Buying in the Med

[23windowz]

Hello,

I'm new to the forum and have a question about purchasing a boat to cruise the Med. I live on the west coast of Canada and plan to spend a couple years cruising the Med with my family. I don't plan on crossing from Canada or shipping a boat across, so is there any suggestions were I can find a good family size mono hull cruiser in the Med?

I'll search the forum, but I guess I can register the boat in the country of purchase?

thanks, Trevor

[Karletto]

here's a popular site in Slovenia; press on pic to view the boat (there are also sailing boat toys)
another site
3rd site; 1 of the best site; some boats are from Croatia also
croatian site jahts
italian site sailing boats
italian ebay sailing boats

[Jim Thomsen]

I thhink that sounds like a great idea (This is our second year in the Med and we love it). There seem to be many great boats available when walking around marinas. The people we know who have purchased a boat have first decided what they were looking for and them worked with one of the major brokerages (some internet searches will give you a list).
Many boats have VAT paid and included in the price. This way you can stay in the EU as long as you want. But some do not have VAT paid, so the cost is less and you will have to leave the EU every 18 months.
It's too bad that the Euro is so strong now, it makes it easier for Europeans to buy USA owned boats than the other way around.

[Bradley]

I bought my boat in the med 7 or 8 years ago when the dollar went a lot further. Euro or its pre euro equivalent was 88 cents at the time.

Go to www.yachtworld.com and most any boat for sale in the Med will be listed.

I would enlist the help of a local yacht broker. It will make you seem like a more serious buyer, and may help smooth out some culture differences. Your broker will just take a cut of the selling broker's commission so you really don't have a lot to lose by using a local broker.

[23windowz]

Thank you both for your suggestions.

I'll do a bit more research on what will work boat wise then find a good broker.

Looking forward to it!

Trevor

[Hanna&Chris]

Windowz,

I was just checking how your search was coming along. I am in a similiar situation (hoping to buy a boat in the Med) and was wondering if you used a broker, who did you use, how hard was it to deal with VAT, did you fly our to check the boat first, etc.,

Hope it all went well, thanks!

[dmgf]

Hoping to renew this thread.
Has anyone had any recent experience with Yacht Brokers in the Med? ie Croatia, Italy, Greece, Turkey? Just wondering how negotiable they are on asking price. We are planning on going there early 2011 hoping to buy in the 40ft-46ft range and cruising for a year or 2.
Any imput welcome and appreciated.

[goboatingnow]

Note an important point. If you are not an EU tax resident then if you buy a VAT paid boat it can loose it's vat status if you sail out of the EU territorial waters. ( however it can be difficult for customs to prove that )

Dave

[GorMac]

Hi All,

Just curious about buying a boat in the Med. I've found a boat we are interested in on Yachtworld in France. I've been in contact with the broker and am curious if I should try to use a local broker (not sure how many brokers around here deal internationally anyway) for communications or just deal directly with the guy in France. He seems nice enough and is taking me somewhat serious, answers all questions, even offered to pick the wife and I up at the airport for a viewing. The boat is listed at around 180K Euros & been listed for a while. I'm just worried that he'll be looking out for the sellers best interests more so then ours.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks, Gord.

[boatman61]

He'll be looking out for his own interests... thats around 18K comission he'll pick up... but at the same time I would not assume he'll be out to screw you.
A canny guy will always bank on possible referalls.. especially from the 'wealthy americans'... a happy customer sends his friends

[goboatingnow]

Deal with him just remember he's acting for the seller.