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#1
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Importing a sailboat in Miami
I have bought a sailboat from a european guy and need to import it into
US. I'm told I need to find a specialized custom broker who knows how to do something like this. I need to find someone in Miami. Can you recommend someone effective and reasonably priced in Miami, preferably close to Miami Port or Miami Beach? Thanks a lot M |
#2
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Importing a sailboat in Miami
you will need a customs house broker. there is only one really that does boats
that everyone use. I cant find their name right now but ifyou call Jan Saxton Yacht documentaiton in Ft. lauderdale they will giveyou the guys name. shipping sources are sevenseas and yacht-transport.com hope this helps. |
#3
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Importing a sailboat in Miami
On Fri, 08 Aug 2003 22:24:42 GMT, MJ
wrote: I have bought a sailboat from a european guy and need to import it into US. I'm told I need to find a specialized custom broker who knows how to do something like this. I need to find someone in Miami. Can you recommend someone effective and reasonably priced in Miami, preferably close to Miami Port or Miami Beach? Thanks a lot M I wouldn't pay too much to a customs broker to do this. All you need to do is to determine the right customs classification, and document the country of manufacture and document the price you paid....plus things you added. The duty is 1.5% from any country that makes boats, plus a .21% processing fee with a max processing fee of $485. Customs classification can be complex but this looks like a no-brainer: The number is 8903.91.00.25 if the boat is not over 9.2 meters long and has an engine and 8903.91.00.35 if it's over 9.2 meters. You might need advice if the stated length is less than 9.2 meters and the overall length is longer. . Here's the classification scheme: http://dataweb.usitc.gov/scripts/tariff/0310c89.pdf The only time I can think of where you might be required to have a customs broker is if you aren't with the boat when it clears customs. If you happen to be shipping the boat, the freight forwarder can handle all this. |
#4
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Importing a sailboat in Miami
On Fri, 08 Aug 2003 22:24:42 GMT, MJ
wrote: I have bought a sailboat from a european guy and need to import it into US. I'm told I need to find a specialized custom broker who knows how to do something like this. I need to find someone in Miami. Can you recommend someone effective and reasonably priced in Miami, preferably close to Miami Port or Miami Beach? Thanks a lot M Some further info http://www.cbp.gov/ImageCache/cgov/c.../publications/ pleasureboats_2edoc/v1/pleasureboats.doc |
#6
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Importing a sailboat in Miami
Dick Locke wrote:
What about buying a boat outside the country, and sailing it home? Can one stop in other countries on the way home w/o problem? I'm considering a purchase in South America and would be sailing through the Caribbean enroute to a Mid Atlantic port. It would be nice to be able to stop in at least a couple of islands to refuel & reprovision. Assuming your home is the US, you won't have any problem from US customs. Thanks, my question is about other island nations along the way. |
#7
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Importing a sailboat in Miami
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#8
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Importing a sailboat in Miami
All of the "other island" nations require ships papers to clear in and
out of each one. So the boat has to be registered and/or documented somewhere before you start out on your trip. If it is not, they won't let you clear in/out of customs and immigration at each stop. You also need passports and crew list for all aboard. Kelton s/v Isle Escape Chelsea wrote: Dick Locke wrote: What about buying a boat outside the country, and sailing it home? Can one stop in other countries on the way home w/o problem? I'm considering a purchase in South America and would be sailing through the Caribbean enroute to a Mid Atlantic port. It would be nice to be able to stop in at least a couple of islands to refuel & reprovision. Assuming your home is the US, you won't have any problem from US customs. Thanks, my question is about other island nations along the way. |
#9
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Importing a sailboat in Miami
Thanks to all who are responding.
To be very clear, what I am exploring is picking up a boat in So. America and traveling fairly directly to the USA, but with brief stops of a few days at several ports along the way. A stay of a couple of weeks would be the longest I imagine in any foreign port along the way - and that only if there were problems needing repairs, or if there were severe weather impeding forward travel. I would have, I expect, the pre-sale registration, a Bill of Sale to me, the signed-over Title, and of course passports for myself and crew. Should I arrange to have the Title submitted here in the USA before departing SA? I've bought & sold here in the USA so I am familiar with state to state issues. But if I do this it will be the first buy-overseas-and-bring-home. Any suggestions on methods of preparing documentation for smooth port clearance along the way welcome. |
#10
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Importing a sailboat in Miami
We're in the middle of this very thing -- see www.mvfintry.com -- boat
on the British Registry, purchased in England, coming back to the USA, God willing, next June. Briefly -- The boat's US customs status and its registration status are two different things. You can register (document) the boat in the USA before it leaves the country where you purchased it and then travel home, making as many stops as you like. The authorities in the intervening countries will see a USA document and will have no way of knowing that the boat hasn't cleared US customs (and wouldn't be interested even if they did know). You clear customs and pay duty on arrival in the US. You can also, technically, use a state registration, but having checked in to about forty countries on various yachts, I know I'd far rather have a USCG Document than the little card you get from Massachusetts, particularly if I wasn't fluent in the local language. (If you really want to do a state registration, search in this news group and read more.....) Now for the catches.... 1) proof of ownership 2) tonnage survey 3) time to get the USCG Document 4) licenses for captain and crew 5) FCC licenses 1) In order to get a USCG Document, you need to prove, to the satisfaction of the USCG, that you own the boat. In our case, this was easy -- she was on the British Registry in the name of the seller, we got notarized bills of sale on both the British form and the USCG form. She had to be formally removed from the British Registry and then that form, the measurement (see below) and the bills of sale submitted to the USCG Documentation Office. If she's on the national registry in the country where you're buying her, this should be no problem. The USCG Documentation Office will answer questions by e-mail or on the phone; if you don't like the answer, you may want to hire a documentation specialist. (I didn't.) 2) If the boat is 79' long or more, you have to have her measured for registry tonnage -- this takes a surveyor from one of the major agencies -- Lloyds Register, ABS, Bureau Veritas, etc. This costs money and requires hauling out, I think. The stated tonnage on her current registration is not acceptable to the USCG (at least the British tonnage wasn't in our case). Under 79' you can use a formula which is on the USCG web site. If she's bigger than 50 or 60 feet and you intend to do a lot of foreign cruising, you might think about having her surveyed to see if it comes out with a lower number than the formula. In many countries, your harbor and lighthouse dues (which can be considerable) are based on tonnage -- having a lower number is good. 3) It took the Documentation Office about six weeks to turn around our document, and that was without any snags. If you need faster action, it may be possible -- I don't know. You might also be able to register her in your name in the country where she is registered now and travel back to the USA on that registration (many countries, including the USA and Great Britain require you to be a citizen to own a boat under their flag). You could also register her in a third country, Gibraltar, for example. The bottom line is, however, that I would want a registration in my name. There are a lot of countries where you could get hung up for a long time if you tried to check in with, for example, only the old registration and a bill of sale... 4) In the USA, the operator of a recreational vessel under 200 gross tons doesn't require a license to drive the boat. In most of the world there is reciprocity -- if you come from a country that doesn't need a license, you don't need a license even if that country's own people do need one. This is not universally true, however, and you might want to check with the consulate of countries in South America in which you intend to stop -- I don't know this, I just remember reading that someone, maybe the Pardey's, had trouble with this somewhere in South America. 5) You will need radio licenses for you and for the boat. While the FCC rules now allow boats in the USA to operate VHF unlicensed, going foreign requires both a Ship Radio Station Authorization and at least a Restricted Radiotelephone Operator License. The FCC web site is almost unusable, but persevere and you will find applications for both of these on line. You can apply for the Ship Radio Station Authorization before you get your USCG document -- just leave the space for "Official Number" blank on the application. Jim Woodward www.mvfintry.com (Chelsea) wrote in message ... Thanks to all who are responding. To be very clear, what I am exploring is picking up a boat in So. America and traveling fairly directly to the USA, but with brief stops of a few days at several ports along the way. A stay of a couple of weeks would be the longest I imagine in any foreign port along the way - and that only if there were problems needing repairs, or if there were severe weather impeding forward travel. I would have, I expect, the pre-sale registration, a Bill of Sale to me, the signed-over Title, and of course passports for myself and crew. Should I arrange to have the Title submitted here in the USA before departing SA? I've bought & sold here in the USA so I am familiar with state to state issues. But if I do this it will be the first buy-overseas-and-bring-home. Any suggestions on methods of preparing documentation for smooth port clearance along the way welcome. |
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