Tonnage measurement for Canadian registration overseas

[got cake]

I have a new build boat just under 24m in South Africa and, being a Canadian, I wish to register in Canada.
According to the Canadian Registry website, I need to
"Have the vessel measured for tonnage by a duly appointed Tonnage Measurer"
With pretty much no help from the broken links on the website and definitely no help by calling the registry, I found a list of approved Societies. Bureau Veritas was on the list and I managed to contact them in South Africa but after extended discussions they have come back and said that they are not approved.

It is getting really frustrating to try to find someone to do what is generally accepted as being a useless task.

Has anyone had any experience in finding a surveyor in South Africa that is approved to do tonnage measurement for Canadian registration. I am not really interested in footing the bill to fly someone there from Canada.

I am about to give up the Canadian flag for a more convenient option but hope that someone has a name that can save me from registering overseas.

Thanks

[boatpoker]

If .... and only if required info (measurements among other) and photos can be provided a tonnage measurer (like me) in Canada may be able to get permission from Transport Canada to do the certificate without actually seeing the vessel. Permission is much easier to acquire if she is a production vessel rather than an orphan but I have done it before. What is the vessel ?

PS. I charge more for this because it always entails much more time dealing with the bureacracy.

[bobofthenorth]

Is there some size cutoff after which you need an outside authority to do the measurement? When we did our registration I followed some web instructions, wrote down a number and signed my name.

R.J.(Bob) Evans
www.bobandmarilyn.ca

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by bobofthenorth

Is there some size cutoff after which you need an outside authority to do the measurement? When we did our registration I followed some web instructions, wrote down a number and signed my name.

R.J.(Bob) Evans
www.bobandmarilyn.ca

As per the Canada Shipping Act if the boat is over 12m or is a multihull it must be measured by a Transport Canada Appointed Tonnage Measurer ( like me ). https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafet...nnage-1515.htm. People often confuse (Canadian) registration with licensing. If your boat is licensed you need no measurement at all.

[BobH260]

We had our boat Canadian documented while outside of Canada. I did the tonnage measurement myself after phoning the Transport Canada office. They coached me through what was needed. I did the measurements, photographs, and submitted it all, they accepted it.
Bob

[Scaramanga F25]

For what it is worth today, in 1975 I had my W32 documented in Long Beach and the " Official " was from the Canadian Consulate in L.A. California.
He looked over the boat and was concerned that I had not yet had the
hailing port painted. That was it.
Received my British Vessel Documentation by mail. ARG ! I am Canadian!

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by BobH260

We had our boat Canadian documented while outside of Canada. I did the tonnage measurement myself after phoning the Transport Canada office. They coached me through what was needed. I did the measurements, photographs, and submitted it all, they accepted it.
Bob

As previously noted .. if you are under 12m or are not a monohull this is easily done. Over 12m and and or a monohull you cannot do this yourself.

[seabreez]

I have a new build boat just under 24m in South Africa and, being a Canadian, I wish to register in Canada.
According to the Canadian Registry website, I need to
"Have the vessel measured for tonnage by a duly appointed Tonnage Measurer"

Here is a guide to registering a vessel in Canada that is foreign construction.
http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/T34-8-2000E.pdf

Good luck... Captain Roger

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Scaramanga F25

For what it is worth today, in 1975 I had my W32 documented in Long Beach and the " Official " was from the Canadian Consulate in L.A. California.
He looked over the boat and was concerned that I had not yet had the
hailing port painted. That was it.
Received my British Vessel Documentation by mail. ARG ! I am Canadian!

The British North American Act was repatriated to Canada in 1982 (Thank you Pierre). Up until that time Canada did not have a shipping registry so all vessels were registered as British Ships.

The story of how ships came to be measured as "tuns" of volume, later bastardized to "tons" is very interesting as it was calculated as to how many "tuns" a boat could carry as cargo. In the days of Queen Anne a "tun" was a specific size of cask of port wine, a common import to Britain at the time.

That children, is the history lesson for today

[Capt Phil]

Interesting discussion. A number of years ago, I had a South African client who was attempting to buy a US documented vessel in Mexico and had asked me to handle the transaction which included removing her from US documented status and re-registering the vessel in the Cayman Islands, all from a Mexican location!
All went smoothly until I had to have the vessel 'measured' to meet Cayman Island registration requirements which called for a Bureau Veritas representative to fly into Mexico, conduct the 'measurement' and certify that volumetrically the vessel was able to carry X number of cannons! Once she was certified for, I believe, 8 24 pounders, the rest of the paperwork went swimmingly. Seems like the olde English rules still applied! Phil

[roland stockham]

another option is to get initial registration locally and then transfer it. May be easier. I found transferring from British to Canadian registration no problem. I was is Canada at the time but the boat wasn't.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by roland stockham

another option is to get initial registration locally and then transfer it. May be easier. I found transferring from British to Canadian registration no problem. I was is Canada at the time but the boat wasn't.

You are correct. Some states will accept the measurements of another.
eg. I have had Transport Canada paperwork accepted in the UK, Costa Rica, Belize, Antigua and BVI.

[BobH260]

Transport Canada will also accept an "International Tonnage Certificate", your boat builder may be able to supply one, or a local surveyor may be able to supply one.
Bob

[travellerw]

[QUOTE=boatpoker;2063482]As per the Canada Shipping Act if the boat is over 12m or is a multihull it must be measured by a Transport Canada Appointed Tonnage Measurer ( like me ).

This is not %100 correct.. Multihulls are treated the same as monos. If they are under 12m they do not require a tonnage measurer. I know, cause I just registered a 11.95M Cat and it was not required. I had many conversations with transport Canada to ensure we were doing it correctly.

[boatpoker]

[QUOTE=travellerw;2064907]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

As per the Canada Shipping Act if the boat is over 12m or is a multihull it must be measured by a Transport Canada Appointed Tonnage Measurer ( like me ).

This is not %100 correct.. Multihulls are treated the same as monos. If they are under 12m they do not require a tonnage measurer. I know, cause I just registered a 11.95M Cat and it was not required. I had many conversations with transport Canada to ensure we were doing it correctly.

You are incorrect unless you are referring to s "simple multihull" as defined by Transport Canada. A simple multihull has two pontoons and a deck with no cabin structure at all. Is this the type of cat you are talking about ? This is my business and I have held a Transport Canada appointment for many years. If you have somehow gotten away with this ( simplified method on a cat with cabins) ... you dodged the bullet or your multi-hull is a simple platform on two pontoons without any cabins or structure. See (and read the whole page) Transport Canada's requirements.