Selling a used engine abroad

KREW2

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I have recently removed my engine from my boat and have had an inquiry from an Italian buyer.
He wants to go ahead with the purchase, but needs to see the engines documentation.
I have no separate documents for the engine. Does anyone have any idea what he may want.
 
I expect he will have to register the engine details with his boat details. He is probably expecting the engine's Certificate of Conformity showing that it meets EU standards. However I would guess your engine predates all this stuff and probably the only documents that came with it would be the owner's manual which might show the engine number.
 
I expect he will have to register the engine details with his boat details. He is probably expecting the engine's Certificate of Conformity showing that it meets EU standards. However I would guess your engine predates all this stuff and probably the only documents that came with it would be the owner's manual which might show the engine number.

If Italy is the same as Portugal, the engine is part of the boat's registration and paperwork trail from new is required, including original dealer's invoice. I was unable to sell a paperless outboard to a Portuguese guy because the authorities wouldn't register for his tender.
 
I expect he will have to register the engine details with his boat details. He is probably expecting the engine's Certificate of Conformity showing that it meets EU standards. However I would guess your engine predates all this stuff and probably the only documents that came with it would be the owner's manual which might show the engine number.
I suspect that Graham has hit the nail on the head.
 
Thanks for the replies.
I have asked him but there is a bit of a language problem. He emailed me back with a picture of the engine from the advert, asking if I have documentation like the photo to prove it is 18hp.
I was wondering if he meant a brochure, but having read Graham's reply I may be in the same boat.
 
If Italy is the same as Portugal, the engine is part of the boat's registration and paperwork trail from new is required, including original dealer's invoice. I was unable to sell a paperless outboard to a Portuguese guy because the authorities wouldn't register for his tender.

I've had to put off a delivery from Croatia until the spring because of that. We finally got the yacht paperwork sorted, but to get an export licence, the engine has to have its own paper trail. Another few weeks of time wasting...for us, anyway.
 
Thanks for the replies.
I have asked him but there is a bit of a language problem. He emailed me back with a picture of the engine from the advert, asking if I have documentation like the photo to prove it is 18hp.
I was wondering if he meant a brochure, but having read Graham's reply I may be in the same boat.

I would send him the engine number and a link to the section on the Volvo site where you can enter the engine number and it will give you the model type.
 
If Italy is the same as Portugal, the engine is part of the boat's registration and paperwork trail from new is required, including original dealer's invoice. I was unable to sell a paperless outboard to a Portuguese guy because the authorities wouldn't register for his tender.

Gotta love the single market.
 
Gotta love the single market.

Except ..... that this is nothing to do with the "single market". Registration of boats and engines, or indeed many other items are the responsibility of individual states so inevitably differ.
 
Except ..... that this is nothing to do with the "single market". Registration of boats and engines, or indeed many other items are the responsibility of individual states so inevitably differ.

Except that the idea of the EU is that all member States play on a level field. As far as recreational boating is concerned, it's the UK which is out of step as most if not all other States have legislation and registration in place, much to the surprise of many UK boaters.
 
Except that the idea of the EU is that all member States play on a level field. As far as recreational boating is concerned, it's the UK which is out of step as most if not all other States have legislation and registration in place, much to the surprise of many UK boaters.

The "level playing field" is only on the things that are covered by the EU, and this is not one of them neither are many other issues. There is no EU directive on registration of items of equipment, nor on the buying and selling of secondhand goods between private individuals which are subject to local state laws.

This is one of the misconceptions about the EU. There are still vast areas of life that are still under the direct control of individual states, hence the wide variation between states. The fear among those who oppose membership of the EU is that this proportion will shrink over time as the EU takes over more and more of our daily life.
 
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Quote Originally Posted by Graham376
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If Italy is the same as Portugal, the engine is part of the boat's registration and paperwork trail from new is required, including original dealer's invoice. I was unable to sell a paperless outboard to a Portuguese guy because the authorities wouldn't register for his tender.

Greece is the same, a friend wanted to put a small outboard as a backup on his fishing boat, they would not register it without paperwork. I used an A4 paper with the RYA logo on the top, put all the details of the engine on it, signed it at the bottom, with my name and B.O.C. after it, put a Brit stamp on it, then date stamped over it, (the Greeks like stamps!) the result was, it was accepted (cost 29 euros) and put on the boat registration documents, job done.
 
The "level playing field" is only on the things that are covered by the EU, and this is not one of them neither are many other issues. There is no EU directive on registration of items of equipment, nor on the buying and selling of secondhand goods between private individuals which are subject to local state laws.

This is one of the misconceptions about the EU. There are still vast areas of life that are still under the direct control of individual states, hence the wide variation between states. The fear among those who oppose membership of the EU is that this proportion will shrink over time as the EU takes over more and more of our daily life.

The most onerous requirements from each Country will be cobbled together for some sort of registration directive. Believe me, we're better off out of it.

Greece is the same, a friend wanted to put a small outboard as a backup on his fishing boat, they would not register it without paperwork. I used an A4 paper with the RYA logo on the top, put all the details of the engine on it, signed it at the bottom, with my name and B.O.C. after it, put a Brit stamp on it, then date stamped over it, (the Greeks like stamps!) the result was, it was accepted (cost 29 euros) and put on the boat registration documents, job done.

I think that's commonly known as forgery
 
The most onerous requirements from each Country will be cobbled together for some sort of registration directive. Believe me, we're better off out of it.

That has already been tried and did not get very far. It does not create a barrier to trade and centralising it does not add to the power of the Commission so will be well down the list.

My personal view is that post Brexit, however it turns out, the EU will back off more centralisation because remaining members will resist. They have far more pressing things to grapple with such as defence and sorting out the Euro.
 
Thanks for the replies.
I have asked him but there is a bit of a language problem. He emailed me back with a picture of the engine from the advert, asking if I have documentation like the photo to prove it is 18hp.
I was wondering if he meant a brochure, but having read Graham's reply I may be in the same boat.

Happy to help with any translation if required. Presumably you are talking about an inboard engine for a sailing boat. In Italy, if a sailing boat is under 10 (?) metres, it does not need to be registered with the authorities, but the engine's certificate, issued by the vendor at the time of sale, will have an engine number and certify the hp. This will be required for the purposes of identification of the boat, needed for insurance, which is obligatory (third-party or 'responsabilità civile' as it's called).
 
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