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Pirate ship for sale Barcelona

Liveaboard a Boat

Liveaboard a boat in a marina

I got you to question your ability to survive living on a boat in my first blog, “living on a boat“. I will add more detail to the questions I raised in all parts of the blogs later, but for now, I offer further thoughts in this blog I am calling Liveaboard.

Location Location Location

Port Ginesta Marina from droneSome say the marketing phrase “location location location” is used to death in the property world. Is it? Your business and home location are critical to success and happiness; moving is never straightforward and can prove financially crippling once you commit to a mortgage or rental contract.
Not being in the same place forever is perhaps not a consideration if you’re a Liveaboard; slip the lines, and you are off! Indeed this will be one of the factors you must consider if you’re getting out of the rat race. However, the reality is this; most people don’t move when they find a place they like. Generally, people put down roots and make a living in the local community. So your choice of location is critical in much the same way as if you were buying or renting a conventional home.

Up sticks and moves are always a pain, especially if you are a liveaboard. If you are already liveaboard specific questions about your following location will be running through your mind before you commit. Do I tell the new Marina I am a Liveaboard? Read my comments about registering as a Marina Liveaboard in my first blog Living on a Boat.

If you find a lovely Marina that ticks most of your boxes, try it for a while and learn from your mistakes.

Don’t get a horrible place in the Marina.

A challenge you will have to work on is whereabouts in a Marina will be happy.Yard Port Ginesta
A great Marina location is critical to your comfort, and you will soon learn where not to be based in a Marina. Unfortunately, a less-than-perfect location will undoubtedly be the spot the Marina will first offer you. This position will be in the exact horrible location for all new boat owners. It is true that busy Marinas only have limited space. They spend much time looking after existing tenants who regularly pay berthing accounts.

Paying on time or in advance for your berthing account is vital to the marina operator turning a blind eye if you become a liveaboard. It is undoubtedly the case; nobody wants a scruffy Tennant boat or owner who is always the last to pay his/her Marina bill in the Marina.

If you are moving to a Marina during the summer, a weather location is not your number one concern. If your choice of Marina is to stay in one that appears complete, cunning tactics must be applied to find a perfect location. A full blog will follow tactics that might help you find an excellent spot for your boat, briefly outlined below.

What has worked for me

A busy marina is hard to get into, or at least that’s what you think. Suppose I told you that I have never been refused a berth in a Marina at any time. I have cruised the Mediterranean and the UK extensively for over thirty years as a private individual, professional sailing instructor, and in the past twenty-odd years, as a yacht broker. I organised many cruises in-company, arranging berthing for over twenty visiting boats and yachts to stay in Marinas.

The golden rule is not to make it too hard for the individual offering to help, and remember, a Marina operator who wants your money will work with you from the start to find a perfect location. A little more local knowledge is needed if you arrange flotilla holidays and you want to raft twenty-odd boats, but one thing I learned. In the Marine world, flexibility and goodwill towards each other seem to be common themes that run through this fantastic industry.

Get in touch

If you want to rent a berth in Spain, email us. We will be happy to help and advise.
From our perspective, Port Gineata in Barcelona is a perfect location for us. We have sold and continue to rent many berths in our Marina. Our ideal location is far enough from Barcelona’s centre, so visiting is a treat. This location also gives us the advantage of being near Sitges Marina, one of the prettiest Marina locations in Mainland Spain on the Costa Garraf, about twenty kilometres from Port Ginesta.

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Live aboard a pirate ship for sale

Living on a Boat (Step 1)

Living on a Boat

As I search the web to ensure my take on the subject is unique, I see many exaggerated comments that are headline-grabbing hooks to get you to click and read. I would like you to read my article, but I will not say anything I have not experienced.

I have another post called Liveaboard a Boat that you might also find interesting.

Mindset to liveaboard

Lots to consider as to why you would choose a liveaboard lifestyle. You can probably step forward or backwards towards living on a boat if you question your motives carefully.lovely evening sunset Live-aboard

Do you suffer from depression or a phobia if you sleep in closed or small spaces? Most of us who enjoy boating is not worried; we find sleeping in a small cabin great, apart from sitting up in bed reading or getting in and out with a low ceiling.

If living in a confined space frightens you or triggers an alarm in your head, proceed with caution. You can overcome natural fears with logical thoughts, but if a fear of confined spaces turns you off, think again if living on a boat is for you.
My answer “I can very happily dig a hole in the ground and sleep, so long as I am warm, have a good airflow, I am happy and snug. I don’t need so much space when I am sleeping”.

Do you need lots of stuff on a boat?

This one is not so straightforward because most of us who live aboard accumulate loads of junk. Lockers fill before you know it”! The point is, can you live without your junk? “I don’t throw things away, I become very attached to my stuff, but I can live without it”. “I find the more I have, the more I want.” Strip back in your mind to the absolute minimum of what you need to survive. The answer should come back to a few food calories a day, access to clean, fresh water, and a feeling of healthy being. A feeling of the well is the goal for life aboard a boat.
Ok, apart from the obvious question, do I get seasick when I am in a confined place? Then, in my opinion, if the answer to that question is no, I don’t get seasick, you are good to go!

Plan A Location for your boat.

Based on considerations of your personal needs, for this article’s sake, not becoming a book, let’s say you don’t have any other location needs than to be near your work. On that assumption, you can live on a boat for a considerable time before you declare this a permanent life choice. When I lived on a boat, I gave myself six months. I was fortunate a friend gave me the use of an almost new 15-metre Jeanneau Yacht. The cost was nothing but looking after it while trying to sell it. I felt happy I had achieved my personal goal when I moved on. Could you have just moved back home anytime? The answer to that question is no. I didn’t have a home then and was transitioning from the UK to Spain. I make no apologies for never eating alone on the yacht. I went out to eat two or three times a day. Life was good!

Not to move away from the topic, but this is the point. I never considered telling the Marina I was a liveaboard. Somebody might have said something in a year or so, but maybe not. There are lots of ways to consider a timeline for your liveaboard declaration. Suppose you are a so-called “professional” who gets up and goes to a job away from a Marina daily for work and keeps a reasonably tidy profile. In that case, you can easily manage a couple of seasons without issues. The only issue is getting a post box, which can be tricky. Indeed, you need to register as a resident if you are abroad to stay legal.

Location Location Location

The location of your boat is an interesting point that we can dwell on a little. Living on a Boat can be much like living in a busy neighbourhood. You might be someone who keeps yourself reasonably quiet. At some point, you will start talking to others around the Marina. The odd thing is how long it takes to get to know people. And how uninterested people are with each other. You will surely notice others on boats when most are away or living at home (most mid-week times), but again, a few months R&R away from home is perfectly normal. Marina operators become aware of individuals who appear to be different. Perhaps your boat starts to acquire a liveaboard look. Lots of unused stuff lying around on the deck or looks a little untidy. The Marina might then question you about living aboard, but that could be a year or two from when you decided to make the boat your home. Have in your mind living on board is temporary, or be prepared to be rejected by many Marina if you declare this from the beginning.

What is the problem with living on my boat in the Marina?

Almost all Marina operations provide temporary space for individuals. Marinas could not cope if nobody went home. At peak times, almost every Marina struggles to provide adequate facilities for all berth holders. Therefore, if you are permanently living on board, you might be ejected and not understand why. On the positive side, most Marina operators look the other way to live aboard’s. As you become part of the Marina community, if you fit in with the look and feel of the space you occupy, you will most likely find no one cares or questions how long you stay on your boat. After all, it is not a concern, provided the Marina operator does not get complaints.

We have a very active liveaboard population in Port Ginesta, Barcelona. The Marina is close enough to the city for travelling to work each day, giving space and distance from the bustling city.

We recently moved to a bigger office and can now be found in the new part of Port Ginsta amongst the bigger yachts. If you want to become a yacht broker by joining our Group, please get in touch with us to learn more.

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American Flag

Flag registration Yachting and Boating

Flag Registration for a boat.

Flag registration yachting and boating, the question is, are you flying a legal flag on your yacht? Perhaps the first question to ask yourself is, “Do I have a passport that matches the flag I fly? If the Answer to that question is “yes”, then you are probably ok.

Flag Registration the rules are not clear.

After that, things get a bit foggy! My next question; (aimed at the boating community) Would you sail if a fog was forecasted in your area? As an experienced yachtsman, my answer; I would think twice, especially if I was planning to sail directly into the fog.

That leads me back to my first question. Therefore, at this point, let Spanish Flagme answer the question for you. If you’re a boat owner whose passport does not match your flying flag, “it’s getting foggy, and you could be in shallow water”.

Flag of convenience. It’s all a bit foggy.

You might have a legitimate reason to fly a flag from another country. Perhaps the yacht is owned by a company based in that country? A word about the company-registered Boats and Yachts.

Since the beginning, individuals and companies have used a “flag of convenience.” Let’s call that a bit misty, but I wish to note that I greatly respect legitimate company flag registration.

Again we enter the fog of registration with great caution. Some individuals have perfectly valid reasons for using flag company registration.
Dutch registration rather than sailing under a flag is an example of where the fog becomes worrying. Dutch French flagregistration does not offer the same legal protection as flag registration. The Dutch registration for boats and yachts is merely a register. The Dutch register is a privately owned company operating as a commercial venture; nothing wrong with that or using the register. Therefore, you might be ok if you do not intend to cruise Italy, Portugal, Spain, or outside Europe where the register is not recognised.

 

Countries do not recognise Dutch Registration.

Most people will not know that the Dutch EU ICP Light Registration is not currently acknowledged under Italian, Portuguese, or Spanish maritime law. If you visit these countries American Flagwith a Dutch-registered vessel, you are sailing into tricky waters.
A new player for Yacht and Boat registrations has been created; it is the Polish register. We have no comments to make about that at this time.

The fog surrounding flag registration, yachting and boating has been around for a long time and will continue. A decent Maritime lawyer or Yacht Broker can act as a good radar. If you are buying or selling a boat, Consider using a Yacht Broker seriously.

 

Network Yacht Brokers Barcelona

fate Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 43 DS

The destiny of a boat is already planned…

Do you believe in fate? Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 43 DS

It is said that our destiny is already planned. Could it be that boats also have their fate mapped out, just the same as people?

This is the story of “Danmark Dream”, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 43 DS commissioned in 2004 in the UK. The English owner John sailed her over to Portugal after purchase. John and his family enjoyed thirteen years of fun with her on the Portuguese coast and berthed her in Portimäo Marina, Algarve.

When it was time to move on, he decided that her last sailing adventure with the family would be a trip to Barcelona. This gave John the chance of a great trip, a city visit, and, most importantly, to hand her over to Network Yacht Brokers for sale. In June 2017, she arrived in Port Ginesta, Barcelona.

After being on sale for a few months, we found a potential buyer in the UK. Alan was looking for a deck saloon yacht but wavering between going for a 42 or 43 DS. When we showed him “Danmark Dream”, he fell completely in love and decided to buy her.

During the purchase process, Alan told us that he had moved from the UK to Portugal some years before. He enjoys life in the Algarve and has planned to seal his commitment by buying a boat to keep there. John and Alan were surprised and pleased that they shared the same love of sailing in the Algarve as Englishmen abroad.

We successfully brokered the deal

We successfully brokered the deal, and “Danmark Dream” left Barcelona a few weeks ago after some maintenance in Port Ginesta. Believe it or not, Alan’s choice of Portimäo Marina is also her old home. So there she lies again, back in her favourite spot, precisely one year after she left. Is this coincidence or destiny?

After the sale, Alan sent this to us; “Hiya guys, pleased to say that we managed to fix the sail and finally arrived safe and sound in Danmark Dreams home port of Portimäo. She is currently berthed just across the pontoon from her previous home. Thanks again for your help. We are both thrilled with our new boat.”

We are pleased to say that we always try to make our customers happy and satisfied. By providing the best service, we can help our clients with every step of their boat purchase. We see our customers as people buying or selling a boat that can become part of the family, and we love to hear their stories. As well as being professional yacht brokers, we are people too.

 

Danmark Dream
fate Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 43 DS

 

Carlo Riva Motor Boat Desighner

The King of Motorboats Carlo Riva Died.

Riva motorboats are 160 years old.

Engineer Carlo Riva passed away. The pioneer of the world’s nautical and patron of the famous luxury motorboats construction company that bears his name, Carlo was 95 years of age. He died in his home in Sarnico, north Italy.

His great success was wood motorboats, ordinary throughout Italy. Indeed, during the Italian economic boom of the 1950s, the Riva was Dolce Vita’s symbol. With its racing speedboats, the renowned entrepreneurs have also gained many records and won in national and international races. We recall some famous names of his creations, such as Ariston, Triton, Sebino and Florida and the most famous, the Acquarama.

After being owned by the American company Whittaker, the Ferretti Group took the brand, an Italian holding company owner of six more brands in the naval industry.

The Network Yacht Brokers Group wants to remember Riva as an essential icon in the “Made in Italy” and a brilliant boat maker. Besides, the next Genoa Boat Show in Italy will be dedicated to him, and it will be from the 21st to the 26th of September.

Carlo Riva passed away, leaving a legacy that will never be forgotten.

For our current list of boats for sale, follow this link

Please visit our Network Yacht Brokers Barcelona home page

Read more “The King of Motorboats Carlo Riva Died.”