Boats Are On The Must Have List Of Wealthy Romanians

Romanian customers this year spent a total 40 million Euro on boats, which is 30% more than last year.

Romanian customers this year spent a total 40 million Euro on boats, which is 30% more than last year.

Wealthy locals are ready to invest in water sports but all depends now on developing bay areas that could accommodate leisure yachts, said Willon Harbour general manager Gabriel Hanganu.

Also needed are storage areas for yachts during Romania's harsh winter time and while the boats are not used by their owners. Poorly developed, or rather not at all, are also the services connected to exploiting a yacht, points out Hanganu.

The best sold boats among Romanian customers stay in the 20,000 to 50,000 Euro price range, are able to carry four to six people and have sealed cabins for shielding the boaters in case of bad weather, explained Hanganu.

There are differences in the boats people buy according to the waters they want to explore.

Those buying boats for trips in the Danube Delta prefer them with outboard engines, so they can be used for fishing or transporting tourists in sightseeing tours. While those buying boats for use on the Black Sea or lakes prefer them with inboard powerful engines, that would develop high speeds for either trips or nautical sports.

Still, giving the lack of storage facilities, most clients also want their boats able to be mounted on transportation vehicles, for carrying them back home.

As for the people who invest into boats, Hanganu says they are middle to top managers who own houses and cars, are able to cover financially their vacations, and now moved to a different type of purchase for their leisure time.