Licensing a vessel versus registering it

[FlyingArrow]

I read this thread with interest but it doesn't address my issue. Maybe one of you can help. I am registering the boat in Canada. That is decided.

I'm a Canadian buying a boat in the EU that is currently registered in the Netherlands. Upon closing of the transaction it could take 2 to 4 weeks to get a certificate of de-registration from the Dutch Registry. Canadian Registry will take up to 8 weeks I'm told. The intent is to buy the boat in October and sail to Canaries then crossing to Caribbean. We want to close in Portugal and sail to Canaries then leave the boat there for a month. Clearly the issue is that I will have title to the boat and a bill of sale signed by a Notary but I will not have the de-registration certificate and won't have the Canadian registration. If I sail to Canaries I am an unregistered vessel in a unique situation. Will I be able to enter Canaries? Can I fly the Canadian flag? I may have the Canadian registration prior to crossing from the Canaries but maybe not.

The other option is I have the seller sail to Canaries and we close the transaction there and leave the boat in port until all registrations are done. That could leave me in a pickle if trying to cross before Xmas.

Any thoughts that might help? I can't be the first one to have dealt with needing to sail during this multi week window prior to registrations being dealt with.

Thanks

[Pete O Static]

I have registered two vessels with the Canadian Registry. Neither one of them has ever entered Canadian waters, so taxes have never become due. The first one was a situation like yours, whereby we were on the move at the time of sale. For that I hired a registry broker who provided me with paperwork detailing that a registry was in process.

The second time, I did it myself by getting a state registry with the state of Delaware which is good for one year. I then immediately started the Canadian process. When the paperwork came through, we swapped flags and let Delaware expire by the way side. The Delaware route is a bit of a grey area because it is issued by the state fishery department and does not prove title, so I backed it up with the Bill of Sale. We were cruising the Caribbean at the time and I had zero issues clearing customs from any of the islands within the Eastern Caribbean using the Delaware paperwork.

The Broker I used was Jan Painter from All Yacht Registries. She was very helpful and will discuss options over the phone before hiring. Her website is helpful too.

All Yacht Registries, boat registration, vessel register USA

Another resource for you might be The Moorings Brokerage. I know that when they sell boats out of their fleet, new owners often immediately sail to their home destination and are provided with "running packs" to get them on their way. One such example was a purchase out of the BVI with an immediate delivery to Australia. I have never seen such a "running pack" but they deal with this sort of situation routinely.

[FlyingArrow]

Originally Posted by Pete O Static

I have registered two vessels with the Canadian Registry. Neither one of them has ever entered Canadian waters, so taxes have never become due. The first one was a situation like yours, whereby we were on the move at the time of sale. For that I hired a registry broker who provided me with paperwork detailing that a registry was in process.

The second time, I did it myself by getting a state registry with the state of Delaware which is good for one year. I then immediately started the Canadian process. When the paperwork came through, we swapped flags and let Delaware expire by the way side. The Delaware route is a bit of a grey area because it is issued by the state fishery department and does not prove title, so I backed it up with the Bill of Sale. We were cruising the Caribbean at the time and I had zero issues clearing customs from any of the islands within the Eastern Caribbean using the Delaware paperwork.

The Broker I used was Jan Painter from All Yacht Registries. She was very helpful and will discuss options over the phone before hiring. Her website is helpful too.

All Yacht Registries, boat registration, vessel register USA

Another resource for you might be The Moorings Brokerage. I know that when they sell boats out of their fleet, new owners often immediately sail to their home destination and are provided with "running packs" to get them on their way. One such example was a purchase out of the BVI with an immediate delivery to Australia. I have never seen such a "running pack" but they deal with this sort of situation routinely.

Excellent. I will contact Jan. We are looking at closing the deal in the Canaries at the dock. I believe I can get a provisional Canadian Registration within a couple of weeks so that might be the approach I try. Jan may also be familiar with this. I will report back for the next person dealing with this.

Thanks for the help!