[Loren Schweizer]

This just in off The Coconut Telegraph in Fort Lauderdale: the Feds are confiscating Ship's Papers off various large yachts--foreign-built, likely, not foreign-flagged--for a non-payment of duty issue.
Our local customs guy has allegedly said that there is some new wrinkle involved.
In any case, yachts at Bahia Mar marina have been affected, and the rumor is that the authorities are starting to canvass the local yards.

Oh oh.

To the uninitiated, this means they (the Yachts) are going nowhere soon.

[FISHTIGUA]

Loren,

Can't you hear the swell of the music and the waters churn as the law firms gird their loins for battle.

Gentlemen, start your lawyers.........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBRBa...eature=channel

[NYCAP123]

Swimming in a school of seals to film great whites feeding. Sounds like fun. Was that film posted by the videographer's heirs?
As to the OP, at least the boats are where they'll want to be for the winter. Wonder if that will have an effect on those planning to come in November.

[Hattsoff]

Is this tax something the yacht manufacturer was supposed to pay before being brought to the states or is this something the owners of these yachts have been navigating around (pun intended) to avoid paying?

I'm looking forward to this story as we get more detail.

[Pascal]

custom duties is paid when a foreign built vessel is imported in the US to be sold. it's not paid by the foreign manufacturer but either by the importer (whether the imported is the dealer or the buyer)

will be interesting to know the details behind that story. I dont' think you can document a foreign built vessel unless proof of proper importation is supplied...

Pascal,
I have been told, but I have not personally confirmed, that a US citizen living outside of the US can document a yacht with the US Coast Guard without bringing the yacht to the US or paying the import duty.

[K1W1]

Hi,

Is there any confirmation of why this is happening and which flag boats are so under the microscope?

Maybe it's a special way of reducing the number of yachts at FLIBS?

[MYCaptainChris]

Is this a result of the new Florida (and very good) tax cap on yachts? I wonder?

[Loren Schweizer]

Not much more in the way of new news, but rather a finer point of what the Feds/Customs is up to. *

The issue is duty due on foreign-built vessels being offered for sale in the U.S.. Seems the disclaimer for brokerage vessels (for which the duty was not paid) "Not for sale to U.S. residents in U.S. waters" has all the boilerplate strength of wet cardboard.

One can ostensibly bring a yacht into the U.S., pay the duty, and get a bond specifically for, say, the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show...the yacht is there for "display purposes only". After the show, the boat leaves U.S waters, and the duty paid is refunded (mostly) to the tune of 90 cents or so on the dollar. Duty is around 1% +.

My sources tell me that Customs will be all over the Boat Show like a cheap suit.

As The Mad Dog likes to say, "Tails are twitchin' ".


*To the best of my understanding

[cabobo09]

Just one of the many changes coming to pay the bill in Washington. We'll find the Feds digging deeper into our daily lives scraping together whatever they can find.

Time to cut the dock lines my friends......

[NYCAP123]

Didn't we go through this about 10 or so years ago? "Not for sale to U.S. residents in U.S. waters" has to be more than just words. Showing the boat in the U.S., cruising 3 miles off shore to sign the papers and then coming back in to deposit the check doesn't cut it. Sounds like nothing more than stepped up enforcement. Like my departed mother used to say "If you didn't make the money you wouldn't owe the tax." Put another way, buy an American built boat or pay the duty on an imported one or accept the consequences. Sounds like the only ones this will affect are those trying not to pay their fare share.
Cabobo09, I'll be happy to help with those dock lines. Same with anyone else who wants me to pay their share.

[Mike448]

Just when the local marine industry semed to doing a great job marketing south Florida as a great yachting destination, it seems the Feds are making a great effort to scare us all away again. Maybe we should just stay in the Med for the winter, better than getting your yacht chained to the dock in Fort Lauderdale over a legislative "wrinkle"

[JWY]

I spoke with Steele Reeder (Howard S. Reeder, Inc.), a well respected customs broker, and he explained the problem is occurring because of fine print on the cruising permit. Rather than paraphrasing, I have asked Steele to give us his professional assessment of the current situation.

Judy Waldman

[MYCaptainChris]

Imagine the joys of being chained to a dock in Fort Lauderdale in Sept, Oct. I wonder who would be liable in the event of a hurricane?

This is getting very interesting.

[NYCAP123]

The one who caused it (violated the law).