Aussies owning a boat in New Zealand

[BillAU]

G'day mates,


Can someone on the forum answer my question which is;

Can a retired Australian citizen buy a NZ registered boat/yacht in NZ, keep it registered on the NZ register, and live aboard the boat in NZ, and fly back to Australia for a holiday, say every four or six months before returning to the vessel in NZ?

Or can I register the NZ bought boat in AU but keep it, while living aboard, in NZ?

Or can I purchase a boat in the USA, register it under the AU flag but keep the vessel in NZ or somewhere else in the Pacific while living aboard and flying back to AU...Say every four or six months for a holiday in AU?

The boat would never be sold in my lifetime or till I became to old to make use of it, then I would not care who got the boat.

Just curious.

Bill
Australia

[matauwhi]

G'day, mate. I'll give it a go, but in real life, I'm not a customs officer. I'll base my input on the NZ registered yacht not being in "commerical" service and all GST & Duty has been paid.

1. Only citizens of New Zealand can register a yacht. It is not a legal requirement unless they want to head offshore. If clearing customs, the yacht is subject to Category 1 requirements. So, as an Aussie, you could get N.Z. citizenship and keep the yacht on the register or

2. De-register it and put up the Aussie flag. Since all the duty & gst has been paid, the yacht is able to leave & enter New Zealand as often as the owner desires. Since you are a Aussie, you can also stay as long as you like for immigration purposes. So, yes, you can live aboard the yacht and come & go as you please. Not sure what your official Aussie flagging requirements are, but pretty sure GST & any duty are not payable until the yacht enters Australian waters.

3. If you buy a yacht in the U.S. and enter New Zealand with an Aussie flag, you will be given a "temporary import" for roughly 6 months as most international cruisers receive when they clear customs here. You then head back offshore at the end of your 6 month stay or pay a temporary bond (roughly the duty & GST) to extend the time the yacht can stay in New Zealand or permanently pay the duty & gst and then your back up to #1.

Hope all the makes sense. Deborah Bradley, in New Zealand Customs at the Whangarei Center has been most helpful in these situations with specific questions. All the best. Cheers.

[Wand]

NZ does not require pleasure boats to be registered (read, fee) if they remain within NZ waters? Amazing, and yet another reason to love the place.

So, BillAU, the idea would be to keep a vessel in NZ and nip over the ditch and clamber aboard whenever the urge grabs. The way I read the info, citizenship doesn't come into it (for Oz folk anyway).

[BillAU]

Originally Posted by matauwhi

G'day, mate. I'll give it a go, but in real life, I'm not a customs officer. I'll base my input on the NZ registered yacht not being in "commerical" service and all GST & Duty has been paid.

1. Only citizens of New Zealand can register a yacht. It is not a legal requirement unless they want to head offshore. If clearing customs, the yacht is subject to Category 1 requirements. So, as an Aussie, you could get N.Z. citizenship and keep the yacht on the register or

2. De-register it and put up the Aussie flag. Since all the duty & gst has been paid, the yacht is able to leave & enter New Zealand as often as the owner desires. Since you are a Aussie, you can also stay as long as you like for immigration purposes. So, yes, you can live aboard the yacht and come & go as you please. Not sure what your official Aussie flagging requirements are, but pretty sure GST & any duty are not payable until the yacht enters Australian waters.

3. If you buy a yacht in the U.S. and enter New Zealand with an Aussie flag, you will be given a "temporary import" for roughly 6 months as most international cruisers receive when they clear customs here. You then head back offshore at the end of your 6 month stay or pay a temporary bond (roughly the duty & GST) to extend the time the yacht can stay in New Zealand or permanently pay the duty & gst and then your back up to #1.

Hope all the makes sense. Deborah Bradley, in New Zealand Customs at the Whangarei Center has been most helpful in these situations with specific questions. All the best. Cheers.

Thanks for that piece of helpful information, it gives me a few things to think about before jumping in For instance,
Quote:
3. If you buy a yacht in the U.S. and enter New Zealand with an Aussie flag, you will be given a "temporary import" for roughly 6 months as most international cruisers receive when they clear customs here. You then head back offshore at the end of your 6 month stay
End Quote:
I guess I could stay in NZ for six months then head off to one of the South Sea Islands for a time, then return to NZ for a further six months stay...Just a thought

Bill

Originally Posted by At sea

NZ does not require pleasure boats to be registered (read, fee) if they remain within NZ waters? Amazing, and yet another reason to love the place.

So, BillAU, the idea would be to keep a vessel in NZ and nip over the ditch and clamber aboard whenever the urge grabs. The way I read the info, citizenship doesn't come into it (for Oz folk anyway).

Thanks for that mate, I plan on residing onboard in NZ full time and cruise the NZ coast, I would only return to AU for a week or so every four or six months...That's the plan at pesent anyway but we'll see how things go

Bill
Australia

[matauwhi]

"I guess I could stay in NZ for six months then head off to one of the South Sea Islands for a time, then return to NZ for a further six months stay...Just a thought"

You sure can, mate!! Have several other mates that have been doing this for over a decade now.

I know where you can find a very nice Mason 53, fully imported to NZ, that could provide a very comfortable liveaboard option and save you the trip to the states! Send me a private message if you want to discuss further. All the best. Cheers.

[BillAU]

Originally Posted by matauwhi

"I guess I could stay in NZ for six months then head off to one of the South Sea Islands for a time, then return to NZ for a further six months stay...Just a thought"

You sure can, mate!! Have several other mates that have been doing this for over a decade now.

I know where you can find a very nice Mason 53, fully imported to NZ, that could provide a very comfortable liveaboard option and save you the trip to the states! Send me a private message if you want to discuss further. All the best. Cheers.

That looks like a beaut Mason 53 you have there mate but it's just to rich for the pocket of this Ozzie pensioner I now have my eye on a few (5) nice looking NZ and AU yachts, all are within my price-range, now I just need to get to give them the once over before getting a surveyor involved.
Thanks again for your offer...Did I mention, your Mason 53 is a beaut looking boat

Bill
Australia

[LBW399]

I know of an American that paid the import duty so was able to keep his yacht in New Zealand indefinitely, although as an American he had to sail / fly out of the country every six months then come back, something that you as an Ocker would not have to worry about.

[haiqu]

Here's an interesting extension to the original question. I've seen a very nice old NZ-built 55' ferro in Australia, and now own a house in Wairoa (Hawkes Bay). Wondering if it would be possible to sail her over to NZ on a kiwi flag and keep her there indefinitely? I certainly can't see why not, as long as there's proof of her being a NZ built ship.

Of course, the Cat 1 inspection to leave again might be an expensive problem.

Hey Bill, are you ever going to buy a boat? I now have two ferros, and am looking lovingly at a third. Hurry up before I corner the market. :-)

[BillAU]

Originally Posted by haiqu

Here's an interesting extension to the original question. I've seen a very nice old NZ-built 55' ferro in Australia, and now own a house in Wairoa (Hawkes Bay). Wondering if it would be possible to sail her over to NZ on a kiwi flag and keep her there indefinitely? I certainly can't see why not, as long as there's proof of her being a NZ built ship.

Of course, the Cat 1 inspection to leave again might be an expensive problem.

I see no reason for the above not to work for you, so when are you leaving Could this be the boat you're referring to? If so, she's a 60'er and nice with it. If I could make a move, I would have bought that boat when she was first offered for sale a few months back

Hey Bill, are you ever going to buy a boat? I now have two ferros, and am looking lovingly at a third. Hurry up before I corner the market. :-)

But you're a greedy bugger haiqu mate one boat, the right boat, will do me You know what they say mate, never run after a boat or a woman...There's always another one coming behind Not being single, free and easy, I still have responsibilities that keep me at home so buying the boat will have to wait till the time is right
BTW haiqu, are you a Kiwi or an Ozzie

Cheers haiqu

Bill
Australia

[BillAU]

Originally Posted by haiqu

I've seen a very nice old NZ-built 55' ferro in Australia, and now own a house in Wairoa (Hawkes Bay). Wondering if it would be possible to sail her over to NZ on a kiwi flag and keep her there indefinitely? I certainly can't see why not, as long as there's proof of her being a NZ built ship.

Hey haiqu, I reckon you're talking about this old girl, not the $55,000 boat I point to in my earlier post. I've had my eye on that one too but I can do nothing about it as I can not get away At $19,995 ONO she "may" be a good buy...For someone.
Is that oil or water in the bilge It's almost covers everything, including the engine, if it's not pumped soon we may be looking at a floating reef waiting to go under

Cheers mate,

Bill
Australia

[haiqu]

Originally Posted by BillAU

I see no reason for the above not to work for you, so when are you leaving

Can't handle the competition, huh?

Actually I'm sailing to Christchurch with a mate in his 40'er about two weeks.

Could this be the boat you're referring to? If so, she's a 60'er and nice with it. If I could make a move, I would have bought that boat when she was first offered for sale a few months back

Naah, you got it on the second attempt though, that Sayer is a classic.

But you're a greedy bugger haiqu mate

At the prices they go for, I could become Aristotle Onassis at this rate. He said that boats are like rabbits, you can have one or many but never only two of them.

One boat, the right boat, will do me You know what they say mate, never run after a boat or a woman...There's always another one coming behind Not being single, free and easy, I still have responsibilities that keep me at home so buying the boat will have to wait till the time is right

I've always said that if a woman wants you, she'll stalk you.

Sorry to hear the situation is the same. Hang in there buddy.

BTW haiqu, are you a Kiwi or an Ozzie

Cheers haiqu

Bill
Australia

Oi! Oi! Oi!

Hey, did you sell the Careel yet?

Rob

[BillAU]

Yes Rob mate, the Careel went shortly after I listed it. A young bloke from Sydney flew down, checked the boat, paid me a 25% deposit, then drove down the following weekend, paid me the rest of the money and picked-up the Careel. He was pretty happy with everything in general, what with the new outboard, new tinned wiring, new LED's throughout, new batteries and what-not, he and I both know he got a good deal...He want's to teach his little girl and his wife to sail, I know they'll get a lot of fun out of KittyHawk and I'm glad she went to a good home.

Bill

[Boatguy30]

For arguments sake, why are you so keen to cruise in NZ instead of OZ. It's quite nice in the summer to do a bit of holiday sailing in NZ but not really ideal most of the year unless you have a trawler or boat setup to be comfortable in higher latitudes.

[BillAU]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

For arguments sake, why are you so keen to cruise in NZ instead of OZ. It's quite nice in the summer to do a bit of holiday sailing in NZ but not really ideal most of the year unless you have a trawler or boat setup to be comfortable in higher latitudes.

It's not so much the cruising in NZ, it's more the living in NZ, the sea fishing, Trout fishing and the hunting that appeals to me. Then there's the living aboard thing. It seems to me NZ is more tolerant to live aboard persons than our Ozzie powers-that-be. And you must admit, we boat lovers do enjoy the quiet lifestyle that living aboard provides. And I believe my Ozzie pension would stretch further in NZ than it does in AU.
I have noticed that most boats listed for sale in NZ have been set-up for year-round use (live aboard) whereas most boats on offer here in AU are set-up for cruising the tropics. Plus, if I buy a boat in NZ and keep it there, I would not have to pay AU duty and GST (tax) So NZ sound like a good place for me to buy and keep a boat but you never know, I may fall in love with a boat here in AU...Should that happen, then I'll need to update my plans...Like heading off to SE Asia to live on my boat.

Bill
Australia

[haiqu]

Cut it out Bill, we all know it's the attraction of all those sheep.

But yes, their attitude is a lot more relaxed, and I couldn't buy an onsite caravan in Oz for what I paid for that old house on 1/3 acre.