Buying a boat in Croatia

[DamPlan]

Croatia has a large second hand boats market. There are many boats that are in great condition and surely many of them in terrible. If you need someone to look at the boat in Croatia and do the pre-purchase survey - feel free to send me a message.

[GTom]

Originally Posted by Nicklaing

Yes. Croatia have always insisted you purchase a cruising licence. This can be by the week, month etc. for as long as the boat is in Croatian waters somebody is using the boat. However for 2018 some clever bureaucrat has decided it will be a quick way to raise money and have increased the fee roughly 4 times. As such my fee for a 15m boat will go from roughly £200 to £900 for a year.

It’s a shame, we have been there 6 years, but maybe it is time to move on.

Fixed it for you.

[OZ-Sailor]

This post was started three years ago now... I too am wanting to purchase a yacht in Croatia (probably a Bavaria 44 - up to $100K AUD), thinking of landing there this coming April from Australia (AUS citizen) to spend a year or so sailing the Med... how have you all gone that have posted here saying you were going to do the same thing in the past?

Is there anything that needs to be updated from the info in this post? I'm thinking of establishing relationships with the recommended brokers from this post and have them line up potential boats for me to check out on landing...

[SteveSadler]

OZ-Sailor.
I bought my Jeanneau 49ds there 4 years ago. There are lots of ex charter boats that are 8 yrs old going up for sale every October. By April they need to be gone for whatever the market will bear to make room for the new replacements.
Showing up in April is a bit late for most boats but you may still find some leftovers.
I suggest emailing every charter company in the Med for their list of boats for sail and of course search yachtworlds listing as well. You should find a Bavaria 50 for less than you are offering for a 44.

[OZ-Sailor]

i've been hard at trying to secure a boat before landing there in April - getting a surveyor to do inspections for me to then make an offer, get it surveyed and purchased so I can take ownership before I arrive, as it can take many weeks to go through all of this apparently. One word of advice is to stay clear of Selymar Yachts - they refused to send boat documents for one boat or to allow my surveyor to even look at it!! Have had success with Marin from Almissani... having boats looked at this week.... will keep you posted

[Michele77]

mate, i'm in OZ too... Sydney.
Can i ask you which survayor you are using? If you are in Sydney i'd love to catch up and pick your brain on purchasing in Croatia.
cheers
Mike

[OZ-Sailor]

Hi Mike - I'd be happy to assist... I'm actually leaving to go to Split, Croatia in a couple of hours, deciding it was too hard to rely on photos and to organise across the trench. I am very happy with the boat surveyor Petar Pecur petarpecur@yahoo.com who has inspected one yacht for me... he sent me back about 130 photos showing a different boat to the one in the photos... To be honest there seems to be so many boats available I thought it best to bite the bullet and spend the $2K to go there and personally go through as many as I can in a week. The brokers have changed their tune a bit as well when I asked to meet them this week compared to trying to buy whilst in Australia. I'd be happy to fill you in on my return. PM me and I'll respond later.

[Michele77]

that's fantastic, good luck with the purchase. I'll look forward to your feedback when you return.

Cheers
Mike

[bellasailor]

Originally Posted by OZ-Sailor

Hi Mike - I'd be happy to assist... I'm actually leaving to go to Split, Croatia in a couple of hours, deciding it was too hard to rely on photos and to organise across the trench. I am very happy with the boat surveyor Petar Pecur petarpecur@yahoo.com who has inspected one yacht for me... he sent me back about 130 photos showing a different boat to the one in the photos... To be honest there seems to be so many boats available I thought it best to bite the bullet and spend the $2K to go there and personally go through as many as I can in a week. The brokers have changed their tune a bit as well when I asked to meet them this week compared to trying to buy whilst in Australia. I'd be happy to fill you in on my return. PM me and I'll respond later.

Oz Sailor, did you buy a boat in Croatia in the end? If so, can you comment who did the survey/which broker and your experiences? We have seen one boat with Almissani and lined up to see another with Selymar; thus far they have been very helfpul but I noted your comments re Selymar...

[OZ-Sailor]

Hi bellasailor. Yes I ended up buying a Bavaria 40 in Croatia, directly from a Charter company - Dream Yacht charters Who I would highly recommend. It cost me AU$67,000 and I am very happy with her.

When I viewed the boat in February they indicated it would be made ‘charter teady’ ... this meant The engine serviced, the sail drive serviced, I variety of different elements I picked up such as a leaking porthole repaired etc. and they did everything they said they would ... and more.

I can recommend getting in touch with Jerry Jacob at DYC to enquire as to what boats they may have available

gerry.jacob@dreamyachtcharter.com

They are one of the biggest yacht charter companies in the world


I am in fact sitting in a cafe in Greece at the moment LOL. We have a Facebook page blogging what we have been getting up to if you care to view:

https://Facebook.com/livinglostura

I had a good experience with Almissani before I found my boat But yes, I would stay away from Selymar. Even the surveyor who I mentioned earlier in the thread (and can recommend) Peter had bad experiences with them. Others over here from the Facebook group called ‘Med Sailng’ (you should join) also said to stay away from them.

Best of luck in your search and fair winds... let me know how you go!!

[bellasailor]

Originally Posted by OZ-Sailor

Hi bellasailor. Yes I ended up buying a Bavaria 40 in Croatia, directly from a Charter company - Dream Yacht charters Who I would highly recommend. It cost me AU$67,000 and I am very happy with her.

When I viewed the boat in February they indicated it would be made ‘charter teady’ ... this meant The engine serviced, the sail drive serviced, I variety of different elements I picked up such as a leaking porthole repaired etc. and they did everything they said they would ... and more.

I can recommend getting in touch with Jerry Jacob at DYC to enquire as to what boats they may have available

gerry.jacob@dreamyachtcharter.com

They are one of the biggest yacht charter companies in the world


I am in fact sitting in a cafe in Greece at the moment LOL. We have a Facebook page blogging what we have been getting up to if you care to view:

https://Facebook.com/livinglostura

I had a good experience with Almissani before I found my boat But yes, I would stay away from Selymar. Even the surveyor who I mentioned earlier in the thread (and can recommend) Peter had bad experiences with them. Others over here from the Facebook group called ‘Med Sailng’ (you should join) also said to stay away from them.

Best of luck in your search and fair winds... let me know how you go!!

Thank you for getting back to me; much appreciated! We have chartered with Dream both in Europe and the Caribbean and found them pretty good (that said, the maintenance and attitude varies base to base). Alas we have a pretty specific boat model in mind that Dream don't put in their fleet.

Hang on; I just recalled meeting some Aussies at check in to our DYC charter on 8 June who had bought a Bav from DYC in Zaton...is that you?! We spoke about Finding Avalon and Youtube. We were on the yacht next door if so...?! Would have chatted longer but we managed a Saturday night getaway with the long June evenings and zipped off. What a small world if it was you!

We've been speaking to one yacht owner direct (a company that has yachts managed in charter by a charter co) but also found some for sale with both Almissani and Selymar. Trouble is when they are listed with one broker they have exclusivity usually so to avoid a particular broker means to avoid a particular yacht as far as we can fathom. Almissani were great at the viewing we had, but their comms before and after were a nightmare.

Conversely, Selymar comms have been great but we aren't viewing a boat with them until 7 September; if we like it we will be proceeding with great caution and have found consultants who can act like a buyer's broker if we are unsure, or if it just doesn't feel right we will walk away. We've taken some advice already on documents to expect, VAT status etc and won't be signing anything or paying anything to any broker or owner without a lot of due diligence!

I'll check out the facebook group and see what they have to say too! Thank you for getting back to me, will get onto following your blog and hope you are having an amazing summer!

[bellasailor]

Originally Posted by bellasailor

Hang on; I just recalled meeting some Aussies at check in to our DYC charter on 8 June who had bought a Bav from DYC in Zaton...is that you?! We spoke about Finding Avalon and Youtube. We were on the yacht next door if so...?! Would have chatted longer but we managed a Saturday night getaway with the long June evenings and zipped off. What a small world if it was you!

To add, I got on your FB page (blocked at work but found you on my phone) and it is you; my mind is blown sometimes how small a world it can be! Will fully check out your adventures later but it looks like you've been having a brilliant time. We're chartering in Croatia again in September when we're also viewing more boats. But once we buy one Greece will be firmly on the agenda!

[OZ-Sailor]

OMG - yes that was us !! So it’s the Elan 380 you are after still if I recall? Please keep in touch via our Facebook page. It’d be great to see how you go

[OZ-Sailor]

Please contact us through Living Lostura page and keep in touch. Happy to help out any way we can

[bellasailor]

Originally Posted by OZ-Sailor

OMG - yes that was us !! So it’s the Elan 380 you are after still if I recall? Please keep in touch via our Facebook page. It’d be great to see how you go

A 384 yes! Have liked your page on FB, we'll send you a message with how we get on sometime; What an incredibly small world it is! Our very own sailing-related Sliding Doors moment