Importing a Boat to Australia

[Jeannius]

If anyone in Oz or NZ wants to buy my boat, currently located in the US, I'll happily sail it to Oz/NZ for the new owner. I've sailed there once already and would be quite happy to do it again.

[D&D]

Originally Posted by dennisail

If I sell my boat I might break even on the cost of purchase + import fees and upgrades. So I won't be making money. But I will have saved a LOT compared to if I started by buying a similar boat here.

Our experience also certainly confirms that.

Originally Posted by dennisail

The flip side is, I can afford to keep it. If I purchased a more expensive newish boat I may have been able to turn a profit if I was lucky, but I could also not afford to keep it and would be at the mercy of the decreasing market price.

We're not so sure here.

For a start, boat maintenance is a seperate issue...and an ongoing one of course. So maintenance affordability is something that needs to be considered long term, for as long as you intend to keep the boat anyway. It is also therefore at least arguably entirely unrelated to purchase price.

As for turning a profit, it seems to us that the only way a "newish" boat might make profit more likely would be to the extent that a higher initial outlay (assuming a newish boat would be more expensive) would result in the fixed import costs being lower as a proportion of the total outlay. So a smaller margin on sale would be required to overcome the total initial outlay...and enter into profits.

No matter, we certainly join those who urge importers to both use/enjoy their vessel...and then be prepared to be reasonable on re-sale.

[dennisail]

You just appeared to agree with me by showing why a newer boat would return a better profit. Also boats older than 10 years are harder to sell.

Even with maintenance costs, if you have and extra 100K in the bank that you didn't spend on the boat, or the 100K you saved on a cheaper boat means no debt, the ramifications are obvious on the ability to keep the boat financially. I don't think it needs any explanation.

[Wanderlust]

I think the chances of importing and then reselling at break even or for a possible profit have diminished. A couple of years ago the price differences were substantial but the gap is reducing. The international market has been subdued for some time, but I believe Australia is now following. No doubt all those imported boats have had an impact.

In my case, I had planned to buy an 8-10 year old cat internationally (probably ex charter) and sail it back here. But I finished up buying a slightly older fully loaded owner's version one locally and it worked out cheaper. It had languished on the market for many months, priced a bit too high. When the price was dropped, I had a look, made an offer and the rest is history. I paid over $100k less than that original asking price.

If I had bought the same boat overseas I'm sure it would have been cheaper, but when duties, tax and other import costs are taken into account it would have had a higher landed cost and been outside my budget.

I agree with Dennisail that the market is stronger for high quality late model boats. But if you are looking to turn a profit then the financial risk is greater.

[D&D]

Originally Posted by Wanderlust

I agree with Dennisail that the market is stronger for high quality late model boats. But if you are looking to turn a profit then the financial risk is greater.

We agree...and perhaps this is a better way of expressing our remarks above regarding whether a newish vessel is more likely to turn a profit. A profit on a newish vessel may be more likely in one arithmetic sense (and also in the sense of the market being a bit better for newish vessels) but such profit is still uncertain (and arguably at least diminishing with recent market pressures) and certainly at a greater risk.

As for maintenance, Dennisail is of course spot on in his/her remarks about the impact of debt. Our remarks assumed that maintenance of any debt repayments (whether on the boat or home or for any other purpose) would be part of the necessary considerations into which boat maintenance would be added...and spending capital, e.g. an extra $100K in the bank from a less expensive vessel purchase, would be usually regarded as not a good plan to meet ongoing expenses.

We're all agreeing here...or at least it seems that way to us. Our remarks were just intended to introduce further perspective(s).

[allergic2cities]

Can anyone suggest a site to determine the above mentioned duties, taxes and related importing charges/costs on a vessel brought into OZ and sold there? Thanks!

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by allergic2cities

Can anyone suggest a site to determine the above mentioned duties, taxes and related importing charges/costs on a vessel brought into OZ and sold there? Thanks!

Australian Customs has a site with all the info on it,

From the USA, there is no duty, Just 10 % GST on the boat cost, Plus costs from the last port of call, Includes Crew, Food, Fuel, repairs on the way, and return fares for crew to home ports,

My $150,000-00 boat cost me about $15,000-00 all up, To import to OZ,

It was 107 cents AUD to the dollar when I did it, Now its about 90 cents to the dollar, so add about another $1000-00 to the GST now,

Selling it, is a different story,

I imported because I couldnt afford an Aussie Boat, and have money left over to sail it,

[StuM]

> Can anyone suggest a site to determine the above mentioned duties, taxes and related importing charges/costs on a vessel brought into OZ and sold there?

Import info here: importing a yacht

Note that if you are planning to sell it and it may be purchased by an overseas buyer, you don't need to pay the duty straight away.

See temporary importations

(I'm hoping to buy something in Aus shortly that hasn't had duty paid yet)