Best country to flag

[ranchero76]

Great thread. On one hand, it shows that people are slaves in their countries more than ever. On other hand, people share possible "escape" from slavery (if any).

[dwedeking2]

Originally Posted by StuM

Are you telling me that there is no such thing as "private property" in the Land of the Free? That's worse than the old Soviet Union.

"Land of the free" is just a marketing gimmick. The actual product is quite different. Gilded cage comes to mind.

[messias]

Yep... finding ways around slavery is the key!

I'm portuguese... live in the Czech Republic... boat has a Netherlands flag

Why? Far complicated, time consuming, limiting and expensive process in both my birth and residential countries.

Netherlands? 5 emails (two for clarifying doubts), two weeks and 75€ (and that included 11.5€ postage of documents from Amsterdam to Prague). This was last November.
No surveys, no mandatory equipment, no nothing.

They will charge me 54€ in two years, for a renovation (done every two years).

In Czech Republic I would have to pay that yearly just for the "right" to fly the Czech flag. Plus surveys, plus registration of the boat, plus registration of the engine (separate entities and separate fees, of course).

In Portugal... Vasco da Gama, Magellan, Cabral, Henry the Navigator, Bartolomeu Dias, (and let´s not forget Columbus, as his nationality has always been in doubt) would be ashamed of themselves and could not even sail beyond 6NM without a liferaft.

*before I get hammered by Spanish & Italian Columbus supporters, a small reminder that he was in fact born in Italy, but lived in Portugal, he´s wife was proved portuguese as well as his sons and his own brother...OK?!

Fair winds... and FOC

[dannc]

Originally Posted by StuM

...

Are you telling me that there is no such thing as "private property" in the Land of the Free? That's worse than the old Soviet Union.

We have private property but that property can be taxed and there is the problem. I own land free and clear of any debt except one. I have to pay taxes on the land every year. If I fail to pay my tax, the land is sold to the highest bidder on the court house steps. I don't own the land though I have paper that says I do. In my case, the county, owns the land, and I have to pay rent every year. If I don't pay, I am evicted.

I know a family who decades ago owned a very large section of land in what was then far out in the county. The city grew around this land so the land value went through the roof. As the saying goes, the family was land rich and cash poor. More so when the husband died and the old widow had even less money. She could not pay the property tax on the land she had worked her entire life on and the county sold the land to highest bidder to pay the owed property tax.

That land is worth millions of dollars today. Where the farm house used to be is a strip mall and a housing development...

Property tax is just evil.

Later,
Dan

[StuM]

Originally Posted by LACHLANC

I was ready to sign & send all docs to the isle of man registry when someone on cruisers forum helpfully pointed out that the issue that Aust law forbids an Australian to sail an Australian owned (or majority owned) boat from a foreign port unless it is on the Australian register. The fine for doing so is AUD1,000 per day. I agreed with some CF comments at the time that the risk of being fined while out of Australian waters was low but I didn't want to take the risk or to have to re-register the boat in Austra,ia down the track (I spent hours going through the relevant legislation looking for a way around it but I believe there is no legal way to do that).
Lachlan
P.S. If you have dual citizenship or if the boat is at least half owned by a foreign national I believe you can get around this by registering under the "other" nationality.

Just goes to show what internet advice is worth

There is no such law. (But of course, this is just internet advice too ).

A vessel on the high seas is required under international "law" to have nationality.

Nationality is normally by Registration, but I have actually sailed between PNG and Australia on a vessel without any Registration, just a letter from the relevant PNG authority stating that registration of pleasure vessels is not compulsory in PNG and authorising the specific voyage to/from Australia of the un-registered vessel. Australian authorities accepted that as PNG Nationality on arrival, even though the owner was an Australian citizen!)

Specifically:
The Australian Shipping Act requires a vessel to be on an Australian Register if it is "owned by an Australian national", but:

" (2) In subsection (1), a reference to an Australian national does not include: (a) if the Australian national is an Australian citizen—a reference to an Australian citizen who is not ordinarily resident in Australia;"


IOW, unless you are ordinarily resident in Australia, you can register it on any registery that will accept it.

[shotglass]

Originally Posted by SV DestinyAscen

Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

Oh, but they can't put it on the Internet unless it's true.

Au'revoir

[RPZ]

Originally Posted by shotglass

Oh, but they can't put it on the Internet unless it's true.

Au'revoir

And be even more sceptical of anything you have ever seen and heard on TV. TV has been controlled from the getgo, the internet is still open to sources NOT controlled. At least for now

[helise]

Originally Posted by Builderdood1

I currently am flagged/registered in Panama.
Looking for a better country to register in which has little or no import cost, doesn't require you or your boat to be present and has a reasonable fee.
Panama's fees are getting out of hand.

Thank you for input..

Hello,

Langkawi is the best registration. Please check up with www.facebook.com/LangkawiRegistry or info.marine@rocketmail.com

Goodluck.

Elise.

[helise]

Originally Posted by markpierce

Is that a country? Believe it is a subdivision of Malaysia.

Hi! Mark,

It is a Port of Registry for Langkawi International Yacht Registry (LIYR). Very simple, cheap, fast, no taxes, no GST, no VAT, no income from charter etc. For less than USD2,000.00 you will get the full registration, Call-sign, Ship Station Radio License (MMSI NO) for a year and one year tonnage dues.

feel free to visit www.facebook.com/LangkawiRegistry or Info.marine@rocketmail.com

Goodluck.

Elise.

[helise]

Originally Posted by daletournier

I'll third Langkawi, recently went through the process with the guy that purchased my old boat,easy and cheap, you can do it yourself or use an agent. The officials made the process a pleasure. I was planning on registering my next vessel there but purchased one that already had Australian rego.

Sent from my vivo Y35 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Hello,

You can contact www.facebook.com/LangkawiRegistry or info.marine@rocketmail.com for an inquiry.

Cheers.........

[Emerald Sea]

I'll vouch for Langkawi. Langkawi is Malaysia's duty free region. Our boat is registered there since 2014, apprx $150/yr in fees. But my understanding, as in our case, is that your boat needs to physically port in Malaysia at least once for registration. We are from Singapore so was just across the channel.

[helise]

Originally Posted by Emerald Sea

I'll vouch for Langkawi. Langkawi is Malaysia's duty free region. Our boat is registered there since 2014, apprx $150/yr in fees. But my understanding, as in our case, is that your boat needs to physically port in Malaysia at least once for registration. We are from Singapore so was just across the channel.

Hi! Steve,

Welcome to Langkawi! No, no need at all. Vessel can be anywhere during, prior or after registration.

You can see many yachts in Raffles, Keppel, One degree Sentosa, Changi Marinas and etc flagged under Langkawi International Yacht Registration (LIYR) and they NEVER ever been to Malaysia.

We have two super yachts in Caribbeans and three in Mediterraneans Seas registered under LIYR since 2008/2009 and never been to Malaysia.

So, don't worry lah!

Cheers.....

[undercutter]

We flagged in the Cayman Islands mostly because of the difficulty of having the boat measured in Asia by someone recognized by the Canadian Govnm't to do so. Any pleasure boat over a certain length has to provide this (14-17M) I believe.

Now the annual costs are prohibitive in Cayman, (mostly agent fees) and we are thinking about moving our flag to Malaysia.

One of the benefits of the Cayman flag was that they had not signed any agreement with the US to allow them to board Cayman flagged boats in International waters. I know Canada has signed, but not sure about Malaysia.

Other than that, Malaysia sounds great, we may even go back that way soon if we decide t go to Europe. Is is not like the Canadian Government would do anything to help a Canadian flagged boat our its occupants.

[Pelagic]

Same thing Undercutter, I was originally registered with St. Vincent Grenadines and the costs kept going up and up.

I think the Caribbean nations decided they only wanted Super yachts

Langkawi was the simplest change over and can be done by email thru an agent for both registry and radio.

You don't need to visit there to sustain you registry, but it is a nice place to visit

[undercutter]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Same thing Undercutter, I was originally registered with St. Vincent Grenadines and the costs kept going up and up.

I think the Caribbean nations decided they only wanted Super yachts

Langkawi was the simplest change over and can be done by email thru an agent for both registry and radio.

You don't need to visit there to sustain you registry, but it is a nice place to visit

Yes the wife loved Malaysia, especially the night markets, we even did Sabah and Sarawak. Indonesia was my favourite as the diving is incomparable. We even thought about buying a waterfront condo in Port Dixon. You could easily retire there on a Canada Pension.

Pretty sure we will be moving our flag to Langkawi or Labuan this year.