The ships are lined up close together on the gravel site on the Kiel Schwentine. Most of them are lashed down under a tarpaulin and protected from the weather. Winter storage time, after all. But something is different: more hulls, rudders and keels have labels stuck to them than in previous years. Many of them are in plastic sleeves and are in the form of a wanted poster with the words "For sale" written in large letters above them.
Around 700 yachts under 10,000 euros are currently listed on German online exchanges. "Over the past five years, there has been a 35 per cent drop in sales of smaller yachts in Europe," says John Burnham, editor-in-chief of "boats.com", one of the world's largest portals for the sale of used yachts. As a result, average sales prices have also fallen "by 10.5 per cent in the past two years", according to the market expert. And there is no end in sight to the favourable opportunities.
So is it really possible to buy a boat for weekend and holiday cruises more cheaply today than ever before? Or what exactly can a prospective buyer expect for a maximum of 10,000 euros? A boat that is ready to sail or rather a large construction site? In search of answers, we looked at six boats.
Read the results in YACHT 2/2014 - now available at newsagents!
