Red Diesel & Belgium

Hi,

Since you are talking about customs etc, how is the situation with VATax. I am especially interested about Italy and France since I plan to pass there some time this summer.

In Greece most sailing boats are VAT free, if you can prove that you charter them 60 days per year (which I do).

I also heard that France does not like this and VAT not paid boats are confiscated. Did you hear such a law? I have legal international papers including  boat registration, inspection certificate by the Lloyds register of shipping, radio station license, environmental license  for the bilges, mouse and insect inspection certificate... .In Greece anything over 12 meters is considered a ship!!!

Hi Charles,

When you fit radar its just a case of updating the radio licence to include radar, or if you are commissioning a new boat then include it with any emitting apparatus. Unlike a VHF radio you do not need a licence to operate a radar.

This will sound very nerdish, but although one does not need to register a boat if it stays in UK waters it does have to be registered if it goes foreign. Our Small Ships Register was created after the French suddenly started fining unregistered UK boats. The French have a law that requires foreign flagged boats to comply with it own national maritime regulations (not unreasonable). As it would have been virtually impossible for most UK yacht owners go down the full registration route the SSR was devised.


Regards

Ian

Oh dear - I guess we have an inter European "situation" here

In my opinion there is no question that the so-called "flag state principle" applies here. This means that the Belgian authorities seem to be way out of line.

As for registering the boat, that is not required in Denmark either and no other EU nation can require Danish boats to be registered before entering their waters. We do have the possibility of getting a so-called international certificate very similar to the Swedish one referred to by Johan. As I understand it, this has no legal status, but is rather designed to help sailors out with any bureaucratic "red tape" when entering foreign harbours.

By the way, I had my tank filled up with what looked very much like red diesel in Belgium in 2009, but apparently rules have changed.

We will maybe have to wait until the Belgian authorities are corrected in court Meanwhile, you can probably safely enter Danish waters. Here the authorities are mostly not even interested in whatever beverages you carry on board.

Ole,

The next visit to ostend will be No 56

Samuel,