11 Abandoned Boats Go Under the Hammer in the Canary Islands – Four Are in Lanzarote
Fancy owning a boat in Lanzarote? There could be an unusual opportunity for prospective buyers, with four boats currently located in Lanzarote included in a new public auction of 11 abandoned vessels across the Canary Islands.
The auction has been organised by Puertos Canarios and includes boats located in Tenerife, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Starting prices range from just €1,000 to €12,000, although anyone considering a purchase should remember that the winning bid is only part of the potential cost of taking on an abandoned vessel.
For those looking specifically at boats for sale in Lanzarote, the island has four vessels included in the auction – three at Puerto del Carmen and one at Playa Blanca.
Which Boats Are Being Auctioned in Lanzarote?
The four Lanzarote boats are:
Boat
Location
Starting price
Lady Justice
Puerto del Carmen
€12,000
Calella Dos
Puerto del Carmen
€1,000
El Sonrisa
Puerto del Carmen
€1,000
Topalue Dos
Playa Blanca
€6,000
The Lady Justice is the most expensive of the Lanzarote boats, with a starting price of €12,000, while Calella Dos and El Sonrisa both start at €1,000.
The Topalue Dos, located in the Playa Blanca boatyard, has a starting price of €6,000.
What Is the Cheapest Boat in the Auction?
Three of the 11 boats across the Canary Islands have a starting price of €1,000.
They are Chaisa, located at Playa San Juan in Tenerife, and Calella Dos and El Sonrisa, both in Puerto del Carmen.
What About the Boat in Playa Blanca?
The Topalue Dos, being auctioned from the boatyard at Playa Blanca, is a 5.50-metre Marimar 550 Fisher built in 2008.
Its inspection report reportedly found good overall structural integrity, although maintenance was described as poor. The report also concluded that the vessel was considered capable of navigation after some minor maintenance work.
It has a starting price of €6,000.
That could make this particular boat interesting to anyone searching for a second-hand boat in Lanzarote, although prospective buyers should inspect the vessel themselves and carefully study the official documentation before making an offer.
How Does the Boat Auction Work?
This isn’t a conventional auction where people stand in a room and keep raising their hands.
The vessels are being offered through a public auction using sealed bids, with each boat treated as an individual lot.
Bids cannot be below the published starting price for the relevant boat.
There is also an interesting second stage. If a boat isn’t sold during the first round, the auction conditions provide for a second round to take place during the same auction, with the starting price reduced to 75% of the original amount.
That means a €1,000 starting price could fall to €750 in the second round if the lot remains unsold, while the €12,000 Lady Justice would have a second-round starting price of €9,000.
Of course, a lower starting price doesn’t necessarily mean a cheaper boat overall.
Buyers Need to Put Down a 25% Guarantee
Anyone wanting to bid needs to provide a provisional guarantee equivalent to 25% of the starting price of the lot they are bidding on.
The auction documentation sets out the requirements for submitting offers and the guarantee.
Can You Inspect the Boats Before Bidding?
Yes.
Potential buyers can arrange to inspect the boats at the ports where they are currently located before the deadline for submitting offers.
Visits must be arranged in advance and take place during the relevant office hours in accordance with the auction conditions.
Why Are Abandoned Boats Being Auctioned?
Puertos Canarios says the auction is intended to deal with vessels that have been declared abandoned within ports under its management.
Abandoned boats can occupy valuable port space and affect the availability of berths, moorings and working areas. Removing them through a formal disposal process allows the port authority to deal with those assets and make the space available again.
For an island such as Lanzarote, where boating, fishing, sailing and marine tourism are an important part of coastal life, available space around the island’s ports can be particularly valuable.
All 11 Boats in the Canary Islands Auction
The full auction includes vessels in several locations:
- Tweety Dos – Garachico – €5,000
- Chaisa – Playa San Juan – €1,000
- Cinerec – Playa San Juan – €5,054
- Lady Justice – Puerto del Carmen – €12,000
- Calella Dos – Puerto del Carmen – €1,000
- El Sonrisa – Puerto del Carmen – €1,000
- Peace of Mind – Morro Jable – €4,000
- Frape – Gran Tarajal – €1,400
- Molly Dos – Gran Tarajal – €6,000
- Malu – Corralejo – €1,500
- Topalue Dos – Playa Blanca – €6,000
The prices above are the published starting prices for the first auction round.
When Do Bids Have to Be Submitted?
The auction conditions provide 30 calendar days from the day after publication of the notice in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands (BOC) for offers to be submitted.
The deadline is 2pm on the final day.
Offers must be submitted through the designated Puertos Canarios registry offices in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria or Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The public auction itself will take place at the Puertos Canarios headquarters in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria within one month of the closing date for offers. The exact date and time are due to be announced by the authority at least five days beforehand.
Anyone seriously considering bidding should check the latest official documentation rather than relying solely on media reports.
Official auction information: Puertos Canarios – Official Website
