Ships Radio Licences

[nautigirl]

Our British-flagged boat will be kept in the Med for the nex few years. Do I need

a) to renew our UK Ships radio Licence when it expires?
b) to buy a French (or other ) radio licence?
c) do nothing and save a couple of quid?

The provider of any advice that results in me being banged-up will, of course, be expected to stand bail for me /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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[Magic_Sailor]

As you are a naughtigirl, the use of the phrase "banged up" is somewhat inappropriate!

Renew your radio licence otherwise you will be. They will demand evidence.



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[nautigirl]

Oh, you are awful, but I like you!
But before you get too excited, I ought to warn you that I have a few miles on the clock now!!

And who is 'they' in this context?

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[snowleopard]

sure you need to have a licence from your country of registry - but how do you renew it when cruising half way round the world?

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[kgi]

You can renew it online, the forms are abit naff but itsnot to bad and pay with your credit card,or direct debit your account every year, i found the staff there really quite helpful (unexpected)..........keith

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[Magic_Sailor]

They.... them....the others

Yer Frenchy



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[Happy1]

I put full stops in between my initials (it does not accept them), it took me about 20 mins to find out why it would not go through to the next page withour 'error' showing up, YES very naff forms.

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[Sybarite]

I have a French based boat which carries a British flag because that's what I am.

12 years ago I installed a VHF and applied to the RYA to do the necessary to get it registered. They told me that because I was based in France I should contact the local authorities. I did so and they told me that because I had a British flag I needed to contact the UK authorities. I sent (translated) copies of each reply to the other and said that I would be happy to comply with either if they coulld reach a consensus.

I am still waiting.

At one time I also wanted to charter my boat. To do this you need a certificate from the "Affaires Maritimes" basically to say that your boat complies with the safety requirements of its category. They refused again on the grounds that I had a foreign flag even though I was based in France; when I said that the natural corrollary to this was that I didn't have to comply with the strict French category regulations, they agreed.

John

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[vyv_cox]

My British-flagged boat has been in Holland for 6 years now. My VHF remains on a UK licence.

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[Cornishman]

Maybe YOU are British, but where is the boat registered? I have sailed under all sorts of foreign flags because that was where the boats were registered - and that is the important bit. Once you have established this fact you can then find out where you get your radio licence from as well as, for example, your Small Commercial Vessel Code of Practice certificate or its equivalent.

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[wpsalm]

Don,t have one and in 20 years of cruising never been asked for one , was planning to sail to europe this summer but starting to wonder if it,ll be worth the trouble...

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[nautigirl]

Thanks for all the advice, guys. Does anybody know if the RA do licence renewal by Direct Debit/Standing Order?

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[LadyInBed]

Yes, they do do Direct Debit, mine is done that way.

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[Sybarite]

When a French person registers a boat in France he gets a document called the "Acte de Francisation". A foreigner living in France must also register his boat - for tax purposes - but as a vessel under a foreign flag. He is not allowed the "Acte de Francisation " which is reserved for French nationals. The document he gets is called a a yacht "Passeport" and the annual tax due is the same as for the others. By definition then the French authorities consider that the registration nationality of the boat follows the nationality of its owner. I suppose I could go to the expense of registering the boat again in the UK but, that's the point, it would involve duplicating the cost which for me is against EU law regarding freedom of movement. Also If I did I would at each time I have a custom's check in French waters have to justify that VAT etc had been paid. It's much easier to explain that the boat has never been registered anywhere other than in France. I already have had this type of discussion on many occasions and the customs men are clearly unsure themselves.

Does anybody have the authoritative answer?


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[Rowana]

Sounds like a whole load of EU clap-trap. If the EU is to work as it should, then you should have the same documentation (and rules) as the French, since to all intents and purposes that's where you AND the boat are based.

All IMHO of course.

Jim

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[charles_reed]

The only thing for which you're paying is your call-sign - the Douaniers aren't interested in whether you've paid your UK Radio Licence.

If your boat is in France and you have an alternative EC permanaent address (ie you're not living on your boat) they're not interested either BUT

If you're living on the boat with no main EC address outside France you've got 6 months in which to apply - either for the passeport or (more simply) for francisation.

The annual droit de navigation for an 11m boat is 381€ with a further 30€ for the administration. Your passeport would come to the same but you've also got to pay each year for an inspection to determine your category.
The above fee covers light dues as well as radio licence.
If you have a motor yacht you're charged a much higher fee based on the CV of the motors - it works out at 1000s of €; which is why you find so many red-ensigned power boats in French waters, on which not a word of English is spoken.

I'm sure you'll agree £20 (which I've just paid) is a not-excessive marine tax to have to pay?

PS If US or Eireann you don't pay anything - so why not, Siobhan, register the boat in say Wexford - you'll even be able to get cheap diesel whilst in France.

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