Importing Gear

[Guest]

I am thinking of laying my yacht up in southern France or NE Spain next year.Does anyone have any knowledge/experience of buying gear for their yacht in the UK and then taking it out to where the yacht is laid up?Is it worth the bother or is chandlery cheaper there?Is there a problem with Customs?

 

[MedMan]

The UK mail order chandleries are about the cheapest in Europe. You have no problem in shipping VAT paid goods within the EC. We have been in the Med for 5 years and all major purchases have been made in the UK apart from 60 metres of chain bought in Malta and batteries bought in Italy and Malta. Apart from cost and quality there is the added advantage of being able to discuss your needs with the supplier in English.

How you get the goods out to your boat obviously depends upon where your boat is and what the goods are. One year we did a one-way rental and drove across France taking all sorts with us. Other years we have taken various things by air including 4 solar panels which we managed without paying excess baggage! Next year we are having 5 new windows made in the UK shipped to Greece.

Good luck!

MedMan

 

[Paulka]

No problem at all having any type of materials shipped inside the EC. (except for dangerous goods like batteries, flares, etc, but this has nothing to do with the customs.)
By buying whatever you need anywhere in the EC, you may have the advantage to pay the lower VAT. Normally, the provider of the goods will sell them to you VAT included. And the british VAT is cheaper than both the French and the Spanish ones. You are not requested to pay the difference!
At last, some good news from Brussels. ;-)

On the other hand, if you buy materials from say the USA, then VAT, and some other taxes have to be paid. To avoid to waste your time looking for the offices, the the officer, .... etc. let the goods be shipped with DHL, or Fedex. They will clear and pay, and bill you before delivering the goods. It may cost a little bit, but you have no hassle, and it usually is more rapid than running youself across the various offices.

Welcome to the med.

 

[charles_reed]

VAT rates correction

UK 17.5%
France 19.6%
Spain 16%

You'll find many leisure-boating staples cheaper in France than the UK - barring electronics; mainly down to it being a far larger market.
I found la Rochelle offered the best prices and choice.

Spain tends to be poor for choice/price of leisure boating parts, though there are reasonable chandleries for ruff/tuff gear in the big fishing ports (Colindre, Isla Christina, Bonanza, Cartagena).

Gibraltar has a (totally undeserved IMHO) reputation for low prices.

I'd generally not bother to buy and import - having said that I'm taking 50m of certified, calibrated chain down to Argelés (£129 in UK, €182 in France, both from manufacturers) and a spare 100 amp marine alternator (£229 in UK, €540 in France). The reason I'm able to source things at those prices in the UK is down to 5 years working in the automotive supply-chain.

 

[Paulka]

Re: VAT rates correction

Sorry!
I must live in another century, I thought British VAT was 15%.

:-(((

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

 

[charles_reed]

Re: VAT rates correction

It was - once upon a time!!!

Of course we have the anomalies - in Spain, if it has to do with tourism 6%, and France with 2 further rates for luxury goods.

All very confusing.