Poland - background market data

Population: 38.6 million. Boat ownership per capita estimated at approximately 1:471.

Currency: Polish Zloty (PLZ): K£1=PLZ6.4, e1=PLZ4.45 and US$1=PLZ3.91.

Government: President Aleksander Kwasniewski, has been in power since December 1995 and was re-elected in 2000. The next elections are in 2005. Head of ruling coalition government since 2001 is prime minister Leszek Miller.

Economy: Poland is the largest of the 10 countries scheduled to join the EU on May 1, 2004. Inflation is currently under control at 2.5 per cent. However, like most former communist territories, its average unemployment is high at 17 per cent, although things are disproportionately worse to the east of the country.

Boating Geography: There is 491km of Baltic Sea coastline, most of which is not good for boating as it is exposed with little shelter from the prevailing winds. In all there are 30 or so marinas/pleasureboat harbours on the coast, providing a total of 1,400 berths/moorings. Most coastal activity takes place in the large bay around the second city of Gdansk. However, the majority of Polish boating takes place on the country's thousands of lakes, and rivers.

Boat park: The total Polish boat park is around 82,000. Estimates suggest there are 70,000 inland sailboats and 10,000 inland motorboats. Virtually all of those are under 8.5m (28ft). There are probably another 1,000 sailing boats and 500 motorboats on the coast. Last year the Polish sailboat fleet increased by 1,100 units but the motorboat population grew by less than 200 units.

Restrictions: VAT is relatively high at 22 per cent. Up until a year ago there was a two-tier 'luxury' tax on boats that amounted to 15 per cent for smaller boats and 25 per cent on bigger models. There is also a complex user-licensing structure. Sailboats with over 10m2 (176ft2) of sail require a licence, as do users of motorboats with 5hp or more engines. Over 60,000 licences have been issued over the past five years. Beyond the basic sailor licence there are varying levels of competence, the top grades of which are very demanding and time-consuming. Licences are issued by the PZZ (Polski Zwiazek Zeglarski). Beyond a nominal customs tax, there is no tax levied on Polish boats exported to Europe and neither could there be once Poland joins the EU next year. There is currently a 15 per cent tax on imported boats over 10m (32ft), but these will disappear as regards EU-built products next year.