Selling US boat in BC, Canada

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shelli

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I have a US documented 40’ trawler wintering in BC, Canada. If I decide to sell her while she’s in Canada what kind of red-tape would be expected? Anybody ever done this?
 
I may be wrong, but I don’t think you can sell a documented boat to a foreign national. Have you gone to the CG Vessel Documentation Center website? Might start looking there.
 
Talk to a Canadian yacht broker. They do it all of the time. AFAIK, there are two ways:

1. Transfer the US documentation and if the buyer isn't American there are simple ways to set up a trust to own it for the benefit of the buyer. I would only do this if the boat was coming back to the states soon.

2. Register it in Canada. You will probably have to pay a big tax to Trump to get him to let it go ;).

David
 
Thanks for the input, everybody. Now I have good sources to start researching this.
 
After there is an agreement to sell you get a form from the USCG showing no encumbrances and a form showing it was removed from documentation also from the USCG. The purchaser will then pay the HST for importing the boat, as opposed to temporary entry, and proceed to provincially license or Federally Register it with Transport Canada. It is very easy and requires no broker at all. You do your work and the buyer does his work.
 
Talk to a Canadian yacht broker. They do it all of the time. AFAIK, there are two ways:

1. Transfer the US documentation and if the buyer isn't American there are simple ways to set up a trust to own it for the benefit of the buyer. I would only do this if the boat was coming back to the states soon.

2. Register it in Canada. You will probably have to pay a big tax to Trump to get him to let it go ;).

David

You've received some bad advice here. I'm a Transport Canada Tonnage Measurer and get involved with this stuff all the time as a cross border delivery skipper.
You Must be a Canadian Citizen to register it in Canada.
It is illegal to sell a foreign vessel in Canada.
There are legal ways around it. Talk to a broker and save yourself a lot of grief.
 
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Yes, talk to a BC broker. But, expect a listing fee as well, it is a business after all.

My understanding, if your US documented vessel is sold to a Canadian, the point of sale can be US waters. Then the New Canuck owner can decide where to have the boat registered with appropriate taxes, if any. WA, OR and BC are with different fees.

I've a Canadian friend whose vessel is registered off shore. While cruising in AK, he was fine. To avoid Canadian taxes he departed Ketchikan and avoided Canadian waters, staying offshore until entering US waters and then on to Mexico.
 
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I just brought in a documented vessel from the US to Canada in July. It is a piece of cake and no need to pay anyone a bunch of money to do it. You must supply the purchaser with a Bill of Sale, a Satisfaction of Mortgage (if you had a loan on it) and a Deletion from Documentation form from the USCG. With these papers the purchaser will have no issue with Registering or Licensing the vessel in Canada. He will have to pay the new 10% Tariff, HST and the difference in the dollar.
 
I just brought in a documented vessel from the US to Canada in July. It is a piece of cake and no need to pay anyone a bunch of money to do it. You must supply the purchaser with a Bill of Sale, a Satisfaction of Mortgage (if you had a loan on it) and a Deletion from Documentation form from the USCG. With these papers the purchaser will have no issue with Registering or Licensing the vessel in Canada. He will have to pay the new 10% Tariff, HST and the difference in the dollar.

That's an entirely different situation than what the OP suggested. Yes, what you did is simple and trouble free..... just pay the man :)
 
That's an entirely different situation than what the OP suggested. Yes, what you did is simple and trouble free..... just pay the man :)

I think this is exactly what the Op wants to do Wallace, ie sell to a Canadian.
 
To help clarify. I’m an American who has decided to sell my US documented boat that is currently being wintered in BC to anybody: Canadian, American or whomever.
 
To help clarify. I’m an American who has decided to sell my US documented boat that is currently being wintered in BC to anybody: Canadian, American or whomever.

You were quite clear in your original post and the answer has not changed. You cannot legally sell a foreign vessel in Canada. No different in the US. This is why you see so many for sale ad's that say "Not for Sale in the US" when the foreign vessel is in the US.

The link you were provided with has nothing to do with the sale of a US vessel while in Canada.
 
You were quite clear in your original post and the answer has not changed. You cannot legally sell a foreign vessel in Canada. No different in the US. This is why you see so many for sale ad's that say "Not for Sale in the US" when the foreign vessel is in the US.

The link you were provided with has nothing to do with the sale of a US vessel while in Canada.



Thanks for your input.
 
It seems easy after getting the paperwork completed if sold to a Canadian let them take possession in the US waters.... The buyers of my previous boat were Canadians and they took possession of the boat in US waters....
 
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