Boat Registration

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How big is your boat?

That reference seems only to be on the Blue Ensign web site and not on the Cook Island web site or the Cook Island act of 2007.

I have E-Mailed Blue Ensign to request confirmation and references.

I suspect that it Blue Ensigns way to limiting their enquiries to superyachts and not plebs like me

Reply from Blue Ensign

"Dear Mr Shaw,



Thank you for your enquiry just received.

The 20 metre minimum size is really only for cost effectiveness.

Under this size it is usually more cost effective to get a local flag, if available, and if it is for a private pleasure yacht.

We have vessels under 20 metres of course, so can give you a costing when you are ready for the change.



Best regards,



Jonathan Leach







Blue Ensign Ltd

The Maritime Registry, 49, High Street, Fareham, PO16 7BQ, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)1329221894 - Fax: +44 (0)1329289940 - E-Mail: marinesurveyor@btinternet.com



"
 
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Bob Goodchild in Grenada is an MCA tonnage surveyor - http://www.flyingfishventures.com/

You could perhaps try St Vincent - http://www.stvincentoffshore.net/our-services/yacht-registrations/ - but the reputation of their flag is terrible (they will apparently register pretty much anything, regardless of what condition it is in), and it still looks rather complicated (and expensive).

Or you could even try Barbados - http://www.barbadosmaritime.com/registration/yacht/
No hard and fast rules here though for 'small' yachts (ie smaller than the small yachts under 24 m referred to in the link above) - you generally have to go and have a chat with the Chief Shipping Superintendent (Mr Walter Best) here at the Ministry of International Transport, and see what he says.
If you want to send them a general inquiry, the email address of the department is ctech@sunbeach.net
But it could be do-able, and the annual renewal fees are very reasonable.
 
This morning there was a polite email from Her Majesty's representative at the MCA asking for proof of my residence in the UK,

Out of interest, how did they know?

There must be a load of cruisers out there on ssr who are technically non resident. I was for a while , there wasn't an option to renew online but phoned them up and said I was away, was able to renew over the phone.
 
If you want the red ensign and are not a uk resident.......register in the Isle of Man .all those red ensigns you see have Douglas, iom as their home port.

The IoM is part of GB, not part of UK, is part of EU, is in VAT area, does not need residency........confused?
 
If you want the red ensign and are not a uk resident.......register in the Isle of Man .all those red ensigns you see have Douglas, iom as their home port.

The IoM is part of GB, not part of UK, is part of EU, is in VAT area, does not need residency........confused?

Those big beggars flying the defaced red duster will be on the IoM equivalent of Part 1. Part 3 equiv is for residents only (and mandatory for IoM leisure boats, unlike SSR in UK). Manx Pt1 requires a survey, much like UK equivalent.

While we're at it, IoM is not part of EU ('cept the obscure 'Protocol 3' which gives a loose relationship with the EU). It's part of EU for VAT, on the basis that it's been a common VAT area with UK since inception of that daft tax. But, bizarrely, although EU residents have a right of residence on IoM, Manx nationals don't have one in EU (except UK).

IoM is not part of 'GB' in the political sense.
 
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Those big beggars flying the defaced red duster will be on the IoM equivalent of Part 1. Part 3 equiv is for residents only (and mandatory for IoM leisure boats, unlike SSR in UK). Manx Pt1 requires a survey, much like UK equivalent.

While we're at it, IoM is not part of EU ('cept the obscure 'Protocol 3' which gives a loose relationship with the EU). It's part of EU for VAT, on the basis that it's been a common VAT area with UK since inception of that daft tax. But, bizarrely, although EU residents have a right of residence on IoM, Manx nationals don't have one in EU (except UK).

IoM is not part of 'GB' in the political sense.


besides, they fly that weird three leg symbol imposed by some Lady from Sicily



at least that is what I was told by a Manx friend :)
 
If you want the red ensign and are not a uk resident.......register in the Isle of Man .all those red ensigns you see have Douglas, iom as their home port.
The IoM is part of GB, not part of UK, is part of EU, is in VAT area, does not need residency........confused?

I looked into this years ago and immediately rejected it on cost grounds as totally unsuitable. Like many of the open registers they are looking for mega-yachts, not my sort of 10m one.

Just checked again:
Isle of Man fees
• Annual registry fee which is not tonnage-based
• Set at £1000 (approx $1,600) per year​

They have only 130 <24m yachts on the registry - easy to see why.
 
How about Sweden? From what I was able to dig up on the internet, they have no boat registration for small yachts and apparently quite a few non-residents managed to figure out how to fly the Swedih flag (legally that is).

Anyone with the knowledge cares to comment on the cost/paperwork involved?
 
Banacle: a big jump from the Manx 'SSR' equivalent, which costs around £40 but requires proof of residence, so no help to the OP.
They are all similar, the quasi-independent GB territories, the Channel Islands also. Easy to register through agents on their Part I (at exorbitant cost) but, like the UK, residence is necessary for Part III.
 
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