Sigma 36 - need help from Barcelona

[Elias Dos]

I'm new to this forum.
I'm based in Barcelona (Spain) and have a Furia 32J. We usually sail to the Balearic Islands and Corsica&Sardinia 3 weeks in the Summer.
This thread is to ask for help.
I'm helping a Dutch friend that wants to sell her Sigma 36 (wheel version) moored in l'Ampolla. We are stuck on paperwork. The boat have never flied the Spanish flag and in order to do it, the Spanish authorities require the official plans of the boat, otherwise they need a construction study by a naval engineer and that is quite expensive.
I've found in the Internet that Marine Projects of Plymouth is now a dormant company that seems to belong to Princess Yachts.
Does anyone have the Sigma 36 official plans?
Thank you in advance.

[John320]

Sorry. I can't help you. I'm down in Murcia and hoping to get to Sardinia this year, virus allowing.
I'm curious, why does your friend want to change flag?
Rgds
John

[Elias Dos]

Is not my friend who wants to change flag but the buyers. Dutch flag now is only allowed if you're a Dutch resident.
I'm also willing to go to South Sardinia this Summer but most likely we'll just go to Cabrera

[John320]

Ah. I didn't know that. The flag is getting a little more complicated every year. I see a number of people here are changing to the Belgian flag. It seems its easier.

[Elias Dos]

Belgian flag is like Dutch, you must be resident now. I have Belgian flag but will change back to Spanish before the end of the year.
Polish flag is the alternative but experts say it will be like Belgian and Ducth flags in a couple of years or less... You will be able to fly a Polish flag but will have to carry all the Spanish mandatory items (the hardest in the EU!) if you're Spanish resident, so no advantage of having a Polish flag.

[John320]

Ah. That's a new one. I did hear that Polish was an option. As you say it may be just as well to replace to Spanish. We shadow the Spanish requirements so it wouldn't be such a big problem to change. Just the expense.

[Icybird]

Hi i also live in spain, down in valencia and am trying to work out how best to flag a boat. My understanding was that as a spanish resident i had no choice but to flag a boat as Spanish but now i have seen so many adverts for polish registration etc. The issue with flagging a boat as spanish is the requirement to hold spanish sailing qualifications to sail it and the associated distances from shore you are allowed to sail with them. I do speak spanish but i would not know the extensive sailing/navigation vocabulary needed to pass them. Even if i could pass them they would not allow crossing to the islands without further amplification and in order to sail anywhere else like corsica/sardinia for example would require higher qualifications which in turn would be far more detailed spanish language. Meanwhile I already hold RYA RYA sailing qualifications and am capable. A spanish flag will also require the boat to be registered and licenced forvthe appropriate navigation zones to cross to the islands. But that is more a financial issue as you can just pay to bring the boat up to the necessary spec to pass. A polish flag woukd eliminate that problem. So would a UK flag actually but im not sure if that is possible either especially since they are not in the EU now. Do you have any ideas or thoughts on this since both you and your dutch friend will have these issues.

[Elias Dos]

Yes, the Spanish flag is the most strict and excessive in Europe. Polish flag is almost the only alternative right now but if you're Spanish resident you will be obliged to many of the Spanish requirements too. The advantage is that you don't have navigation areas and you don't need the ITB (Boat Technical Inspection) every 5 years.
We sold the Sigma 36 already and the new owner flies Polish flag. It was far too expensive to register under Spanish flag.

[Joh.Ghurt]

I see around here plenty of boats owned by spaniards with Dutch and Belgian flags. I've been told, those are less hassles to get than the Spanish flag, but I don't speak enough Spanish to know the details.

It's so common that I'm more surprised than anything else if the crew on a boat with a Dutch or Belgian flag speaks another language than Spanish.

Haven't seen many polish vessels yet.

[Elias Dos]

You're right, Dutch and Belgian flags were hassles but both The Netherlands and Belgium modified the law (forced by other EU governments) so now to fly their flags at least the 50% of the ownership of the boat must be a Dutch or Belgian resident.
I know a good agency in Barcelona, Gestoria Guiral, you can call Cristina (I believe she speaks some English and French). +34-933254161 https://guiral.es/asesoria-nautica/

[Icybird]

I have read recently spain is bow going to require all boats regardless of flag to pass the ITB if there is any significamt connection between the owner and Spain (national, resident, property owner, etc). Im not as concerned about that though as the navigation areas and more importantly the qualifications. I want to be able to sail to the islands and also across to the eastern med directly without issues. I also want to be able to do so with my existing RYA qualifications without needing to pass all the spanish ones. I am actually studying for the PER course at the moment as I think my spanish is good enough for it id i can learn the necessary vocabulary since i already know it allmin english. But id rather just be free to sail anywhere with my current qualifications.
My understanding is i can do that with a polish flag. I could get a UK one as a british citizen and register on the SSR1 but im not sure how that works here in spain post brexit with regards to keeping the boat here.

[Elias Dos]

I'm not an expert in this, my initial thread was only asking for Sigma 36 plans

I'd say that your RYA qualifications are valid and no need to get the PER, Patron de Yate or Capitan de Yate... And yes, if you're a Spanish resident you'll be required to pass the ITB every 5 years even though you fly a non Spanish flag.