Registering to a UK company on the SSR?

[colind3782]

A British friend who is resident in Spain has bought a boat and wants to put it on the SSR. However, as he isn't a UK resident at the moment he can't. We are discussing his options, Belgian registration etc., and it occurred to me that it should be possible for him to form a UK Ltd. company and put that down as the owner.

I'm sure I've seen this discussed on the forums before but a quick search didn't bring up anything.

 

[CLB]

number 2 on the SSR registration criteria list:

you must be a private individual (not a company)

 

[prv]

The SSR is meant for UK residents who occasionally visit other countries, not people who live elsewhere and are trying to avoid registering their boats there.

Pete

 

[lw395]

AIUI, a yacht (ship) can be on part 1 register if owned by a Uk company. Not SSR.

 

[colind3782]

number 2 on the SSR registration criteria list:

you must be a private individual (not a company)

Ah yes, forgot that one. Thanks

 

[Uricanejack]

Just an idle question.
How about a non resident uk citizen registering a British on the SSR boat which is in the uk.
My plan. just use a uk mailing address.

 

[DownWest]

Just an idle question.
How about a non resident uk citizen registering a British on the SSR boat which is in the uk.
My plan. just use a uk mailing address.

Specifically for UK residents, not foreigh residents using mailing addresses...

German friend bought a classic yacht and wanted to keep it's UK reg. As it was on part one, he reged it to a Gib company.
Back then, part one was more difficult and had to have continuous documentation. Now, I understand it is easier.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Specifically for UK residents, not foreigh residents using mailing addresses...

German friend bought a classic yacht and wanted to keep it's UK reg. As it was on part one, he reged it to a Gib company.
Back then, part one was more difficult and had to have continuous documentation. Now, I understand it is easier.

Yes it's just a mater of paying the money for survey (tonnage) and registration, shouldn't cost much more than £800 for the average boat.

 

[LadyInBed]

Most in your friends position go for Belgium registration. Why did he dismiss it?

 

[GTom]

One of the Channel Islands registries instead? I know, they're not EU, but UK won't be EU soon either.

 

[Uricanejack]

Well it is irritating.
Contemplating buying a boat in the UK when I retire. I spupose I will just have to take up residence for a while.
No plan to sail any further from the UK than CI or France. Just sail probably the west coast for a while. To visit some old familiar pubs.

If I were a Russian gangster the 800 pound fee to register my boat in the UK would be no bother.

 

[colind3782]

Most in your friends position go for Belgium registration. Why did he dismiss it?

He hasn't yet.

 

[DownWest]

Most in your friends position go for Belgium registration. Why did he dismiss it?

If talking about my friend, bit different back then and since it was part one already, and he had a Gib company...
I gather that Belgium reg is now getting unpopular if you are not actually resident there. The French are not keen on their residents avoiding the rules.

 

[PlanB]

Isn't there a UK address he (or you) could use?

 

[colind3782]

Isn't there a UK address he (or you) could use?

Not me and he's tried that but somehow they sussed that he's not UK resident. Maybe they check the electoral roll?

 

[emandvee44]

Not me and he's tried that but somehow they sussed that he's not UK resident. Maybe they check the electoral roll?

If you apply for a new registration or change of ownership on the SSR you have to supply a UK utility bill in the applicant's name.

M.

 

[Mark-1]

If you apply for a new registration or change of ownership on the SSR you have to supply a UK utility bill in the applicant's name.M.

Is that right? I've just gone through the online application process to see how far it let me go and as far as I can tell there are no checks whatsoever. It let me hit 'submit & ''complete transaction' with the random characters I typed in as name address etc, and gave me the message copied below which strongly implies that paying was the only bit of the process left to be completed. Then it took me to the payment screen.

The message:

"IMPORTANT
If your option requires a fee, your application will not be fully completed until you have successfully made payment using the Worldpay service which follows this declaration page.

If there are more than one owner recorded in this application, all additional owners (not the applicant) will be contacted by email to make their own individual declaration of eligibility."

 

[Mark-1]

The SSR is meant for UK residents who occasionally visit other countries, not people who live elsewhere and are trying to avoid registering their boats there.

Although it does seem ideal for that purpose!

Not me and he's tried that but somehow they sussed that he's not UK resident. Maybe they check the electoral roll?

My gut feel is he tried to use his real "foreign" address and it picked him up at that point. I've never heard of there being any checks before and my experiment today suggests they don't even check if the postcode exists. (Except that if the address doesn't exist you won't be getting a certificate which is a check of sorts!)

They certainly don't physically check if the boat exists or who keeps or owns it. If they let that slide do they really care about the status of the person claiming to be the owner?

 

[lw395]

Although it does seem ideal for that purpose!



My gut feel is he tried to use his real "foreign" address and it picked him up at that point. I've never heard of there being any checks before and my experiment today suggests they don't even check if the postcode exists. (Except that if the address doesn't exist you won't be getting a certificate which is a check of sorts!)

They certainly don't physically check if the boat exists or who keeps or owns it. If they let that slide do they really care about the status of the person claiming to be the owner?

I've heard it said they leave the checking to the Belgians....

 

[Mark-1]

I've heard it said they leave the checking to the Belgians....

I'm sure the facts stated on the SSR could be checked by anyone with some spare time who wanted to check, but at the point of issue there doesn't seem to be any request for a utility bill or any residence check as far as I can see. (I was hoping someone might correct me if that was wrong.) Shouldn't be surprised, checking residency history/intentions would be quite a big ask for £35, let alone any checks on boat details or ownership, no matter how superficial.

Tempted to register HMS Queen Elizabeth in my name for £35 quid. I'd have to claim it was 23.9 metres long but I'm quite used to telling fibs about the length of boats.