Buying an old 1970s boat in Holland, bringing it back to UK

[westernman]

Perhaps it’s a sign of rushed legislation that pre-CE boats weren’t grandfathered into UK compliance. The numbers imported must be small; the values low; the cost of processing any compliance checking easily outweighing any possible benefits on items that have largely proved that they work acceptably simply by staying afloat for half a century (in the case of the boat contemplated by the OP).

But such it is, I guess.

They were if they were in the UK before Brexit.

 

[Dellquay13]

No. The boat would not meet the standards, wherever it is.. The current CE mark to the 2017 RCD is equal to the UKCA but not previous iterations.

I know the boat won’t meet any current CE or UKCA without extensive works, especially if the engine is old, but meeting the current CE in a region with a signposted path might be easier than trying it in the UK.
If after spending money doing the legwork and improvements in the EU the boat still fails the current RCD it is still a legal useable boat in the EU.
Spend money on bringing it uncertified to the UK and then have it fail, it is a unsaleable unsailable liability in the UK.

I’m not suggesting actually doing this, my action would be to buy a boat in the UK, but it might be an expensive folly that ends with a resellable boat in the EU, not a failed one in the UK that you need to pay to have chopped up or re-exported to the EU where the EU might charge vat on the improvements, if you can get it back in.

 

[awol]

....... or stick a red ensign on it and sail it home via South and Noriron - sorted!

 

[benjenbav]

They were if they were in the UK before Brexit.

True, of course. I was wistfully thinking of the situation that I encountered when I had a house in Vancouver and wanted to bring an old Porsche into British Columbia from the UK.

Newer than x (I forget what x was) years old and I would have had to spend a fortune on compliance with Canadian type approvals (all sorts of minor details such as direction indicators).

Older than x years old and no compliance was required.

Reason: too few cars of sufficient age would be coming in to the territory; bureaucratic cost of having a system to administer post construction type approval checking for a few quirky old cars would be disproportionately great.

 

[Tranona]

I know the boat won’t meet any current CE or UKCA without extensive works, especially if the engine is old, but meeting the current CE in a region with a signposted path might be easier than trying it in the UK.
If after spending money doing the legwork and improvements in the EU the boat still fails the current RCD it is still a legal useable boat in the EU.
Spend money on bringing it uncertified to the UK and then have it fail, it is a unsaleable unsailable liability in the UK.

I’m not suggesting actually doing this, my action would be to buy a boat in the UK, but it might be an expensive folly that ends with a resellable boat in the EU, not a failed one in the UK that you need to pay to have chopped up or re-exported to the EU where the EU might charge vat on the improvements, if you can get it back in.

The CE mark in the eU has exactly the same requirements as in the EU. in addition the law says that the assessment must be done in the UK by the UK certifying body which is currently HPI.

This "problem" could be solved by the government re-instating the pre 1998 exemption and accepting CE marks for after that date. There is nothing to stop that being done as they have already changed VAT rules for returning boats. However that required sustained lobbying from the CA and RYA, but there seems to be no body prepared to take this one on. This is perhaps because it really is a marginal issue affecting very few people, but on the other hand it is the principle at stake.

 

[westernman]

The CE mark in the eU has exactly the same requirements as in the EU. in addition the law says that the assessment must be done in the UK by the UK certifying body which is currently HPI.

This "problem" could be solved by the government re-instating the pre 1998 exemption and accepting CE marks for after that date. There is nothing to stop that being done as they have already changed VAT rules for returning boats. However that required sustained lobbying from the CA and RYA, but there seems to be no body prepared to take this one on. This is perhaps because it really is a marginal issue affecting very few people, but on the other hand it is the principle at stake.

It is worth giving HPI a call to see if there is anyway of getting a UKCA certificate without conforming to the latest standards.

Mumbling something about "classic", "of historic interest" or "with reasonable modifications only" just might help. If they are jobs-worths, then you have no chance whatsoever.

 

[benjenbav]

…but there seems to be no body prepared to take this one on. This is perhaps because it really is a marginal issue affecting very few people, but on the other hand it is the principle at stake.

The great irony of this is that the UK has chosen to move from a system where laws were subject to judicial review to one where Parliament is sovereign and they aren’t.

This, of course, is a purely jurisprudential observation and in no sense a commentary on current affairs.

 

[dunedin]

....... or stick a red ensign on it and sail it home via South and Noriron - sorted!

Not sure that is actually legally true in terms of RCR compliance, or indeed VAT - though of course in terms of RCR/UKCA if prepared to break the rules and go under the radar the chances of being caught out are probably very low.

 

[awol]

Not sure that is actually legally true in terms of RCR compliance, or indeed VAT - though of course in terms of RCR/UKCA if prepared to break the rules and go under the radar the chances of being caught out are probably very low.

I don't think anyone knows the legality of that route. Most of the documentation I've read excludes that route from their strictures. Maybe a small label saying "Not for sale in GB" would suffice?