Options to bring boat back from Croatia - and ballpark cost?

[West Coast]

Hi - friend of mine is looking at buying a 44' AWB - he has seen one Croatia which ticks all his boxes but he would then want to bring it back to the UK. He does not have time to do it himself so options could be truck or delivery crew.

Any advice and ideas on budget costs to either truck or delivery crew?

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Long way by road but doable. 15k? @Halcyon Yachts can help with delivery by sea which would be my choice, but it’s also a long way! Weeks. I’d join the trip and use it to gain valuable experience with the boat.

 

[MoodySabre]

It would need to be very cheap to be worth getting it back here and then paying VAT.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Well, true, but that wasn’t the question.

 

[Tranona]

Hi - friend of mine is looking at buying a 44' AWB - he has seen one Croatia which ticks all his boxes but he would then want to bring it back to the UK. He does not have time to do it himself so options could be truck or delivery crew.

Any advice and ideas on budget costs to either truck or delivery crew?

Truck is the easiest way. I am a bit out of touch now and maybe there is regular trucking from Croatia now delivering boats from Germany looking for return loads. 25 years ago I had my new Bavaria delivered by truck to Izola in Slovenia where it was commissioned and sailed down to Corfu. That was standard practice then because the Balkan war were only just finishing. Truck to a channel port then sail across to avoid the 2 ferry crossings and border hassle. I would think £15k would not be far out. Sea delivery would not be much cheaper. I brought my boat back from Corfu in 2010 and based on the sums then there was not a lot in it with a professional skipper, one crew and me, although in the end we only got as far as Spain and trucked from there.

However transport is the least of the problems as VAT and certification usually kills such ideas. Even if it is a recent boat with a current standard CE mark, VAT is payable on market value which would likely include the transport costs. I know it was not the question, but worth flagging up.