Ship registry

[Sand crab]

Originally Posted by k_21_au

g:
1. Apart from the Tax exposure is there benefits to registering ones vessel within a 'known' country? Such as USA, EU, Australia?

You have to be a citizen to register (called documentation) in the USA. There are workarounds such as establishing a US corporation and having a citizen as agent or something like that. It is technically legal but also technically illegal. Plus the corp will cost you upfront.

[k_21_au]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Your boat can stay for as long as your prepared to pay the marina/yard fees, you however are a different ball game..

Thank you for the clarification.

This is now making a lot more sense!

The people on board (what is the terminology for this in marine language?) depending on their passport can stay according to the nations laws. But the yacht can stay as long as you are willing to pay the yard fees.

Awesome.

Thanks everyone.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Your boat can stay for as long as your prepared to pay the marina/yard fees, you however are a different ball game..

Just to clarify for the OP. That may be true for Thailand but many other countries also put a time limit on the boat.

[mlahrkamp]

Originally Posted by fxykty

I notice that La Vagabonde, owned by two Australians, is registered in France.

I believe they leased their boat.

[mlahrkamp]

On an additional thought: What if the buyer has dual citizenship? Canadian passport as well as an EU passport. Methinks that now the boat could be registered in Canada, left in the EU and no restrictions regarding owner's length of stay in the Med due to EU passport. Or am I dreaming?

[Shrew]

Goodness gracious. How does a thread on documenting a vessel in the US get so badly derailed into Visa, passport and immigration discussions?

One guy fails to read the thread and the entire thing gets hi-jacked.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by mlahrkamp

On an additional thought: What if the buyer has dual citizenship? Canadian passport as well as an EU passport. Methinks that now the boat could be registered in Canada, left in the EU and no restrictions regarding owner's length of stay in the Med due to EU passport. Or am I dreaming?

Dreaming!

VAT would be due on boat upon first arrival to the EU territory, if the dual citizenship owner was an EU resident.

Owner can stay in the EU due to the EU citizenship, freedom of travel for persons.

Boat would be subject to Temporary Import Permit rules due to foreign [non-Eu] flag rules. Boat would need to depart the EU every 18 months to avoid being imported if the Canadian was a non-resident of the EU.

[Happ]

As others have said you can stay in the EU for. Limited time before you. Will be required to pay VAT. So the first thing is find out how long you can stay in the EU. FP should know that. The second thing is ask the Charter Company. They should know as they can’t charter a boat that is properly registered due to their insurance. I also would talk to your insurance agency NOW. I would be surprised if they will insure you to cross the ocean without an experienced licensed Captain aboard. Insurance companies can get real pick with inexperienced sailors.

Good Luck! This sounds like a great experienced.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by MartyB

Hey guys! I need some advices.
We are new sailors and just purchased a new FP cat. The idea is we are going to take delivery in La Rochelle somewhere at the beginning on 2022 and then we plan on sailing the Med for the summer of 2022. We will then cross the Atlantic in December 2022 and bring the boat into the Bahamas where it is going to stay in a charter fleet for 3-4 years before we retire... We are Canadian citizens. We don't intend to sail the boat to Canada. We would have to pay a 15% sales tax if we did.
The plan is to sale the US east coast and the Caribbean.
So my question is where should we register the boat ? What implications goes with this ? Does it make any differences for insurance ? What about taxes ?
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Shrew

Goodness gracious. How does a thread on documenting a vessel in the US get so badly derailed into Visa, passport and immigration discussions?

One guy fails to read the thread and the entire thing gets hi-jacked.

Shrew, you appear to have misread the OP.

Citizenship and right of registry are interlinked. Specifically Canadian.

Post is not about documenting a vessel in the USA. Countries denoted are acceptance by purchase in France, sailing in the Med, then taken to the Bahamas for entry to a charter fleet.

Of keen issues are: 1) taxation [VAT and import duties]; 2) freedom of Canadians to travel in France and the Med being restricted by Schengen limits 90 days in a 180 day period; 3) arrangement of a Temporary Import Status of the Vessel purchased in France so as to avoid VAT upon purchase, then 4) VAT and import duty upon entry of vessel into a commercial charter fleet in the Bahamas.

Am I missing anything else?

[David Mathis]

Northern Lake Champlain is loaded with Canadian registered boats that stay south of the border to avoid the tax. It's my understanding that Canadians can register their boats at home but don't pay the tax until the boat enters Canada. Laws change so check with your local registry office before proceeding.

[mlahrkamp]

Originally Posted by Happ

I would be surprised if they will insure you to cross the ocean without an experienced licensed Captain aboard.

Prepare to be surprised. I purchased a boat in the EU registering it in Canada on purchase, sail it around the Med for the sailing season there and then sailed it across with the ARC, then sailed it for the winter in the Caribbean and then back to Canada. Spent a year doing it. Was able to pick up a Loyd's policy that covered my entire shenanigan and it wasn't expensive at all. Note: I never crossed the Atlantic before so was required to have a crew for the transocean passage that had done it previously. No requirement for a licensed person was required.

[mlahrkamp]

Originally Posted by mlahrkamp

Prepare to be surprised. I purchased a boat in the EU registering it in Canada on purchase, sail it around the Med for the sailing season there and then sailed it across with the ARC, then sailed it for the winter in the Caribbean and then back to Canada. Spent a year doing it. Was able to pick up a Loyd's policy that covered my entire shenanigan and it wasn't expensive at all. Note: I never crossed the Atlantic before so was required to have a crew for the transocean passage that had done it previously. No requirement for a licensed person was required.

Should also have mentioned that no tax or duty were collected until the boat actually touched Canada.

[boutcorde]

H?bert et Associ?s Conseillers Maritime - Capsule 10 : Taxes, duties and fees

Some info that might help you

[NaClyDog]

Originally Posted by Shrew

Goodness gracious. How does a thread on documenting a vessel in the US get so badly derailed into Visa, passport and immigration discussions?

One guy fails to read the thread and the entire thing gets hi-jacked.

Did you actually read the OP? Says he's a Canadian... not sure where you got your info from.

[Dennis Clarke]

[QUOTE=boatman61;3313717]Seeing as your not planning on sailing to Canada because if you do you'll be subject to 15% tax.. on arrival I presume.
Why not register it there anyway.. just never take it there.
Aussies register their boats in Oz but don't have to pay anything till if or when they arrive, does Canada not act in the same way.???

I'm planning to do exactly that once the virus restrictions are lifted....go to UK/EU to purchase a sailboat, register her in Canada so I can fly our Canadian flag and just abide by the time restrictions of 6 months in the UK and 3 months in the EU