Legalities you may not have considered when buying Boats for sale UK   by Brad Fincham

in Hobbies    (submitted 2011-08-13)

When buying boats for sale in the UK there are some legalities you may not necessarily have an awareness of and it may be helpful to know about. Generally with new boat sales, if they are from well know dealers there should not be many issues. Things get a bit more complicated when it comes to buying used boats in the UK. In this article I will only discuss some of the more basic legal issues, if you have a more complex situation it may be worth see if you can get more legal advice; I know that if you are a member of the Royal Yachting Association they give free legal advice and general advice regarding boating issues. If you are planning to take your boat abroad you will need to register it (the previous owner may have done so before, and if so this is a good title document to prove ownership, you should ask to see it when considering buying if they have one) and you will need to make sure the VAT status is paid or pay it if you wish to travel freely through the European Union. The reason why I mentioned title documents as a proof of ownership earlier was that it is important to establish ownership where possible as there is a very slight chance you could unwittingly be about to purchase a stolen boat. Just because they do not have a title document does in no way mean it is stolen, many people just do not have proof of ownership. However one of the only laws pertaining to this area states that the seller must have the right to sell the boat. One give away of a stolen boat is if the hull identification number has been altered in anyway (sometimes it can be rather unsubtle). If you suspect anything the website stolen boats has a database listing stolen boats and marine equipment in the UK. Other laws that apply to this area state that the seller must in no way misrepresent the boat and that it must match any descriptions given. This being said it is completely the responsibility of the buyer to ensure that the boats for Sale are in an acceptable condition. Which is why a marine survey, where an impartial surveyor assesses the exact condition is the boat is such a vital part of the boat buying process. I hope you have found this informative and helpful.

About the Author

If you're interested in boats for Sale in the UK, I would highly recommend the Norfolk Yacht Agency, NYA, from personal experience. The specialise in Haines Marine and Broom boats for Sale in the UK.