Living trust vs clearing-in complications

[msponer]

~5 years ago I sailed a corporate owned vessel to Mexico and back to America.

~13 years ago I sailed a vessel through Mexico, Ecuador, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore when my brother owned it (we were going to use it together, but he never joined me). It officially became my boat in Singapore.

In neither case was I ever asked for additional documentation. The officials either didn't notice or care that I was not the owner.

Here in the Caribbean I've seen a box to tick on some clearance forms if the vessel is owned by a corporation. I don't know if that triggers any different treatment.

In both cases I carried multiple copies of a Letter of Authorization that said I could do anything I wanted with the vessel, printed on fine security paper with gold stickers, embossed stamps, and etc. They looked very nice.

Please write back here if you have any problems-- I am curious. The only reason we haven't put our boat in ours is that it's not worth very much and we are too young to die.

[msponer]

PS: Each spouse should have a letter of authorization. In case someone, somewhere, does care, and one of you is gone.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Stumble

Something else came to mind.

Whatever paperwork you carry for the trust including use authorization should not only be notarized but also embossed. While in the US notarization can be done by signature alone, in a lot of South America the embossment has a lot of legal weight on its own.

If you move forward I would also think about filling the paperwork with the local courthouse, then have the clerk issue a copy. I know its a little silly, but if there is an issue having a courthouse embossment may also help, then I would carry it both ways.

True in Central America too, officials here love stamps and seals....the more the better.

[ejs]

Thank you all for you info. I guess I misjudged how rare having the boat in a living trust actually is in reality. Based on your feedback, I will be sure to get the boat stamp, whether or not we put it into trust.

Cheers, Eric