Boat shipping to UK

ninjod

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When I had my trimaran shipped from South Africa back to the UK I used a SA company called pronto for everything down their and for the booking of the container slot. I then used Peters and May to handle all the import and logistics at this end. Peters and May will do the whole thing if required
 

michael_w

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Googling brings up Seven Star who have a ship leaving Newport RI for Southampton and Helsinki in June.
 

Saguday

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We shipped our boat from the US East Coast (Maryland, Chesapeake Bay) to the UK (Southampton) about 10 years ago. She went mast-down as under-deck cargo from Baltimore. Peter’s and May handled all the import and clearance side and were excellent. Our boatyard friends in Rock Hall sorted out packing and loading her onto the truck to Baltimore. Can’t remember which shipping line we used, can dig into the files and find out if you’d like more info. VAT and duty is an interesting area, although this was all well before br*x*t so not sure how it plays out now.
 

pvb

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Looking for recommendation for a shipper to transport a 34” sailboat from East coast to UK. On a budget.

Are you planning to have the boat in the UK for a short period, or longer? Apart from the shipping cost, and VAT/duty, you may need to get the boat certified (the CE mark is being replaced in the UK by the UKCA mark). This certification process is fairly expensive, and if the engine is more than 10 years old you'll probably have to replace the engine. It's all very complicated, so be sure to check what's needed before you commit yourself.
 

Saguday

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Nothing to do with Brexit as coming from outside the EU anyway. Duty and VAT will be applied if the boat is classed as an import. If it is returned goods, and qualifies for RGR, then no vat or duty will be due.
Ours was not returned goods but was VAT and duty exempt. It depends whether you were resident outside the EU (at the time) and bought and owned the vessel there long enough to meet the ‘personal possessions’ criteria of HMRC. If so then it can be brought to the UK and ‘deemed VAT paid’. HMRC were very helpful in these matters I have to say. The OP didn’t say quite what his circumstances were so difficult to comment on what he should expect.
 

Saguday

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Are you planning to have the boat in the UK for a short period, or longer? Apart from the shipping cost, and VAT/duty, you may need to get the boat certified (the CE mark is being replaced in the UK by the UKCA mark). This certification process is fairly expensive, and if the engine is more than 10 years old you'll probably have to replace the engine. It's all very complicated, so be sure to check what's needed before you commit yourself.
Our boat is 16 years old and we had to do none of this when we brought it over from the US. The trick was to buy one from a US manufacturer who had bothered to get all their boats CE certified in the first place. Alternatively, some people just bring a boat over and live with it as CAT D and not worry about it - for private non-commercial use its unlikely to be much of a problem except for resale and it can join the tens of thousands of other non-CE boats that seem to live quite happily in UK waters.
 

Saguday

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Looking for recommendation for a shipper to transport a 34” sailboat from East coast to UK. On a budget.
Our 38 footer cost us around £10k all in to ship 10 years ago - doubt you’d get much change from that for a 34’ these days although a 34” sailboat should be considerably cheaper... ;) . Shipping costs are charged by volume not length though so “it depends”. IIRC we did also have Peters & May arrange the shipping from Baltimore to Southampton as well as the clearance, we then sorted transport from there to Tollesbury (by road, because it was easier while she was still all shrink wrapped)
 
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