Tranona
Well-Known Member
But presumably you want to be able to say that the boat belongs to you? A Bill of Sale is just a receipt, and an SSR registration is not evidence of title, so the only way that you will be able to show that the boat belongs to you is to haul out the entire set of Bills of Sale. This may not matter in NW Europe at the moment, but Brexit could change all that, and it certainly matters outside Europe.
A Bill of Sale is NOT a receipt. It is the document recording the transfer of title. The Certificate of Registry is NOT the title. It is just what it says - a certificate confirming the registration of the title. To register the title you need the Bill of Sale which shows that clear title has been passed to you.
Th trail of title is Builders Certificate then Bill of Sale to first owner, then all subsequent Bills of Sale when title changes hands. The record at the registry just confirms that all changes in title have been registered.
For most people the only reason for having the boat registered is to comply with international law when sailing outside home waters, and particularly visiting foreign ports. The SSR fulfils this role.