Importing a Boat to Australia

[Factor]

I think that people are factoring the cost of sailing to Aus for two reasons, one because they are trying to compare the overall price to buying a boat here and two - duty and GST is inclusive of at least part of the delivery cost.

[Jamel]

Originally Posted by Factor

I think that people are factoring the cost of sailing to Aus for two reasons, one because they are trying to compare the overall price to buying a boat here and two - duty and GST is inclusive of at least part of the delivery cost.

My understanding is that you are quite correct! Australian Customs will charge GST + any duty on the so called delivery to Australia. I believe if you do it sensibly and keep all receipts they will accept that total. If you try to argue it only cost you $250 to get the boat here they can legally apply commercial delivery rates for captain & crew to the tune of $30,000 so you could end up paying GST+5% ( if the boats built anywhere but USA) on the commercial delivery figure of $30000 = $3000 or $4500 duty payable!
So once again, the word is play it straight, be willing to do your homework! It's cost of boat + delivery costs to import to Australia!

[Surfer Girl]

I wasn't meaning the GST & Duty, I meant the actual cost of sailing the boat across the Pacific to get to Oz, for example. And for sure, if the yacht you bought in San Diego was only 10 - 15% cheaper than Oz, it ain't worth it. But if the boat is a third or more cheaper (in my case half price), then it is certainly worth it.

[dennisail]

The only people that are including the cost of the whole trip, food for 2 years etc are the naysayers. Any rational person contemplating this trip realizes that they still have to eat if they do the trip or not, and cans of food are a lot cheaper than going out all the time at home.

Yes, when the cost of importation is calculated, they apply GST to the delivery. However the delivery cost is calculated from the last international port of call. IE New Cal or NZ. All the people I have heard talk about this who have actually done it have confirmed this. Cost of food and fuel = $1000 is reasonable from NZ or new Cal, 10% = $100. Its so small you can ignore it. Please if you have been charged differently let me know. I have not heard of people delivering their own boat being charged differently to this in any of the relevant threads on CF.

Seems to be another scare tactic by the naysayers.

[Surfer Girl]

Spot on...

[Jamel]

Originally Posted by Surfer Girl

I wasn't meaning the GST & Duty, I meant the actual cost of sailing the boat across the Pacific to get to Oz, for example. And for sure, if the yacht you bought in San Diego was only 10 - 15% cheaper than Oz, it ain't worth it. But if the boat is a third or more cheaper (in my case half price), then it is certainly worth it.

I take your point about not factoring in the "fun part" of cruising back across the Pacific. However, it's something you have to allow for in the whole exercise of buying overseas.

In my case I've just bought in CA for $165,000 ( worth over here about $230,000), after all the costs of airfares, survey, haulout, acommodation, repairs, antifouling, bit of nav equip to go onboard, liferaft to buy, sailing cost to get back, GST,gas compliance,quarantine compliance, Aust Reg....
...I will need to have available approx $210,000 to shell out.

It's not just buying a boat for half price and thats it! it's approximately price of the boat + 50% that you need to have to cover yourself!

[Aussie_Sequoia]

Originally Posted by Jamel

It's not just buying a boat for half price and thats it! it's approximately price of the boat + 50% that you need to have to cover yourself!

INCLUDING an amazing 9-12 month adventure!

PS: which one of you other Aussies bought that 39' Bene sitting in Richmond Marina. Awesome deal! It's all I've heard about walking along the docks "Oh... you're from Australia? A couple of Aussies just bought that boat right there for a steal!"

[dennisail]

In my case I've just bought in CA for $165,000 ( worth over here about $230,000), after all the costs of airfares, survey, haulout, acommodation, repairs, antifouling, bit of nav equip to go onboard, liferaft to buy, sailing cost to get back, GST,gas compliance,quarantine compliance, Aust Reg....
...I will need to have available approx $210,000 to shell out.

In that case if you sell it you have lost out big time once you pay the brokerage fees and get the price negotiated down. Well if you don't include the actual trip as having value.

[Dragon Lady]

Yeah OK SG, I take your point, however this post is about importing a boat to Aust. So the cost of transporting the boat to Aust is part of the importation cost.
What you are postulating, is the joy of sailing around the world in a bargain priced boat bought overseas and then bringing it back to Aust when you have finished your trip as a nice souvenir.
It's a great plan, but it's not quite the same thing.

[Aussie_Sequoia]

Originally Posted by dennisail

In that case if you sell it you have lost out once you pay the brokerage fees.

Show me someone who didn't loose money when they sold their boat

[Surfer Girl]

Originally Posted by Jamel

I take your point about not factoring in the "fun part" of cruising back across the Pacific. However, it's something you have to allow for in the whole exercise of buying overseas.

In my case I've just bought in CA for $165,000 ( worth over here about $230,000), after all the costs of airfares, survey, haulout, acommodation, repairs, antifouling, bit of nav equip to go onboard, liferaft to buy, sailing cost to get back, GST,gas compliance,quarantine compliance, Aust Reg....
...I will need to have available approx $210,000 to shell out.

It's not just buying a boat for half price and thats it! it's approximately price of the boat + 50% that you need to have to cover yourself!

Jamel, I hear what your saying but I still don't see why your including the highlighted in blue items as a cost of buying overseas? Those things would need doing if you bought a boat in Australia, too.

[dennisail]

Originally Posted by Aussie_Sequoia

Show me someone who didn't loose money when they sold their boat

OK



Made 5 or 10K on this.

[dennisail]

Originally Posted by Surfer Girl

Jamel, I hear what your saying but I still don't see why your including the highlighted in blue items as a cost of buying overseas? Those things would need doing if you bought a boat in Australia, too.

My thoughts exactly. What are people doing with their boat when they get it back here? Are they actually going to use it? Will they include the cost of food as price of ownership each time they use it? They haven't paid 10K in marina fees during their year sail back here. But they will have paid that if they purchased the boat here. Has this been subtracted from the cost of sailing back VS buying here? The lack of marina fees will come close to cancelling out the GST!

[Jamel]

People seem to be approaching this from all sorts of wierd angles. yes, I agree if I bought here I'd also probably buy extra ....x ...& x etc! My point is... I need in my bank account the amount to cover the whole exercise of buying the boat, sail back, GST etc, etc! If I don't cover GST or run out of money on the way back what then!

Finally, I have bought the boat I want, at a good price, I want to sail the Pacific again, when I get back in October 2012 I intend to live and cruise on the boat not sell it! With Australian Registration I can cruise again overseas if I wish or just cruise locally as I chose. It's not about buy to sell at a supposed profit,it's about buying the boat I want, in good nick and well equipped, period! Boats are an investment in pleasure, lifestyle.... joy! Not usually to make a profit!

[dennisail]

All true mate. It all depends on the way you look at it in your own way. If you are running close the limit financially every cent will count as you WILL need that money no matter what.

I guess the difference is, some people will include all those little things as a cost going towards ownership. Others calculating the price difference between buying locally or internationally will know they need to spend all that money, and they will know they need the money available, but they will not include most of it in a cost comparison when importing since it will need to be spent either way. For those people, adding the cost of food and general maintenance is a weird angle.

Here is my take.

Lets just say there will be an ultimate price. (the amount of money you need available, which accounts for every dollar spent, food the lot).

Then there will be a comparison price. (The price of the boat you imported vs the one you could purchase here, not including money you need to spend either way).

IMO if the comparison price is lower for the imported one, you will be financially better off to buy it overseas. But the ultimate price still needs to be known so you have the money available or you will go broke.