Long story that I will try and keep short...
I am a UK citizen currently in Florida and intending to spend the next year doing the loop. I have had an offer accepted on a 2004 Mainship 390, had the survey done and follow up repairs carried out by the seller, and have insurance offer in hand. So I have already jumped through a number of hurdles...
However the current issue that is stumping me is boat ownership and registration. The boat is USCG documented which I am not eligible to transfer as a non US citizen. This means the boat must be de-documented on transfer into my ownership. The usual alternative is state registration. This would be ok if I just kept the boat in a marina somewhere and didn't need to change port limits frequently. However doing the loop on a state registered boat as a foreigner creates a requirement for me to clear in and clear out of every port I pass through using a CBP1300 form which it so tedious on a 6000 mile trip as to be impractical.
This means I need to re-flag the vessel with one of the 30No countries which have reciprocal arrangements with the US and would allow me to obtain a one year cruising permit that would remove most of the restrictions.
I thought this just means paying a few hundred bucks to a title documentation company who would handle it for me in a straightforward manner.... Oh how naïve was I.!
The agent recommended the Marshall Islands as the best option for which I met the flagging requirements (less than 20 years old, more than 12 metres long and with valid liability insurance) so submitted the documentation and twiddled my thumbs for a few days waiting for approval, only to hear back that it was denied as the boat is only 11M long...
So to my question. The vessel length stated in the USCG title documentation is 36.7ft long. I dont know where this value has come from, but basically its 11.2M and considered too short.!
The Marshall Islands definition of LOA is “Length Overall (LOA)” means the distance from the forward side of the stem to the aftermost side of the stern".
This would exclude anything bolted on such as the pulpit and in earlier boats, the bolted on swim platform. However, somewhat crucially, by 2004 the swim platform was modified to be an integral part of the hull as is the bow anchor, bowsprit. I believe this makes the LOA to be 39'9" as stated in my survey but I am having a hard time locating any technical data to prove it. Anyone able to provide a link or a pdf with the boat dimensions, would be my new best friend for at least the length of time it took me to buy you a beer or two...
Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated
Thanx:
Jon
I am a UK citizen currently in Florida and intending to spend the next year doing the loop. I have had an offer accepted on a 2004 Mainship 390, had the survey done and follow up repairs carried out by the seller, and have insurance offer in hand. So I have already jumped through a number of hurdles...
However the current issue that is stumping me is boat ownership and registration. The boat is USCG documented which I am not eligible to transfer as a non US citizen. This means the boat must be de-documented on transfer into my ownership. The usual alternative is state registration. This would be ok if I just kept the boat in a marina somewhere and didn't need to change port limits frequently. However doing the loop on a state registered boat as a foreigner creates a requirement for me to clear in and clear out of every port I pass through using a CBP1300 form which it so tedious on a 6000 mile trip as to be impractical.
This means I need to re-flag the vessel with one of the 30No countries which have reciprocal arrangements with the US and would allow me to obtain a one year cruising permit that would remove most of the restrictions.
I thought this just means paying a few hundred bucks to a title documentation company who would handle it for me in a straightforward manner.... Oh how naïve was I.!
The agent recommended the Marshall Islands as the best option for which I met the flagging requirements (less than 20 years old, more than 12 metres long and with valid liability insurance) so submitted the documentation and twiddled my thumbs for a few days waiting for approval, only to hear back that it was denied as the boat is only 11M long...
So to my question. The vessel length stated in the USCG title documentation is 36.7ft long. I dont know where this value has come from, but basically its 11.2M and considered too short.!
The Marshall Islands definition of LOA is “Length Overall (LOA)” means the distance from the forward side of the stem to the aftermost side of the stern".
This would exclude anything bolted on such as the pulpit and in earlier boats, the bolted on swim platform. However, somewhat crucially, by 2004 the swim platform was modified to be an integral part of the hull as is the bow anchor, bowsprit. I believe this makes the LOA to be 39'9" as stated in my survey but I am having a hard time locating any technical data to prove it. Anyone able to provide a link or a pdf with the boat dimensions, would be my new best friend for at least the length of time it took me to buy you a beer or two...
Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated
Thanx:
Jon
