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Hi , thinking of the possibility of buying a boat to bring back to NZ and later offshore again. Would need to have it registered in my name to comply with customs etc but not keen on having to later get cat one for various reasons so would prefer to register outside NZ. Would still need to pay duty and GST to come here. So far Jersey seems a possibility for a commonwealth/NZ citizen as owner, does anyone have any experience with this or any other possible suggestions?

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Langkawi, Vanuatu or Cook Islands are on my list. KM mentioned another i hadn't considered a while back but I can't remember it now. Langkawi are pretty much no questions asked, pay the money and you are registered. 

I'm thinking of flying over and having a bit of a holiday and coming back with a shiny new piece of paper.

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All to avoid Cat 1?

 

IMO Cat 1 is like a WOF for your boat. The standards and regs come from the sum of the things learnt from issues in the past, and from many more sea miles than any of us have individually.

 

The only real issue I have with our Cat 1 system is that it is too far behind current technology. Like LED flares, modern construction, cordage, anchors,  as well as electronics etc.

 

In my experience, the inspectors (bar one) were very reasonable, and would make allowances outside the letter of the rules if you had good reasons for what you had, or why the boat was like it was. Many people have been frightened off even discussing requirements with local inspectors before repeating rumor and innuendo, and thereby propagating  inaccurate info.  My advice is, if you have a boat and are considering Cat 1, talk to your local inspector early, and get him involved. You will find it is not as bad as many make out. If you find you have an issue with one, try a different inspector.

 

Leaving and returning to NZ is the highest risk passage that many (most?) cruisers make - at least those who come to, and leave from NZ.

 

If you boat or yourself are not up to the Cat 1 standard, should you be going??

 

Oh, and finally, if your the skipper of an offshore registered boat, and you return here, Customs will want written proof of the GST status of the vessel, or you will be required to pay GST on entry to NZ.

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I spoke to a NZ inspector and was seriously underwhelmed. Or, in the vernacular, he was a narrow minded dipstick.

I have hasd a good friend who has been a pharmacist for 30 years put together a med kit for a fraction of the price of the "standard" one.

Some other things they insist on I am unconcerned about or simply don't want.

Cat 1 itself doesn't last long enough, a lot of the equipment expires way too early.

I have said document regarding GST.

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My main issue with cat 1 for a multihull that has already crossed oceans is having to cut  big holes near the waterline for escape hatches, they end up being sealed up to stop them leaking at sea , and may not be able to be opened if needed anyway , and if opened will likely make the boat settle lower in the water once inverted.   If you end up in a Rose Noelle inverted situation you want your hole higher which means below the waterline and that means having the tools and a

'cut here" marking.  Plenty of safe boats and crews come from countries that don,t have cat 1.

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XTL, have you spoken to a local inspector about this? TC might be a start...

 

BP you are not obliged to buy the "suggested" first aid kit. You can have any equivalent, the medication list is in the rules, and pretty much any of the medication can be substituted by any other, with the approval of a doctor or pharmacist. I totally agree that the "standard" first aid kit is well over priced. Often the medications in them also are pretty much near their use by dates - which is I think a rip off. 

 

I suggest you talk to another inspector, one who understands ply boats. You are free to ask about their experience.

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I suggest you talk to another inspector, one who understands ply boats. You are free to ask about their experience.

The variability and inconsistency between inspectors makes the system somewhat of a farce. Imagine if we just ran round as suggested with our cars until we found a garage that would provide it with a WOF. But this seems to be the practice with yachts. It's caused of course because so much of the regulation is open to interpretation because it lacks definition. Also as pointed out earlier the rules are now so far out of date.

 

It's not even clear what category an event should be given the rules use vague and non specific words like; very extended, heavy storms, serious emergencies, self-sufficient, extended duration, relatively warm, close to shorelines etc etc.    

 

I crewed on a boat that did the Auckland to Suva race last year and of course had had a cat 1 certificate issued immediately before the race. Yet there were numerous infractions from the rules. I wont list them all here, but some basic examples. Only had a single anchor that was stored deep at the end of a quarter berth (rules 10.0), no radar reflector (9.11), only 2 x 1kg extinguishers (9.1), no toe rail (7.24 ©). 

 

And to be fair to the inspectors, the rules are all about racing. Having to get a cat 1 for some frumpy old tub to get to Fiji or Tonga is far far different than the same trip in a race.

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Island time,No to be fair, I haven,t spoken to an inspector, just read the rules and assumed that they would be applied, and it seemed pretty hard to comply and no guarantee that a certificate would be granted.  Grant mc yes I agree with your point about racing, you put a boat under so much more stress when you push hard, a boat racing is unlikely to sit out a blow on a sea anchor, or slow down to ease motion and a light multihull racing is much more likely to capsize than a heavy cruising boat or a Wharram with a conservative rig.  I,m not trying to change/abolish cat 1 , just not sure that I want the hassle and expense of the whole thing.

IT assuming you left NZ with a cat 1 all inspected and went around the world with many stops, would you feel that much less safe leaving whatever foreign port without an inspection before you left, that is doing the same preparation but without someone telling you what you have to do? 

Hey Cat one I am sure has saved many lives , it just seems to be a bit over the top in some ways but I guess I am only going on what I read in the rules, and probably being a bit lazy too.

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The variability and inconsistency between inspectors makes the system somewhat of a farce. Imagine if we just ran round as suggested with our cars until we found a garage that would provide it with a WOF. 

 

isn't that what used to happen?  If you didn't get a WOF at one garage you could try another and might pass?

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isn't that what used to happen?  If you didn't get a WOF at one garage you could try another and might pass?

That's my point. And ok it still isn't perfect. But those poor practices were pretty much stopped in the motor industry by clear rules, inspector education and as a result we have consistent inspections. But yacht inspections seem stuck in the 1980s. 

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That's all true guys, but also remember that the Inspectors are not doing this for a living. They are paid, but it is  not a lot, and is more a re-reimbursement than a wage. Not sure if you could call it volunteer work, but it is close.

 

Yachts vary a lot as KM pointed out before, and regulations to cover every point would be a nightmare, and a costly one at that.

 

BP, I have also had one inspector that I would not go back to. The others I have had dealings with have all been very reasonable.

The inspections I've had did not go thru every item in the book. They talk to you, look at the boat and its condition and preparation, and I think a lot has to do with the impression they get. If the boat or crew has issues, they will be more stringent. If they have got to the point where every line in the regs is enforced regardless, then we have a real issue, but I do not think we are there at this point?

 

I found the cat one regs a good guide and aide-memoir to help make sure I had not overlooked anything.... hence my comment about WOF.

 

Really, IMO, the regulations themselves were to help the authorities show they were doing something to reduce the risk and frequency of the very expensive rescues NZ has to do every year.   

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I think you wil find the cat 1"rules" are recommendations and can be discussed / negotiated. One case in mind the Cat 1 inspector asked to see the medical kit, when shown a smallish container with some medical stuff in it (a fraction of what is in the list) he was going to reject it, whereupon the woman showing the kit to him said "I am a doctor, and this is what I consider will be adequate for our needs. End of story, she went with her kit.

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Best Flag of Convenience in my opinion would be Jersey or Guernsey.  You get 10 years before needing to reregister, and only have to be a Commonwealth Citizen to qualify.  You will need a 'Tonnage" survey, and they will advise you surveyors here in NZ that can do that on their behalf.

You get to fly the Red Ensign which might look a bit better off in your flagpole socket than something from Nigeria.

Cost initially will be near same as NZ for the certificate, but you get it twice as long, and reregister is about 75 Euro from memory. 

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 Yes Jersey looks possible and I am trying to find out what is involved in getting a tonnage survey/cert,   

but apart from the question of cat 1 NZ reg seems so far to be the easiest to get, and all I would need to get a boat from somewhere back to here, and cat 1 would only be a problem when i wanted to leave again.   From the website it seems I just fill out a form and sent it with $830 for 5 yrs reg. No survey or 5 year bill of sale history required and done in 10 days if documents filled out correctly. Only hassle may be with a boat already registered elsewhere getting a deletion cert or evidence of closure from the foreign registry. 

 

If I did buy a boat it may be best to just get it home on NZ reg and then consider the cat 1 issue in a few years time.As a NZ resident owner you have to pay all the taxes on entering NZ wherever the boat is registered.

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TL - given the latter statement, and the fact that the current regs are in line for update, it does give you the oportunity to discuss your issues with a multi inspector and see if there is a modification that can be proposed.

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