RCD (PCA) post 31/1/20...

[RobbieW]

A friend of mine is considering the pros and cons of bringing a boat, that was stuck in the EU due to COVID on the day the UK left the EU, back to the UK . One of the questions concerns the RCD replacement - Post Completion Assessment (PCA).

The boat, a 1985 Moody 47, predates RCD and he would like to return in the knowledge that a PCA is not necessary. The boat has been in his ownership and Pt 1 registered since the mid 90s. There was a recent article in YM, Second hand boats: CE mark headache for sailors? - Yachting Monthly, that talks about this but focuses on cross border sale situations; I understand the CA have issued guidance too.

Does anyone think a PCA would be a necessary prerequisite for a return ?

 

[dunedin]

Further down the article it states - “the UK is accepting CE marks throughout 2022”.
So presumably getting back to the UK before the end of this year would ensue there is no issue?

 

[Tranona]

The UK has decided for some unknown reason not to keep the pre 1997 exemption (although the EU has). However, it is unclear whether the new rules apply to boats like this that will enter under the "Returned Goods" VAT rules. Logic says it should not as boats in this category are considered to be only temporarily out of the UK rather than being imported and being placed on the market.

This is my reading and I have not seen anything that suggests differently, but realistically your friend needs to make his own enquiries first with the RYA and the CA who are the 2 bodies most engaged with the new rules.

 

[RobbieW]

Further down the article it states - “the UK is accepting CE marks throughout 2022”.
So presumably getting back to the UK before the end of this year would ensue there is no issue?

Thats part of the dilemma, he could bring the boat back but would really rather not - especially as the RGR issue seems resolved.

 

[RobbieW]

The UK has decided for some unknown reason not to keep the pre 1997 exemption (although the EU has). However, it is unclear whether the new rules apply to boats like this that will enter under the "Returned Goods" VAT rules. Logic says it should not as boats in this category are considered to be only temporarily out of the UK rather than being imported and being placed on the market.

This is my reading and I have not seen anything that suggests differently, but realistically your friend needs to make his own enquiries first with the RYA and the CA who are the 2 bodies most engaged with the new rules.

Thanks @Tranona - that its early days is appreciated and there may be little experience to draw on yet.

 

[dunedin]

Thanks @Tranona - that its early days is appreciated and there may be little experience to draw on yet.

There was an excellent article in a recent Yachting Monthly, written by the CEO of the only company approved to do certifications of boats to the new UK RCR standards. That is worth a read. But certainly, due to the exemption for returning boats until end 2022 (itself partly because not even the people writing the rules seemed clear) there will be no actual experience yet.

 

[RobbieW]

...Yachting Monthly, written by the CEO of the only company approved to do certifications of boats to the new UK RCR standards...

Is that the one I linked in the OP ?

 

[dunedin]

Is that the one I linked in the OP ?

Probably - looks very different due to transformation for web page (rather badly done, at least on my iPad) but yes looks to be similar core content. Not sure if it has been abbreviated at all for the web.