Buying a boat+Red Ensign- registering a boat in Gibraltar or Bahamas-NEED ADVICE

A

Andy H.B.

New Member
Joined
18 May 2013
Messages
7
Visit site
First of all, HI EVERYBODY. I'm the new guy arround here ( you have seen a lot of us in time...i'm sure). I'm so new and so not english(my grammar will prove that very soon) and offcourse I have tones of questions. I'm reading this forum and some others for months now. I decided only few days ago to join you and took me some other days to start bodering you. I'm not a real seaman as you will find out anyway but willing to learn and to start a new life on sea. I allready started to learn from reading this forum and others. I have no experience at all( my year spend sailing kids boats in week-ends- Optimist class+ some small sailing boats under 22 feet in college... can't be named experience) but I want to sail. I spend 40 years on land allready and feels too much... maybe I will explain why latter. I decided to sell my home, buy a sailing boat and go arround, and maybe in time(1-2 years), gaining enough experience, I will be able to do a circumnavigation. I allready said I will sell my house but that will be about 100,000 USD so, i will have to buy a boat with no more than 50,000 USD(with eventual repairs and upgrades included) and keep the rest for how many years of freedom they will can buy. I allready readed "How to make money while cruising", so I have some answers( tones of more questions, but that will be another time, another place). I don't want to think about that yet... BUYING A GOOD BOAT is my concern now( after selling the house...but that will happen eventually).
1. So my dream boat will be like this:
-nice interior, aft cabin large and high enough not to look like a drawer
-sails considerably better in light winds
-big enough water tanks, average fuel(I don't want to spend much money on fuel, but i like to have a good engine for, let's say...just in case)
-comfort and safety
-furling headsail(don't remember the english nautical name)
-all lines in cockpit
-easy single handed
-solar panels(maybe a wind generator for "just in case")
-Compass, Log, Wind speed, good Radar,VHFGPS, Chart plotter, Autopilot, Clock, Barometer, Navigation lights, Fish Finder (not a must but if it is it is), AIS, Echosounder( or you call it depthsounder?)
-Liferaft or/and a dingy with outboard engine( for using from anchorage to shore trips)
-Life jackets
-Life buoys
-EPIRB -
-Cooker, Sink(maybe a double), Fridge,Freezer, Carpet, Air conditioning(will be fine but not a must), Cabin heating, Pressurised water system,Hot water system
-Handbasin& Shower with hot water,Head (bellow decks)
electric windlass, at least 2 anchors(preferable 3-4, because i think...i heard that 4 point anchoring in storm can be usefull)
Long list, but is the list I've made reading and thinking about the subject in the last 2 years.
2. I want to register the boat under Red Ensign because gives me security, predictibility about taxes, fees and so on.
If i buy the boat from Europe then Gibraltar looks the best option. If the boat will be bought from USA( better looking boats at better prices ...at least this is how it looks to me from reading websites) then I will have to register in Bahamas due to the fact that I'm not much of a sailor and Bahamas is so close to USA. The question is how much I have to pay every year to keep the boat under Red Ensign in both cases(Gibraltar and Bahamas). Beeing an EU citizen(romanian) I know I can register on my own name and without needing a company and so on but after reading their sites I stii can't figure out how much costs in total per year(taxes, fees...) and I want some help from some other man/woman that has allready the boat under Red Ensign or knows verry well the costs.
Thank you very much for your time and attention,
Andy.
 
You need to speak to the registry office in Gibraltar and the Bahamas to check that you are eligible. Being an EU citizen or resident is not usually enough. There will be specific citizenship requirements for either you or a company. Costs will be a one off cost of registering which will include a measurement survey, but little ongoing cost of maintenance. For most people there are no advantages of this type of registration rather than registering in your home country.

Be aware that a boat bought in the USA is difficult to use in the EU. There are restrictions on who can use it, for how long and for what purposes.
 
For the Gibraltar registry is ok: they say any US citizen don't need a company or residence in Gibraltar. I don't know about Bahamas...yet, that's why I asked if it is any EU citizen with a boat registered in Bahamas. US is out of question.
 
You realy do not have enough money to buy a DECENT boat to circumnavigate. As you so rightly stated you want to spend money up-grading it as well. The list would go on and on AND it will grow as you continue. Are you able to install fit all the equipment yourself. What are your qualifications to do such work.

This is not a downer but just my thoughts and to help you.

I honestly think you would need to think into a different pricing struckture
 
I just found a Dufour 36 cc at 40k...i think it suits the purpouse perfect. I will do my best with everything and I have my chance to succeed. I'm an ex-merchand marine deck officer and marine engineer. I spent last 7 years in shipyards building ships or in a shipping company doing some ships management. I can do some computer tricks also. I can do some things by myself, I will need help for others, but I will deal problems as soon as they come, when they come and if they come. maybe sometimes I will have to work here and there(no matter what) but freedom is priceless. :)
 
Last edited:
Bilgediver said:
Bahamas cost here....They used to have a rep in London..

http://www.bahamasmaritime.com/downloads/Bulletins/81bulltn.pdf
Click to expand...

Thank you very much. 700$/year...that is all? How much is it cost the registration, radio licence...surveys must be done every year?( if so...how much is it)... What's the total/year? is any minimum lenght for a non-comercial sailing yacht? I'm an EU citizen. I don't want to own a company to put the boat on. Can I register directely on my name?
 
Last edited:
Suggest you go on the website in the link where you will find links to various other documents which will help you. However, I think you will find that registration there is not really suitable for your kind of boat. The minimum size is 12m Load Waterline and there are rigorous equipment, survey and reporting requirements as well as high annual registration fees.

Have a look and decide for yourself.
 
Tranona said:
Suggest you go on the website in the link where you will find links to various other documents which will help you. However, I think you will find that registration there is not really suitable for your kind of boat. The minimum size is 12m Load Waterline and there are rigorous equipment, survey and reporting requirements as well as high annual registration fees.

Have a look and decide for yourself.
Click to expand...
Yup... this is Bahamas. That means only Gibraltar remains suitable for my kind of boat. I have to search the boat only in Europe since I don't have eneough money to cross her the Atlantic.
 
There is usually no need to have the boat physically in the state of registration provided you can get the survey they require done where the boat is.
 
Tranona said:
There is usually no need to have the boat physically in the state of registration provided you can get the survey they require done where the boat is.
Click to expand...
Yup...they want a survey with some company that they agreed...I've done that with some large ships some time ago. I try to understand how it works for yachts and looks pretty the same.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

conks01
Hanse 301 Buying Advice
Replies
5
Views
381
stownsend
S

Share this page

Top