Boat registration question for buyer abroad help please?

E

elioti

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 Dec 2010
Messages
264
Visit site
Hi, am looking to sell my shetland (18ft) cruiser to a chap in belgium . i`m in the u.k. He said in order to register it in belgium, he must have a letter or email from the MCA showing that it is not registered in the u.k. Who do i contact please? Many thanks
 
elioti said:
Hi, am looking to sell my shetland (18ft) cruiser to a chap in belgium . i`m in the u.k. He said in order to register it in belgium, he must have a letter or email from the MCA showing that it is not registered in the u.k. Who do i contact please? Many thanks
Click to expand...

Presumably the MCA.:rolleyes:
 
Thanks for the help appreciated :) I did mean to put what department, or can anyone give a tel number cheers
 
You may ask more - for me in Poland it was that boat not registered at all I had to just say it (state in papers myself); anyway it was shown on bill of sale.
In case of boat previously registered in UK a note confirming she has been taken off the register was necessary to register here. I also heard that some years back it took a bit of explaining for getting such confirmation from UK, as SSR is not considered legally a "Ship Register" really so they were not used to issue such papers. But in Poland it is a "Ship Register" - ovnership title, flag certificate and ship certificate legal, so must be "de-registered" in other country first.
 
Last edited:
Unless the boat was "going foreign" no registration is req in the UK

Rossynant said:
You may ask more - for me in Poland it was that boat not registered at all I had to just say it (state in papers myself); anyway it was shown on bill of sale.
In case of boat previously registered in UK a note confirming she has been taken off the register was necessary to register here.
Click to expand...
 
Yes, exactly. So in here and in Germany, Sweden - therefore I imagine in buyers home country they would also accept the fact there was no registration for a boat at all. This would solve the issue. Seller may state this himself on bill and that could be enough for showing :)
 
sailorman said:
Unless the boat was "going foreign" no registration is req in the UK
Click to expand...
thanks for the replies, no but need to prove there is no registration in the u.k., if i cant do this they chap cant register it. seems a little crazy! Will the mca do this i wonder?
 
elioti said:
thanks for the replies, no but need to prove there is no registration in the u.k., if i cant do this they chap cant register it. seems a little crazy! Will the mca do this i wonder?
Click to expand...

You are trying to prove a negative, doubt it can be done. Boat could be registered under another name.
 
It can be done. Pay 25 quid and register it on the SSR. Then cancel it and you get a nice piece of paper saying the boat has been removed from the register.

I used the online SSR to register a boat before picking it up, then discovered it was totalled so pulled out of the purchase and cancelled the SSR. Got a nice letter by return of post saying it had been removed from the register - total cost 25 quid. Then bought another boat and registered it part 1.
 
interesting point, could easily change the name, the clarification of one name not being on the register does not mean much i guess!
 
Baggywrinkle said:
It can be done. Pay 25 quid and register it on the SSR. Then cancel it and you get a nice piece of paper saying the boat has been removed from the register.

I used the online SSR to register a boat before picking it up, then discovered it was totalled so pulled out of the purchase and cancelled the SSR. Got a nice letter by return of post saying it had been removed from the register - total cost 25 quid. Then bought another boat and registered it part 1.
Click to expand...

Yes good idea, so it can be done, but would take 20 days ( says on website) to apply, then more time to cancel, would take me ages to get the paperwork, but is perfectly possible i guess. Easier to sell in the u.k!
 
Easier to tell the buyer to make sure. I can't believe it's such a problem. Can't say for now, but few years ago Belgium had registration mandatory only for boats over 15 meter length - so he could buy unregistered boat there as well... :confused:

He has to show purchase documents there I guess, to prove boat's details, so those should be made as needed ('bill of sale' as in UK is an unusual kind, legally).
Perhaps he may obtain some info home as to what can be written into sale documents. These are then legal proof of the situation.

Then again UK office may also give a written answer that boat is not registered with them - or at least that they know nothing about such boat.
 
Last edited:
elioti said:
Yes good idea, so it can be done, but would take 20 days ( says on website) to apply, then more time to cancel, would take me ages to get the paperwork, but is perfectly possible i guess. Easier to sell in the u.k!
Click to expand...

My experience with the online application was that it went extremely fast, well within the 20 days quoted. The cancellation was by letter and again was pretty much by return post.
 
Baggywrinkle said:
My experience with the online application was that it went extremely fast, well within the 20 days quoted. The cancellation was by letter and again was pretty much by return post.
Click to expand...

Yep mine came through pretty quick too.

I think it's the best way to go, it satisfies everybody and adds another £25 to the country's waning coffers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top