importing boat from us of a.

[cabbron]

its not just the prices-the condition of the freshwater and ultra low hour boats over the pond seems like a plan for my next boat.the transport and shipping are reasonable,ce mark do-able but actual import costs i am unsure about.anyone done it who can offer up some advice?how much do the government steal-is it just vat or is there other taxes aswell?tia.

[Glosphil]

A friend of mine imported a 23' twin berth powerboat with a Volvo diesel engine from the States and even after all the additional costs it was still cheaper than buying it in the UK. That was a new boat though.

[moresauce]

Hi there,

It is perfectly possible but remember as soon as the boat is imported into the EU you will have to do the following:

- Pay VAT
- Have the boat inspected for RCD/CE compliance and altered to meet these requirements and then have a surveyor sign it all off
- If the boat is of a decent size you will need to change the electrics from 110V to 240V


Generally speaking by the time you add the shipping and the cost of the above plus flights to at least inspect the boat once and possible survey costs on a used boat it is not worth it and on a new boat as the UK dealer will want nothing to do with you as he didn't sell you the boat warranty etc could become a real pain to try to enforce.

What boat are you thinking of bringing in?

[davepoth]

The VAT and duty arrangements for boats are a little complicated as I remember, it's probably best to talk to a broker about it to confirm.

Of course you could work around that by stuffing it to the gunnels with cocaine.

[cabbron]

moresauce said:

Hi there,

It is perfectly possible but remember as soon as the boat is imported into the EU you will have to do the following:

- Pay VAT
- Have the boat inspected for RCD/CE compliance and altered to meet these requirements and then have a surveyor sign it all off
- If the boat is of a decent size you will need to change the electrics from 110V to 240V


Generally speaking by the time you add the shipping and the cost of the above plus flights to at least inspect the boat once and possible survey costs on a used boat it is not worth it and on a new boat as the UK dealer will want nothing to do with you as he didn't sell you the boat warranty etc could become a real pain to try to enforce.

What boat are you thinking of bringing in?

prob a pocket cruiser,wish i could find a diesel one over there but the savings look good on the obligatory 350 mag powered fayre.it would take the av. boater years to re-coup the fuel difference now the cherry stuff is limited,also maintainece wise/fuel bug issues are leaning me heavily towards taking the plunge.are there no other import taxes or fee's other than the vat?spose a check with hmc would be a good idea.

[moresauce]

Well,

How about a 35ft Monterey with twin diesels? Masses of space below decks and lots of extras, most importantly for you this particular one has twin Volvo D4's. I seem to remember she is pretty lightly used circa 70 hours.

More info here - http://tinyurl.com/monterey355

Already the cheapest for sale in the UK and the owner would listen to sensible offers for a quick sale.

[cabbron]

funnily enough monterey were nigh on top of my wish list a couple of years ago when i first got this itch,lovely balance of quality/price.that 315 is a bit rich for me although that model with twin d4's is cracking value.i am more into a 25 ish single tbh(i think).

Edited by cabbron on Monday 30th May 16:37

[Rum Runner]

Why bother....there are plenty of deals to be had over here.
Fresh water maybe good for engines.. bad for osmosis... especially if warm.
CE will cost 2k alone.

[cabbron]

why bother?simple the price.by my rough reckoning even after all dues are paid and jobs done there is still a good few years of free boating to be had.

[Rum Runner]

Privately imported boats tend to be worth less money..as people are less trusting of the paperwork.
Try putting offers on boats for sale here on the U.K you maybe surprised how much you will get off the asking price.

[cabbron]

fair point ,i suppose if somone is motivated to sell here there are going to be some good deals still about.2 years ago i was offered a new deal from the main dealer/importer that i really should have snapped up,less in fact than what some are asking for 07 boats now.all these deals seem to have been cleared up now.if i was intending to keep the boat a fair while and found a distressed sale on one in the usa that changes things again though.

[richardxjr]

I did this back when it was almost $2:£1. Had a colleague in Florida who found a boat for me: Bargain Regal 24' with closed cooling. Old guy selling who had it on a dock at the foot of his garden. Arrived with me in May, it sold in September.

Anyway, here are the numbers iirc:

Purchase price £7500
Fee to colleague to source boat, trailer, test it, and tow it up to the dock £500
New ali road trailer £1500
Shipping (RoRo), duty, VaT £3000
CE marking £2000
Antifoul & engine service £500
Marina fees May-Sept £500
New fenders, lines, etc, fuel May-Sept £500

Total cost £16,000 - not such a cheap boat now!

I was hoping to sell for £20k over the summer, but got just £17K in the end in September. A LOT of hassle, but a summer's free boating and a couple of quid for my trouble.