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Old 27-05-2018, 18:24   #1
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Thumbs up Red Tape and offshore cruising NZ

Hi.

I have been living in NZ for many years now. I am dual Nationality UK/Australian. I am looking to buy a yacht soonish and sail it for extended periods offshore.

My issue is the NZ cat 1 safety requirements, which are stringent and expensive and require a minimum 36' loa. I am looking for something in the 28-36 range as a solo sailor. I know if the yacht is not registered in NZ then none of this applies.

Is there a way around this for me? Could I buy a yacht in NZ and re-register with UK registration? Or could I buy a visiting yacht from abroad that is for sale in NZ and keep it registered with its foreign flag? its not that I am against safety at all. The main issue is the minimum loa size.

Any advice welcome, thanks.
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Old 27-05-2018, 18:51   #2
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Re: Red Tape and offshore cruising NZ

I think whoever told you that there was a minimum of 36' was full of crap. You should read through the specs yourself.
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Old 27-05-2018, 19:00   #3
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Red Tape and offshore cruising NZ

Well, if you’re not worried about importing or not, then what you raise is an interesting question that you should ask of Maritime NZ. According to https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/recre...g-overseas.asp category 1 applies to NZ registered vessels. I’m not sure whether a non-NZ registered boat that is owned by a NZ resident is able to avoid category 1 and Google doesn’t seem to want to help. Call Maritime NZ and ask.

Of course, like that guy with his daughter last year, you could just leave without clearing out. But that’s probably a one-time departure.
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Old 27-05-2018, 21:30   #4
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Re: Red Tape and offshore cruising NZ

My 26 footer was UK registered when I bought her in NZ. Fortunately my girlfriend was British, so I made her joint owner and reregistered her in the UK.

That way when we left for Australia I didn't have any cat1 issues, of which in part due to her small size it likely would have been very expensive and difficult. One cat one inspector suggested that the the stanchions all needed to be shifted 6 inches closer together away from the heavily reinforced knees to meet the code. Another thought she didn't comply with the minimum headroom standards, or the engine size guidelines (just a 3.5hp outboard). She had been sailed from the UK, and I sailed her safely across the Tasman singlehanded in the middle of winter.

My Parents recently reregistered their boat in as an Australian vessel to avoid Cat1 problems for their current Aust to NZ cruise.

Given the very high cost of New Zealand registration (part B five years is $1090) it makes sense to avoid NZ registration if at all possible.
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Old 27-05-2018, 21:43   #5
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Re: Red Tape and offshore cruising NZ

We bought our current boat in NZ in 2015. At the time she was Swiss owned and registered. She was in NZ under a temporary import exemption that was valid for 18 months. At the time of the sale NZ Customs transferred the exemption to us as the new owners. As long as we got the boat out of NZ before the exemption expired we had no duty or taxes to pay.

We're American and registered (documented) the boat in the States before it ever left NZ. All we had to do was submit the bill-of-sale and a few other bits and pieces of paperwork (and money, of course). NZ rules/Cat.1 etc. never came into play and were not even mentioned. When we checked out of NZ our American registration exempted us from all of that.

We have since been in and out of NZ one more time, again without any dramas even though we purchased the boat in NZ.

The only fly I can see in the ointment would be residency status in NZ, I have no idea how that applies (or if you even have such status) but otherwise we found the whole process to be quite simple. I will say that the NZ Customs folks in Whangarei and Opua are quite knowledgeable about the process of buying/selling overseas yachts as they see a lot of it. Don't know about other branches/offices.
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Old 27-05-2018, 22:25   #6
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Re: Red Tape and offshore cruising NZ

There is no 36 ft restriction in the NZ cat 1 regs. IMO there is a lot of crap talked about the expense of Cat 1, and your boat should be up to that standard before leaving NZ anyway. I've had multiple cat 1 certs, and it's not as onerous as some would lead you to believe.
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Old 27-05-2018, 22:25   #7
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Re: Red Tape and offshore cruising NZ

OH, and you can be a NZ resident and have a boat registered offshore. No Cat 1 requirements...
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Old 28-05-2018, 00:56   #8
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Re: Red Tape and offshore cruising NZ

Dual Aus/UK citizenship, buy what you want in NZ, register in Aus, sweet as bro.
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Old 28-05-2018, 03:09   #9
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Re: Red Tape and offshore cruising NZ

I've got dual UK/NZ citizenship and currently live in NZ, but seems to me an easy way to get round NZ's category one requirements is to just fly to Australia and buy a boat there. Comparable boats are somewhat cheaper in Australia anyway at least according to my statistical calculations. NZ tax needs to be considered but anyone interested can do their own workings out of overall costs etc.
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Old 28-05-2018, 03:42   #10
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Re: Red Tape and offshore cruising NZ

If, as a NZ resident, you buy a boat in Ausy, and its not GST paid in NZ, you will have to pay GST on arrival in NZ, and if its not built in Ausy, likely 5% duty as well...
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Old 28-05-2018, 05:31   #11
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Re: Red Tape and offshore cruising NZ

What’s your offshore experience?

The requirements are waived for foreign flagged vessels with the intent that those are experienced skippers that have already completed a passage to NZ.

Have a look at that chap that built the custom John Welsford design in NZ, and I believe
crashed into the N Island on his maiden voyage.

On the upside, SAR cost were minimal!
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Old 28-05-2018, 06:01   #12
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Re: Red Tape and offshore cruising NZ

At one stage NZ tried to force all yachts to comply with its safety rules, including foreign yachts. Fortunately the international court found this was illegal under international law. It had nothing to do with the experience of the skippers of overseas boats. Any foreign flag boat is exempt regardless of the nationality of the crew.

The gist of the cat1 rules is worth reading and there are many sensible ideas. I just don't think you should be going offshore if you need an inspector to 'make' you safe. When going to sea you take responsability for your own safety. Seeing as the same was standard was applied to the 98 Sydney Hobart boats is not very encouraging. I see it as a false sense of security.

When I crossed the Tasman without cat1 my boat was far better equiped than the cat1 requirements, I even had a drogue, which at the time cat1 stupidly didn't require, and an immersion suit. Just not the required inboard diesel.

Aussie rego costs about $1700 but lasts forever, vs $1090 for 5 years of NZ rego. British rego is $25 under the SSR.
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Old 28-05-2018, 07:25   #13
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Re: Red Tape and offshore cruising NZ

AS mentioned above several times - there is NOT a 36' minimum requirement in the NZ cat 1 code. There is, however, a stability requirement which can be difficult for small boats to pass (note the rule explicitly gives the inspector some discretion related to this requirement, so having a friendly inspector can help a great deal):

"All Category 1 keel yachts are required to have an angle of vanishing stability of
115°. In some cases, (e.g. long-keel cruising yachts) this calculation may not
have been made. However, the yacht may be of a type or class which has a
history of successful ocean voyaging. In such cases, the inspector is required to
use discretion but if any doubt exists in an inspector’s mind, calculations by a
naval architect or similarly qualified person must be provided by the owner."

https://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/sites/...nes%202015.pdf

and "
For non racing yachts the inspectors may use their discretion regarding stability,
providing that they are satisfied the vessel is self righting from a knockdown that
submerges the masthead. "

https://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/sites/...%20Revised.pdf
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Old 28-05-2018, 09:33   #14
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Re: Red Tape and offshore cruising NZ

Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowpetrel View Post

Aussie rego costs about $1700 but lasts forever, vs $1090 for 5 years of NZ rego. British rego is $25 under the SSR.
Not sure if this is right but, due to free trade agreement Aust/US, boats purchased US import to Au without duty, just GST (< thats a guess). Considering he's in NZ, kinda long winded way of going about things but I think its about the best value for money option in Aust/NZ.
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Old 28-05-2018, 13:34   #15
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Re: Red Tape and offshore cruising NZ

NZ is like 3M's Red Tape factory. Registration is typically stupidly expensive and Cat 1 requirements seemingly dependent on the inspectors paranoia for you are onerous and sometimes ridiculous.
If you have a UK residential address register under the UK's SSR Small Ship Register. You do it online in about 3 minutes for £20 for 5 years.
I've had it twice now and it's so lovely to so simply snip through their red tape. I live on board in Auckland.
If you'd like to talk more you can email me on;
stevep@parallellife.co.nz
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