Owning a mobo in USA

[Sea Devil]

I am thinking of buying a Trawler type mobo on the SE coast of the US, in order to make the winter seem shorter!

Anybody know what US regs will be involved assuming we are only on board for a few months of the year?

The boat will be US registered - may I keep that?

Assuming it is US flagged do I need a 'boat driving license'?

Any advice gratefully received

Michael

 

[Tranona]

Suggest you contact Robin who posts there as he has done just that. However he is now resident and his wife is a US citizen, but he should be able to help.

 

[Robin]

I am thinking of buying a Trawler type mobo on the SE coast of the US, in order to make the winter seem shorter!

Anybody know what US regs will be involved assuming we are only on board for a few months of the year?

The boat will be US registered - may I keep that?

Assuming it is US flagged do I need a 'boat driving license'?

Any advice gratefully received

Michael

US Documented vessels can ONLY be owned by a US Citizen or company ( with >50% of shareholders as US citizens) The boat can be undocumented and simply State registered in whichever State you choose, Sales Tax varies from State to State and generally if you spend more than 90 days in one they will come after you for a 'use' tax at the same rate as sales tax. if you pay sales tax in one state (FLORida's is 6.5%)and move to another that has higher tax rate they will demand the difference otherwise if you pay in one and go to anywhere else you are OK. Bear in mind all prices quoted on every item, new or used do not include the sales tax that is payable.

Don't rule out a gasoline engined boat, gas here is currently under $2 per US gallon, (but it still explodes like an 8 quid gallon if asked)

Insurance premiums are high if kept in the hurricane area although our insurer accepts year round use by imposing higher 'deductibles between June and December for claims arising from a named storm. Some States charge annual property taxes on boats ( like local rates in the UK), Florida does not charge on boats but does on land based stuff.

Our boat IS US documented in SWMBO's name since she is a Mercan We still have to pay a small fee for using the bot in Florida, on the big boat and the RIB tender ( would be free if it had no motor), but all told the lot comes to under $200 a year. WE could have dropped the federal documentation but decided not to as you need that to get a fully international MMSI number issued, State registered boats can get an MMSI but not a international radio call sign. The local MMSI is fine in the USA but may not be recognised ( not on the international database) in the Bahamas or Caribbean

You don't need a boat license unless you are young. I have an ICC ( which they do not understand ) and I did do a Boater's safety course online and got me the permit the youngsters have to have, it is about as basic as it gets, multiple choice answers to simple questions you have to beat a certain minimum number correct ( I got 100%), it cost a massive $30 but you only pay if you pass and if you fail can retake as often as you wish). The Florida test I took is accepted by pretty well all other States.

WE lived on a 47 ft trawler style motor yacht for a year here in Daytona Beach until I had a stroke, but now we live in a condo apartment and have gone back ( forwards) to a 36ft sailboat .

Lots of furriners own boats in Florida, especially Canadians. There are people who will look after the boat for absentee owners, one such looks after ours for it's routine monthly washes, bottom cleans and checks oils, water levels etc on engine and batteries, they will arrange subcontractors should you need a 'spert for anything special, like engine work,electronics, refrigerator or air conditioning etc.

 

[Sea Devil]

Robin hello,

Just got back from the boat in Gib - thank you so much for all that information. Brilliant. I am most grateful and have already passed it on to a friend who is moving his boat to Miami.

When we get closer to moving I will message you and buy you a drink or a meal -

Have a very happy and healthy new year

fair winds

Michael

 

[Robin]

Robin hello,

Just got back from the boat in Gib - thank you so much for all that information. Brilliant. I am most grateful and have already passed it on to a friend who is moving his boat to Miami.

When we get closer to moving I will message you and buy you a drink or a meal -

Have a very happy and healthy new year

fair winds

Michael

Thanks Michael,it would be nice to talk to someone from the civilised world. If I can help any more just ask. Florida is the place to buy, more for sale here than the rest of the USA. We used abroker based in Bradenton but who covers the whole of thesouth east. VEry helpful, we used him to buy twice and sell once, Name is Gary Monell of Whiteaker Yachts. Tel # +1 727-403-5456 ( his cellphone I think) also a good surveyor we used that covers the whole of the SE and he even acts for Europeans buying here to ship over, he does the whole thing purchase, survey, documentation and arranges transport by sea again we used him 3 times 2 buying and one selling.

Winter here right now, temperature at 11.00 is 80F, humid though and sunny

 

[Sea Devil]

When I come over to do another Dr Who convention I will fly down to Florida and have a look.

What did you do about the UK registration? I do not live in the UK any longer so can't officially use the SSR and I suspect there is nobody to survey for Part 1 in Florida.

Or did you just fudge it?

Was 20 in Gib yesterday when we left but here in Ronda its a chilling 12 and raining so you do have the right idea - As soon as we move back to France we will put the plan into action

Have a excellent 2016

MIchael

 

[Robin]

When I come over to do another Dr Who convention I will fly down to Florida and have a look.

What did you do about the UK registration? I do not live in the UK any longer so can't officially use the SSR and I suspect there is nobody to survey for Part 1 in Florida.

Or did you just fudge it?

Was 20 in Gib yesterday when we left but here in Ronda its a chilling 12 and raining so you do have the right idea - As soon as we move back to France we will put the plan into action

Have a excellent 2016

MIchael

MY current boat was never UK registered. It was bought from the original American owner who bought it from new, imported, via a New york state broker, from Beneteau , France. My previous UK boat was sold before we left the UK, it was a Jeanneau, sold to a Frenchman and so had to be taken off the UK part 1 registry so he could register it in his name in France. I de-registered it very simply with a letter to the registry office who were very helpful, all handled by return of post.

For the boats we have bought here in Florida, we used a 'Title Agency' to handle all the documentation for us both the state Registry and the Federal Documented Registry. USCG FederalDocumented boats Are registered with USCG similar to part 1, no numbers are displyed on the hull outside, just the name and port on the transom. State registry means the number has to be displayed on the bow either side, does not apply if the boat is full USCG documented. but there is an annual fee payable and a decal is issued to show this has been paid, in our case stuck on the port side of the mast, low down. A similar decal is on the RIB tender, stuck on the tubes next to the required registered number for the RIB, registered on it's own,necessary only because it has an engine, an unpowered dinghy tender need not be registered SInce we purchased throygh a brokrer they handled all the sales paperwork and sales tax stuff and the Title company handled the US Documentation and state registry paperwork so we were good to 'go' The USCG documentation change took a couple of months before we finally got our official copies from them ( It is annually renewable BTW, costs $25).

ONe thing you will need is an American address. We set one up whilst we were still UK resident, via an excellent company called St. Brendan's Isle, in Green Cove Springs, Florida. That is still our billing address and theaddress used for car and boat registrations, even though we do now have a land based residence. St Brendans mail forward all mail to wherever we wish, as often as we wish, very reliable and not expensive. The insurance companies would not talk to me with a UK address but were happy enough with the Florida one via St Brendans.

https://www.sbimailservice.com/

There are advantages to retaining a Florida address even if we move to another State, We would not need to re-register our cars or boat and we would not be liable for any other State's income taxes, other than any due in Florida who thankfully do not impose them, especially on pensioners. ( Florida raises it's income via property taxes on residents, but not due on boats).



Confusing? you betcha!, but not insurmountable

Best wishes too to you and yours for 2016.

Robin

 

[Sea Devil]

So are you actually a US resident?

My plan was to get a B2 visa for extended visits -

I got the impression that I needed to remove the US registration of a boat I purchased and then re-flag it UK. Then get the Florida state registration - So do I need to get SSR or Part one to do this?

 

[Robin]

So are you actually a US resident?

My plan was to get a B2 visa for extended visits -

I got the impression that I needed to remove the US registration of a boat I purchased and then re-flag it UK. Then get the Florida state registration - So do I need to get SSR or Part one to do this?

I am a 'legal Alien' with a 'green card' and full time US resident. I don't see why you would re-flag a boat as a UK one unless you wanted to export it, which is a different game entirely but I believe still possible. You sometimes see boats advertised here as 'not for sale to US residents/citizens' these are usually foreign owned, sailed over and no longer wanted and would perhaps be subject to import duty if sold to a yank.

 

[dabsolute470]

great information and we are still working towards having a boat in FL now the FL house has sold