If you bring it into Canada, you probably won't have to
pay any duty if the boat was built in Canada or the US (free trade) but
you'll probabably have to pay some fees and perhaps taxes

I contemplated purchasing a Union 36 (Taiwan built) and a Joet 37 (French
built) until I found out how much duty I would have to pay (on top of money
exchange and taxes).
Buy Canadian or US built unless you have the extra money.


"Evan Gatehouse" wrote in message
...

"Jason" wrote in message
...
Is there a federal "documentation-registration" vs provincial
registration like the US doc and state reg?

Sort of. There is federal documentation. It is mandatory for vessels
15
G.T. (gross tons, a measure of volume, not anything to do with
displacement). Costs would probably be about $250 Cdn for flagging it
as
Cdn vessel, and additional $250 for an approved surveyor (like somebody
from
ABS) to do the measuring. Some fees are he

http://www.canlii.org/ca/regu/sor2-172/part53635.html

Documented boats can be used more easily as security for marine
mortages. A
documented boat is also an absolute proof of ownership.

Then there is a licensed vessel for smaller vessels. These are more
locally
admininstered (though not the provinces) and are generally involve less
paperwork. I don't know if can get a non Cdn flag vessel licensed in
Canada
without being there.

Is it possible to change flags without physically taking the boat into
Canada?

Yes. Talk to transport Canada about what you have to do.

We have Canadian passports - US legal residents and living in Oregon.

Cruising friends we knew 8-9 years ago bought a boat in Boston and
cruised the boat thru the Pacific for 4 years before taking it back to
Vancouver. I seem to recollect that they changed the flag over to
Canadian in Boston and never had to do anything but paperwork. Then
when they returned to Canada they had to cough up some $ for duty.

If you're keeping the boat in the US, I'd just get it flagged as a US
state
licensed vessel. If you're not US citizens, you can't get it as a US
documented boat. If you bring it into Canada, you probably won't have
to
pay any duty if the boat was built in Canada or the US (free trade) but
you'll probabably have to pay some fees and perhaps taxes.

--
Evan Gatehouse

you'll have to rewrite my email address to get to me
ceilydh AT 3web dot net
(fools the spammers)