Registration as Australian Vessel

[Topspin]

Hello,

I intend to buy a boat in Europe (Mediterranean area), register it as an Australian Vessel and sail it home over 1-3 years and then import it into Australia.

Registration should not be a big problem as I am Australian citizen. So in my understanding, I just have to register it with AMSA before I start my journey.

For those of you, who went throug the process, I would like to ask:



1. Apart from the AMSA application (2 forms), are there any other documents they require? Do I need a certificate of survey?



2. Do I need to register the boat (and pay stamp money) in any state (I now live in QLD) before entering Australian waters and before import ?



3. Any other hints and recommendations?





Regards,



-Richard

[smjack1]

Am also curious about this

[daletournier]

You will need a build certificate from the manufacturer.

[daletournier]

And you don't need to state register until you get back, also no duty or gst etc are due until you bring the boat in to Australian waters.

[Topspin]

Originally Posted by daletournier

And you don't need to state register until you get back, also no duty or gst etc are due until you bring the boat in to Australian waters.

TNX, that sounds good. I was just a bit confused, because they say:



Australian registered recreational vessels may also require state registration.

https://www.amsa.gov.au/vessels-oper...egister-vessel





But this applies obviously to vessels in Australian waters. So AMSA will provide a ship license number (which normally will be provided by the state) and MMSI (which they do anyway)?



I assume, that all boat licenses required in Australia (boat safe, MROCP/LROCP) will be legal in that case (because the boat is Australian). Should I try get an ICC somewhere just in case?



-Richard

[daletournier]

I've never had state rego while overseas. Of course you need Australian rego with official number that goes with it as you need to present this everytime you check in somewhere.

Although I have an Australian boat licence and my RYA qualifications I've never been asked once to show either.

[Topspin]

@smjack1: The process of registration and required paperwork is described in this document:



https://www.amsa.gov.au/sites/default/files/amsa451.pdf


Regards,



-Richard

[olaf hart]

Does that mean you have to use an Australian insurer as well?

[Topspin]

Actually not, but there may be problems if Pant?????? is involved.....
Please notice the other recent thread about insurance problems:


http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ss-216747.html

-Richard

[mcarthur]

Just done something like this .
Register with AMSA.
They'll need a bill of sale, notarised. They also need lotsa stats about the vessel. They also need the de-registration documentation for the vessels current rego - so you have to de-register from its jurisdiction BEFORE registering for Oz.
No need for state rego.
You'll need to choose an Oz port to register her in.

Once you got all that and paid the $1500 or so, you'll get a rego number and name (which you chose) which needs to be put on the boat. "Put" meaning etched INTO the bulkhead. Using the head of the twit who thought this up would be a good tool...

After getting the fact of putting the name on the boat signed by whoever did it, you sign that it's all true and you'll get your rego papers - which are needed by any country in the world if you leave OR enter!

After that... think about changing your MMSI (AMSA again) for HF, VHF, AIS and EPIRB. Australians are supposed to have an Oz MMSI and not just reuse the one the vessel has. Use the EPIRB to belt a manufacturer over the head because they won't easily change the MMSI for you (start jumping over hoops). The VHF and AIS manufacturers seems a little better.

[mcarthur]

Originally Posted by Topspin

I assume, that all boat licenses required in Australia (boat safe, MROCP/LROCP) will be legal in that case (because the boat is Australian). Should I try get an ICC somewhere just in case?

In theory (my mis-understanding of international maritime law of which I know less about than, say, my understanding of the other sex), if you are transiting through a country, which includes being in their waters AND anchoring, then the requirements of the country of registration of the vessel apply (e.g. life rafts, skipper qualifications, etc.). Note the word "transiting" is the key! It doesn't mean resting there for a week or a season.

If you're not transiting, then the local maritime laws trump you immediately which means the skipper qualifications come into play for the country in question. Many (most?) countries maritime laws seems to read something like "if you're a citizen of the country, you need to do X,Y,Z" and crafily leave the opening where you are in the country for some time and NOT transiting, but you aren't a citizen.

Good countries to travel to will ignore your lack of their qualifications as long as you're quiet and respectful and the boat looks ok. Bad countries will lock you up and throw away the keys (which make starting the boat harder ).

In reality, if you're traveling back to Oz in a reasonable time (which is probably slower than when the convicts came out) then you shouldn't need anything other than whatever is legal in Oz.

Now if you're going to do something a little different like come back via the canals of France, then it changes and an ICC with CEVNI is needed (unless your French is really really good and you can get French boating qualifications through studying there, in which can only the CEVNI is needed I think).
In German rivers and canals, you'd be ok with an ICC unless your boat is 20m long (used to be 15m I believe). Note this is less than the <24m ICC power vessel qualification - I don't know what you do if you're in that 20-24m power vessel range! Note that since sailing is not allowed on the rivers, a sailing vessel IS a power vessel...