New place in Alicante – now thinking about getting a small boat

[kyrylospain]

Hi everyone,
I’ve recently bought a small apartment in Alicante after spending some time looking for property along the coast. One of the reasons I chose Alicante was the marina and the fact that the city has such easy access to the sea — it really got me thinking about finally getting a small boat.


I’ve read quite a bit about the city and local areas on Alicante Apartments while looking for places to buy, but I still don’t know much about the boating side of things.


I’d love some advice from anyone who keeps a boat around this area — especially about:

• realistic costs of mooring or dry storage,
• what kind of licenses are needed for smaller boats,
• and if it’s better to buy locally or bring something from the UK.

Any tips from people familiar with the Costa Blanca would be really appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Sea Change]

I can't give you a full answer but I would certainly avoid importing a boat from the UK. You'd have to pay the equivalent of VAT on it, unless you can get it out of the EU every eighteen months, which might not be feasible on a small boat.

 

[William_H]

The choice of a boat is wide open. I feel sure you have something in mind. Indeed a dream. However of course with boats the easy part is buying it. The hard part is owning it careing for it and using it enough to make it all worth while. That is the hard part we never know if we are a boating person until you own one and actually use it. I would just sit back and look at boating in your new paradise. Perhaps look at the market and what you think you want. My choice is a small cabin boat (sail for me) that can provide some shelter and safety if weather gets ugly. ol'will

 

[vyv_cox]

We know this coast well from the landward side, having spent many winters here. You need to decide what sort of boating you intend doing. Cruising options are fairly limited, either north or South along the coast. There are several nice marinas in each direction but ashore there is not a great deal of interest, as the towns tend to be further inland
I know several people who own bigger boats in which they can cruise to the Balearics, which is a far better option.