New Marinas Overseas

As promised I have now received further details on the exciting new marina on Grenada, which is being devloped byPeter de Savary, well known for other major projects in the Caribbean. This one is no less exciting!

The heart of the devlopment will ofcourse be the village and marina, which will be able to accommodate yachts up to 360 feet, for those of you who have one, but if you do, I would suggest getting in early, as there is only one berth of this size as far as I can tell from the plans. This is followed by seven at 240 feet, and then a variety of berths for mere mortals, ranging in size from 80 feet down to the smallest at 40 feet which have optional finger piers. In total there will be around 300 berths when the marina is complete. Berth depths vary dependant on the location but the maximum is 26 ft. Some of the berths will be for sale on a freehold basis, so if you prefer to own, rather than lease or rent, again I would suggest you get in ealry.

The development itslef will eventually evolve into a complete village, and one of the focal points will be the re-birth of a five star landmark hotel “The Islander” which was originally known as the The Santa Maria. In the 1950’s this world famous property was a huge draw to the rich and famous, and was the location for the movie “Island In The Sun” with James Mason, Harry Belafonte and Joan Collins.

At the moment I am still waiting for property prices to become avilable, but as soon as they do I will post them here. Grouped around the marina will be a mixture of town houses ( 17 ), luxury apartments ( 66) , and villa lots (3) up to 4500 sq ft. Overlooking both the marina and Pandy beach on the hillside will be a further development of luxury hillside apartments ( (22). With the limited availablility of waterside properties by the marina I would reserve one as soon as possible, as Grenada is set for growth in the next 5 years, and this development will only fuel the inevitable price increases.

In the 1980’s, Croatia was one of the most exciting emerging destinations for overseas travel and investment, with almost half a million visitors annually from the UK alone. The devastating war in the region saw the former Yugoslavia ripped apart by a civil war of devastating proportions. Now, over 15 years on, this small country is slowly returning to some of its former glory.

Croatia became an independent state in 1991 as part of the break-up of former Yugoslavia. The Zagorje region, north of the capital Zagreb, is a land of rolling hills, while the fertile agricultural region of the Pannonian Plain is bordered by the Drava, Danube, and Sava rivers in the East. Over one third of Croatia is forested. The best known feature of Croatia is the Dalmatian coast with its hundreds of islands and the historic cities of Dubrovnik, Split and Zadar which are a magnate for yachtsmen and sailors from around the world. These are some of the finest sailing waters anywhere in the world, and indeed this is the first of several new super yacht marinas recently announced.

Marina Preko will be situated in the beautiful Dalmation island of Ugljanu a short ferry ride from the port of Zadar and in the middel of one of Croatia’s finest sailing areas. With a Mediterranean feel to the island and bars and restaurants lining the shore, Preko offers the traditions of Croatia, combined with the simplicity of the local fresh delicacies which are a delight for the visitor to the island. Preko provides the delights of an island, yet has easy access to other anchorages in waters sheltered by the other islands, providing a wonderful location for ‘island hopping’.

The marina has been under construction for some time, and is due for completion in the Spring of 2008, and will provide a total of 87 secure berths for vessels up to 20 metres, and 3 berths for superyachts up to 60m. The marina will include a host of modern facilities, within the cost of the mooring fees. These include laundry facilities, Wi-fi access, water, electricity and refuse disposal, a modern shower block and marina office on site, as well as the village bars and restaurants nearby. Shops, including a regular local fruit and vegetable market are within 50 metres of the marina. Other facilities include a bank and regular bus and ferry service.

Marina Preko offers a depth of up to 6 metres with a minimum depth of 2 metres and easy 24 hour access with good all-round shelter. In addition to the berths detailed above, several berths will be made available for visiting yachts.The marina is just a short ferry ride from the mainland port of Zadar which is just two and a half miles away by water. A frequent ferry service runs between the island and the mainland, whilst the nearest airport is also at Zadar and which has regular connections to the main European airports.

Croatia has been on the overseas property radar for some time, and with its application in progress to join the EU, this could be a good time to invest in a berth in one of the most beautiful cruising grounds in Europe. If you are thinking of buying overseas you might need some advice on changing your euros to pounds - if so just follow the link for a free resource site which provides guidance on the tricky issue of foreign exchange.