40ft yacht - French Canal

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Cornishkiwi

Hey all

I'm thinking about buying a yacht on the med side of France. I'd like to take it back to the UK as soon as possible,
Thank you

Keiron

Keiron, besides the issue of challenging logistics of getting the boat to the UK during the winter, have you considered the issue of UK VAT being due upon import of the France located vessel to the UK?

One needs to ascertain the vessels EU or UK VAT paid status as you might find a hefty bill due upon arrival given Brexit trade issues.

Boats owned by UK residents, which are VAT paid and sitting within UK waters as at 23h00 hours on Thursday, 31st December 2020, will be accepted as VAT paid in the UK.

As to the one year extension to December 31, 2021 of Returned Goods Relief from UK VAT, an EU/UK VAT paid vessel that has changed hands during it’s stay in the EU, will not qualify for the concessional year from HMRC because it will not be able to comply with the requirement to be returning under the same ownership.

Reference: https://www.gov.uk/government/public...nd-from-the-uk

Snipet there from:



UK Integrated Online Tariff Switch to the Northern Ireland Online Tariff
Heading 8903 - Yachts and other vessels for pleasure or sports; rowing boats and canoes

Duty is 20% of CIF.


Owners of vessels designed or adapted for recreation or pleasure use may have to pay VAT by completing form C384 (Vessels) and sending the form to the Pleasure Craft Unit of Expertise pleasurecraft.lcsouth@hmrc.gov.uk:

Apply for release of a private vessel on payment of customs duty and VAT (C384 (Vessels))
Use form C384 (Vessels) to apply for release on payment of customs duty or VAT on a private vessel.

Link to form C384: https://assets.publishing.service.go...sels_02_19.pdf

Pleasure Craft Unit of Expertise
HM Revenue and Customs
Lynx House
1 Northern Road
Portsmouth
PO6 3XA

Telephone:
03000 516 864

Declare pleasure craft on voyages leaving or arriving in the UK (use form C1331)
Declare items on your pleasure craft for voyages when you're leaving or arriving in the UK. Link: https://assets.publishing.service.go...1331_10_21.pdf

Bon voyage.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by pcmm

Considering the Shards did the French canals in a Southerly 49.. I'd say Ruby rose was being over dramatic!

I think their concern was getting close to the banks with a yacht with two rudders. However, they were in the Midi canal and he won't be going that way, but the main Rhone north south route. Here the problem is the current which can run up to 4 knots for 400km.

https://www.french-waterways.com/pra...mediterranean/

Sailing Magic Carpet did it in 2019/2020 and show the problem of the adverse current.

Pete

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Stewie12

Search for French Canal Cruising guides are your best bet. Totally surround your boat with tyres to protect it from other yachts and barges. There will be plenty of them around from boats who have come the other way.

Don’t use tyres they mark the Hull just use your fenders as normal

[m0ggy]

To the op. It can get very cold in central France in winter. One of my trucks was stuck for a week there because the diesel fuel refused to get to the injector pump. Btw one gallon of petrol per 60 gallons of fuel stopped that problem.

[Pete7]

Keiron,

Sorry but I think its a none starter. This was posted on Noonsite and highlights a serious problem caused by lack of use over the past two years.

Interesting, Wildings Sailing had severe problem with weed coming down the French canals to the Med last year.

https://www.noonsite.com/report/fran...a-small-yacht/

[goboatingnow]

We have friends who did it on a benny 36CC. It was difficult but they made it.

[Bathdave]

I have planned to do this trip but I have a Southerly lifting keel

I know several people who have done this, especially in Southerlies (ps to those who mention the Shards and their Southerly Distant Shores (YouTube channel ) - I believe they did their trip in an earlier DS boat, which I think was a Southerly 42RST

I have read a number of different reports and my conclusions are

1 . Ship your mast by road …there are many tight corners and a mast on a trestle is high risk and very easy to damage

2. There are 2 different routes and the min depths are not the same

3. Water levels can get very low in summer, but conversely in winter May be better

4. In places the canals are blasted through rock and hitting the bottom can be traumatic as it’s not all silt and mud

5. I am told the min summer draft is 1.4m

At 1.8 m I would not take it on

[mgl]

Never buy a boat in France, go to Holland, many more boats, better maintained and no Napoleonic Laws. There is a mast up night route through Amsterdam to the English Channel. Yachts are useless in the French locks, old and poorly dredged since little commercial traffic and over 6000ks of canals.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Bathdave

4. In places the canals are blasted through rock and hitting the bottom can be traumatic as it’s not all silt and mud

5. I am told the min summer draft is 1.4m

That sounds like the Canal Du Midi which is completely separate and much shallower from the main north / south French rivers and canals used to transit from the English Channel to the Med.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Pete7

That sounds like the Canal Du Midi which is completely separate and much shallower from the main north / south French rivers and canals used to transit from the English Channel to the Med.

The OP specifically mentioned the MIDI

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by mgl

Never buy a boat in France, go to Holland, many more boats, better maintained and no Napoleonic Laws. There is a mast up night route through Amsterdam to the English Channel. Yachts are useless in the French locks, old and poorly dredged since little commercial traffic and over 6000ks of canals.

After two boat purchases on France and one sale this is such BS advice not to mention the brokers in Holland are cleaned out.

Not to mention the OP wants to go from the med through the canals

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Cornishkiwi

Hey all



I'm thinking about buying a yacht on the med side of France. I'd like to take it back to the UK as soon as possible, however January and February isn't exactly a favourable time to do so. Rather than waiting for fairer weather in spring I was wondering if I could take the masts down and bring it through the canals?



The boat dimensions are



Draft - 1.8m

Beam - 3.4m

Loa - 12m



From what I'm seeing the shallow depths are around 1.8m in which case this isn't going to be a plausible solution. Yet I was wondering if any one knew any further details and whether this was possible or not?



Thank you



Keiron

By the way you need to be aware of the vat situation bringing a boat back to the U.K.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

The OP specifically mentioned the MIDI

I think between posts no 3 and 6 he ruled the Midi out and then started asking about a north / south route. I don't think at that point he realised the differences in the depths of the various canals in France.

Now I wonder if I can get under the bridge at Dinan and on to the R Vilaine to Nantes

[alan de t]

Spent a year on the french canals…except for floods, currents and closures it shouldn’t be a problem. The current is strong going up the Rhône but at Dijon we went up the Bourgogne which is too shallow and was closed for two additional weeks from flooding.
The canal du midi is out as part was empty around Carcassonne last month.
Whilst we were on a snow goose cat we didn’t have a problem when a lock keeper drained a beef having forgotten to close the sluices overnight.
A long rope, a tree and a winch sorted that out.
The VNF site has the answers and the lock keepers can help with levels if you do get stuck if not there’s careening.
Have fun…miss the life there