The BIG Gamble
I’m someone who likes to plan. I can be spontaneous when the moment calls for it, but I genuinely enjoy preparing for adventures. Working through the details ahead of time so everything runs as smoothly as possible.
Before setting off on this big journey, I knew buying and sailing a boat in a foreign country would come with its fair share of challenging logistics. I thought I had done my due diligence: researching costs, understanding VAT requirements and other payments required, and even reaching out for insurance quotes well in advance. I wanted everything lined up.
It didn’t exactly go that way.
After finding Dali, the boat we hoped to purchase, with an accepted offer and a signed agreement conditional on a satisfactory survey, we turned our attention to registration and insurance. The first couple of responses we received from insurers declined coverage because we’re North American. At first, we weren’t too concerned. We were still waiting to hear back from two companies I had contacted back in 2025, both of which had previously provided positive, hypothetical quotes.
Then more refusals came in. Including from those same companies.This became very concerning, so we started our phone and email campaign reaching out to every insurer possible.
We called local, European, international insurers but had no luck. As it turns out, a policy change introduced on January 1st had made it significantly more difficult for North Americans to obtain insurance in the EU. One by one, every option closed.
What followed were a few difficult days in Trogir, spent making calls and sending emails, hoping something—anything—would come through.
Eventually, we heard back from a Canadian insurer. There was a possibility: they could insure us under a transatlantic crossing policy, even if we planned to sail in the Mediterranean. But that came with strict requirements. The boat would need to meet offshore standards—essentially prepared for an ocean crossing.
While Dali is in excellent condition, bringing her up to that level would mean major additional costs: new rigging, a haul-out survey, upgraded safety equipment. It quickly became clear that this option, while technically possible, wasn’t realistic.
As a last-ditch effort, we walked into a small Croatian insurance office, unsure of what to expect. The language barrier made things a bit challenging, but as we explained our situation, the agent seemed to think it might actually be possible.
Could it really be that simple? Could the solution have been local all along?
We weren’t out of the woods yet. There were still plenty of hurdles—and time was not on our side. To meet the purchase agreement deadline, we still needed to complete a survey, secure insurance, register the boat (in a country we hadn’t yet determined, since insurance depended on it), pay the vignette tax required for sailing in Croatia, and wire a significant sum of money to finalize the purchase, on top of countless smaller details.
Thankfully, to help de-stress, we had some visitors join us – Our long lost friends Reiko and Sebastian from Germany (and Japan but living in Germany) as well as Jen, Keely and Tina, friends from back home in Victoria. What followed was a joyful reunion and good distraction from our insurance hurdles. Just as we started to relax and unwind, another major complication surfaced.
High Risks in hopes for Big Rewards
The sellers informed us they had a second interested buyer and required a deposit if we wanted to move forward. The catch? The deposit of €5,000 would only be refundable if the survey revealed issues, not if we failed to secure insurance.
Moving ahead meant taking a huge risk without yet knowing if insurance could be secured. Everything was interconnected and challenging to decide on:
- Insurance couldn’t be confirmed without a completed survey and registration
- A survey meant committing over €1,000 upfront
- Registration could only begin after purchase and might take up to 10 days
Every step depended on the next, and all of them were imminent.
EN_CA
Nicole Zimmer
So glad you found a way out to start your new adventure!