going to England to buy a boat

:idea: Does any one here know about going to England to buy a boat.
is there import duty.?
is there a large cost a the ferry for say a sea-hog or the like?
is there documentation needed?
Boat over there seem to be a fraction of the cost of over here. and i know it a lot of hassle but you could get a lot better boat for the same money
some of you most have looked into this.
/Derry

Hi derry

There is no import duty and no hassle bringing one back,
pay for car over and car and trailer back [although this can be expensive]about 400
no documents needed only your receipt of sale [for yourself]

they seem cheaper but with the current exchange rate its fairly similar when boattrip/exchange is taken into account.
get plenty of good quality pictures of the boats as it would be a real pain to get there and the boat is rough lookin in the flesh.
best of luck :D

Derry

Been there, done that.
I had checked the web for a number of months until the right boat came along, I mailed the seller requesting as much info and photos as possible (if they are not willing to give this info, look elesewhere) explaining the distance that would have to be covered to inspect the boat. I had to travel to the SE of England so I caught the Friday night ferry from Rosslare, drove through the night down the M4, was able to inspect the boat early Saturday morning (taking plenty of time to do so). I headed back that afternoon to catch the Saturday night ferry back to Wexford and arrived home on Sunday morning. I had booked a weekend return for the car plus a trailer on the return journey.
Have a look at the quotes below to see the rules regarding the law and VAT.
Check out this web site for further info: http://www.ybw.com/mbm/buysafe/used/buysaf_u_1.html

VAT and secondhand boats
Assuming that value-added tax was paid on the boat you are buying when it was first sold, or that it was built before 1985, it is not liable to further payment.

However, if you ever take it to any other European Union country you will need to prove that it is exempt, or you could be presented with a bill for their equivalent of the VAT. And, pending payment, the boat is likely to be impounded.

For a vessel built before 1985, you will need to be able to provide evidence of the build date. For one built in or after that year, you should procure a VAT invoice for it, and carry this on board.

Note that if the boat was owned by a company which paid no VAT, or reclaimed it, then the tax is payable when the vessel changes hands. In this case the seller should charge VAT when selling it; this explains why you occasionally see secondhand boats advertised as being VAT-payable. To avoid being caught out by this, insist that on the invoice, bill of sale or receipt the seller states that he is selling the boat as a private EU national, and includes an address.

Such a declaration should also be an acceptable alternative to a VAT invoice, if it is irretrievably lost.

Besides the importance of having a boat surveyed before you commit yourself to buying it, the other essential is to make absolutely sure that it really does belong to the person who is selling it.

What you need to find is evidence of 'clear title', which means ownership by right, with no other person or institution having a claim on the vessel.

Every year a number of vessels are sold by people who, sometimes unknowingly, don't legally own them. And occasionally these vessels turn out to be the security for an undeclared mortgage; when they are reclaimed by the finance company, the buyers can lose most or all of the money they paid for them.

Damien