Ionian - good base for looking at boats?

telford_mike

telford_mike

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 Jun 2007
Messages
379
Location
Winter : Switzerland | Summer : Ionian
Visit site
At long last I'll be able to kick the work habit next spring and I'm therefore planning to look for a boat. We love the Ionian despite the crowds so that'll be our destination.

The boats that I'm interested in (syndicate shares mostly on Chris Hawes site) are variously based in Nidri, Preveza and Lefkas, with the odd one or two in Corfu. My plan is to spend a month, probably next June, in the Ionian to allow plenty of time to make an informed choice.

Mrs t_m is firmly of the opinion that we should base ourselves in Nidri - it's a holiday destination with a good selection of hotels. Is this likely to be the most convenient base for getting a look at boats? Or would I be better off in Lefkas or Preveza where the big marinas are.

I assume car/boat hire would be easy from any of these places?

Any thoughts welcome.
 
telford_mike said:
At long last I'll be able to kick the work habit next spring and I'm therefore planning to look for a boat. We love the Ionian despite the crowds so that'll be our destination.

The boats that I'm interested in (syndicate shares mostly on Chris Hawes site) are variously based in Nidri, Preveza and Lefkas, with the odd one or two in Corfu. My plan is to spend a month, probably next June, in the Ionian to allow plenty of time to make an informed choice.

Mrs t_m is firmly of the opinion that we should base ourselves in Nidri - it's a holiday destination with a good selection of hotels. Is this likely to be the most convenient base for getting a look at boats? Or would I be better off in Lefkas or Preveza where the big marinas are.

I assume car/boat hire would be easy from any of these places?

Any thoughts welcome.
Click to expand...

Base really does not matter as the distances between are very small. Cars are easy and relatively cheap to hire - don't get anything too big or posh. You can usually get good deals booking from here and collecting at the airport.

Think if I were doing it, I would fly to Corfu as lots of choice in flights and low prices. Spend 2-3 days in Corfu as most of the boats you might want to see are in either Gouvia or Corfu Town, then get the ferry across to the mainland and hire a car from there to drive south. Where you base yourself depends on what sort of accommodation you want and whether you want to be in a town or in a country villa. In Corfu suggest you stay at Hotel Telesilla on Kontokali, right next to Gouvia marina, but if you want more holiday style there are lots of apartments and villas on the NE coast. An alternative way is to fly to Athens and take the bus to Levkas, then do a side trip to Corfu using the seaplane if it is still running.

You may find in June that many boats will not be where they say they are in the ads, so you need to make proper prior arrangements if you can to avoid wasted journeys.. As Chris has probably told you, the success of syndicate ownership is as much to do with the dynamics of the syndicate as the particular boat, so look carefully at the management arrangements as well as the boat.

Good luck!
 
Cariadco said:
I'd advise starting in Corfu, then hop on a ferry and work your way down, through Preveza and end up in Nidri/Levkas area.
In Corfu I can recommend the following Hotel to stay, who are right outside the marina entrance:
www.hoteltelesilla.com
And these guys to find you a boat and help/advise:
www.pinnacleyachtsales.com
Regards,
Click to expand...
+1 to both those excellent recommendations
Telesilla very close to marina with cheap and cheerful rooms and friendly staff who will serve you the best lamb dinners for miles.
Pinnacle yacht sales are an English run small brokership. Colin & patrner will give you genuine personal service and are totally trustworthy (I speak from experience only - no connections with either)
 
There are 3 main yacht brokers on Lefkada, Ionian Boat assistance (IBA) In Nidri, Williams and Smithells in Levkas Marina and the third I believe is called Ionian Boat Brokers in Levkas. The first 2 are run by expats and have their own web sites with details of all the yachts that they have on their books.
Now is a good time to purchase a yacht in Greece with negotiation, great deals can be had.
 
Cariadco said:
I'd advise starting in Corfu, then hop on a ferry and work your way down, through Preveza and end up in Nidri/Levkas area.
And these guys to find you a boat and help/advise:
www.pinnacleyachtsales.com
Regards,
Click to expand...

Beat me to it, they sold me my first boat and then sold it for me a number of years later. Excellent friendly folk who are passionate about yachts, I recommend them unreservedly.
 
There's a small airline called sky express runs between Corfu and Aktio airport at Preveza. Be aware most hire companies don't allow therir cars to be taken off the island.

Niall
 
We just listed our boat with pinnacle after we nearly bought a boat through them in the past and had a positive impression then . Good to hear others are positive too , always a bit of a gamble I guess . Good luck with your boat hunt, exciting times ahead clearly.
 
Cariadco said:
And these guys to find you a boat and help/advise:
www.pinnacleyachtsales.com
Click to expand...
Be warned, I had a bad experience with them last year. Very friendly and approachable at first, but they rapidly became hostile and defensive when, after buying, I discovered undisclosed faults on the yacht and quite major items missing from the signed-off inventory. I have dealt with far more trustworthy brokers, and would recommend avoiding this company.
 
I'm sure it's not something you want to dwell on and I'm not trying to defend anyone, but isn't it the buyer's responsibility to check inventory list before handover and have a survey done to ensure no hidden defects ? A broker relies on seller's disclosure (hence there is no no added safety benefit buying through broker). Your seller is liable for any contractual breach
 
Caveat emptor.

Of course we had a survey, but there is just so much one can reasonably expect a surveyor to spot in a standard survey, without requesting additional mechanical inspection etc.

As you say, I don't want to go into detail. True, it was ultimately the seller to blame for failing to list the faults he would certainly have known about, and not including all the items listed on the inventory. But I had no contact with him and Pinnacle would not pursue him to satisfy his obligations. It was on the basis of Pinnacle's description and their inventory that the yacht was sold, so they may well have a legal obligation to the buyer, but unfortunately I'm not wealthy enough to go testing that sort of thing in courts.
 
Last edited:
Obviously I do not know the details but surely if neither you nor your surveyor could see the problem that you later found, there is no possible way that the broker would know of them - your own inspection alone is likely to far more thorough than that of the broker.

Thereafter the entire agreement is found in the contract and, assuming it was an AYBA (or whatever it is called) standard contract, then there is nothing about undisclosed faults or any requirement to disclose them and therefore nothing for the broker to chase the vendor for. So when you say "Pinnacle would not pursue him to satisfy his obligations" firstly it is not Pinnacle's job to do that and secondly it seems the vendor did not have any outstanding obligations. If the vendor has deliberately and successfully concealed defects that does not mean a breach of the agreement; the only possible obligation is a moral one and there is nowhere to pursue that one !

It is not a nice situation but that is the difference between buying new and second-hand.
 
AndrewB said:
Caveat emptor.

Of course we had a survey, but there is just so much one can reasonably expect a surveyor to spot in a standard survey, without requesting additional mechanical inspection etc.
It was on the basis of Pinnacle's description and their inventory that the yacht was sold, so they may well have a legal obligation to the buyer, but unfortunately I'm not wealthy enough to go testing that sort of thing in courts.
Click to expand...
Doubt they have any legal obligation if a contract based on the ABYA contract was used. It is quite clear that the broker is only acting as agent for the owner and it is the owner that provides the description and inventory. This is very clear in the disclaimer on the listing details as well. It is the buyer's responsibility to ensure the boat is as described before he pays and takes delivery, using a surveyor as his agent (if he wishes) to advise him.

The broker is only responsible if he makes untrue statements about the boat that misleads the buyer. To avoid getting into this position the broker will ensure that the seller confirms that the description and inventory is correct before the listing is produced.

Obviously can't comment on the breakdown of communications between you the broker and the seller, but the legal position (at least under UK law) is quite clear.
 
Tranona said:
Doubt they have any legal obligation if a contract based on the ABYA contract was used. It is quite clear that the broker is only acting as agent for the owner and it is the owner that provides the description and inventory. This is very clear in the disclaimer on the listing details as well. It is the buyer's responsibility to ensure the boat is as described before he pays and takes delivery, using a surveyor as his agent (if he wishes) to advise him.

The broker is only responsible if he makes untrue statements about the boat that misleads the buyer. To avoid getting into this position the broker will ensure that the seller confirms that the description and inventory is correct before the listing is produced.
Click to expand...
Perhaps then, it is just Pinnacle's bad luck that I had recently beforehand been dealing with brokers who were far more scrupulous about ensuring that the contract between buyer and seller is properly honoured, and prepared to assist after a sale in resolving any outstanding issues.

Do you really want to deal with the sort of company that is cavalier in this regard, whatever their 'legal obligations', however smiley their faces?
 
Last edited:
Difficult to comment on your case but I guess in general one cannot expect a broker to know much about the boat he's selling other than what's he's been told. They are hardly surveyors typically... And unfortunately stuff on boats break down all the time hence there's no one who will warrant working systems... We bought our boat with 10% contingency in mind, luckily needed hardly any of it. But It does raise the general question why so many ppl insist on using brokers considering their added value is mere marketing.
 
AndrewB said:
Be warned, I had a bad experience with them last year. Very friendly and approachable at first, but they rapidly became hostile and defensive when, after buying, I discovered undisclosed faults on the yacht and quite major items missing from the signed-off inventory. I have dealt with far more trustworthy brokers, and would recommend avoiding this company.
Click to expand...

AndrewB, I am very surprised to hear your view on Pinnacle.
I have know them for many, many years, and have never heard any criticism of their business activities whatsoever. In fact everyone that has Purchased or Sold a boat through them has had nothing but compliments on their honesty, enthusiasm and personal passion for their business activities.
As I previously mentioned, I know them personally so I am fully aware of their high levels of integrity, in a social sense or in Business. I have been a friend since they first came to Corfu, where they then managing a charter company, then moving to providing an excellent Gardianage service, and developing and growing into their own Charter Business and the Brokerage Business.
As I am not aware of the full details of your transaction, I cannot comment on that, but I will stand up, be counted and defend them, and totally disagree with your recommendation for Forumites to avoid them.
You couldn't be further wrong...!
 
eagle160 said:
But It does raise the general question why so many ppl insist on using brokers considering their added value is mere marketing.
Click to expand...

"Mere marketing" is the relatively easy bit. The difficult bit is dealing with all the time wasters, identifying the serious buyer and turning the interest into a sale. Particularly difficult when the owner is in England and the boat is in Corfu (in this case).

There is no compulsion to use a broker - they exist because they perform a useful service in connecting willing buyers with willing sellers and facilitating a deal for the transaction.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top