Yacht Registration FAQ
Yacht Registration Introduction | Yacht Registration In Depth
The sophisticated rules governing Ports of Registry and EU VAT means that an informed decision must be made when choosing a British Port of Registry, as each Port of Registry has different regulations in place, offering its own benefits, and in some instances, disadvantages.
Why use Oakfield Maritime? Why not liaise directly with the relevant shipping registry?
There is absolutely nothing to stop the yacht owner dealing directly with the respective shipping registries. However, the yacht registration process is a time consuming and some times complicated procedure.
By utilising the services of Oakfield Maritime, yacht owners are provided with a complete yacht registration package that ultimately saves them time, trouble and inconvenience.
The fees charged by Oakfield Maritime are very competitive resulting in the yacht owner paying only a small premium on top of what they would pay the registry when dealing direct.
In addition the yacht owner not only gains the benefit of our experience in the field of yacht registration and marine documentation, but also the support of our network of contacts in the yachting world including flag state authorities, builders, brokers, project managers, charter agents, financiers, insurers, surveyors, shipyards, radio and satellite accounting authorities, crew employment/training agencies, delivery/transport companies, bunker suppliers and customs agents.
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Why do I need to register my yacht?
To assign a nationality to the vessel for cruising internationally and to provide evidence of ownership.
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How long does the yacht registration process take?
Oakfield Maritime’s primary aim is always to register a client's vessel in the shortest possible time. To avoid disappointment, we usually estimate that the process takes approximately four weeks, but the time taken is heavily dependent on the availability of title documentation and the speed in which we can arrange the tonnage survey.
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Can I choose and use any name for a particular yacht?
Traditionally under Part I of the British register it is not possible to duplicate the name of an already Part I registered vessel or to use a name that might be easily confused with an already Part I registered vessel.
More recently some of the offshore registries have created separate name registers from that of the UK Central Registry of Shipping & Seamen resulting in an opportunity to secure approval for names that otherwise would be unavailable.
It is not permitted to use a name that might generally cause confusion (i.e. a name which may be confused with a distress signal) or be likely to cause offence.
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My yacht is a production model. Do I still have to have a tonnage survey?
A tonnage survey is required even where a vessel is a production model (where the principal statistics may be known from other examples of the same type). This is because individual vessels can differ slightly from other examples of the same type and, even more importantly, the survey provides the respective Registry of Ships with proof that the vessel actually exists in lieu of them physically verifying its existence themselves.
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What is a Carving and Marking Note and what are Carving and Marking formalities?
The Carving & Marking Note is a document issued by the respective shipping registry once the initial application to register a particular yacht has been accepted and after satisfactory evidence of ownership and tonnage survey report have been presented. The document advises the Official Number of the vessel together with its tonnage and it also carries instructions on how the yacht's name and port of registry should be applied.
Depending on the size of the vessel and individual registry requirements, this can be completed by the owner, British consul, registrar, and certain survey or classification societies. Once the document has been signed off and returned to the shipping registry it marks the completion of formalities, which in turn enables the Certificate of British Registry to be issued.
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If you are registering my vessel at one of the British ports of registry, does it ever physically have to visit the port of registry?
No, the yacht does not ever have to physically visit its port of registry. One of the main purposes of the tonnage survey is to verify that the yacht actually exists which in theory, means that the registry are obtaining independent third party verification of the existence of the vessel in lieu of them seeing it in person.
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What documentation should I carry onboard a British registered yacht cruising in foreign waters?
As a minimum, the yacht's original Certificate of Registry should always be carried onboard in addition to the original Radio Licence (if transmitting/radar equipment fitted), proof of the yacht's VAT or taxation status and proof of insurance, not only for the yacht itself but also proof of sufficient Third Party Liability cover (including local translations where applicable).
The vessel should also fly the correct flag, which in the case of a British registered vessel is the red ensign.
If the vessel is chartering then its original Certificate of MCA Code of Practice compliance should be carried, together with any local licenses that may be required for the yacht to charter. It is also useful to carry the charter agreement onboard.
In addition to the aforementioned vessel documentation, it is prudent for anybody onboard to carry their passports and, where appropriate, radio operator's certificates and evidence of sailing qualifications. Where the yacht is owned by a company, it is useful for at least the Captain and the principal user(s) to carry onboard some form of formal authorisation for them to be onboard and be able to use the vessel.
As there may be certain national and regional variations to the above list (i.e. where local cruising permits may be necessary) it is always worthwhile to check local regulations in advance.
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How large does the letters of the name and port of registry have to be?
The name and port of registry should always be clearly readable from a distance.
In practice the British Merchant Shipping Regulations lay down a minimum height for the letters making up the name and port of registry of approximately four inches or ten centimetres in height and of proportionate breadth.
The name and port of registry of a British registered yacht should always be applied to the stern or rear quarters of the vessel onto a permanent part of the yacht's hull and not on any movable or removable objects.
Care should be taken to ensure that the name and port of registry are positioned so that the words are not obscured by tenders, particularly when underway.
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What is the Small Ships Register or SSR?
The SSR (officially known as Part III of the British Register of Ships) was introduced to provide a cheap and easy form of documentation for owners of smaller yachts to enable them to take their vessels abroad.
Oakfield Maritime strongly counsels against registering yachts of higher value under the SSR. The SSR is not a register of title as the applicant does not actually have to prove ownership of the vessel concerned to register.
Additionally there is no requirement for a tonnage survey to be performed on the vessel to prove that it actually exists.
Overall there is very little to prevent the system from being abused, for example, the registration of a yacht in the name of somebody who is not the owner, the registration of a yacht that does not physically exist, the registration of the same yacht on the SSR more than once or a misrepresentation of yacht dimensions.
The SSR is not available to yachts owned by companies or to yachts over 24 metres in length. Mortgages cannot be attached to vessels registered under the SSR and therefore it is not a viable option for yachts being financed.
SSR registration can have a negative effect on the value of a yacht and compromise its eventual resale as any prospective purchaser has no way of establishing that the person selling the vessel to them is the real owner of the vessel, that the purported owner has not previously sold the vessel to somebody else, or that there are any mortgages outstanding against the vessel.
Additionally if the prospective purchaser of the yacht wishes themselves to register the vessel under Part I of the register then it can be difficult on an SSR registered vessel to trace back an adequate chain of title (proof of ownership) to enable them to properly register the vessel.
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