Registering a yacht in Australia

[Tientos]

Having registered and transferred ownership of a number of vessels, the process is only onerous if having to provide provenance of the vessel. Otherwise quite a breeze.

State and Commonwealth registration of recreational vessels are totally separate pieces of legislation. Maritime law is enshrined within both and 'Australian' registration does not override State requirements.

Good luck with your registration and take it as another learning curve in the cruising life

May all your bars be wooden and well-stocked!

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by clownfishsydney

You can register in your state, or claim you live in NT and do not need to register at all. Even in your state you will need all the same info.

1. You can't leave Australia on a state registration.
2. All you need for state registration is ID. A copy of the previous registration does help though.

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by Akapeterc

I am going thru the process at the moment, seems to be proceeding ok, the Marking note is a bit extreme having to have the lettering 100mm high ending up with a plaque about 450mm long that has to be attached in view of the main bulkhead. I only had a bill of sale signed by the husband of the past owners but since the previous Canadian registration had his partners name on it, I am in the process of having to get a new bill of sale sent to Canada and signed by both of them and then sent back to me. I hope that this is able to be done. I am not planning to go overseas for a couple of years, but I like the idea of a one of rego fee then no more. I checked with the local waterways officer and he said it was right that I didn't need state rego if I had Australian Rego, and he is the bloke that does the righting out of fines so his word is good for me.

The 100mm high requirement only refers to the exterior vessel name not the permanent marking on an interior bulkhead.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

What is the $950 NZ registery? Last I checked it was several thousand and good for life, but transfers are nearly as much. I owned a NZ registered yacht for some time in Picton, but did not transfer thru Wellington as it was something like $1500 just to transfer.

Now I've sold her the current owner is trying to figure out where to come up with the money to register. We're talking a 10K home built boat here. He'll probably never get to Cat 1 anyway so won't matter.

Apparently the rules have change since you did it. Part B registration found here:

Part B ship registration - Maritime New Zealand

It's actually only NZ$920 but is limited to 5 years, after which it can be renewed for another fee (whatever that will be in 5 years).

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by haiqu

Apparently the rules have change since you did it. Part B registration found here:

Part B ship registration - Maritime New Zealand

It's actually only NZ$920 but is limited to 5 years, after which it can be renewed for another fee (whatever that will be in 5 years).

Oh dear.. Ship registration fees for Part B - Maritime New Zealand
Renewal isn't very cheap...combine that with Cat1 requirements when you clear out....... I think I'll pass on NZ registration...thanks all the same....

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by StuM

If you move to Queensland from another state or territory, or your interstate or foreign registration expires, you must get Queensland registration."

Actually this whole state registration thing is a nightmare for anyone whose yacht is on the national register. As long as you keep moving it isn't required at all. Theoretically you could also choose the cheapest state to register in as long as you have someone there with an address who is willing to forward the paperwork.

And don't get me started about the silly rules for driving a powered boat. In Victoria anyone who drives a powered boat must be licenced. In NSW no licence is required until your boat is capable of 10 knots. In Queensland no licence is required until the engine is larger than 6hp. But all of them are valid in another state while visiting.

Money-grubbing, backward politicians. Argh.

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Oh dear.. Ship registration fees for Part B - Maritime New Zealand
Renewal isn't very cheap...combine that with Cat1 requirements when you clear out....... I think I'll pass on NZ registration...thanks all the same....

Australian register is $1300 or so anyhow, and 5 years is a long time to be sailing one yacht, even on a world trip.

And here's the thing: If you never visit NZ in that yacht, or want to take it there permanently, the Cat 1 inspection requirement isn't an issue. :-)

Final thoughts: It just might confuse the local enforcement guys enough that they leave you alone with their state registration garbage. Just have to talk like a kiwi and show them my NZ car licence.

[helise]

Originally Posted by haiqu

One of these days I have to register at least one yacht in Australia. I plan to travel a bit further than the coastline. The trouble with this is you need a full history and the buildre's name, and AMSA want to do everything by snail mail.

Has anyone been through this procedure, and how painful is it?

After all, for NZ$950 I can get onto the New Zealand registry for 5 years with nothing more than filling in a form.

Hi! Haiqu, too complicated, lots of documentation required, time taken too long, nationality requirement, expensive (registration fees, taxes, GST/VAT etc). I am an Australian and had my second boats registered in Langkawi last month without any hassle and bustles. New registration for a vessel of less than GRT 150 is around USD2,400/- only inclusive Annual Tonnage Dues and MMSI NO (Ship Station Radio License) for your VHF, SSB, EPIRB, AIS etc. Annually fees are about USD110.00 inclusive MMSI No. renewal. No restriction on registration, local and/or foreigner can register their yacht with Langkawi International Yacht Registry and very fast. Good luck

[Kim Klaka]

One of the potentially big hassles in obtaining Australian registration is acquiring proof of a continuous line of ownership for the vessel from new (or first arrival in Aus?), but it can sometimes be overcome very easily. Years ago I registered my boat as Australian. It was built in WA and had stayed their all the time. Unfortunately, getting statutory declarations from all previous owners was not likely to happen - they were mostly DDD (disinterested, departed or dead). However, I was able to obtain the list of previous owners from the WA Dept of Transport's state registry, which AMSA accepted without question. Ironic that they accepted this as proof of historical ownership, but they wouldn't accept my current DoT WA registration as proof of my current ownership!

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by haiqu

Actually this whole state registration thing is a nightmare for anyone whose yacht is on the national register. As long as you keep moving it isn't required at all. Theoretically you could also choose the cheapest state to register in as long as you have someone there with an address who is willing to forward the paperwork.

Money-grubbing, backward politicians. Argh.

in practice this may be true, but in theory it's not. You come to Tasmania with a completely unregistered boat and if an authorised officer recognises it you may and probably be booked. And I hear this is policed more in Queensland. In practice I don't know if 'anyone' at all bothers to police it. But it IS required by law.

And I can't respond about other states but you have 3 months to register your boat here or theoretically you could be booked as well. Again, I don't know if anyone is policing this.

There is currently a big push around the state on unlicensed/unmarked moorings and abandoned boats so they might be looking for unregistered at the same time.

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by Kim Klaka

One of the potentially big hassles in obtaining Australian registration is acquiring proof of a continuous line of ownership for the vessel from new (or first arrival in Aus?), but it can sometimes be overcome very easily. Years ago I registered my boat as Australian. It was built in WA and had stayed their all the time. Unfortunately, getting statutory declarations from all previous owners was not likely to happen - they were mostly DDD (disinterested, departed or dead). However, I was able to obtain the list of previous owners from the WA Dept of Transport's state registry, which AMSA accepted without question. Ironic that they accepted this as proof of historical ownership, but they wouldn't accept my current DoT WA registration as proof of my current ownership!

I haven't tried to get a list of POs from QLD, but I did for my NSW registered yacht. Dept of Transport there ignored all requests for information.

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

in practice this may be true, but in theory it's not. You come to Tasmania with a completely unregistered boat and if an authorised officer recognises it you may and probably be booked. And I hear this is policed more in Queensland. In practice I don't know if 'anyone' at all bothers to police it. But it IS required by law.

And I can't respond about other states but you have 3 months to register your boat here or theoretically you could be booked as well. Again, I don't know if anyone is policing this.

There is currently a big push around the state on unlicensed/unmarked moorings and abandoned boats so they might be looking for unregistered at the same time.

I get what you're saying but here's the thing: if it's on the Australian or NZ or any other national registry and in transit, the three months rule doesn't apply. I can understand if I sailed to Tassie and didn't leave for 6 months but that's unlikely. It's quite legal to sail a VIC registered yacht to QLD or TAS for a holiday, no change of registration is required because residency isn't intended.

I was born in Victoria but no longer live there, although I have a VIC driver's licence. I live aboard and own a yacht in two different states but don't own a house anywhere in Australia. I spend 3 months a year at my house in New Zealand but don't have residency there because I've never stayed long enough. What state am I a "resident" of anyhow?

A "flag of convenience" is a normal state of affairs for commercial shipping, the cruise ships and freighters and container ships that visit here don't have to get state registration. That would be ridiculous. It's only when a boat is left in one place for a few months unattended that such things are necessary, and even then only to find someone to blame if the thing cuts loose and damages someone else's property.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by haiqu

I get what you're saying but here's the thing: if it's on the Australian or NZ or any other national registry and in transit, the three months rule doesn't apply. I can understand if I sailed to Tassie and didn't leave for 6 months but that's unlikely. It's quite legal to sail a VIC registered yacht to QLD or TAS for a holiday, no change of registration is required because residency isn't intended.

I was born in Victoria but no longer live there, although I have a VIC driver's licence. I live aboard and own a yacht in two different states but don't own a house anywhere in Australia. What state am I a "resident" of anyhow?

A "flag of convenience" is a normal state of affairs for commercial shipping, the cruise ships and freighters and container ships that visit here don't have to get state registration. That would be ridiculous.

Unless you are exempt under local registration due to being on the ships list, then yes, you must still be registered no matter where you are from (Tasmania). You would need to be 'commercial' to get that exemption here. Thus the three months rule does definitely apply.

My answer to what 'state' do you reside in is, 'nil'. You don't have to reside in any Australian state that I'm aware of. Though, in Tasmania, to register a car in Tasmania you MUST nominate a 'garage' address.

Flags of convenience are completely different things which I'm not going into here. And they get very complicated and hard to have an Australian flag of conveinance.

And the reason those ships, freighters etc don't get local registration is because they are 'commercial vessels' or there are sizes relevant, that exempt them under local state laws.

[Wotname]

I have placed two recreational vessels on the Australian register. In both cases it was not possible for me to provide any history of past ownership (except for the person I purchased from).
In both cases AMSA accepted a Stat Dec from me explaining the situation and the unsuccessful attempts I had undertaken to trace ownership. This followed up with a Public Notice in the State (Qld) newspaper and a formal notice placed into the Australian Government Gazette for any interested party to make themselves known.

Mind you, this was 20 years back but I reckon the principle will remain the same

It was tedious but doable.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

.......

Flags of convenience are completely different things which I'm not going into here. And they get very complicated and hard to have an Australian flag of conveinance.

And the reason those ships, freighters etc don't get local registration is because they are 'commercial vessels' or there are sizes relevant, that exempt them under local state laws.

There would appear to be nothing 'convenient' about the Australian flag

Australian commercial ships ( what few are left) may be either state or commonwealth registered depending on whether they are engaged in intra or interstate trade. Used to make a major diff in survey requirements, manning costs, etc etc.

Sliding right off topic one of the major 'flags of convenience' these days is the UK Red Ensign.... many of the ships on it these days are chinese owned operated and manned... pretty much all the rest in the 'Red Ensign" group ( IoM, Bemuda, assorted carribean states) always have been.