Sold everything ... buying cruiser ... how to register?

[matauwhi]

G'day, Mate. I've got a nice Mason 53 cruiser for you down under!! New Zealand doesn't require boat registration unless you decide to clear customs and sail out of the country. I have fully imported my Mason 53 to New Zealand, so there are NO duty or taxes owing on a transfer of ownership. At this point, I still maintain the USCG documentation to a mailing address back in the States. Let me know if you want to discuss further. Pics in my album on my profile page if you want to have a look. All the best. Cheers.

[DominoX]

Originally Posted by matauwhi

G'day, Mate. I've got a nice Mason 53 cruiser for you down under!! New Zealand doesn't require boat registration unless you decide to clear customs and sail out of the country. I have fully imported my Mason 53 to New Zealand, so there are NO duty or taxes owing on a transfer of ownership. At this point, I still maintain the USCG documentation to a mailing address back in the States. Let me know if you want to discuss further. Pics in my album on my profile page if you want to have a look. All the best. Cheers.

I wish !!!

Sadly, a 53 is too rich for me. Thinking more along the lines of a 30-35 ... and I already feel somewhat guilty at that size considering what Lin & Larry accomplished in a (comparatively speaking) bathtub.

Mason is a damn fine boat tho ... John Kretschmer speaks fondly of them in 'Used Boat Notebook'

[ChrisTinaBruce]

Originally Posted by sailsw00

Interestingly, because I had the boat documented with an address in Nevada, the state of California wanted me to pay a tax on the boat, even though the boat had never been in California. I eventually had to prove that the boat had never been in Califronia, and how do you prove a negative? It was rather difficult....
-Steve

Been there with California. I moved there in 2011 and in 2013 they sent me a bill for tax on a home I owned in Texas that I purchased in 2008. Had to prove I did not buy it while living in California.

[oldragbaggers]

Originally Posted by ChrisTinaBruce

Been there with California. I moved there in 2011 and in 2013 they sent me a bill for tax on a home I owned in Texas that I purchased in 2008. Had to prove I did not buy it while living in California.

What?????!?!?!? They tax property in another state?? How the heck does that work??

[ChrisTinaBruce]

Originally Posted by oldragbaggers

What?????!?!?!? They tax property in another state?? How the heck does that work??

Due process and rule of law have been replaced with "legalized" looting and harrassment by government in America.
Guest Post: The Predatory State of California, Part 2 | Zero Hedge

[DominoX]

Time to breathe fresh winds into the sails of this tired old thread. I learnt sooo much from all your insights and advise on the first round, I feel compelled to push my luck again.

I began this thread by saying I had just sold everything I owned in the US and was just about to buy a full-time cruising sailboat and was asking how best to register her.

As of last week, I now actually have my cruiser (Last week, I bought a PSC Orion 27) and I have another question about registration, this time ... USCG.

Best boat ever built according to some . Don't bother responding to that. I know it's likely to elicit a flood of contrary opinions. That's not the question.

The question is ... does one REALLY need to be a US citizen to get USCG documentation for your boat? If so, am I screwed? I'm not a citizen (merely a Green Card holder).

So if I get a state registration because I can't get USCG, how will that affect me as I cruise? Recall from my earlier posts I'm keen to go south from PNW to Mexico for a season or 2, then into the South Pacific islands, maybe down to NZ/Australia, or maybe east thru Panama to the Carib islands for a season or 2.

What do I lose by *NOT* having USCG documentation as I sail in international waters? What are the benefits of USCG vs plain ol' state registration?

Thanks again in advance to all

[goat]

Originally Posted by DominoX

As of last week, I now actually have my cruiser (Last week, I bought a PSC Orion 27)

Best boat ever built according to some . Don't bother responding to that. I know it's likely to elicit a flood of contrary opinions. That's not the question.

No contrary opinion here.
Can't help too much with the USCG documentation, mine is in Cali and registered (Canadian version of documentation) in Canada. You could always try and document it and see how far you get.

Enjoy the Orion, great boat.

goat

[Wendi]

Lots of yachts are registered in the BVI, even though they never go there. You have some kind of protection of the Royal Navy if you are registered there. You make a BVI corporation and then you are all set. Standard procedure in those parts.

[dohenyboy]

Yes you really, really must be a US Citizen to directly own a US documented vessel. Now, unless you are using the boat commercially, you can set up a corporation with nominee directors etc. and own through the corporarion. Has to be done right.
No one ever reports problems just registering with a state and cruising around. Delaware is the place of choice. $20 a year, can get it for three years, you can hold it directly as an individual and all you need is an address for them to send your documents.


Why can't things remain where i carelessly left them?

[DominoX]

Thanks Goat (love the name) and Wendi for your replies.

@dohenboy's reply answered my question - "No one ever reports problems just registering with a state and cruising around".

If that's the case, I'm wondering whats the benefit of documentation?

I can just go ahead keep my WA state registration and save the trouble, right?

[goat]

If you're staying in US waters, state registration is fine. I'm planning on leaving in the spring. Ease in crossing international borders is the only reason I registered my boat.

Sent from my SGH-I257M using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[DominoX]

Originally Posted by goat

If you're staying in US waters, state registration is fine. I'm planning on leaving in the spring. Ease in crossing international borders is the only reason I registered my boat.

Heck no, not staying in US waters.

Mexico for a season or 2, then South Pacific Islands, then possibly further west on the trades to NZ/Australia or back east via Panama to Caribbean. That's the rough plan (nice thing about full-time cruising is that you DON'T need a plan)

So is that flexibility not going to be possible with a state registration?

Seems like a catch-22. Not a US citizen, so can't get USCG. Can't get USCG so can't cruise. Is that right?

[goat]

The benefit of documentation for crossing international borders is mostly for proof of ownership. They can punch your HIN, boat name, or your own name into a computer anywhere in the world and see that you are the legal owner.

Agreed; not having an address causes a lot of grief with the "normals", most on here seem to use the address of a relative (cheapest) or a mail forwarding service.

Can you use an old address from your birth country?

[DominoX]

Originally Posted by goat

The benefit of documentation for crossing international borders is mostly for proof of ownership. They can punch your HIN, boat name, or your own name into a computer anywhere in the world and see that you are the legal owner.

Agreed; not having an address causes a lot of grief with the "normals", most on here seem to use the address of a relative (cheapest) or a mail forwarding service.

Can you use an old address from your birth country?

I can certainly overcome the challenge of not having a US address. Got the option of relatives AND the mail forwarding service. So that's no longer an issue.

The issue now is I can't get USCG documentation since I'm not a US citizen. So I'm trying to build an understanding of how that handicaps me. From what I've read here and SailNet, seems USCG is the way to go IF you can, but state reg won't kill the cruising dream, possibly just adding complexity in some ports if they choose to do an ownership check.

Is that about it?

[StuM]

Originally Posted by DominoX

I can certainly overcome the challenge of not having a US address. Got the option of relatives AND the mail forwarding service. So that's no longer an issue.

The issue now is I can't get USCG documentation since I'm not a US citizen. So I'm trying to build an understanding of how that handicaps me. From what I've read here and SailNet, seems USCG is the way to go IF you can, but state reg won't kill the cruising dream, possibly just adding complexity in some ports if they choose to do an ownership check.

Is that about it?

re: "punch your HIN, boat name, or your own name into a computer anywhere in the world and see that you are the legal owner."

While that may be true for USCG documentation, it is not true if your vessel is registered in many other countries.

If you are intending to travel widely, it may be worthwhile looking into registering the vessel elsewhere such as your country of origin or one of the "looser" countries that have no residency requirement.

(And it may stop the USCG from boarding you on the high seas )