Larry Buys a Boat in Europe To Sail Who Knows Where
Ever dreamed of just chucking it all and buying a boat in Europe to sail the Med, to who knows where? A year ago Larry Haynie, delivery skipper and Club Nautique instructor, wrote to say he was looking to do just that. A year later, it’s all come together.
When he wrote that he was packing his travel bags and a box to ship to Germany for a March departure for France, Larry relayed, “The boat, minus registration, is 95% ready to sail from Lübeck, through the Kiel Canal. I pick up the first mate and other crew members near Hamburg. I’m registering Zandra in Delaware in order to secure international insurance.”
“She’s a 1974 Amel Euros 41, essentially a one-owner boat with simple but good quality upgrades. Otherwise, she was immaculately maintained. Repowering was the only issue with which I was faced. While ordering the new Volvo Penta D2, the GEMO salesperson said, ‘Well, there’s a big backlog. We will be lucky to get it here by March.’ Me, ‘Isn’t that a D2 on display right there?’ Yes, it was available but would have to be tested and have parts added. I told them to do what they needed to get things going. So for approximately the price of a new motor, I will get the display model Volvo Penta, new batteries, new thru-hulls, etc. So it will be ready to launch before April 5.”
Who else is ready to “chuck it all?”
Would love to hear more about the red tape and logistics of buying, cruising, and keeping a boat in Europe as a commuter-cruising American. How ’bout Larry on a Good Jibes episode?
buying a boat that’s been owned in Germany or the Netherlands probably means its never been titled! so getting a title for an older boat was a pain to put it mildly. I had to negotiate with some administrator at the California DMV. I have her federally registered now.