procedure, buying a boat and reg

[edward]

Thinking of buying a boat in pacific islands, its 34 foot sail boat reg in usa,i am a british subject, whats the best reg 1 or 3 under the british reg,what do i need in the form of boat registry while cruising world wide for port clearance etc
many thanks in advance

[boatman61]

Either is good enough but the Part 1 unlike the SSR is also proof of ownership.

https://mcanet.mcga.gov.uk/ssr/ssr/

[edward]

Thanks boatmam....can a bill of sale be proof of ownership and will it be accepted when clearing in and out different country’s etc

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by edward

Thanks boatmam....can a bill of sale be proof of ownership and will it be accepted when clearing in and out different country’s etc

The answer to that is going to vary by juristiction. As a british subject you should be able to register the boat as british pretty easily.

As a Canadian I purchased a boat in the U.S. and registered it as Canadian pretty easily. All I needed was the measurements form filled out, some pictures, an application including the division of shares in the vessel and a bill of sale (paid my tax on it when I finally brought it back to Canada). We don't have "title documents" like Americans do (and need). Bill of sale establishes ownership but that is not likely enough when clearing in/out of countries.

[edward]

Thanks pcmm.....and that’s another thing,paying tax,is that only due if I return to the uk?

[boatman61]

Yes bill of sale is acceptable..
Clearing in requires you producing Insurance, Registration, Passport and sometimes Bill of Sale.
Best if you knock up some copies of the insurance cover note and bill of sale that way you keep the originals in good shape.. 99 times out of 100 these are acceptable.

[edward]

Thanks boatman....learning a lot here,I have various merchant navy qualifications and rya bits also long range and ham radio Have sail various boat etc,basicly just need more info re clearing in and out

[hellosailor]

"knock up some copies"
I've found that in general, if someone insists on "originals" but you have made COLOR COPIES, simply having the signatures and filled-in stuff done in blue ink, the combination of color entries on the black printed form, is enough to keep most bureaucrats thinking "Ah, these are originals, they were obviously signed in blue ink."

[Jimroda06]

If returning non resident UK and owned the boat over 12 months you can import tax free.
Check custom requirements on line.

[jmschmidt]

If you are referring to a US Coast Guard "documented' vessel which flies the US flag while underway, it can only be owned by a US citizen or a US legal entity (corporation, LLC or partnership) that is majority controlled by US citizen owners.

If you are referring to a vessel that is "registered" in one of the fifty states or territories, I am of the impression the non-US persons may own such vessels in all states. A state registered vessel will have state identifying letters and numbers on the both sides of the bow, usually beginning with state postal code such as HI for Hawaii or CA for California.

USCG documented vessels must have a vessel name and hailing port in 4 inch letters on the stern or aft part of the hull. USCG documented vessels may also have state registration identification numbers (usually for local tax purposes) depending on the applicable state law.

Only USCG documented vessels can be authorized for one or more of the various commercial categories to engage in commercial activities.

A foreign built vessel may be documented by the USCG but generally only as pleasure craft. For small scale commercial operations small foreign built vessels may be granted a special authorization by the US Maritime Administration on the basis of a need for their services in a certain locality.

[hellosailor]

jm-
I'm not current on this, and never did know all 50 states (62 venues actually, counting Guam and PR and DC and all) but a decade or so ago, there were at least some states where you HAD to be a resident to register a vessel, and while some places say "If you've been here 30-60-90 days you're a resident and you can vote too!" there are others who make "resident" into a much harder bar to pass, because they got tired of folks renting an apartment for a couple of months and then claiming "state resident" discount rates for college and other purposes. So, rent bill driver's license, voter registration, paychecks, utility bills, a lot more than other places ask for. (Or you can go to South Dakota and officially become a "vagabond" resident with the expectation that sure, you're gonna come home one day--just not for a long time.)
Oh.
Yeah, I can't blame them for raising the bar. Whether they allow out of state residents to register vehicles, well, you know, try to get any state legislators to harmonize their laws. Makes herding cats look easy.