17 QUESTIONS

Costs and Fees

1. 01

   What share of a 9-10 m sailing yacht’s value goes on annual berthing, maintenance and insurance?

   The figure is misleading because running costs follow length, not value: in the same marina a cheap 10-metre boat and an expensive one pay the same berth fee. On an inexpensive older boat the running cost therefore looks far heavier as a proportion of value.

   This is why the annual cost has to be budgeted alongside the purchase price rather than after it. Berthing, haul-out and antifouling, insurance and engine maintenance are the fixed items; unplanned repair is the variable one, and that is what a survey makes predictable.

2. 02

   Is buying an inexpensive 35-40 year old classic more costly in the long run?

   Not necessarily — but the uncertainty sits in the next three years of repairs rather than in the purchase price. Osmosis, rig replacement, engine rebuild and rewiring can all fall due in the same period.

   The survey’s job here is not to rule the boat out but to make that timetable visible. An older boat bought knowing which item falls due when, and at what cost, is safer than an unknown boat with a cheaper-looking price.

3. 03

   How is the annual haul-out and maintenance budget calculated?

   Three variables set it: the underwater area (paint quantity), the number of engines and their hours, and the biological load of the water the boat lies in. Antifouling intervals in the Aegean and Mediterranean are shorter than in northern waters, so the same boat costs differently in a different marina.

   A pre-season check itemises these before the season starts, which is what keeps them from arriving as surprises. The haul-out window is also the cheapest moment to do anode, seacock and shaft work.

4. 04

   Is a survey an unnecessary expense on a second-hand boat?

   The comparison settles it: a survey costs in the order of one per cent of the boat’s price, while a single item missed — osmosis repair, engine rebuild, keel joint — can reach a significant share of it.

   The report does more than show risk; it produces a concrete basis for negotiation. In most cases it pays for itself in the price conversation that follows.

5. 05

   How does length affect fixed annual costs — is there a ratio?

   The relationship is closer to exponential than linear: underwater area, deck area and the number of fittings all grow faster than length. Berthing scales with metres, paint and maintenance with area, and equipment servicing with the number of systems.

   Going from 12 to 15 metres rarely raises the annual cost by a quarter; more often it is closer to half again. Every metre you do not use is a line item you pay for each year.

6. 06

   What hidden costs come on top of the purchase price in the first year?

   Most first-year costs are one-off items stacked on the purchase price: transfer duties, the survey, haul-out and washing, the first insurance policy, the berthing contract and the initial maintenance package almost every boat needs.

   The only way to see them in advance is a survey — the urgency grading tells you which item belongs to the first season and which can wait.

7. 07

   How much does storage and winter lay-up cost?

   The price depends on ashore or afloat, covered or open, and how the boat is lifted (travel lift, cradle, forklift). Storing ashore costs more than afloat but opens a maintenance window: antifouling, anodes, shaft and hull work can all be done in the same period.

   That is why the decision should be taken together with next season’s maintenance plan rather than on price alone. Timing the hull survey to the same window avoids paying for a second lift.

8. 08

   How are VAT and taxes calculated when buying a boat?

   The tax position depends on the boat’s flag, her age and how she is imported, so the same boat bought by different routes produces a different result. The purchase structure — who is buying, under which flag, from where — should be settled before price negotiation.

   General rules are unreliable here; the answer is specific to the file. Current legislation is verified on every transaction rather than assumed.

9. 09

   Can I finance a boat purchase?

   Yes — some banks and finance houses offer marine loans. Assessment usually requires a current survey report and a valuation; rate and term depend on the boat’s age and value, and finance is harder to arrange on older boats.

   What the bank looks at is not the asking price but a value documented independently. Having the valuation done before applying speeds the process and affects the collateral figure.

10. 10

    When and how should winter maintenance be done?

    Ideally immediately after the last outing: fuel stabiliser, antifreeze through the cooling circuit, batteries on a maintenance charger. On the hull side the bilge is dried, the water system drained and the boat covered with something that breathes.

    Cost is decided by how early it starts — protection applied straight after the last trip prevents most of the faults that would otherwise appear in spring. Every week of delay converts into damp in the bilge and stale fuel.

11. 11

    What is antifouling and how often is it needed?

    Antifouling is a coating that stops marine growth attaching to the underwater hull; it also protects fuel efficiency by keeping drag down. In Aegean and Mediterranean waters it is usually renewed annually, or every two years with hard formulations, depending on the marina’s biological load.

    It is not a cosmetic item but a direct fuel cost: a fouled hull burns more for the same speed. Because the gelcoat beneath is visible while the boat is out, a hull survey belongs in the same haul-out.

12. 12

    How much does a yacht survey cost?

    Current rates: full pre-purchase survey 26 €/ft, hull + osmosis 10 €/ft, sea trial 13 €/ft, pre-season check 18 €/ft, engine room 200 € per engine (250 € above 1000 HP), tonnage survey 800 €. VAT is additional. Call for a firm figure — distance and season affect it.

    The fee follows length because the duration of the work scales with length; the engine room is priced per engine because that measurement scales with the number of engines instead.

13. 13

    How is a yacht delivery fee calculated?

    From 3 € per nautical mile, with the firm figure set by route length, season, crew size and how fuel is arranged. Long passages also carry insurance cover and accommodation.

    A fixed tariff is difficult because most of the cost comes not from the route but from waiting for a weather window — the same passage can take twice as long in the wrong season, and time is crew cost.

14. 14

    How is the survey fee calculated?

    A full pre-purchase survey is 26 €/ft and a valuation 25 €/ft, VAT excluded — around 1,040 € for a 40 ft boat. Hull + osmosis is 10 €/ft, sea trial 13 €/ft, pre-season check 18 €/ft, engine room 200 € per engine (250 € above 1000 HP) and a tonnage survey 800 €.

    Helm, deck, interior, rig, safety, thermal, ultrasonic and dye penetrant are chapters within a survey and are not billed separately — they are parts of one inspection rather than items to be bought individually.

15. 15

    Is the haul-out cost included in the survey fee?

    No. Lifting, washing and relaunching are paid to the yard and normally fall to the owner. The survey fee covers the inspection and the report only; the quote states this split explicitly.

    The yard invoices that work directly and we do not add a margin to it. Keeping the two separate is what makes the total budget visible from the start.

16. 16

    Is the fee refunded if I cancel the survey?

    Cancellations made up to 48 hours before the appointment carry no charge. After the team has travelled or the boat has been lifted, travel and organisation costs are charged. Surveys postponed for weather carry no extra fee.

    The threshold is set by your cost rather than ours: a cancellation before anyone has travelled costs nobody anything. What is charged afterwards is expenditure already incurred, not a penalty.

17. 17

    How much is the British flag registration package?

    2,000 € plus VAT. It covers UK company formation, the tonnage survey and certificate, radio licence and MMSI, Part I registration and the duties paid to the UK government. Only the deletion fee of the previous flag is excluded, as it varies by country.

    It is priced as a package because the steps depend on each other: Part I cannot open without a tonnage measurement, and registration needs a defined owner. Since a tonnage survey alone is 800 €, the registration and company side accounts for 1,200 €.