Used yachts from the USA

[medusaboat]

Assuming one has the necessary experience to bring a used yacht, purchased in th USA back across the Atlantic are there any other pitfalls to buying out there? VAT and bringing up to RCD spec. are the only two that I can forsee. It seems that US prices are far lower than we can hope to pay in Europe.

 

[gjgm]

well the exchange rate is in our favour these days. Not sure what the CE certificate costs, but I m not sur its negligible . Theres a comoany called CEproof or something..might be worth a quick chat.

 

[marcost]

be carefull if you buy a boat build before the enty into force of the EU RCD directive; also this boat has to fulfill completely the directive because the boat is imported to the EU after the date of entry into force

 

[adrianm]

Cost of gaining an RCD for an existing non-certified boat was 10k when I looked into it about 4 years ago. Obviously some things could be hugely expensive to change making it a lot more than that.

 

[Salty John]

RCD compliance is probably the biggest single expense, but there are boats for sale in the USA that are already RCD compliant or exempt. Other costs include travelling to the USA to find the boat and the cost of getting it back to Europe.

 

[ean_p]

Isn't the RCD fulfillment required only if you sell the boat in the EU ?

 

[whisper]

Yes, I believe so.

 

[shamrock]

No. Required to use or sell a boat in EU waters

One reference for example - see about half way down the page.
RCD reference

 

[whisper]

Mmm. Interesting. Thanks for the correction. I'm sure that this has been mentioned here in the past and the general opinion was that if you imported it yourself there would be no problem until you sold it on. CLANG!!

 

[medusaboat]

Thanks for all your help everybody. The 10K figure for bringing a boat up to RCD spec. sounds a little frightening. Does anybody know of a 'rough' guide to the RCD that would apply to a 1970's built yacht??? Also - with reguard to removing the yacht from US waters / registration, is there any foreseable problem there???
Thanks

 

[Sea Devil]

But all that really on applies to new boats ???

- can't find the reference for the date but any boat that was built before 1998??? or visited an EU port and the owner provides a certificate saying it did, is exempt from the regulations... Until you sell... But that's a law without teeth because none of the boats in Europe generally had the plate etc so in an older boat you would not expect to find such a plate.. Certainly not in my 18 year old Prout..

Also it depends what you decide to plate the boat as suitable for... If you go to the very minimum - inland waters and 100 metres from the beach - or whatever it is - you can do that very cheaply... There is no UK law saying you cannot take a river boat to sea..

Now I do intend buying an older US boat under the above - I think..

Could be terribly wrong about all of the above... Await somebody more knowledgeable!

Thanks

Michael

 

[shamrock]

Any boat imported into the EU now is classed as a new import, regardless of when built. Pre 1998 boats are not exempt unless they can prove that they were somewhere in Europe (or the EEA, which includes quite a few carib. islands) at some point, however brief, before the 1998 date. Rather like VAT, you need a yard or marina receipt with the right date / place on it.

Once exempt, it stays exempt, even when you sell it on. And there's no official approval of exemption, you just have to give whatever evidence you have to whatever official has asked you for it at the dockside or wherever, and they can choose to believe you or not, I understand.

Google or search this forum, it's all been covered before. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the RCD for new boats, it's application to old ones is just plain daft when two identical boats can be legal or illegal depending on where they have travelled. But it is the law as it stands.

 

[Lizzie_B]

The simplest thing is to import it back into a country in the next wave of EU joiners. Then as with Malta in 2004 all boats already there on the day of accession are exempt from RCD and VAT.

There is much scaremongering about the RCD, it need not be that expensive to comply with. You can self certify up to category B, only requiring a notified body such as the RYA to do the stability figures. RCD although termed in location definitions places no geographical limits on where the vessel can be operated.

If absolutely determined to import direct into the EU it is vital to do your homework on who is going to offer the best 'deal' on VAT and import duties. UK did one of the worst last time I checked. Azores and Madeira used to do good packages.

The most important thing is to see it as a long term project and not a quick fix and do your homework.

Please feel free to PM me if you want more detailed info.

It is also important to realise that rules vary from state to state in the USA as well, and of course boat prices vary aidely according to location.

 

[adrianm]

[ QUOTE ]
You can self certify up to category B, only requiring a notified body such as the RYA to do the stability figures.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you sure? There's a lot more to the RCD than just stability figures. When I built my boat I had reams and reams of regulations I had to comply with. Fortunately I didn't have to bother with all the paperwork in the end as it counts as a self-build.

 

[Lizzie_B]

Last time I checked the regs you can self certify completely cat D. You can self certify catC and catB except for the stability figures which must be done by a notified body, eg RYA. The biggest problem in britain is getting hold of the actual specs for different things if you are not a builder or a member of a group of surveyors who specialise in making money out of RCD'ing your boat.
The regs can be downloaded from the eu website and RYA used to (may still do so )supply a CD-ROM for a price.
The biggest unknown at the moment is what they intend to do about the stupid engine test regs, which I think will have to be re-drafted.