UK Flagged Yacht in Caribbean - Part 1 or Part 111 Registration?

[msanford]

Advice needed:
I am proposing to purchase a yacht that is lying in Bonaire. The Yacht is US flagged so I am assuming that will have to change as I am not a US citizen.
As a UK National I can register the yacht with MCA either Part 1 which is the full blown registration process that gives full proof of ownership etc; or Part 3 (also known as SSR - Small Ships Register).
Ideally I would like to register as Part 1 but there is a current delay of 8-10 weeks to process the paperwork. I can register for Part 3 online.
My question is: If I only register for Part 3 will this documentation be acceptable and suficient for the numerous Authorities in the Caribbean?
If Part 1 is required how would I handle the fact that the yacht would not be registered for almost 3 months?

 

[KellysEye]

Definitely Part 1, authorities can get huffy if you can't prove ownership. I would be very cautious and ensure you have paperwork that proves you have bought the boat, if you move around.

Getting around the three month delay: stay in Bonaire, there's great diving. Or, it might work if you can prove you have applied for Part 1.

 

[timentide]

7 years, 39 countries ,circumnavigated the Caribbean all with Part 111. Never had any query whatsoever about ownership or Registration. Down to personal preference.

 

[tcm]

Not so. kellyseye. I have p3, no problem at all in carib. Think about it - how on earth would authorities know about part1 needing lots of bits of paper, really? They wouldn't, they don't, and a bit of paper, any paper, is just fine.

 

[HoratioHB]

Agree, I have just SSR and it works everywhere for me. I do have a bill of sale but have never been asked for it.

 

[mandlmaunder]

I'm with Horatiob on this 1. SSR works fine and is 1 laminated document so is easy for you to keep , and easy to understand for all parties involved in checking in and out of any country.
We have SSR only and never have any problems in the caribbean.

 

[Salty John]

Yes, I agree with SSR. Several years in USA and Caribbean - no problems.

 

[maxi77]

These days part 1 is a single laminated sheet too, so no difference there, but I agree either satisfy the need to show the vessel is British registered

 

[absit_omen]

I am not a lawyer but have been in a similar situaton. I offer the following points.

1. Posession of a Part 1 Certificate does not prove ownership. It proves that the vessel is REGISTERED the Part 1 Register and that any mortgages are recorded on that register. These mortgages are not shown on he Certificate but if they exist on the Register, you do NOT own the boat and will not be permitted to transfer to a future purchaser until they have been discharged to the satisfacton of the Registrar. Sounds like nit picking but it is an important legal point. I know from experience as, when I tried to re-register a Part 1 boat in my name, the Registry refused as there were two outstanding mortgages on it. I contacted the YBDSA who advised me to sue the broker and return the boat. I didn't but that is a different story.

2. Initial Registration for Part 1 requires a formal measurement procedure which (for ships under 45ft - 13.7m - LOA can be undertaken by RYA measuesrs at a special fee). Even so, Part 1 Registration, which involves provision of full documentary evidence of title for scrutiny by the registrar, as well as the services of a professional surveyor are required. Details of tonnage measurement of vessels under 45 ft are given in Merchant Shipping Notice M1162, available from the RYA.

3. If she was already Part 1 I would continue with it, just for the sake of neatness and it is nice to have a flashier document. It used to be even nicer to have the old Blue Book with Copperplate writing within.

4. Another problem with previously unregistered yachts is that there is insufficient documentation to trace ownership back to the time when the yacht was built. The Registrar of British Shipping will not accept a new application without full documentation being available.

5. I have owned two Part 1 Registered yachts and four Part 3 Registered yachts. I have never noticed any difference in any foreign authorities reaction when producing either document.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[SimonJ]

SSR has worked well for me in Leewards,Windwards, BVI, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Trinida , USA & Canada etc. It is rarely checked thoroughly or at all, anyway; usually you (not the officials) transfer the info onto any form that is required (and there are usually lots of them!) Even when I have had an out of date SSR while awaiting arrival of a new one, noone has noticed or apparently cared.
The authorities see so many different registration documents from many different countries that they usually do not know/understand what they are looking at (if they look). The only folk who are brighter than the average and may check are the French island officials.
Going to Europe (if you do) may attract some deeper scrutiny although the last time I entered through the Azores it was again casual.

 

[jamie_Cacique]

My boat circumnavigated 1990-1993 with the SSR no problems

 

[tcm]

Wow, quite a good trick to circumnavigate around four economically quite tough years. I think I might try circumnavigating around 2009 and 2010.

 

[snowleopard]

I went all through the Windward & Leeward islands with an SSR certificate. The customs man in Martinique pointed out the bit that said "This certificate is not proof of ownership" and asked for proof. When I said it was on board and offered to fetch it he backed off.

On another occasion a customs man said that it wasn't like a previous British certificate he had seen (presumably a part 1 cert) but he accepted it after a bit of humming and hawing.

 

[absit_omen]

I wonder if showing him the Bill of Sale may have helped?

As an aside, many years ago in the Army, we needed NATO Travel Orders even to drive from Germany to UK (via Belguim or Holland). In those days borders were manned.

Whenever I travelled I always made sure I had every sub-unit 'stamp' all over the document. Didn't mean a damn thing but I still believe that the more 'official' stamps on a bit of paper, the less hassle you get.

I used to have fun taking my boat stamp and ink pad into Spanish Marina Offices, make a great show of stamping the receipt and then asking the receptionist to sign over the stamp to 'witness' it. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[msanford]

Many thanks to all for the information, I think I will go withh SSR if I buy the boat.
Just as a matter of interest though, It was suggested on a post in Cruisers Forum that a Part 1 registration in Jersey can be achieved quickly and is reasonably cheap as renewal is only every 10 years which could be an advantage.
http://www.jersey-harbours.com/
Once again thanks for the response