Trying to register a boat! wth?

BalticLady

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Hello,

First time boat owner.
I am 25, I've not got a lot of money and I don't really know where to start with this.
I'm trying to register my boat to hopefully be able to finally escape the UK. The Gov website is asking me for way more information than I have, saying that the following documents are the bare minimum:

CSR Form 2
Certificate of incorporation
Builders certificate
Certificate of survey for tonnage and measurement
International tonnage certificate (ITC69)
UK Radio Licence


I have the bill of sail, maybe a CSR Form, and the radio license... My boat was built in 1978 and all workshops have closed down, where do I even start to look for a builders certificate? I have a two surveys but the weight wasn't ever taken. The thing already costs £159 how much am I going to have to spend on this :(
Surely this process can't be this difficult?

What is your experience with this? It's a "part 1" boat registry, as I want to be away from the UK for longer than 6 months. Has anyone just gone for the "part 2" and tried their luck?
I have the declaration of location and VAT proof of payment- this is the next thing and I'm not going to lie to you, I didn't budget for a tonnage survey or the buying of 3 certificates to get another bit of paper.


*Possibly Solved*
If you're having the same issue, I've been told you're normally able to skip the documentation upload page on the Part 3 Registration application. There either having some technical difficulties or something is broken.
 
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Tranona

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Part 1 was never intended for small leisure boats, but ships and is a register of title. Very few yachts use it, particularly old ones because of the difficulty of meeting the documentary requirements, although you may be able to do it if you can show more than 5 years history of ownership with relevant Bills of Sale. Unlikely there was ever a Builders Certificate as many yacht builders did not issue these in those days - only became compulsory in 1997.

Strictly speaking there is no limitation on the time you can spend outside the UK with Part 3 although it has to be renewed every 5 years when you need to show you are resident in the UK.
 

BalticLady

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Hi. Generally speaking, and assuming that you don't wish to secure finance against the boat (marine mortgage, etc.), SSR/Part 3 registration is sufficient and fully accepted abroad.
Thank you! I will look into this now as an option, I had called the registry and RYA to see which part would be best- I wonder why this wasn't suggested as an option.
Unless I'm taking out a mortgage for a couple of peanuts I dont think it'd be worth it.

Thanks again
 

BalticLady

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*update*

I have just looked and Part 3 registration requires all of the same documents. I have attached a screen shot of the page, as it's also saying these documents are the bare minimum.

Gutted.
 

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RupertW

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*update*

I have just looked and Part 3 registration requires all of the same documents. I have attached a screen shot of the page, as it's also saying these documents are the bare minimum.

Gutted.
That really doesn’t look right - it should be far less onerous than Part 1 (until last year it was so easy that you could get an SSR for a boat you didn’t own just by knowing the stuff below (without HIN).

Their website says this:
Before you get started
Before you register your boat or yacht for leisure use, you’ll need to have the following information to hand.
  • Name of boat
  • Details of all owners, including email addresses
  • Official number if previously registered
  • Type of boat e.g. Motor Yacht
  • Make/Model of boat
  • Overall length (in metres)
  • Hull Identification Number (HIN) if appropriate
 

Vicarage

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I think you're getting dud info.
For work I manage various commercial vessels on part one and it's never been more complicated than filling in the Application Form, Declaration of Eligibility (basically confirming that you as the owner are british) and a Tonnage Survey (which is different to a normal survey and may cost c£200). Reg fee is then probably another £200 for five years.
Part three (Small Ships Registry) will cost £35 and when we registered our own boat on the SSR it was just a case of a simple online form and then they sent a number and certificate through in the post about a week later. Because SSR doesn't confer any title then there's no need for you to prove with copious paperwork that the boat exists or that you own it.
 

syvictoria

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*update*

I have just looked and Part 3 registration requires all of the same documents. I have attached a screen shot of the page, as it's also saying these documents are the bare minimum.

Gutted.

That certainly never used to be the case. The tonnage survey has always previously been a part 1 thing. When I registered my yacht on the SSR (albeit 10 years ago), I'm not sure that I had to prove anything!
 

syvictoria

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Blimey, to claim your own vessel on the 'new' UK Ship Register website (which I'm doing now out of mild curiosity, but presumably this will be required at next renewal), I'm being asked to upload, amongst other things, a bill of sale! I don't recall providing this when I originally registered!

There have been whisperings of changes on renewal, seemingly as of this year, elsewhere on these forum and it would seem that they are true! The website is completely different from the one I used to renew last year.
 

syvictoria

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Starting from here:

UK Ship Register

and after registering, logging in and confirming eligibility for SSR, the website states:

Before you start
You can also register by post or e-mail.
You must be one of the legal vessel owners.
You must be eligible to register a vessel.
All other owners must have already signed up to UKSR.
You will need:
  • the vessel name
This suggest no further requirements to register (although, as I mentioned above, I needed a Bill of Sale and ID to 'claim' a vessel). Sadly I can't go any further without starting to make things up!

Is this the website you're using @BalticLady?
 

sailaboutvic

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Yes guys it's all changed , I claim mind few weeks back and had to up load some documents, I'm did wonder where this was all going to lead, maybe prove of VAT in time to come .
I have to say once I did produce the documents three days later I was told I had claim my boat
 

sailaboutvic

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Starting from here:

UK Ship Register

and after registering, logging in and confirming eligibility for SSR, the website states:

Before you start
You can also register by post or e-mail.
You must be one of the legal vessel owners.
You must be eligible to register a vessel.
All other owners must have already signed up to UKSR.
You will need:
  • the vessel name
This suggest no further requirements to register (although, as I mentioned above, I needed a Bill of Sale and ID to 'claim' a vessel). Sadly I can't go any further without starting to make things up!

Is this the website you're using @BalticLady?
You basically got most of the documents.
Old SSR number and a copy
Bill of sale
Id in the form of driving licence, passport.
It maybe if you give them your passport they will want more prove that your a residency
 

BalticLady

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BalticLady

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Yes guys it's all changed , I claim mind few weeks back and had to up load some documents, I'm did wonder where this was all going to lead, maybe prove of VAT in time to come .
I have to say once I did produce the documents three days later I was told I had claim my boat

Did you upload a builders certificate, tonnage certificate? If I have to pay £200 I'm a little screwed for anything else this month.
 

BalticLady

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I think you're getting dud info.
For work I manage various commercial vessels on part one and it's never been more complicated than filling in the Application Form, Declaration of Eligibility (basically confirming that you as the owner are british) and a Tonnage Survey (which is different to a normal survey and may cost c£200). Reg fee is then probably another £200 for five years.
Part three (Small Ships Registry) will cost £35 and when we registered our own boat on the SSR it was just a case of a simple online form and then they sent a number and certificate through in the post about a week later. Because SSR doesn't confer any title then there's no need for you to prove with copious paperwork that the boat exists or that you own it.

I'm on the Gov website, if I find another form this evening I will post an update- What I am looking at currently is:

https://ukshipregister.service.mcga.gov.uk/new-registration/check-legal-owner

And going to the Part Three option.
 

syvictoria

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This would suggest that tonnage survey, etc. should still not be required for SSR:

Small Ships Register (Part 3)

Perhaps it's a problem with the website, rather than the system, and a call in the morning will rectify the situation. SSR should be your solution and should only cost you £35 for five years.
 
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