How much does it cost to get a boat to Cat 1 in New zealand?

[Variant]

I was looking at the list and thinking maybe 20 grand? How much did it cost you and what equipment did you start with? Thanks.

[matauwhi]

G'day, Mate. Just a clarification, what flag will the boat be using? If the yacht is not New Zealand flagged, you do not have to go through the Category 1 process. Cheers

[Variant]

Boat is registered in NZ

[Kokanee]

Wow,

I was just reading up on the requirements.

http://www.yachtingnz.org.nz/sites/y...28small%29.pdf

It would really depends on the starting point with your boat. Some boats would require $50,000 or more. You'd be better off buying a boat that is already approved fro class one offshore.

[Jim Cate]

You'd be better off buying a boat that is already approved fro class one offshore.

Well, IMO he would be better off re-registering the boat somewhere else, like a lot of Kiwis are these days. Many of the Cat-one regs are more appropriate to full crew race boats than to short handed cruisers.

Jim

[matauwhi]

G'day, Variant. Since you're NZ flagged, then it will just depend on the state of your yacht against the requirements. The liferaft, offshore radio or Sat com gear and the cost of the actual inspection are the big ticket items if your rigging is in good shape. The Cat 1 issue was one of the factors in the decision making process to keep my yacht US flagged after fully importing it to New Zealand. All the best. Cheers.

[Variant]

Were there any surprise costs keeping it US flagged?

[matauwhi]

There were no additional costs. Cheers.

[ccannan]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Well, IMO he would be better off re-registering the boat somewhere else, like a lot of Kiwis are these days. Many of the Cat-one regs are more appropriate to full crew race boats than to short handed cruisers.

Jim

Many equals a very few number of Kiwi sailors that intend to sail offshore. Most Kiwis are very content with their local sailing options. I have read that Kiwis have the largest per capita boat ownership of country. But of course, NZ only has 5 million citizens, so of course a smaller number than that own boats, and an even smaller number of those have boats that could safely transport it's occupants offshore. From that small number (both absolute and percentage wise), very few want to voyage offshore, and some them do opt to register their boats abroad, but many others don't.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by ccannan

Many equals a very few number of Kiwi sailors that intend to sail offshore. Most Kiwis are very content with their local sailing options. I have read that Kiwis have the largest per capita boat ownership of country. But of course, NZ only has 5 million citizens, so of course a smaller number than that own boats, and an even smaller number of those have boats that could safely transport it's occupants offshore. From that small number (both absolute and percentage wise), very few want to voyage offshore, and some them do opt to register their boats abroad, but many others don't.

Statistically, perhaps true. However, we've met a lot of Kiwi sailors in anchorages in other countries. Some were Kiwi flagged, some were not. It has been posted here on CF quite recently that more and more are opting for offshore rego in order to avoid the inspection expense.

I would opt for that if I were a Kiwi. When they tried to impose Cat one inspections on visiting yachts, way back in 1995 IIRC, we stopped going there and came to Oz instead. Some years later when that practice was ruled illegal in the Kiwi Supreme court, we were out of t he habit of going there an have never been back.

Bloody bureaucrats...

Jim

[ccannan]

Bureaucrats or duly elected representatives (legislators)?

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by ccannan

Bureaucrats or duly elected representatives (legislators)?

Well, the one I had in mind was Jenny Shipley (sp?). She was minister of transport at the time, and instituted the practice of applying Cat one rules to visiting yachts. One Yank yacht departed without jumping through the hoops, went to New Cal and returned. Was duly charged and brought to court. The lower court convicted him, it was appealed to a higher court where it was confirmed. Ms Shipley crowed " it's good law! we got a conviction" in a letter to a friend. Subsequently taken all the way to the Supreme court where it was overturned, and the ministry instructed to not apply the rule to overseas yachts.

So, you can call her a duly elected representative (although I'm not sure of the process in NZ) if you wish. It does not relieve her of being a bureaucrat, or of being wrong.

That was history. What is going on today is current events, and it looks to me like some Kiwi cruisers don't like the rule as it is being applied today.

Jim

[Scott Berg]

Contrary opinion: their country--their rules. That said I just read thru them and my 40yr old ketch seems to meet the cat 1 regs as she lies. I'll need to double check the trysail but everything else is there and nothing seems out of line for any vessel planning on sailing off soundings. I do note that no requirement for sextant, almanac, and sight reduction tables, something I always sail with. You can nit pick but I get their drift...

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Well, the one I had in mind was Jenny Shipley (sp?). She was minister of transport at the time, and instituted the practice of applying Cat one rules to visiting yachts. One Yank yacht departed without jumping through the hoops, went to New Cal and returned. Was duly charged and brought to court. The lower court convicted him, it was appealed to a higher court where it was confirmed. Ms Shipley crowed " it's good law! we got a conviction" in a letter to a friend. Subsequently taken all the way to the Supreme court where it was overturned, and the ministry instructed to not apply the rule to overseas yachts.

So, you can call her a duly elected representative (although I'm not sure of the process in NZ) if you wish. It does not relieve her of being a bureaucrat, or of being wrong.

That was history. What is going on today is current events, and it looks to me like some Kiwi cruisers don't like the rule as it is being applied today.

Jim

Legislation like that violates the agreement to allow fair passage for ships under the reciprocal maritime agreements most nations supposedly align with.

No doubt it was marketed as for safety which it would not improve. A fool with a safety device is still a fool.

[Neptune's Gear]

I'm a Kiwi. I have a boat. I have, do, and will continue to sail her offshore. She is NZ registered, and meets cat 1 when we go. There is not much in the Regs I would not take anyway. NZ is a small country, 1/2 in the southern ocean, and is often one end of the most difficult passage many circumnavigators do. It is not uncommon for a vessel, and often crew to be lost on this voyage, the average being around one or two per year. Some are well found and unlucky. Some I would not cross a river in. NZ has the largest area of SAR responsibility per capita of anywhere in the world. Rescues are very expensive. The rules are intended to ensure that NZ vessels are as well equipped and prepared as possible before heading offshore, to help minimise problems. It does seem to have worked to a degree, but it was ill conceived to think that, as our courts proved, it could be forced on foreign vessels. That being said, the last two boats I can think of that were lost or had to be rescued, both after leaving NZ, were not NZ boats.