U.S boating Requirements

[Merlin1111]

I am a Canadian citizen, buying a sailboat in Florida to use for liveaboard purposes during several weeks in the winter. I know I need a survey to get it insured but what other registration/insurance requirements are there in the U.S.?

Any info would be appreciated.

[Sand crab]

You can register it in Fla which is cheap but will have to pay sales tax. The good part is you can leave the boat there forever. As a foreigner you can't do the federal documentation unless you set up a sham US corp. But you won't need it unless cruising internationally. Some cruise with only the state registration because many other countries (in the Carib) don't know the difference and/or don't care.

[Dsanduril]

As noted above, as a foreign owner you are excluded from US federal documentation. States vary, but for the most part if you leave the vessel in a certain state for an extended period (defined differently in each state) it will need to be registered there. Since you said Florida, you can look here:

Official Website Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

[avb3]

Are you buying through a broker or privately?

Note that if through a broker you have to pay tax on the entire purchase, but privately you can have two bills of sales, one for the boat itself and attachments, and the other for all accessories. The State officially endorses this. So, minimize the boat, and maximize the equipment that is not attached.

Sails are not attached, BTW.

From the link previously provided by another poster, you will find this:

What is included in the price of a vessel and therefore subject to sales tax? ?

If a dealer makes the sale, then tax is due on the cost of the trailer, motor (outboard and inboard), vessel, and accessories. If a non-dealer makes the sale, then the outboard motor, equipment, devices, and accessories included with the vessel are not subject to tax when the outboard motor, equipment, devices, or accessories are separately itemized and separately priced on the invoice.