Best Place to Get a Sailing Yacht Registered ?

[Palarran]

Hello, I'm not sure what your point is with the first part of your post? Registering your boat in a foreign country is perfectly legit. The only complication for an American bringing the boat back to the US is the checking out for two weeks and the cruising permit.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

... Why screw around for such petty gains, when you can just start a billion dollar Ponzi scheme and pay for your boat registration the old fashioned way, in stolen cash?

Indeed!

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

... I would expect the same difference in status applies in the EU member states...

You would expect wrong.

A Pole in the EU is like a Californian in the US. A citizen. Off course, their rights in particular states may be limited. The point is, most of the time, they are not.

E.g. are Californians refused boat registration in Florida on the basis of being non-residents?

If so, then I understand your reasoning.

barnie

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Healer52

... I suppose you might have some corporate structure where the officers are minority or non-stock holders but would that fly?...

It seems to be flying in Deleware ...

b.

[shipofools]

Originally Posted by Ram

-I’m a little rusty on it, I did the paperwork 4.5 years ago- my boat is corporate owned, I have 2 other officers involved , one is French and while I’m the managing partner I don’t remember having to state any percent of ownership, as no stocks have been issued- but would have to look up the paper work to be sure- seems if they wanted to its very easy to get around it all – I’m able to resign and appoint anyone

LLC or Corporation? I believe LLC can have foreign ownership, but c and s corps can't.

Cheers,

[hellosailor]

"E.g. are Californians refused boat registration in Florida on the basis of being non-residents?"
But a Florida vessel registration will not get a boat flagged with a national flag or documentation status. The analogy doesn't quite fit.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"E.g. are Californians refused boat registration in Florida on the basis of being non-residents?"
But a Florida vessel registration will not get a boat flagged with a national flag or documentation status. The analogy doesn't quite fit.

But a Belgium registered boat can sail with her German, French or Polish owner to anywhere.

The analogy might have been flawed, yet case study proves I am right.

barnie

[bewitched]

Getting back to the OP question:

You could register it in the Philippines, but It's not going to save you the bureaucracy and taxes if you want to keep it in Ireland.

If you can't register it in the Philippines because of citizenship / residency issues (I don't know what the case is in the Philippines), you could register it next door in Malaysia which does not require citizenship or residency to register a boat.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

But a Belgium registered boat can sail with her German, French or Polish owner to anywhere.

The analogy might have been flawed, yet case study proves I am right.

barnie

UK ships register part 3 (small ships) in UK requires you to be a UK resident to register a boat.

"For the purpose of registering a small ship it means an owner lives in the UK for periods which add up to 185 days or more in a 12 month period. If you are a resident in the UK for tax purposes, you will generally be regarded as a resident."

Though in the real world it means having an address in UK to send the piece of paper.

[hellosailor]

But what are yo saying, barnie?
That any EU citizen can have a vessel flagged in Belgium? Or that any EU citizen can flag a vessel in any EU country, irregardless of which is their native one? By "registration" you do mean flagging, titling and documentation?

Got any URLs to clarify that?

[mtnsapo]

You guys are making my head spin! hopefully an easy question... If I have my boat registered with the California DMV and the documentation to prove it, will I have probalems goign to most palces (mexico, bora bora, thailand, etc?

Or do I need to get registered with the coast guard?

Brian

[hellosailor]

Brian, a US citizen does not "register" a boat with the USCG. You apply for vessel Documentation.

That establishes title and ownership to international standards. Here in the US "Registration" is what you do for a motor vehicle in a state.

So while Mexico is familiar with US state motor vehicle registrations, Bora Bora and Thailand will probably say "Hello, please turn around and leave now" because a state registered boat has no national papers.

Of course with enough currency tucked into a palm, state registration just might work anywhere in the world.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

But what are yo saying, barnie?
That any EU citizen can have a vessel flagged in Belgium? Or that any EU citizen can flag a vessel in any EU country, irregardless of which is their native one? By "registration" you do mean flagging, titling and documentation?

Got any URLs to clarify that?

OK I give up: THE BEST PLACE TO REGISTER YOUR BOAT IS OFF COURSE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, so help me god ;-)))

I do not need any URLs - I have at least 7 boats here with Belgium flags and the owners are:
- a French,
- a Polish,
- a Belgian (surprise!),
- a German,
- the rest I do not know - might be Belgian or other EU nationals.

And I have my own boat registered in a EU country where I am not a citizen, a resident, nor do I hold a fake company.

So, as I have said - some EU countries require residency (UK - SSR registering, example by another poster above), others do not.

And if you want to keep on trying to say I am an idiot and do not know what I am saying then PLS let me know the URLs where they say so.

;-)))
barnie

[hellosailor]

"And if you want to keep on trying to say I am an idiot and do not know what I am saying"
I have never called you an idiot, much less inferred or suggested that. Am I am sure that you know what you are saying, I just have no idea of precisely what you mean by it. Informal English can be a terribly vague and imprecise tool at times, and when it comes to titles, flags, registry and citizenship, it is common that words carry some ambiguity.

"As a private individual, you have the right to register your yacht in Ireland, if you are a citizen of Ireland or a national of a Member State of the European Union. " From a web site that peddles registrations, but makes no mention of other EU member states. And also says that anyone can register a vessel in Panama, regardless of citizenship, for the right fee.

OTOH, although the UK is an EU member, yacht registry in Gibraltar extends beyond EU members to EEA members"
A pleasure yacht is entitled to be registered on the Register of Ships if the majority interest (ie, 33

shares) is owned by persons qualified to be owners of a pleasure yacht registered in Gibraltar:
A. British citizens
B. Nationals of an EEA State(*)
C. British Dependent Territories citizens;
D. British overseas citizens;
E. Persons who under the British Nationality Act 1981 are British subjects;
F. Persons who under the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 are British Nationals (Overseas);

G. Citizens of the Republic of Ireland and such other such country as may be prescribed;"

The EU may be a more level playing field than what it replaced, but some of us still find it is not wquite level nor predictable in all of its aspects. Like VAT and visa variations.

[barnakiel]

Fine, so we can add Gibraltar to the list for EU nationals. There are many boats with Malta flag (but I am not aware if they are owned by individuals or corporations) too.

Panama can be a choice for a US citizen that cannot or does not want a US flag.

Panama flag for a EU based boat is not the best choice as the boat has to be sailed out and in to avoid being taxed here.

Vanuatu was popular some time ago but I believe the scheme has collapsed.

BTW Wondering how e.g. West Indies authorities react when they see a US flagged (but Deleware registered) boat with a EU owner. I imagine if they are smart, they just charge the fees and let it be. But once in a beurocratic place (e.g. Brazil) the happy owner might be less self assured.

barnie