to the cruising itinerary and outlandish requests for bizarre items and services can all test the mental capacity of even the most seasoned captain. Enter the Yacht Agent. These white knights soak up the stress and responsibility and impart local knowledge whilst clutching little black books laden with trusted contacts. In short, the industry wouldn’t be the same without them.
S
Assisting with everything from pilotage to provisions, customs to couriers, massages to maintenance, transfers to tours, chandlery to concierge, there’s a Yacht Agent in every port and only a fool would eschew their services.
“It is essential to cooperate with a professional agent who is up to date with the current national rules and legislation
uperyacht owners are predictably unpredictable. Hastily invited extra guests, eleventh hour changes
regarding VAT, customs, immigration and general navigation,” says Christiane Thomsen, MD of Lunautica with offices in France, Spain and Germany. “Within Europe there are important differences in legal requirements and it is the agent’s duty to guarantee that their clients are complying. Once a captain has appointed the agent of his choice, this agent becomes legally liable for customs and immigration and they guarantee that any fees and dues will be paid. Particularly for captains of yachts over 3000 gross tonnage, it is realistically impossible for them to communicate with the national authorities in person. There is a vast amount of paperwork to complete that is thoroughly checked by officials and any mistakes may lead to expensive fines.”
Indeed, it is the paperwork that is the most mentioned subject. Katerina Papageorgopoulou from 1998 established Kronos Yacht Agency on the Greek island
ONCE A CAPTAIN HAS APPOINTED THE AGENT OF HIS CHOICE, THIS AGENT BECOMES LEGALLY LIABLE FOR CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION
of Rhodes says, “Some suggest that the paperwork, the formalities of entry and exit, is easy, but it is not. An agent must know the laws very well and must advise and protect the boat by issuing the right papers in order to cruise Greek waters legally. Of course we have our way with the authorities so that makes our job more efficient.”
Some countries make things a little more difficult than others. Spain for example has made things tricky in the past for non-EU owned and ‘tax haven’ flagged vessels,
ALL SERVICES Dr. Alessandro Sartore founded All Services S.R.L. in 1980. Two generations of Sartore family now work at All Services, with a team of more than 30 professionals in San Remo on the Italian Riviera and 14 other offices within the AS Network, all fully staffed to assist you wherever you are in the Mediterranean. The company provide tailor made services even at the last minute which gives Captains and crews the certainty of trouble free yachting for their owners and guests. The company policy is simple...24 hours a day, 7 days a week at your disposal, offering you full assistance in all Mediterranean Ports. For more details Tel: +39 0184 533 533 or visit
www.allservices.net
ONBOARD | SPRING 2017 | 39
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