New to forum

[Kevin]

Hi

Ive been boating about 5 years. Have been on sportsboat forums etc but its nice to find one that isnt all profanity!

I have a 15 foot offshore racing Fletcher with 115hp outboard, that is superb in sea conditions and good for about 56mph with 4 people on board ( its hull design speed is about 60mph so dont really want to go any faster). This was my first boat and will never sell her!

I did buy a few Bayliner cruisers and then in 2002 a new Formula 30 footer cruiser with twin 350 mag engines, which I have sold, all privatley imported from the States, why are boats here so expensive? And this CE plating nonesense why do they insist on it being a safety issue when its nothing more than protection for UK distributors and dealers! ( dont get me started on that topic)

Do you notice I have this failing of a conversing with myself.

I may well be out numbered here, but I do prefer that 'near the water' experience of the small boats and found the bigger boats a bit detached from things.

Ok I cant sleep on the racing boat ( but how many sleep on their huge cruisers I wonder!) but I have taken her to Isle of white which is as I understand a lot further than some of these cruisers /sun loungers that people have. I read somewhere that 70% of boats dont go further than 2 miles from their moorings and used only 30 hours a year! what a waste!

Well just saying Hi really and hope that this forum might be a bit more informative than the others Ive tried!

Kevin

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[trev]

Welcome to the forum - I think you'll find the majority of folk on here actually use their boats as much as time and other commitments allows. Its also a mine of information - some of it actually useful !
Interesting to see you have experience of importing from the USA. Its a topic which has come up on occasion. Was it easy, did you save much, and were there any legal hassles?

<hr width=100% size=1>Trev

 

[hlb]

Hi.

I dont think you'll find many here that go for your floating stick idea of boating and as for visiting IOW. Yep, we do it.............. from Cornwall /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif though we try to avoid the place these days.

An off shore 15ft fletcher is an interesting concept, but might be a bit crampt for touring the CI or France.

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn

 

[tcm]

Hi kevin. You wonder how many sleep on their boat? We stayed on the boat for 12 weeks this year, the kids stayed aboard for 7 straight weeks. I agree that the near water experience is fun, although out beyond the IOW there's quite a lot of the stuff i spose so having the water a bit further away suits many! Agreed that CE marking and so-called saftey standards are protectionism by another name.

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[kimhollamby]

Hi Kevin,

Welcome. Although things get a little bit sparky from time to time outright profanity and/or personal abuse of other users actually leads to a ban for the person responsible if not careful and we try to keep things on a reasonably even keel.

I've spent more weeks afloat than I care to admit to on a variety of craft and so don't entirely subscribe to your theory. Reality if that there are plenty of trailboats that never make it off the drive too. More down to the interest of those involved and we do tend to attract a fairly active bunch here with boats of all sizes -- literally just a few feet in length to 60ft plus. Unsurprisingly there is more in common than not between all users.

Kim
ybw.com

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[Kevin]

Hi

Thanks for your warm welcome on here.

Trev- It is always interesting to learn new views so it will be good read what others have to say on subjects.

To be honest it is ok importing from the USA, all the usual things have to be watched out for, making sure the dealer is reputable, and get the boat surveyed as you would over here etc. I got to know a few dealers and trust them.

There isnt too much hassle except it is imperative that the boats, for example, first port of entry into Europe is the UK as our customs have said that they dont see checking for CE compliance as part of their job, which is handy, whilst if your boat from the USA is transported and first stops at Belgium, Holland etc their customs will hold the boat until CE compliance can be proved which obviously on a US boat it cant be. So there are things to look out for. The savings on used boats can be huge and new boats up to 25% off UK prices ( thats after paying c&f into UK import duty and VAT!).

Legal ramifications are that the boat technically isnt legal in the eyes of the CE compliancy agency but it annoys me that over here to get a 30 foot boat CE plated costs around £7,000 and for example they carry out float tests!! Sea Ray hulls etc are the same hulls whether they are intended for Europe or USA, again hatches have to be changed although they are usually Bomar and exactly the same as in UK boats but havent that CE marking on them. It truely is outrageous I think. Kits can be bought in the USA for about $1,500 that provide authentic CE approval and certificates etc, so why so much over here? I can understand some differences need attention, maybe the biggest being fuel lines, connections etc. but these are easily changed for a few quid. Also in the USA for example they dont have fuel cut off switches but simple non return valves which arent CE compliant so i can see that some things ought possibly be changed. The winners in this CE regulation are the dealers and the companies offering to CE plate your boat in the UK. There are things I do and look out for when importing but nothing that doesnt make it worthwhile but I wont go on boring people to death!

Hlb- I see what you say when I say 'offshore' 15 footer of course I mean offshore class of racing not heading out too far into the wild blue yonder, although I would love to get a floatilla ( that doesnt seem to be spelt right) together and take her to France, but we'll see.

TCM- Its pleasing that people do use their boats a lot and regularly. I have friends who moor in various marinas around the country and all say how sad it is to look out on gorgeous days and see only the same few boats out and the rest bobbing about in their moorings.

I look forward to reading some interesting posts as the weeks pass.

Regards

Kevin

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[Kevin]

Hi Kim

Thanks for your welcome and I take your point about the lack of use of trailer boats, I suppose with them being spread so thinly over driveways around the country it doesnt seem so obvious that they arent being used as say a 60 foot cruiser on its moorings.

At the end of the day we all love boating whether its yachting or power, big or small and must stay together to keep our pastime open and free from beaurocracy and legislation so we can keep enjoying what we love to do.

Kevin

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[kimhollamby]

Caution

You are right that CE-compliance falls under the remit of people other than C&E in UK (actually Trading Standards) but for anyone reading your post it is also important to remind that the real issue about your suggestions is that they are technically illegal, even if it is difficult to get detected on importation as far as secondhand craft are concerned.

Secondly, resale can be verdifficult because it is becoming increasingly understood that CE-compliance for relevant craft is as important for the buyer to ascertain as title and VAT status. With smaller craft again perhaps less of an issue because they tend to change hands privately and through media such as free-to-advertise publications rather than brokers, but still an issue.

Thirdly if there is any ambition to take the boat to continental Europe you do risk questions being asked; checks of all sorts of things have tended to be more frequent since the opening up of borders.

The demand for retrospective CE compliance that emerged relatively late in the original RCD process in the 1990s was undeniably an attempt to close the doors on secondhand boats from the US and countries neighbouring the EU/EEA. It is frustrating and arguably without precedent. But if you circumvent the rules it is important to do so realising the potential consequences.

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[Greg2]

Have to say I agree on the boat usage issue. We use ours a lot and lok at the same boats in the marina as we go past virtually every weekend.

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[ccscott49]

Welcome! The peeps an here are a very well informed bunch, they will be able to answer any of your queries, eventually!

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[Kevin]

Just a quick point that In no way was I advocating people breaking the law with regards importation and CE regulations! Each to their own.

One thing I would say is is that if you make sure that the boat is pre June 1997 once its in the country it cannot be detected whether it has been imported as no boats had CE plates at that time and thus there is no hassle in selling, surveys checks etc.

This is beginning to sound like I work for some kind of 'Boat Importation society' or something!! I dont I just thinks its an unfair system and that there are points worth raising regards it.


Kevin

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[kimhollamby]

16 June 1998

Compulsory RCD compliance was from 16 June 1998. It governed most new builds but also applied retrospectively to older builds imported into EU/EEA after that date.

I understand what you mean and common wisdom has it you might get away with that approach for European-built boats (ie you might get away with bringing in, say, a Jeanneau from Turkey even if it was outside the EU on 16 June 1998 and therefore technically subject to retrospective rules) but with a US or Taiwanese build it could ultimately be the case that a buyer or 'crat of some type or other could demand paperwork to show the boat was resident in the EEA/EU on that date.

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

There are a lot of people who make a point of not sailing at weekends, many retired sailors only sail during the week to avoid the traffic. There were a few weekends this year when I wished I had had that priviledge at Pwllheli.

It is unfair to assume all boats are sitting all summer in the marina unused.

Another point, and I am not trying to cause an argument, or provoke annoyance, if people buy a boat and enjoy just going down and using it like a floating caravan is that not their choice, it costs us the taxpayers etc. nothing, I never understand the finger wagging by people about underused vessels.

I missed this weekend due to other commitments, great weather too, the other commitments fell through but I still did not make it to the boat. Many people have many reasons why they cannot use their boats every second they are not at work or asleep.

Welcome to the forum Kevin, sorry if I sound brash. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk/TC_IrishCruise_2003_00.html>Irish Cruise</A>

 

[tripleace]

agree with above.

I like to use the boat whenever and whatever the weather.

However my father and mother, just like to get away and go down to the boat and enjoy being "on the water".

Many people who have moorings nearby don't come down at the weekends because of "people" and use their boats during the week.


<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.boating-ads.co.uk> Boating Website</A>

 

[Kevin]

Re: 16 June 1998

Hi

I agree with a lot of what your saying on that, I suppose the bigger question is why boats prices and values are so highly inflated here in comparison to other parts of the world, ignoring any differences in taxes etc.? Much like cars, houses, fuel etc etc.

Kevin



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[Kevin]

Hi Jools Of Top Cat

Brash is fine, and of course I understand that people use their boats for different reasons and are restricted by other commitments as to when they can use their boats. I most definitly wasnt wagging fingers at those who use them as floating beach huts ( even then I made an unplanned dig - insert a smiley face- I cant see where you do that so please use your imagination) But if your down at the boat isnt the temptation sooo great that you cannot help but take her out for a spin?

Tripleace - Again I understand the desire to just be on the water. I would much prefer to be lounging about on a boat than home or anywhere else, but I still stand by what I said from the outset that the majority of boats do seem woefully underused, but as Jools TC said its no ones business but theirs, but we all can have an opinion. I also agree with you that weekdays are far better than weekends!

Kevin

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[milltech]

Can you self certify?

I realise you cannot personally do all the tests, but for things like hatches I would have thought you could self certify and then rely on someone taking you to court for a breach, which of course they won't, (A) because nobody will complain and (B) because the hatch complies.

Here (deleted self certification story - no point in advertising). However I may be talking through the you-know-where because I was thinking of the emmissions regulations on electronics. (Which by the way is another load of nonsense, my mobile phone and my plasma TV both emit so much noice as to disturb the things around them but seem to be certified none the less).


<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[Kevin]

Re: Can you self certify?

Hi

I am not sure about self cert. I know the boat manufacturers in USA will provide a list of things needed to be done to gain CE certification for all their models, so if you do the modifications yourself I guess you could then get somebody out to make sure the list has been fullfilled which may come out cheaper...or will it?
( I Expect would still charge huge amounts).

But have never tried to self cert, by the sounds of it you may have done or know of somebody who has! lets have the info on it if thats the case.

Kevin

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