Re money, address, insurance...

JOANNA

New Member
Joined
1 Aug 2005
Messages
4
Visit site
HI,
We have just sold our flat in the uk to buy a boat in Greece. We are having a few slight problems because we won't have an address for a period of time and banks,boat insurance companies, travel insurance etc..want adresses. How did you expert liveaboards manage with these issues if you live on a boat? I would really appreciate any advice asap. And if there is any other problems we are going to stumble into please help before we loose our land legs!
Thanks
Joanna
 
On moving aboard after selling our house 16 years ago my wife and I found we needed a "permanent" address both for our own convenience and to satisfy bankers, credit card companies, and others in black shoes and suits. We chose a commercial mailbox service in Toronto, our home port. We pay a modest monthly fee plus mail forwarding costs about once a month. This has done the job nicely for us, both while working and after retiring. If possible, try to get an address without the word "box" in it, which makes bureaucrats in the public and private sectors suspect you are unreliable. We also find it useful to have a "permanent" mobile phone number in our home port which we simply use as a message service. And email works for some purposes but not all. Some liveaboards use family or friends to perform these services, but if they become ill, lazy, or go on holiday, you have a problem. There is at least one service in the UK aimed specifically at long term cruisers: www.shiptoshore.uk.com I have no experience with them, but their publicity looks reasonable. See their classified ad in YM under Bluewater Services.
 
Companies often use an address/ phone number that is supplied by a company that specialises in office services. Documents can then be forwarded on. Companies use the address services if they are running a business from home & want to keep annoniminity (is that spelling correct!?)
If you do an online search for office services or registered office address you may find something. I know that this is mainly for commercial use but I don't see why an individual can't use it. It costs about £60 per year in the UK.
 
I have used Citibox in London for ten years. Great service. Costs 230 pounds per year. I much prefer this than a relation since they are there to do it professionally and you can lean on them when you want something special and/or fast.
 
Mr B,
Sorry to say shiptoshore.uk.com may be the wrong address. It comes up as 'not registered'. Any clues as to what might be the right one?
 
Top