Buying a boat in New Zealand

[Neptune's Gear]

Correct. Cat 1 is only required for NZ registered vessels

[bizzy]

Ive got a californian boat in the Cook Islands , surveyed (similar to cat 1 ) and reg in Austrailia.

Formossa 51 regularly used offshore . $90 k NZD

[Connemara]

Supplementary question: I am Canadian, thinking of buying a boat in NZ. Have my eye on a foreign-flagged vessel that has yet to be formally imported. If I buy it, does the GST/duty thing apply?.

Connemara

[NoTies]

Originally Posted by Connemara

Supplementary question: I am Canadian, thinking of buying a boat in NZ. Have my eye on a foreign-flagged vessel that has yet to be formally imported. If I buy it, does the GST/duty thing apply?.

Connemara

Might be better to ask Customs and IRD than to rely on dodgy forum advice.

[matauwhi]

FYI, Connemara. I have a well kept Mason 53 available here in the Bay of Islands. She is currently U.S. registered (no Cat 1 required). She also has been fully imported to New Zealand, so no GST/Duty taxes to be paid. She can leave and return to New Zealand as often as you like without any taxes owing. You could Canadian flag her and be on your way. Great place to live aboard down here. Been doing it for 16 years. Pic are in my album on my profile page if you want to have a look. All the best with the search. Let me know if you want to discuss in more detail. Cheers.

[chris_gee]

I think the situation is that a boat may visit without paying duty as it is not imported. However that stay is limited.
If it is sold in NZ duty applies and that works out around 20% including gst.
I don't think there is any gst refund for non residents on departure.
Duty and tax would not apply if sold offshore after clearance eg on transit to Fiji if the vessel had not been imported.
Whether it would work to simply go 12 miles offshore having received clearance under one owner who then is not permitted to stop elsewhere in NZ and make a new entry under a new owner and then be subject to the same terms as a new arrival is debatable. Simply going out of territorial waters would not count as leaving NZ as some transits may do this simply on a coastal cruise. Whether the change in ownership on the high seas would be accepted in this way would require specialist rulings.
If the ownership involved different nationalities and a change of registration may be another complication i.e doing this in transit if required prior to arrival.

[UNCIVILIZED]

If a gent were going on vacation, to see New Zealand, plus an old sailing mate. Where might the best areas be to explore, to look @ boats for sale also?
I'm LONG overdue to listen to that thing telling me to go on walkabout (DOH!).

[Shrubb]

Hello, any marine surveyor to recommend in New Zealand ? It would be for a 47' catamaran.
Thank you.

[Connemara]

We used Jim Newcombe. Pacific Rim Marine Surveys. Marine Surveys | Auckland |Tauranga |Bay of Plenty.

Saved us from a serious mistake on the first boat we offered on.

Connemara

[fxykty]

We used Ray Beale bealeboats.co.nz . He’s a bit of a character (in a good way) and as a designer and builder his survey is exhaustive and thorough. He spent 7 hours on the survey of our 55 foot cat. Very reasonable rates and available at short notice anywhere on the North Island.

[myocean]

Originally Posted by Connemara

Supplementary question: I am Canadian, thinking of buying a boat in NZ. Have my eye on a foreign-flagged vessel that has yet to be formally imported. If I buy it, does the GST/duty thing apply?.
Connemara

We sold our Swiss flagged boat in NZ to a US citizen. No duty/GST applied.
However the buyer needs to bring the vessel out of the country within x month. (But there are some options for extensions). More than 12 months are possible after the sale.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

If a gent were going on vacation, to see New Zealand, plus an old sailing mate. Where might the best areas be to explore, to look @ boats for sale also?
I'm LONG overdue to listen to that thing telling me to go on walkabout (DOH!).

Online go trademe.co.nz, tradeaboat.co.nz, nzboatsales.com and gulfgroup.co.nz. IRL, Auckland, Gulf Harbour and Whangarei have most of the boats. Plus every marina and mooring field all up and down the country.

The whole country is amazing to visit. Do you like nature or city? Do you want to sail - the best way to visit Bay of Islands, Hauraki Gulf, and Marlborough Sounds. Otherwise, for land based and depending on your travel preferences, buying or renting a campervan is the way to go if you have 3 weeks or more. Otherwise, bus and/or train tours will showcase particular areas, and you can cheaply (sometimes) fly to most major towns.

If you’re a Lord of the Rings fanboy, the set guidebook will take you to almost every part of NZ and usually extraordinarily beautiful parts.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by myocean

We sold our Swiss flagged boat in NZ to a US citizen. No duty/GST applied.
However the buyer needs to bring the vessel out of the country within x month. (But there are some options for extensions). More than 12 months are possible after the sale.

When a visiting boat arrives in NZ and Customs is satisfied that it is a genuine visitor the boat gets a TIE (temporary import entry), which is good for 2 years. If you buy a boat that is in NZ under a TIE then you will have until the TIE expiry to export the boat. It is very unlikely that you will be able to extend the original TIE term. Customs are reportedly cracking down on TIE boats being sold in NZ (which is a problem for the seller) but as a buyer as long as you are not a resident of NZ and you export the boat on time you will not be required to import.

This is a case where you want to use a broker who is familiar with these kinds of transactions - we used 36 Degrees Brokerage 36degrees.nz, and were very happy with their advice and support.

[Shrubb]

Thank you all for these very useful advices and information ! Very grateful to this forum.

[myocean]

Works without broker too, no problem