Quote:
Originally Posted by Topspin
Hi all,
we (a couple, dual German and Australian nationalities with tax residency in Australia) want to buy a sailboat out of charter in the Mediterranean for a circumnavigation in 2022. The plan is to do a shakedown cruise from April 22 in the med and go across the Atlantic in November 22. We are looking for a Bavaria 51 or a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 50 DS from 2012 to 2015.
It seems the boats are sold by the usual charter companies at the end of October rather than for the new season. I have already started to look at the offers on yachtworld to find the best time to begin boatshopping in Greece or Croatia next year.
So my question to those who have done it before:
Is it smarter to buy a boat in October/November and pay for slip/hardstand and insurance until March/April
or is it smarter to buy in March and expect higher prices and a more limited number of boats on offer ?
Would it be advantageous to look for a buyers broker ? I know, it is generally not really recommended.
Regards,
-Richard (VK4WRS)
|
So I've just done similar - granted, it was a private boat not a charter one, but the market's down at the moment so I've bought and am keeping the boat in
Spain for the
winter until next season. Things to consider:
- Depending where you buy in the Med, slips can be quite
cheap or extortionate. My slip cost 300EUR a month, in a nice marina with
power,
water and
wifi. Plus the boat's being watched by another
liveaboard couple.
- Selection of boats is key! If you wait until March to buy and options are limited, how much are you going to need to spend to get the boat up to the spec you want? More than the
winter mooring cost?
-
Registration. Register in
Germany if you can. IIRC, it's significantly cheaper than Aus.
- Boat brokers. As soon as is realistically possible, get over to the charter companies and get some face time with them. You're less likely to get the lemon of the group if you see the boats in person and can build that relationship.
n