15/05/2013

Yiannis

Before we leave in the morning, I wanted to thank you for everything:

-Your dynamite fast response to every initial question we had

-The total accuracy of your details, this allowed us to buy from Australia without ever having physically seen the boat

-Every single thing we asked, you had the answer to and always knew a good tradesman who could help.

Buying through you made the whole process very easy. We have bought yachts before and recognise GREAT service. If you wish to pass my email to any potential customers I will be happy to recommend you.

All the very best and thanks

Andy Doughty

S/V Matilda of Sydney

09/02/2013

Dear Yiannis,

I would like to start by saying that I would highly recommend Yiannis to anybody wishing to buy a boat.
As newcomers to this business area, we have needed support and guidance through the process of purchasing a yacht, setting up a charter company and subsequently refitting and upgrading our yacht. Yiannis has been with us every step of the way. His knowledge throughout has been extensive and outstanding.
Yiannis provided us advice on what type of yachts were the best for our intended purpose and within our budget. Once we had decided on what type of yacht he went with us to view a number of yachts, giving an overview of the quality of each on the spot. He even told us what needed upgrading and the costs.
Once we agreed on a yacht he provided all the best contacts we would need - a surveyor, accountant and lawyers to set up the company, and finally even contacts to help us start selling charters.
Nothing is too much to ask for Yiannis. His knowledge and attitude have motivated us throughout. Without his help our dream of starting a yacht charter business in the Ionian would not have become a reality. From all of us Yiannis, Thank you.
Chris, Paul & Christina.
Simply Sail Greece

19/10/2012

Hi Yianni!

Javna zahvala.

Želiva se zahvaliti Yiannisu za vso pomoč pri nakupu najine nove jadrnice vGrčiji. Bil je izredno profesionalen, izmenjali smo sištevilne e-maile, na katere je praviloma odgovarjal v izredno kratkem času - največkrat še isti dan. Ker sva imela srečo in našla njega za posrednika (bil jesicer predstavnik prodajalca) sva bila v celotnem procesu nakupa skorajda brez skrbi, da bi utegnilo iti kaj narobe. Yiannis je izreden človek in ga priporočamo vsakomur, ki se zanima za nakup plovila v Grčiji.

Saša & Manuela iz Kopra
(nova ponosna lastnika "Andromede")

12/08/2012

Caro Yannis,

Normalmente não costumo escrever este tipo de carta, mas me sinto especialmente agradecido e simultaneamente, creio poder ajudar a antigos e novos proprietários de barco a finalmente realizarem seu sonho, utilizando sua inestimável ajuda.

Sou proprietário de veleiros a 27 anos, e não e a primeira vez que compro um barco em pais estrangeiro, processo sempre tenso e intricado pois cada pais possui sua praticas e tradições, mas ter conhecido você no ultimo barco, no ultimo dia da segunda viagem de analise de ofertas que me levou por dois continentes desde que eu e minha mulher vendemos nosso antigo veleiro em outubro de 2011, e no caso da ultima viagem, apos 15 voos de avião em 20 dias, foi quase uma providencia divina.

Devo dizer que se não fosse a segurança que sentimos no teu comportamento e nos testemunhos pessoais dos antigos clientes (com osquais falamos pessoalmente) dificilmente teríamos seguido adiante com o negocio em um ambiente empresarial e econômico tão complicado como este da Grécia em 2012.

Sua incrível capacidade de fazer parecer fácil coisas que sabemos que em seu pais não são, a condução rápida e eficiente das negociações e da burocracia grega, superando obstáculos que felizmente para meu coração só me inteirei completamente depois, foram fundamentais para uma experiência suave como se estivesse comprando um carro zero na concessionaria na esquina de minha casa, e não um veleiro usado a 13.000 km de distancia.

Suas sugestões discretas, eficientes e econômicas de soluções para questões fiscais, de registro e de guarda e manutenção do barco recém adquirido foram fundamentais para nossa tranquilidade e economia de recursos mesmo estando tão longe do novo barco.
Sua preocupação em atuar tão intensamente no processo pós venda, muito além do que e comum ou praxe no ramo foi extremamente útile tranquilizador, e uma ajuda inestimável a compradores de longa distancia como nos e que transitam pelo meio náutico grego pela primeira vez.

Finalmente ficamos com a sensação de que além de tudo, podemos contar que temos em você e tua esposa um novo casal de amigos em um novo porto (que assim será por vários anos graças a você, pois não eram nossos planos iniciais).

Atenciosamente

Bruno Fernandes
Arquiteto – Archi 5 Arquitetos Associados Ltda - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Comandante – Fernandes & Ruiz Ltd – Antigua and Barbuda

26/06/2012

To whom it may concern.

I have recently had the pleasure of doing business with Yiannis Drimousis. I purchased a Bavaria 50 in March this year (2012). From the first meeting when we visited Athens and met with Yiannis to view potential yachts to purchase, he found was to be more than helpful, very professional in his attitude and above all, very willing to share his experience and advise accordingly. There were one or two problems which arose, I hasten to add that these were not problems caused by Yiannis, but he was always on hand to sort these out. In particular he was extremely helpful with guiding us through the process of legalities involved in the purchase of a vessel in a foreign country.

I have no problem whatsoever in recommending Yiannis to anyone in the future who is thinking of buying a yacht in Greece.

Regards Andy Dobson (Atlas Sailing Ltd)

20/06/2012

Yiannis Drimousis of YDyachts has a knowledge of yachts and yacht systems that in my opinion is first class, and I've been sailing for 45 years. He advised us of the finer (and less fine) points of every yacht we examined, and then completed the successful purchase of a Jeanneau 45.2 for us, making it plain sailing. His knowledge of the unwieldy Greek bureaucracy system, how to get a yacht off the Greek registry, then minimize VAT and other liabilities around Europe in the future is essential. He has contacts with excellent surveyors and you should use them. Yiannis is a good man to know, in every sense of the expression.

David Noakes. 00 44 75……….. davidjnoakes@……..uk

12/03/2012

Cand ne-am hotarat sa luam un velier am vazut multe vase, atat cu properietarii lor cat si cu brokeri, si pe departe yacht-urile in cea mai buna conditie le-am gasit la YD Yachts (Yannis Drimusis).

Yannis Drimusis este o persoana foarte punctuala si ne-a raspuns la orice intrebare legata de yacht atat telefonic cat si pe mail intr-un timp foarte scurt.

Yannis, vrem sa iti multumim pentru toate sfaturile, informatiile pe care ni le-ai oferit de la prima intalnire si mai ales pentru indrumarea in tot procesul mai ales ca noi nu aveam nici o experienta anterioara.

Tot procesul de achizionare a durat aproximativ 2 luni, datorita multelor hartii si acte care trebuie adunate (birocratie), si iti multumim din toata inima pentru tot suportul acordat aceata perioada. Am reusit sa achizionam yachtul dorit si sa ne si incadram in bugetul disponibil-lucru imposibil fara ajutorul tau.

Multumim din tot sufletul pentru:

- Profesionalismul desavarsit
- gama larga de yachturi prezentate si preturi rezonabile
- pentru raspunsurile la intrebari (telefonic, mail sau fata in fata)
- suportul in timpul procesului de survey si negociere
- suportul depus pentru conexiunea cu vanzatorul si strangerea tutorar
actelor necesare
- suportul depus pe toata perioada procesului de transfer al yachtului

Adriana si Radu

Romania – Grecia

06/03/2012

Nach Jahren Charter entschlossen wir uns im Herbst 2011 den geborgten Yachten ade zu sagen und ab der nächsten Saison auf eigenem Kiel unterwegs zu sein.

Unsere Suche begann im Internet wo wir dann auch rasch eine vermeintlich gute Yacht von einem Privatverkäufer ausfindig machten und wir vereinbarten einen Besichtigungstermin in Griechenland. Was uns fehlte war der Sachverständige. So suchten wir im Internet weiter und kamen mit YD-Yachts, Mr. Yiannis Drimousis in Kontakt. Auf seiner Homepage fanden wir sehr gut beschrieben, welche Schritte zu setzen sind um eine Yacht in Griechenland zu kaufen. Ich telefonierte dann mit Yiannis und fragte ihn über Sachverständige, selbstlos nannte uns Yiannis einen sehr kompetenten Sachverständigen, welchen wir dann auch für die Überprüfung der Privatyacht engagierten. Yiannis stand uns bei Fragen über den Ankauf einer Privatyacht immer sehr hilfsbereit zur Seite, jede Anfrage über allgemeine Themen beantwortete er uns, ohne dass wir mit ihm einen Kontrakt hatten! Egal, bei der Überprüfung durch den Sachverständigen stellte sich heraus, dass das gute Privatschnäppchen einen Rumpfschaden (Grundberührung) hatte und wir dadurch von einem Kauf Abstand nahmen. Das bedeutete für uns, weitersuchen.

Unsere neue Suche setzten wir dann auf der Homepage von YD-Yachts fort und wurden dort auch bald fündig, eine Bavaria 36 mit 2 Kabinen, genau so etwas hatten wir gesucht.

Wir traten abermals mit Yiannis in Kontakt, organisierten uns den bereits aus der vorangegangenen Besichtigung bekannten Sachverständigen, Mr. Willliam Walsh aus Piräus, und Anfang Dezember 2011 trafen wir uns, Yiannis mit Gattin, William, der Verkäufer, meine Frau und ich in Thessaloniki um die Wunschyacht zu besichtigen. Bei der Besichtigung stellten wir einige Mängel fest, welche wir vom angeschriebenen Preis reduziert haben wollten. Wir überließen es Yiannis die Verhandlung einer Preisreduktion zu führen. Yiannis verhandelte zu unserer Zufriedenheit und somit unterfertigten wir am 19.12.2011 den Kaufvertrag! Die darauffolgenden notariellen Abwicklungen, Kaufvertrag, Nachweis über bezahlte Mehrwertsteuer, Streichung aus dem griechischen Schiffsregister, usw. wurde zu unserer vollsten Zufriedenheit rasch abgewickelt und das Beste zum Schluss, die griechischen Amtspapiere wurden alle mit notarieller Beglaubigung ins Englische übersetzt. Die Kosten der Übersetzung und Beglaubigung hat Yiannis übernommen!!!

Die Yacht ist seit 22. Februar 2012 in Österreich registriert und unseren Törns in Griechenland oder sonst wo, steht Dank der kompetenten und raschen Abwicklung von YD-Yachts, Mr. Yiannis Drimousis nichts mehr im Weg. Wir können YD-Yachts uneingeschränkt weiterempfehlen!!!

Nochmals herzlichen Dank an Yiannis,

Rainer & Edeltraud Teufl

Österreich

13/01/2012

Yiannis,

Now that all of the paperwork has been completed I thought I would draft a short note of thanks.

In particular I would like to thank you for all of the advice, guidance and support you have promptly provided to me during the whole process.

Please feel free to put any of your future potential customers in contact with me should they require someone to attest to how supportive and easy it has been for me to deal with you (Yiannis Drimousis, (YD Yachts). I would single out the following key aspects of the whole process we have just completed:
· Your professional website containing lots of useful information about the whole purchase process (FAQs);
· The large range of yachts that you have on your website for consideration;
· Your support during the survey and negotiation part of the process;
· Your follow up support in helping organise minor modifications to my boat and a temporary site (boatyard) until I commence sailing next April;
· Your ability to manage our discussions and negotiations from one end of the world (Greece to Australia) to the other; and
· Your patient, open and honest appraisal of each of the many boats that I considered over the last 3-4 months.
Once again thanks for your help. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you to anyone looking to buy (or sell) a yacht in Greece.

Best wishes,

Philip Norris (Adelaide, South Australia)

23/12/2011

Beste Yiannis,

Vanmiddag ontving ik de scheeps documenten en zoals gebruikelijk was alles conform afspraak. Hiermee is de aankoop van mijn schip formeel afgerond. Een goed moment om je nog eens te bedanken voor de voortreffelijke wijze waarop je het hele verkoop proces geleid hebt. Onder andere de volgende punten maakten het voor mij een aangename ervaring:

- De uitstekende bereikbaarheid en altijd zeer snelle follow up, exact volgens hetgeen overeengekomen was, hetzij telefonisch,via email of d.m.v. besprekingen.

-Een goede actuele website met uitstekende beschrijvingen en foto’s, een werkelijk exacte weergave van de werkelijkheid. Bij interesse in een bepaald schip volgde meer, met uiterst nuttige foto’s van relevante details.

-Een ongekende technische kennis van boten in het algemeen en van de verschillende toonaangevende merken, met hun sterke en zwakke punten in het bijzonder. Na meer dan 50 jaar scharrelen met boten heb ik nog een hoop van je kunnen leren!

-Een zeer goed gevoel voor de markt omstandigheden.

-Zeer goede connecties voor het afhandelen van alle papieren rompslomp, zoals BTW en registratie. Voor buitenlanders een ware nachtmerrie. Met jouw hulp een formaliteit. Ook de onderhandelingen over de BTW grondslag leverden een gunstig resultaat op.
-Prima verkoper/matchmaker, die alles in het werk stelt partijen tot elkaar te brengen met respect voor beider partijen’s uitgangs punten en wensen.

-De beschikking over een gedegen netwerk van personen en bedrijven, die werkzaamheden of ligplaatsen kunnen verzorgen tegen een goede prijs/kwaliteit.

-Eerlijkheid en betrouwbaarheid.

Yiannis, nogmaals bedankt voor al je goede zorgen en adviezen (ik hoop hier nog van tijd tot tijd gebruik van te mogen maken); het was buitengewoon plezierig zaken met je te doen. Het allerbeste en heel veel succes met je zaak.

Met vriendelijke groet

Ysbrand Brouwers

Trotse eigenaar van de ELAN 45 ELIXIR

20/11/2011

Hej Yiannis

Försäljningen av Miss Fine är nu genomförd, och vi väntar på att sommaren skall komma så vi kan börja segla.
Vi vill passa på att tacka för det arbete du lagt ned på försäljningen. Upplägget var ju ganska trassligt med båten på land, sjösättning möjligt först i september, säljare och köpare i Thailand och Sverige och en besikning som visade på en del saker som behövde ses över / repareras.
Vi tycker att du hanterat juridiken, förhandlingarna med oss (och säljare) och åtgärderna på båten på ett väldigt bra sätt.. Det har varit lätt att kommunicera med dig, svar på mail har alltid kommit snabbt och den information vi fått har alltid varit pålitlig. Vi uppskattar också upplägget av land- och sjöprov och ditt engagemang och din närvaro under själva proven Vi önskar dig lycka till i framtida affärer, och hoppas att du kanske kan hjälpa oss att sälja båten när den dagen kommer.

Kerstin och Sigvard Brodén (Sweden)

20/10/2011

Vi sålde vår båt genom YD Yacht Broker och vi är mycket nöjda med hur Yiannis har skött affären. Vi kan varmt rekommendera honom och hans företag.

Eva Nygren och Hans Smedberg (Sweden)

01/05/2011

Vi bestemte oss for ε kjψpe en Sun Odyssey 40 sommeren 2010, og etter ε ha sψkt endel - og hatt endel korrespondanse med meglere i middelhavsomrεdet, endte vi opp med en bεt YDYachs formidlet salget av. Vi fikk umiddelbart et godt inntrykk av Yiannis Drimousis, og alle vεre spψrsmεl ble rask og utfyllende besvart. I perioden frem til endelig overtagelse av bεten, vεren 2011, viste Yiannis en meget positiv og grundig holdning til hele prosessen, og var hele tiden behjelpelig i gjennomfψringen pε alle omrεder - enten det var av teknisk/praktisk natur, eller juridisk mhp. byrεkrati og regler i Hellas. Han har vζrt en uvurderlig hjelp gjennom hele kjψpsprosessen, og det er liten tvil om at hans bidrag gjorde handelen bεde sikker og rask for oss. Jeg vil pε det varmeste anbefale YD Yachts som formidler av bεter for salg, og vil sζrdeles trekke frem Yiannis Drimousis som en seriψs og dyktig megler med sin positive personlighet og gode kunnskaper om bransjen samt lover og regler i Hellas.
Hilsen Eirik Vasstrand, Bergen, Norway

02/06/2010

Monsieur,

Nous tenions à vous remercier pour l’aide que vous nous avez apportée et professionnalisme dont vous avez fait preuve tout au long de la négociation qui a précédé l’achat de notre Catamaran Nautitech 435.
Vous avez su nous conseiller, nous rassurer et avez toujours répondu avec patience et précision à nos multiples interrogations. Le climat de confiance que vous avez instauré nous a permis d’aller au bout de la transaction et nous avons apprécié votre efficacité, particulièrement en ce qui concerne les relations avec la bureaucratie grecque.
En vous renouvelant nos remerciements, nous vous prions de recevoir, Monsieur, l’expression de notre considération distingué.

Brigitte et Yves Gladu (France)

09/03/2010

Caro Yiannis,

Comprar um barco e como realizar um sonho, portanto nao e tarefa facil e venho atraves desta te agradecer, muito obrigado, ou como se diz em grego “σε ευχαριστώ πάρα πολύ”.
Quando decidimos por comprar um barco na Grecia era uma tarefa duplamente dificil, pois nao entendiamos muito do assunto e estavamos em um pais diferente em linguas e costumes, mas com sua ajuda e auxilio esta tarefa se tornou mais facil e certamente atingivel.
Voce nao so nos ajudou na compra do barco como tambem nos detalhes legais e na sua manutencao inicial nos apresentando pessoas igualmente honestas e eficientes.
Certamente quando pensarmos em adquirir outro barco ou quando tivermos algum amigo interessado em faze-lo sabemos a quem recorrer, ao nosso amigo Yiannis.
Qualquer dia desses vamos tomar outro cafe no Bar do Capitao em Kalamaki.

Um grande abraco dos seus amigos,
Orlando & Anabela
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

08/12/2009

Ich hatte bei meinem zweiten Kauf einer Yacht mit mehreren Yachtmaklern in England, Deutschland und Holland zu tun. Man konnte sie alle vergessen.
Durch das Internet stiess ich schliesslich auf Herrn Yiannis Drimousis, Athen, Griechenland. Sehr überrascht war ich von Anfang an ueber ein wirkliches Verstaendnis seinerseits, was ich wollte und was zu mir passen wuerde. Mir wurde also nicht etwas aufgeschwatzt.

Durch seine grosse Erfahrung und eine selten gewordene ausserordentliche Hilfsbereitschaft entschloss ich mich fuer eine Beneteau 440 Oceanis.
Das besondere daran war, ich kaufte dieses Boot ohne es gesehen zu haben. Der Grund: ich lebte in Shanghai und hatte nun einmal sehr grosses Vertrauen in Yiannis Drimousis. Dieses Vertauen wurde auch in keinster Weise enttaeuscht. Im Gegenteil. Yiannis hatte alles organisiert, alles perfekt geplant. Alle noetigen Papiere vom Kaufangebot, Kaufvertrag, Registrierung bis zum notariellen Teil war alles ohne Makel. Also so, wie ein sehr guter Yacht-Makler immer machen sollte.

Als ich nach Griechenland kam, stellte ich einige Dinge am Boot fest, die ich gerne geändert/repariert haben wollte. Auch einige Ausruestungsgegenstaende fehlten. Für Yiannis Drimousis war das alles kein Problem: alles wurde auf seine Kosten repariert, die Ausrüstung ergaenzt.
Ich kann Herrn Yiannis Drimousis, der mittlerweile ein Freund unserer Familie ist, bestens empfehlen. Vielen Dank Yiannis.

Wolfgang Kokott
Wilhelmshaven
Deutschland

17/10/2009

O senhor Yannis ultrapassou todas as minhas expectivas como broker. Eu cheguei em Atenas com a idéia de comprar um barco que havia visto na internet, mas sem noção nenhuma do que era bom ou ruim. O primeiro barco que ele me mostrou parecia bonito, um pouco velho, mas o preço era bom e eu viajei até a Grécia só para ver ele. O surveyor condenou o barco e disse que não servia aos meus propósitos (o senhor Yannis fez questão que eu contratasse o surveyor e isso me poupou muito dinheiro e problemas). Eu não tinha mais muitas alternativas pois tudo o que restava no mercado era muito mais do que eu esperava gastar. Ele me mostrou um barco que era um pouco acima do valor do anterior, mas realmente muito diferente. Um barco não muito novo, mas extremamente bem cuidado pelos antigos donos. Era bem aquilo que eu estava procurando. Ele realmente entendeu o meu objetivo e conseguiu realiza-lo.

Ele conhece bem o prórpio negócio e te mostra o que você quer ver. Até então esse é o trabalho dele e de qualquer outro broker, mas eu precisei fazer umas modificações no barco e aí começou a parte onde ele se diferenciou para mim.

A assistência que eu tive por parte dele foi total, ele me levou aos lugares onde vendem os equipamentos, me apresentou as pessoas, e cuidou de tudo com relação a documentação, marina etc... Em um lugar onde a língua é completamente estranha a sua e as pessoas são tão trapaceiras quanto no Brasil essa ajuda foi fundamental para o que eu atingisse o meu objetivo.

Eu entendi que quando se sabe exatamente o tamanho, o modelo, o ano, o valor que se quer gastar e tem os contatos necessários para fazer qualquer tipo de modificação, transporte, documentação etc... Não faz muita diferença onde e de quem se está comprando o barco, mas quando se tem dúvida em algum desses ítens ou quando não se tem tempo, conhecimento ou paciência para fazer tudo por si próprio, o trabalho dele é MUITO importante.

Além de tudo ele é uma pessoa extremamente agradável e simpática espero não ter virado apenas um cliente, mas sim um novo amigo (ou um amigo novo).

Sr. Yannis (se o sr. conseguir ler isso em português) depois de eu curtir um pouco a minha nova aquisição espero encontrar o senhor novamente, seja no Brasil (nas suas férias) ou aí na Grécia quando for trocar o meu barco, pois como o sr. mesmo diz: "Barcos são como as mulheres, você compra um e fica olhando para todos os outros". Essa é a versão em português da sua famosa frase.

Obrigado por tudo!!!
Um grande abraço
Nuno Gerardo
(BRAZIL)

22/05/2009

After sailing for many years in the UK the arrival of 2 children and our concerns for their safety put a temporary hold on sailing activities and we reluctantly sold our yacht to concentrate on bringing up a family. As the children reached their teenage years we began to charter in the Med, sailing between Greece and Turkey and the whole family developed a love for the area. With the benefit of this experience we decided that now was the time to look for our own yacht and started searching in February this year.

By the end of the month we eventually found what we wanted, a Feeling 416 on the books of YD Yachts in Athens. The yacht was under a Greek flag, but had been left in Turkey and neglected due to ill health. The boat was in good structural condition but many items of equipment had been stolen. Yiannis Drimousis explained that he knew the boat from new and gave us a very comprehensive description of its condition, including almost 50 photographs showing precisely the extent of the neglect - which was reflected in the asking price.

Based on this we decided to take a trip out to Turkey to see things for ourselves. Yiannis was constantly in touch, answering all of our questions and concerns and keeping us up to date with developments on the sale - which was more complicated than most. We received an independent inventory of the missing equipment and prior to our visit asked YD Yachts if they could arrange for a haul-out so that we could view the condition of the hull. It transpired that no haulage facilities were available at the yachts location - the marina was still under construction - but we agreed that if, after viewing, we decided to go ahead with the purchase Yiannis could arrange for the yacht to be transfered further along the coast for a haul-out and hull inspection.

We arrived in Turkey mid-March to view the yacht and found everything exactly as described. YD Yachts set up a meeting for us with the owners solicitor and made arrangements for the boat to be moved while we were there so that we could reach a final decision on the purchase.

The service from Yiannis was excellent - nothing was too much trouble. We were buying a Greek registered yacht requiring renovation, it was based in Turkey and had to moved for inspection and we were working on a very tight timescale. Everything ran smoothly and we decided to go ahead with the purchase.

YD Yachts handled all the paperwork, including deletion from the Greek Ships Registry, and we are now the proud owners of a British registered Feeling 416 currently being brought back to life. And it doesnt stop there - the after-sales service has been just as good, queries we have had in relation to equipment and costs have been quickly answered and resolved.

Thanks Yiannis - we couldnt have achieved so much, so quickly without your invaluable help and advice. I hope we can meet up with you in Athens this summer, when the project is finished.

Richard and Christine, Manchester, UK

23/11/2008

Dear Yiannis,

As you know from the chronicles I have been sending, my family and I are now back in Brisbane after 5 glorious months of Greek islands summer on our fabulous Bavaria 46 "Tramondana". The assistance you gave me at the early stages when the idea was only forming in my mind, and ultimately the discovery of the right boat to buy, contributed significantly to the success of this long and extravagant holiday that forms another great episode in our life.

With most of my sailing having been in New Zealand and Australia, I knew nothing of the regulations, formalities or practicalities of sailing in the Mediterranean, or purchasing and owning a sailing yacht there. Hunting the web for information, I found the straight-forward explanations at YDyachts.com the most helpful introduction, and then your prompt and enthusiastic responses to my relentless queries about registration, VAT, cruising tax, transit log, traffic document, hows and wherefores of sailing and wintering a yacht in Greece and the Mediterranean were instrumental in my assessment of the feasibility and practicality of purchasing and owning a yacht on the opposite side of the world from where I normally live. While I will only suggest that the answer to the practicality question is similar to beauty being in the eye of the beholder, or perhaps a warped sense of priorities, the positive feasibility assessment was mostly due to the help you gave me.

However, its discussion of rules and regulations introduces interpretation rather than quoting or referencing the source documents. A link to an official source would be useful to gain a confident understanding. Yet, your advice of its practical application does avoid the need for a great deal of research.

What I also now appreciate is that the promises on your website of full service assistance through the yacht purchase process is real and part of the excellent service you provide. Over several months of intermittently firing you questions about a new boat listing or another angle on registration or taxes, you were the most helpful. When I visited Athens for three days in January 2008, it was you who listened to what I was looking for and took me through a logical process in just a few hours of the morning to quickly narrow down on the "right boat for me" out of the many and varied available. Others had simply shown me around the boats I had specifically asked about, without using some initiative to work out what I really needed. A significant part of your process was the honesty with which you portrayed the boats in regard to hidden details of such importance as structural integrity from fundamental design and the state of the industry at the time of construction.

Clearly all these factors culminated in my purchase of the 1997 Bavaria 46 with your competent assistance. Within 48 hours of our first meeting in Athens, you found me the boat, completed negotiations with the seller and also prepared all the documentation need to complete the sale, transfer of ownership and deletion from the Greek registry, knowing that I was travelling directly back to Australia, from where the process would otherwise have been drawn out and costly.

Yet that was only the beginning of our relationship, as you followed through all the actions and formalities needed to finalise the sale, assisted with my remote requests for various enhancements to the boat and coordinated the works right through to the target date for completion and re-launch in May. During our final preparations with the boat in the water in the crowded Alimos Marina, on a berth only available due to your contacts, I met people (from not just one yacht) who were stranded awaiting documentation to be finalised. I was so glad I had made our purchase through YD Yachts!

Your continued assistance and availability even beyond our departure from Alimos is very much appreciated. It is from your dedication to see everything through smoothly that we have been able to make the purchase remotely with so little effort or complications. Thank you again for all your knowledgeable advice, your commitment to satisfaction of all parties and the professionalism of your service.

Kind regards
Paul Caplen
Brisbane, Australia

09/03/2008

Dear Yiannis,

With our boat now almost halfway through its delivery voyage and nearing the Gulf of Aden I thought it would be appropriate for me to write to you to express my thanks for all that you have done.

Although I have been sailing for about 5 years on Hobie cats, the thought of ever owning a blue water cruiser was a dream that I did not really believe would ever materialize. It should also be noted that I had and still have very little experience when it comes to larger boats and when I began browsing the internet in September last year I quickly realized that I was a little out of my depth and that I would need two things if this dream was ever going to materialize. Firstly I would need someone with an intricate knowledge of Yachts to guide me and then I would need to find a Yacht Broker that I could trust.

I was very fortunate that my cousin has been running charters from Florida for many years as well as having completed the Cape to Rio race on a few occasions and he was most helpful in helping me come to a decision about what type of boat would best suit my needs given my budget. With a fairly broad view of what boat I needed it was back to the Internet to begin the search.

It was during this search that I came across YD Yachts for the first time, at the time I was sending out several enquiries per day asking about boats that I had found on the internet. Some brokers were good and responded quickly others were not so good. However, in the case of YD Yachts I quickly had the impression that I was dealing with someone who was not only interested in helping me find a boat, but was dealing with someone who was actually listening to my questions and answering them appropriately. Basically I had found someone who was passionate about what he does for a living and who I felt really wanted to help me find the right boat for me.

Over the months a level of trust built between us and by the time I came to signing on the dotted line I was completely confident in everything that you were telling me. My situation was rather complicated but the fact that I was trying to buy a yacht in Greece from Tanzania this meant that a lot of evaluation had to be done remotely and your patience during this time was exceptional. I remain grateful for the time you took in answering my questions and guiding me to the point where I was ready to purchase.

Most Yacht brokers would consider their jobs done once the sale agreement was signed. This was certainly not the case for YD Yachts, for YD Yachts this is where the work really started. Firstly the information on your website abut the process that I needed to go through was very thorough and helpful and secondly the advise that you gave me with regards to registration etc etc once again confirmed that you really knew your business.

Your assistance while the boat was being prepared for delivery was tireless and speaks volumes for you passion and commitment.

I now regard you as a friend, and I sincerely hope that one day our paths will cross again. Perhaps you will decide to do some cruising and will come down the East Coast of Africa, I hope so. You will be very welcome in Tanzania at the Stuarts house.

Thank you and God Bless
Russell Stuart
(Beneteau Oceanis 430 owner)