Red Tape and offshore cruising NZ

[mos]

Hi
Re solo sailor......I'm selling my 40ft Alan Wright offshore yacht that is set up for solo sailing and the bigger the better - the more predictable etc so don't think you need to go smaller to sail solo. I knew zero about sailing when I bought her and managed very happily, even sailing onto anchor a couple of times (in lovely conditions and a quiet anchorage). I recommend the 40ft for solo!!

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by swanman

just came across this. Can it be that easy??



https://www.dutchyachtregistration.com/#



Buy a yacht deregister it and then register in Holland/Belgium? Wonder if I would have to pay duty/gst if I kept the yacht in NZ ?

Is the yacht already imported into NZ? If yes, then no more duty/GST to pay. If no, it depends on the owner’s NZ residence status.

If the owner is a resident of NZ, then NZ Customs will require the yacht to be imported. Country of registration doesn’t matter. But the yacht won’t be subject to Cat 1 when leaving for the islands.

But if the owner is not a resident of NZ, then the yacht can be temporarily imported for up to 2 years. The yacht will have a TIE (temporary import exemption) that qualifies for buying goods and services for the yacht ex-GST. At the end of 2 years the yacht will have to leave NZ. It can come back for a new TIE and another 2 years, though it’s been suggested that a week to Fiji, a week in Fiji, then a return to NZ after a total of 3 weeks away probably will raise a red flag with Customs and they won’t grant a TIE and will require the yacht to be imported. YMMV

Regarding the Dutch or Belgian registration, you have read the fine print, right? Confirm all the costs and regulations before you pay any money to an agent. It’s not the initial registration that may be expensive, but the ongoing costs that will add up. That said, Belgian registration looks like it is for worldwide, but it’s not clear whether you need a residential address or corporate address somewhere in the EU to qualify. Certainly I would expect a UK LLC to not qualify once Brexit takes effect.

[jevvv]

We had a 32' NZ timber built yacht - got Cat 1 just fine. The LOA thing is NOT valid.

Regarding foreign registration: yes you can register overseas but be aware that if you keep the vessel in NZ for over a certain length of time then you WILL be charged taxes and GST on "importing" a foreign vessel.

Once you have Cat 1 and sail offshore with your yacht you will realise that the requirements aren't actually so onerous - they are for the safety of you and your vessel

[Marinheiro]

Just for a point of clarity the safety rules used for NZ Cat 1 are those set by World Sailing for racing yachts world wide
Offshore Special Regs Index : Offshore Special Regs | Documents & Rules | ISAF | World Sailing | Official Website
with these also being applied to NZ registered cruising yachts.
The vast majority of inspectors are very reasonable, most have many offshore miles under their belts, and when they are voyaging they are also subject to inspection

[NevisDog]

One complaint I kept hearing was the length of time between liferaft inspections under NZ Cat 1 was less than what the liferaft manufacturer stipulates, while overseas registries allow you to follow the manufacturer's requirements - a BIG saving in some cases. Anyone know this to be true?

I hate to encourage this sort of bureaucratic interference - self-reliance and independent judgement is after all a major part of the cruising life - but I'm even more concerned about needless costs - not all cruisers have money to burn.

[Blake_NZ]

Hi everyone,
I am in the process of purchasing a boat in Malta which is currently under the UK SSR registration. Ideally I would like to keep the UK reg. I am a duel NZ/UK citizen, however I don't live in the UK or have a physical address there, which rules me out of the SSR registration. However, my partner is from the UK, so if I were to register the boat jointly in her name and mine, would that be accepted, or would the application be denied on the grounds that I don't reside in the UK? Any info would be much appreciated.
Thanks, Blake

[NevisDog]

Responding to BlakeNZ: when we looked into this last year, we found IoM registry to be very helpful with their advice - any Commonwealth citizen can register a vessel there (and similarly with Jersey, Guernsey, etc, etc) once it has been de-registered elsewhere. But in answer to your question, my understanding was that the person in whose name the vessel is registered (or one of them at least) must have a UK address but I think also should reside in the UK, at least for a certain number of days each year. Don't take my word on this - better you check with UK registry yourself, their rules should be readily available on-line.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by NevisDog

Responding to BlakeNZ: when we looked into this last year, we found IoM registry to be very helpful with their advice - any Commonwealth citizen can register a vessel there (and similarly with Jersey, Guernsey, etc, etc) once it has been de-registered elsewhere. But in answer to your question, my understanding was that the person in whose name the vessel is registered (or one of them at least) must have a UK address but I think also should reside in the UK, at least for a certain number of days each year. Don't take my word on this - better you check with UK registry yourself, their rules should be readily available on-line.

Partly correct. The offshore UK registrars such as Jersey allow you to use an official agent for your UK address. In our case this was a one-off 150 GBP cost.

For the OP, if you are a resident of NZ, regardless of your citizenship and the registration jurisdiction of your boat, and you are the owner or co-owner, you will need to import the boat into NZ. Not changing to NZ registration allows you to avoid Cat 1 inspections if you will be going offshore in the future.

[NevisDog]

Originally Posted by fxykty

...For the OP, if you are a resident of NZ, regardless of your citizenship and the registration jurisdiction of your boat, and you are the owner or co-owner, you will need to import the boat into NZ. ...

Thanks for correction - but are you sure on this point? For example if the boat is kept in Europe (or anywhere but NZ), surely no need to import into NZ???

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by NevisDog

Thanks for correction - but are you sure on this point? For example if the boat is kept in Europe (or anywhere but NZ), surely no need to import into NZ???

Importing required only when brought into NZ. Same as for most other jurisdictions related to their registration.