Refit boat in USA or UK?

[sovt]

hah hah... Only called 'standard' in the US... The rest of the world still call it 'imperial' to remind them that it was standardised in the 19th century...

Its almost as funny as you having a baseball 'world' series....

Ps... It isnt a US system... I think you'll find that the brits invented it...

Thread drift I know, but can't resist.

The customary system was championed by the United States-based International Institute for Preserving and Perfect*ing Weights and Measures in the late 19th century. Advocates of the customary system saw the French Revolutionary, or metric, system as atheistic. An auxiliary of the Institute in Ohio published a poem reading:

Then down with every "metric" scheme
Taught by the foreign school
We'll worship still our Father's God!
And keep our Father's "rule"!
A perfect inch, a perfect pint
The Anglo's honest pound
Shall hold their place upon the earth
Till time's last trump shall sound!

One adherent of the customary system called it "a just weight and a just measure, which alone are acceptable to the Lord

On a personal note. I'm off to Belfast NI on Wednesday for that perfect pint

 

[AndrewB]

In 2009 I despaired of getting maintenance work done in California. Costs of yard work were much higher than elsewhere in USA while owner maintenance was made impossible by endless 'environmental' regulations.

In the end I went to Baja Naval yard in Ensenada, 50m across the border in Mexico. Its a medium-sized yard with proper travel-lift, modern equipment, good security etc. The work done was speedy, well project-managed, and excellent quality. English is the working language. No hassle with parts - they had a regular run to San Diego. And no problem matching my metric fittings. All at far lower cost than in California.

I would recommend them. Pick your time though as they do get busy.

 

[john]

Great Replies

Thanks to all who have answered my post so far - you've given me a great deal to think about, and no final decision has been reached yet! I do prefer to bring her back to the UK, so ant tips on transport are much appreciated, especially any knowledge of ships leaving from San Francisco. thankyou , John.

 

[concentrik]

.

As Tranona has pointed out, it's important to consider the RCD implications. I did exhaustive research into this earlier in the year when I was considering the same option.

If the boat was made in the EU and sold to a first (or subsequent) purchaser in the EU before 1998 and then moved to the US, the boat is exempt from compliance.

If it is a non-EU boat then as the importer of the boat to the UK you're required to have a post-construction assesment done. Several businesses offer this service but it is expensive, particularly the engine. If it doesn't conform to the CE certification standards the boat can't get a CE mark unless the engine is tested. This means removing it from the boat and having it examined by an independent facility. It can't be checked in the boat! A replacement lump is probably more cost effective.

An interesting wrinkle on this aspect is that although the RCD (sorry that's Recreational Craft Directive) is an EU originated decree, it is applied in UK law through enabling legislation, which places responsibility for enforcement with local Trading Standards. They have one year to bring an action for non compliance, thereafter no such action can be brought against you (the original importer) or any subsequent purchaser. Since you'd be paying the VAT (wouldn't you?) the authorities would be aware of the vessel's presence in the UK.... a nerve wracking year if you decide to chance it! !Enough! tedious legislative detail....

 

[davidej]

You don't say what boat you have or why you want to bring it back to the UK.

I think that, in most cases, the best solution would be to sel it in situ and buy something suitable over here.

I recognise that you may be a special case to whom this does not apply.

 

[Yacht Yogi]

US price benefits

If you can fit out in the US at US prices then you will make huge savings. e.g. I just looked up the price of Zinc Anodes for a Yanmar Saildrive; £44 in UK compared to $25 in USA for the exact same part.

If you are stuck for a European or metric part then buty it here and ship it out to your man in the US.

 

[Boo2]

An interesting wrinkle on this aspect is that although the RCD (sorry that's Recreational Craft Directive) is an EU originated decree, it is applied in UK law through enabling legislation, which places responsibility for enforcement with local Trading Standards. They have one year to bring an action for non compliance, thereafter no such action can be brought against you (the original importer) or any subsequent purchaser.

That is the coolest thing I have heard this week. Can you provide a link to the original sources of this info please ?

Thanks,

Boo2

 

[Boo2]

A friend and I have boat in California that needs work. We're uk based, and the boat will need to come back to the uk. Should we get the work done there and sail it back to the UK in the future, or have it transported back by ship and refit here.

After doing some work where she was situated I've just brought a boat back from Pwllheli which is a 500 odd mile round trip from my home, and my unequivocal advice is to bring her back before commencing. It cost me £150 in petrol for a round trip and at least twice that with pub meals etc and every time I went up to do some work I found I left something vital behind, or realised I needed som piece of equipment I had at home. The work took 5 separate trips and it would have been way cheaper and more convenient to bring her back.

Work I had done by the yards out there dragged on with delayed start after delayed start and missed deadline upon missed deadline. I could not be there to check progress and ended up with very little confidence in what people's reports as to what work they'd completed.

Never again. Bring her back to somewhere local so that you can go down to work on a moments notice and confirm what lying suppliers are telling you.

Just my opinion...

Boo2

 

[Heckler]

As Tranona has pointed out, it's important to consider the RCD implications. I did exhaustive research into this earlier in the year when I was considering the same option.

If the boat was made in the EU and sold to a first (or subsequent) purchaser in the EU before 1998 and then moved to the US, the boat is exempt from compliance.

If it is a non-EU boat then as the importer of the boat to the UK you're required to have a post-construction assesment done. Several businesses offer this service but it is expensive, particularly the engine. If it doesn't conform to the CE certification standards the boat can't get a CE mark unless the engine is tested. This means removing it from the boat and having it examined by an independent facility. It can't be checked in the boat! A replacement lump is probably more cost effective.

An interesting wrinkle on this aspect is that although the RCD (sorry that's Recreational Craft Directive) is an EU originated decree, it is applied in UK law through enabling legislation, which places responsibility for enforcement with local Trading Standards. They have one year to bring an action for non compliance, thereafter no such action can be brought against you (the original importer) or any subsequent purchaser. Since you'd be paying the VAT (wouldn't you?) the authorities would be aware of the vessel's presence in the UK.... a nerve wracking year if you decide to chance it! !Enough! tedious legislative detail....

Having worked as a councillor with trading standards in my portfolio, I doubt very much whether they would give a stuff about something as obscure as CE marking!
Stu

 

[Sybarite]

i have a nauticat-- which is all metric ---here in the usa. have never had a problem getting parts and every good hardware shop carries metric in whatever thread you want. the only parts issue i ever had was when i tried to get info re expanding the uk made hager electric busses ..and. received a quite. rude reply from. hager suggesting. that someone. who knew what. they. were. doing. would not. be asking. for. tech. advice.

that. being. said. there. are good. and. bad. yards. all over the. usa. tell me. where. the boat. is. located. and i.ll send. you links to the. local internet sailing. community. whre. you will. get. painfully. honest. info about. various installers. and. yards.

a. refit. in the. usa. will allow you a. beautiful sail thru the. caribbean, up the. east. coast. and. across. the. pond. you are probably loking at 10,000 $. usto. ship. across. to. an. easst. coast. port. that. buys a. lot. of. refitting...

eagleswing, wintering on the. hard. in the. great northern lakes...

What's with all the full stops? (Sorry : periods)?

 

[Sybarite]

I would bring back to the UK as many things you want to do will be of the personal type and if in the States you will be too far away to monitor. Many companies in the UK are open to doing deals in this climate. I am based in the Solent and know Hayling Yacht Co Ltd do alot of large refits at very competative rates.

A lot of Bretons take their boats to Tunisia when there are large scale jobs to be done.

 

[Sybarite]

Thread drift I know, but can't resist.

The customary system was championed by the United States-based International Institute for Preserving and Perfect*ing Weights and Measures in the late 19th century. Advocates of the customary system saw the French Revolutionary, or metric, system as atheistic. An auxiliary of the Institute in Ohio published a poem reading:

Then down with every "metric" scheme
Taught by the foreign school
We'll worship still our Father's God!
And keep our Father's "rule"!
A perfect inch, a perfect pint
The Anglo's honest pound
Shall hold their place upon the earth
Till time's last trump shall sound!

One adherent of the customary system called it "a just weight and a just measure, which alone are acceptable to the Lord

On a personal note. I'm off to Belfast NI on Wednesday for that perfect pint

Make sure that it's a British pint and not an American one (if their gallons are anything to judge by...)


PS welcome to the forum from somebody who hails from where you're going.