Relocating to Gouvia?

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Heckler

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any ideas on re locating to gouvia marina , costs and drawbacks? how long can we leave boat in greece before taxes etc raise their ugly head?
stu



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we have had our's in Gouvia for the last year and intend to do the same for this year (whilst we have to work, aaahhhh). Having spoken to many on the subject, especially those who have come accross from italy/france, the prices are fairly good, as you do not pay for h2o or elec (unless you are a super cruiser?). the guys who work the tammy lift are good, though the straps could do with replacing, but that can be cured with plastic or carpet on lift in/out.
having spent three months this year working on Ouma, i can say that Peter at Boatmans world is outstanding, providing advice and if he can get something for you, he will and does. He has a very wide international selection of suppliers, which includes Goldenarrow, which is great for me (perkins engine). All other areas of maintance and repair are covered, both by greek's and internationals all doing very good work. My only winge is the quality of the raw materials in Greece, but that has no bearing on the workmanship.
I could harp on for ages about the place, but if you have specific questions, please forward them on.


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Beware the 'free' water in Gouvia - it is contaminated with asbestos. It is clearly marked Non Potable and it means it. It comes from a well and the local rock contain asbestos - hence the contamination. Good quality 'town' water is available from the fuel pontoon and de-salinated drinking water is available on some of the pontoons. However, you have to pay for both of these.

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No charge has been made for drinking water on pontoon G this year so far David. The drinking water tap is no longer covered by the card swipe however it runs at much lower pressure than the "washdown" outlets.

Steve Cronin

<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion
 
No charge has been made for drinking water on pontoon G this year so far.

Good news. Thanks for the update!

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ta for info, but what about the leaving of boat their for a couple of yrs and then fly in say six times a year? any probs with officialdom?
stu

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Just to keep all the information in one place I have copied below the answer I gave to the same question on the PBO Page:

The Cruising Association is currently investigating the problem of leaving your vessel in another EU country for a protracted period of time as a number of members have recently had serious problems in Spain. It is a complex issue that depends upon the precise nature of your personal circumstances and the mood of the particular official(s) who deal(s) with your case.

If you keep moving from place to place you are unlikely to have a problem. If you leave your vessel for more than six months whilst you return to the UK you might have a problem, but you would have to be fairly unlucky. The biggest difficulty seems to arise if you personally remain at one location in the country for more than six months. This is more likely to be picked up on if you also have property at the same location. Under such circumstances, it is quite likely that not long after six months have passed the authorities will require you to register to pay Income Tax in their country and to register your vessel in their country. In some EU countries the latter can involve paying a substantial tax based on their valuation of your boat.


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we left ouma there last year, for a year, with no probs and are doign the same until dec this year. I belive we got on fairly well with the staff at the marina, plus having family friends at one of the charter companies, no one mentioned anything about tax's etc. I don't doubt it may be there, but none has been mentioned in the bars etc, so i would guess it is either kept quite, or it doesn't exsist, yet! All that you do need is the cruising permit which last until the document is full and for us it cost 47.25 Euro i think. With that everything is fine.


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That's what we do as well as a lot of others too. It can be an advantage to get yourself a local "guardiniere" but not essential. One Brit resident in Gouvia Town charges €200 pa for his services per boat plus any other work.

See my reply to Medman re taxes also.

We go out next on 17th Sept.

Steve Cronin



<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion
 
David,

Hasn't all this in Spain been to do with "residence"? There doesn't seem to be a problem with simply holding a berth in Spain yet does there?

Maybe I read the CA article too hastily. However I can't see Mr Kiriacoulis's income from his (relatively) new venture into marina ownership being jeopardised by Greek officialdom!

Steve Cronin



<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion
 
Hasn't all this in Spain been to do with "residence"?

Yes. Just to repeat: "The biggest difficulty seems to arise if you personally remain at one location in the country for more than six months." You ought not to have a problem if it is just your boat that remains, but some members have found officials with a different interpretation of the rules. We have been in the Med for 7 years and never personally had a problem, but perhaps we have been lucky?

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I really dont understand all this! aren`t we a part of the EU ? can`t we expect the same benefits that we give to other members if not, why not?
Rob

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Aren`t we a part of the EU ? Can`t we expect the same benefits that we give to other members?

Yes and Yes, but that does not mean you can go and stay anywhere you like in the EU for as long as you like without paying the locals any taxes! The basic EU-wide rule is that up to 6 months you are a visitor but if you stay longer than that you have moved and must, therefore, start paying taxes in your new country of residence. It some countries that can mean paying a wealth tax on your boat and/or register it with them rather than in the UK. Generally, you can leave your boat for longer without a problem - it is where you stay that is the issue.

In theory, so long as you keep moving and/or returning to the UK so that you do not personally stay in one port for more than 6 months you are not likely to have a problem. However, the situation is far more complicated than I can possibly describe here and some cruising folk have had some very bad experiences in Spain including the Balearics. The CA have recently published a major paper on the subject which is available on request if you are a member.


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First of all i would like to thank Jambaman for his kind words. I wonder if he is just trying to get a better discount?? (Sorry only joking...) There are a couple of points in the previous posts of this thread i would like to answer to though.
First of all the post regarding asbestos content in the marina water is wrong. i think the problem may have been a small mistake in translation. In Greek limestone is called Asvestolithos. Also locals here traditionally paint their houses with a kind of slate lime. this is what gives the traditional Greek houses their very white look, especially in the Aegean. i rather think that whoever said there was asbestos in the water, would have meant asvestis, another way of saying limescale.
The greek word for asbestos is "amiantos". On the other hand the marina water supply is pumped out from a point too near the shoreline and is essentially brackish. I had the water analysed a few years ago during a quest to find a filter system that would make it better. The company I sent the sample too, told me the water needed to go through a watermaker as it was saline. I suggest you don't put it in your tanks.it also destroys calorifiers and elements, as my sales show...
Second I would like to address the matter of taxes etc. imposed on yachts in greece. I have recently put online my new site www.boatmansworldcorfu.com where there is a page called Legal ease. I have tried my best to make clear the laws regarding all these matters in Greece. I did this by buying a very good book with all the laws in it in Greek and distilling and translating the essence of them. Check it out and do not hesitate to post any questions.Please bear in mind I have business to run too, though...
I can't say anymore about Gouvia because I am biased, i would like you all to have your boats here...

Hope you find this helpful.
 
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