What do you know of Brokers in Greece

[The Gman]

Hi All,
I am planning on buying a 40' catamaran next year to spend a season in the Med with my family. I have been diligently tracking yachts for sale, reading forum posts on different topics and skilling up etc. I am planning on moving to Greece in Jan/Feb to search in earnest however if I find the one beforehand all the better.

Although I have been sailing for the past 20 months or so I have never bought a boat before so am thinking of using a boat broker. (yes, i have read the threads on whether or not to use a broker)

The below list are what I can see as being the main brokers in Greece, so my questions for the think tank that is cruiser forum is thus.

1) Can anyone share any experience good or bad that they have had with any of these brokers.
2) Have I missed any that you think I should look at.
3) As they are buyers brokers, does it really matter if I use one in greece where I will be staying until I find a yacht.

Williams and smithells Ltd – Lefkas (abya)

Ionian Boat assistance (IBA) - Lefkas

Seahorse yacht brokers – Athens

Pinnacle Yacht Sales – Corfu (English) (abya)

Ionian Yacht sales (network yacht brokers) – Lefkas (abya)

Nikos Odysseas Papadakis –

Greg Yachts – Corinthia

YD Yachts – Athens (alimos)

Sunsail Brokerage -lefkas

Venicos – Athens

Thanks in Advance

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by The Gman

Hi All,
I am planning on buying a 40' catamaran next year to spend a season in the Med with my family. I have been diligently tracking yachts for sale, reading forum posts on different topics and skilling up etc. I am planning on moving to Greece in Jan/Feb to search in earnest however if I find the one beforehand all the better.

Although I have been sailing for the past 20 months or so I have never bought a boat before so am thinking of using a boat broker. (yes, i have read the threads on whether or not to use a broker)

The below list are what I can see as being the main brokers in Greece, so my questions for the think tank that is cruiser forum is thus.

1) Can anyone share any experience good or bad that they have had with any of these brokers.
2) Have I missed any that you think I should look at.
3) As they are buyers brokers, does it really matter if I use one in greece where I will be staying until I find a yacht.

Williams and smithells Ltd – Lefkas (abya)

Ionian Boat assistance (IBA) - Lefkas

Seahorse yacht brokers – Athens

Pinnacle Yacht Sales – Corfu (English) (abya)

Ionian Yacht sales (network yacht brokers) – Lefkas (abya)

Nikos Odysseas Papadakis –

Greg Yachts – Corinthia

YD Yachts – Athens (alimos)

Sunsail Brokerage -lefkas

Venicos – Athens

Thanks in Advance

Yes we dealt with WS in Lefkas and were very pleased with their professionalism ..typical British. I dealt with Mark in Britain as well as Stephan in Lefkas liked them both, their word was always good, would recommend. Cheers, Robert

[The Gman]

Yes we dealt with WS in Lefkas and were very pleased with their professionalism ..typical British. I dealt with Mark in Britain as well as Stephan in Lefkas liked them both, their word was always good, would recommend. Cheers, Robert

Thanks Robert, Appreciate you responsing

[Pelagic]

While personal recommendation is great....what you really need is to determine the Broker that is BEST FOR YOU!
That is,;
1 Most knowledgeable and connected on the type/brand you like

2 Prompt and detailed in responding to your personal brief that answers your questions.

3 Most importantly, honest enough to disagree with you on some of your preconceived notions, rather than just focused on a quick sale.

I would email them ALL to get a feel for how they will support you.
Good luck

[Capt. Aubrey]

Check out s/v maple/blogspot. They bought their Leopard in Greece this year. I think their blog might have some info. If you want to contact them directly send me a PM.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Yes we dealt with WS in Lefkas and were very pleased with their professionalism ..typical British. I dealt with Mark in Britain as well as Stephan in Lefkas liked them both, their word was always good, would recommend. Cheers, Robert

My boat was was listed privately and I did not feel comfortable buying direct so I engaged WS to broker the deal. I am happy I did it as I was able to sleep at night during the process.

One of the brokers on the list always has a lot of yachts listed for sale in Greece and when you look at the boats on yachtworld and in the brokers site, there is only ever one photo and the barest of details about the boat with instructions to contact him. At the time I was looking I was not impressed by his sales approach and then some six months after buying my boat I found it listed on yachtworld and the brokers site using the photo that the PO originally used on yachtworld. I suspect he has a lot of yachts on his list that are not for sale to get people contacting him.

I was not impressed by my conversations or the wrong advice given to me about registration and tax by another Greek broker I had spoken to.

Beware of the Greeks

Whilst I have not had much dealings with Ionian Boat Assist as a broker other than to look at a couple of boats they listed, I was happy with the result of them working on my boat. It was a much better experience than when I had a Greek company doing the work.




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[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

I would email them ALL to get a feel for how they will support you.
Good luck

No point emailing any of the Greek brokers. The Greeks will promise the world and deliver you mud, eventually, perhaps.


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[Steamer]

Fully agree with Pelagic.

You need not just ANY broker out of blue, but the one able to find YOUR boat for You.

I see You are sure You will fly Greece, but wonder if You are equally sure YOUR BOAT is waiting for You there in Greece.

As a broker myself I would prefer You first to describe the boat You are looking for and ask me if I can find one. Having my positive response with some options shown You could then take a decision if to appoint or not.

Good luck to You anyway and welcome to join catamaran owners community!

[ErlingMarkussen]

We bought our Oceanis 473 through Vernicos in Athens. They were very professional and helpful all the way through registration and DEPKA.

[Jonathancpwalsh]

Hi.. I can recommend ( 2nd hand advice) Williams and Smithells in Lefkas.. V good - and offshoot of UK based brokerage.. Had an excellent rep - Ms Campbell, although I gather she's recently left!

[Steamer]

Originally Posted by ErlingMarkussen

We bought our Oceanis 473 through Vernicos in Athens.

Sure the best way to get pre-owned production boat is to work with manufacturer's official dealer in the country.

[rabbi]

[

Originally Posted by hoppy

One of the brokers on the list always has a lot of yachts listed for sale in Greece and when you look at the boats on yachtworld and in the brokers site, there is only ever one photo and the barest of details about the boat with instructions to contact him. At the time I was looking I was not impressed by his sales approach and then some six months after buying my boat I found it listed on yachtworld and the brokers site using the photo that the PO originally used on yachtworld. I suspect he has a lot of yachts on his list that are not for sale to get people contacting him.

I guess i know that one as well. I inquired a few times over a couple of years and all boats were either 'just sold' or turned out to be worn neglected boats with a ridiculous price.

[jha]

I guess how you use a Broker depends on how much assistance you want. if you know the boat you want then research the sites and then use the broker who is selling the boat you want subject to them being good at their job. If, however, you want advice on which boat suits you than I can understand the benefits of listening to their advice.
I am based in Lefkas and know Ionian Yacht Sales (Network Yacht Brokers) well. They are a family based company with direct links to all the "Network" Brokers in the UK. They are straight forward, genuine people who are people orientated and go that extra mile to ensure both sellers and buyers are happy.
In the end don't be afraid to use as many as you want rather than any single one.

[spaman]

Most of the catamarans available for sail are ex charter boats, so I would suggest a first class surveyor is perhaps more important than the broker. My recommendation would be William Walsh at Walsh Marine. I have used him twice in the last 6 years and have been pleased with his thoroughness and integrity.
I have had a number of dealings with the various brokers you mention and not all of them good. I am not keen on naming names on this forum, but can be contacted if you want specific info on any of the ones you mention. The thing to remember is that they very rarely co-broker a deal as competition is very tight. They will not necessarily have your interest at heart. There is no such thing as a buyers broker. The sale is what they're after! Limiting yourself to one broker will primarily only get you the craft they have on their books. You have to trawl the internet sites to find what you want and then contact whichever broker accordingly.
My final warning is to be very aware of where you intend to keep your boat. The cost and availability of catamaran berths can be very prohibitive. I had agreed a price on a 11m cat subject to documentation and berth availability. The deal fell through due to dodgy VAT issues, but finding a home berth was impossible at a workable price. I have lived in Athens for 7 years and wanted my boat to be reasonably accessible (ie say from Lavrio to Zea Marina in Piraeus). I had quotes for 700 euros per month (excluding water/power) and one marina even wanted 8000 euros "joining fee"!! I now have a monohull which can be berthed/maintained at a much more manageable cost.
Good luck!!

[rabbi]

If you want to cruise the Med fulltime the Marina prices are not so much an issue.
If you just need temporary storage in greece i can recommend the dry storage yards in Preveza just between Corfu and Lefkada.
There are 3 and i heard good things about all. We used the biggest yard there, Cleopatra Marina which has a small Marina and a huge storage yard for something like 1000 boats. Very professional and reasonable prices, the other two are even cheaper. I never had a smoother haul-out experience. These folks use the travel lift 20 times a day and it shows!

In water storage is harder to find but the unfinished Marina in Preveza is now 'managed' by someone. Very cheap but no facilities except water & electricity. We paid 10 euro per day for 11m cat on transit.

Other than that spaman is spot on. No one in greece works for you, except the surveyor (if you are lucky, so don't get a greek one with too many ties into the industry)
Even 'private' boats have often been chartered at least a few weeks per year, i guess for tax reasons. If its a real private boat it has VAT paid but I have yet to find one with proof of VAT. This may not be important for you but if you want to sail after your trip your next buyer will ask for it. There is no market for used boats without VAT.