Bed & Breakfast Aboard Houseboat Sailboat In Barcelona For Sale

Business description

Introduction

This is a unique opportunity to change your life, career and even climate (!) by purchasing this unusual but profitable Bed and Breakfast business aboard a sailing boat currently moored in Barcelona, Spain.

Willowmoon is a British registered 60’ gaff ketch moored in Port Vell Barcelona, a romantic, peaceful and secure setting, perfect for living and for enticing paying guests.
As the mooring is protected from the weather, no sailing experience is required to run this boat (I had no experience at all), but prospective buyers with sailing knowledge could take her anywhere in the Mediterranean or back to her home in the UK. I have owned her for 4 years and apart for her trip to Port Forum for repairs and repainting, I have used her as a houseboat here in Port Vell with the Bed and Breakfast business as my income.

The set up on board with one entrance for my living accommodation and a separate entrance for the guests’ accommodation is perfect for privacy, giving the guests the freedom to come and go as they please at any time.

Location

Willowmoon has been moored in Barcelona for the last 10 years. Port Vell is one of the finest locations in Barcelona as it is between the Old Town (400m) and the beach (200m) with the Metro station (200m) and buses (50m) close by. All amenities and markets are available in Barceloneta with some shops and over 20 restaurants visible from the boat.

The marina is secure with 2 levels of electronic gates, cctv and guards 24 hours a day. Car parking is available within the marina gates.

The small tidal difference (< 50cm) in the Port means that access from the dock to the boat is easy at all times.

The dock provides mains electric, mains water, telephone line (if required) and 20 TV channels (including 4 UK channels). WiFi and 3G signals are obtainable for Internet connection. There are additional shower, toilet and laundry facilities available for members in the marina.

Other boat owners living on this dock and within the marina make up a wonderful cosmopolitan community with everyone willing to help and give advice.

Bed and Breakfast business

I have run the Bed and Breakfast business for over 3 years and I have enjoyed the increase in turnover and the many friends I have made during this time.

All information and photos about the business aboard Willowmoon can be found on our website: willowmoon.uk.com and the website itself is also available.

Income:

2006 (9 months trading) €8640
2007 €18850
2008 €24960
2009 Please see our availability calendar on the bookings page of our website: www.willowmoon.uk.com

All these figures are based on the one letting cabin for 2-3 guests. The mid cabin with double berth could also be made available for 2 more guests, significantly increasing your turnover.

Promotion of the business is through various agents and publications. If you Google ‘Barcelona Bed Breakfast’ you will find Willowmoon 6 times on the first page:

3rd place Google maps
ibbp.com
1st place Google shopping results.
bedandbreakfast-directory.co.uk
travel-library.com
bedandbreakfast.com

Willowmoon has been featured in the Guardian and now in the current Time Out Barcelona 2009, Sunday Times Travel magazine, and many more advertisements and sites.

Enquiries are primarily from the UK and America, but I have had guests from all over the world, specifically, Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy and Scandinavia.

Linen is included in the sale and all existing bookings would be transferred to the new owner, so that you could start trading immediately.

Willowmoon

Willowmoon was built in 1942 for the Admiralty as MFV27 and acted as a patrol boat around the coast of England and later the Mediterranean in 1944. She is built of larch on oak frames with a 2” larch deck. The significant refitting in 1993 made her into the sailboat that she is today with 2245sq.ft. of sail and 54’ main mast.

Length 63’ (the bowsprit gives an additional 12’)
Beam 19’
Draught 8’
Tonnage 50 tons

She is powered by a1953 Mercedes Benz 6 cylinder 150bhp turbo diesel giving a speed of around 8 knots. There is a 1966 Ford diesel 80bhp as an auxiliary wing engine.

The equipment list is too long to mention here, but the main points are:

2 stainless steel diesel tanks 1000litres capacity
4 stainless steel water tanks 1800litres capacity
24 volt battery system with 2 Newmar smart chargers.
Cleghorn Waring pressure pump for water system.
Furuno radar.
Westerbeke generator
Worcester boiler for hot water and central heating
Liferaft
Avon tender

Accommodation

The accommodation aboard is for 8 persons (3 for Guests and 5 in private quarters) and the guest accommodation is described more fully in the Willowmoon website.
My own quarters are accessible down stairs from the deck midships. The layout is not like a traditional yacht, but more like a floating cottage with 6” oak beams. Doors and frames are of oak and most walls are pine with oak shelving.

The stairs leads you directly into the salon and galley area (17’x12’) heated by a woodburning stove. The salon has seating and table for 6 with storage under seats.
The galley area has a standard domestic oven and grill, fridge, further drinks fridge, 5 ring hob, microwave, double sink and under worktop storage.
To starboard of the stairs is the shower room with full height separate shower, basin, toilet and radiator.
To port of the stairs is the mid cabin with double berth, writing desk, wardrobe, storage and radiator.
Through the salon is the fore cabin with 1 double berth and 1 single berth, storage and radiator and emergency stairs through escape hatch.
Through the fore cabin is the Bosun’s store with washing machine, freezer, storage and store for sails and anchor chain.
Each room has electric sockets (240v), 24volt lighting and portholes.
The engine room is large enough (17’ x 12’) for easy maintenance access to the engines and for storing tools and equipment.
There is an additional store aft of the guests cabin for paint, materials and equipment.

One of the main features of Willowmoon is the large amount of deck space. The main area midships has the hardwood breakfast table seating up to 8, and the fore deck is for sitting and sunbathing. There is a canopy covering 2/3rds of the boat to help keep the boat cool in summer. The climate of Barcelona (over 300 days of sunshine) means that this area is your dining room for lunch and on warm evenings becomes your living room to relax and socialise.

Property information

Real Estate:

Real Property Included

Location:

Marina Port Vell, Barcelona

Other information

Competition / Market:

There is no current competition of Bed & Breakfast aboard a boat in Barcelona.

Website:

www.willowmoon.uk.com