you do. Boats on average take between one and two years to sell, so not surprising if it takes a similar time to buy.

 

[Thedreamoneday]

Some really good replies, just the sort of thing I'm looking for.

I think it's showing I'm way off the mark with my two week trip to find, which is why I'm keen to find out others experiences of how they went about find theirs and how long it took, I understand the way I find mine maybe completely different again but I (naively) didn't think there would be 'For Sale' signs just hanging off boats in a marina/ yard or word of mouth from other boat owners which opens up a load of potential opportunities.

I am in the Southern Ionian on a 2 week flotilla in 4 weeks so hopefully I'll get some opportunity to speak to people and get a feel for what's on offer.

I take on board about the uk surveyor, I'd feel more comfortable with that 'Independent' view, so would certainly build that cost in to the total spend.

Interestingly a couple of people have PM me with details of boats that they know of which I suppose underlines the Marina for sale boats. I am happy with that but just so people know my max (including surveyor, legalities etc) is £50k I was thinking of the more typical med types ie Beneteau, jeanneau, Bavaria etc but could be tempted with something else.

Again, thanks for the replies and tips, please keep them coming.

 

[ribrage]

18 months!! Wow, that's a long time- daft question but what do you mean 'Off grid'?

Don't just rely on adverts on the internet and magazines, do some leg work , visit the yards where stuff gets abandoned , people run out of cash or interest and are left paying yard fees , these boats often sold at way less than market value, do some leg work .

For instance I was last out in a yard in Potimao Portugal and there were the front row boats that had last been lifted out the water and were being worked on , then there's the "second row " boats , these are long term yard stays , often not worked on for months but someone still pays the bills and potters with it . Then there are the back of the yard boats, stuff that people have walked away from for what ever reason , do some leg work , speak to people in the yards.

Personally I skipped the survey as I knew I would be rebuilding what ever I bought any way, I made an offer that was 1/3 of the asking price then sat back and waited for a week (long week) , don't assume just because it isn't in a shop window or advertised in any way it isn't for sale , everything is for sale !

 

[1bobt]

Be careful of a Greek surveyor with the initials G V.

 

[Tranona]

Interestingly a couple of people have PM me with details of boats that they know of which I suppose underlines the Marina for sale boats. I am happy with that but just so people know my max (including surveyor, legalities etc) is £50k I was thinking of the more typical med types ie Beneteau, jeanneau, Bavaria etc but could be tempted with something else.

Again, thanks for the replies and tips, please keep them coming.

You will finds plenty of choice with those parameters. However, don't think you will really need to crawl round the back of yards looking for one as most will be actively for sale and widely advertised. Just as an example I did a search on Yachtworld for Bavaria 34-38' up to £50k and there are 17 boats listed, some of them in Levkas. Looking for boats on the ground is enormously time consuming, and not sure you will get a chance to see many if you are on a flotilla holiday.

Suggest you do some desk work and you will have no trouble in finding a good selection of 5-10 boats in the Preveza/Levkas area to look at. Make the arrangements to view before you leave as the chances of just turning up and getting to view boats on spec are pretty slim. Many boats of that type will be ex charter boats being retired by the operator, and are offered ex VAT, so you pay the tax on top of the advertised price. There are of course also privately owned boats, but many of them will have been charter boats originally. Just make sure they have good paperwork!

 

[Falcon34]

We came out May 2013 to look a particular Moody having studied all,the adverts online beforehand . Looked at it ,decide quite quickly that it didn't really live up to its description. Very quickly found another yacht to look at.( it's quite important to ensure the broker will,be available to! Show you the boats. Quite often the boats are not where they say, as brokers do this to confuse competition) particularly in April May when direct flights start to Preveza it gets very busy.
We used a qualified UK surveyor based in Lefkas and he did his job well( Kevan Whittle) and ensured we bought a boat that although she was
Very well fitted did require a lot of work/expenditure but his comprehensive survey ensured that we were able to,purchase her at an sensible price and also have the required works carried out using recommended contractors (Ionian Glassfibre -Les Woods) and we now have a lovely boat which from initial enquiry to completion took 3 months plus having the works carried out when she was laid up the next winter.

 

[Steve C Cronin]

Buy a British registered boat from a Brit. Far less hassle and chance of hidden charges on the boat. There are plenty such boats around and they are usually much better looked after than a local boat.

 

[Steve C Cronin]

Be careful of a Greek surveyor with the initials G V.

Surprised he's not lying in a back alley somewhere with his testicles cut off!

 

[AndrewB]

We did much the same, scheduled a two week visit to Greece last year with the proviso that we had to come away with a decision.

We picked out about 10 boats to look at in advance at Corfu (Gouvia), Preveza (Actio, Cleopatra), Levkas and Nidri, all within easy reach of one another, but we knew that there would be plenty more when we arrived. Like you, our budget was £50k -ish. We made appointments with brokers in advance of going out, and encouraged them to identify other yachts that might be of interest. That way the brokers gave us lifts from airport and bus stations when we arrived, simplifying getting about. Many of the yachts were absolute no-hopers when we first saw them, and we quickly learned not to waste time with a pointless viewing. We actually looked over about 20; shortlisted 3 for a second more detailed visit, and bought one. The one we bought had been on our original list and we viewed it on our first day, so perhaps the rest of our time was wasted!

We did take a slight chance in that we didn't have time for a test-sail, but the class is a large one and we knew the reviews and comments here about sailing ability have been complimentary. And so it has proved.

Maybe not love at first sight, but after all one AWB is pretty much the same as any other. The point is to get sailing ... I can't understand people who angst for years over a decision.

PS: the 3 we shortlisted were a Halberg-Rassy 38 and two Moody 376's. The HR38 was top of the list after first viewing despite being over-budget. At the 2nd viewing I started to worry about the teak decking, on close inspection worn thin and with a suspicion of softness in the deck beneath here and there. Not wanting to be faced with the trouble of replacement decking, I asked the broker, what if I stripped off the teak and just painted the deck. "Sir, if you did that, it wouldn't be a Halberg-Rassy!". With that remark the sale was lost.

The two Moody's were very different. One was a private sale, a much used and loved boat owned by a Dutch couple. Tatty with much DIY woodwork, but very well worked out as a liveaboard and mechanically in excellent order. The other had been used for many years mainly as a marina based floating cottage, cosmetically excellent for its age but plainly with old kit that would need a lot of servicing or replacement for serious sailing. It was damp inside, but close inspection showed that this was largely due to failed sealing around deck fittings and window frames - something I could tackle. This was the one we bought, below budget but I estimated would need about £10k in upgrading which is about what it has cost. The other two were both sold within a few months.

 

[Steve C Cronin]

We did much the same, scheduled a two week visit to Greece last year with the proviso that we had to come away with a decision.

We picked out about 10 boats to look at in advance at Corfu (Gouvia), Preveza (Actio, Cleopatra), Levkas and Nidri, all within easy reach of one another, but we knew that there would be plenty more when we arrived. Like you, our budget was £50k -ish. We made appointments with brokers in advance of going out, and encouraged them to identify other yachts that might be of interest. That way the brokers gave us lifts from airport and bus stations when we arrived, simplifying getting about. Many of the yachts were absolute no-hopers when we first saw them, and we quickly learned not to waste time with a pointless viewing. We actually looked over about 20; shortlisted 3 for a second more detailed visit, and bought one. The one we bought had been on our original list and we viewed it on our first day, so perhaps the rest of our time was wasted!

We did take a slight chance in that we didn't have time for a test-sail, but the class is a large one and we knew the reviews and comments here about sailing ability have been complimentary. And so it has proved.

Maybe not love at first sight, but after all one AWB is pretty much the same as any other. The point is to get sailing ... I can't understand people who angst for years over a decision.b

PS: the 3 we shortlisted were a Halberg-Rassy 38 and two Moody 376's. The HR38 was top of the list after first viewing despite being over-budget. At the 2nd viewing I started to worry about the teak decking, on close inspection worn thin and with a suspicion of softness in the deck beneath here and there. Not wanting to be faced with the trouble of replacement decking, I asked the broker, what if I stripped off the teak and just painted the deck. "Sir, if you did that, it wouldn't be a Halberg-Rassy!". With that remark the sale was lost.

The two Moody's were very different. One was a private sale, a much used and loved boat owned by a Dutch couple. Tatty with much DIY woodwork, but very well worked out as a liveaboard and mechanically in excellent order. The other had been used for many years mainly as a marina based floating cottage, cosmetically excellent for its age but plainly with old kit that would need a lot of servicing or replacement for serious sailing. It was damp inside, but close inspection showed that this was largely due to failed sealing around deck fittings and window frames - something I could tackle. This was the one we bought, below budget but I estimated would need about £10k in upgrading which is about what it has cost. The other two were both sold within a few months.

What a ghastly experience. I know of at least six boats near me that are for sale and in vastly better order than the wrecks you describe. Best way to do it is to turn up at Gouvia or Levkas marinas snd just ask any decent looking Brit who is obviously an owner, if he knows of any currently in use boats for sale by fellow Brits and take it from there getting Leon Jennings, the surveyor engaged into the project. Never mind any wide-boy brokers or salesmen!

 

[AndrewB]

What a ghastly experience. I know of at least six boats near me that are for sale and in vastly better order than the wrecks you describe.

At the price I paid? Dream on!