Has anyone bought a boat from Canada and registered in the US, specifically Florida? What are the fees and process like?
Posted by F0regn_Lawns@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 6 comments
BlackStumpFarm@reddit
I just helped a U.S. friend buy a boat in B.C. and important it to Washington State. His first attempt failed because the older diesel engine didn’t pass the U.S. EPA standards. Unfortunately he’d already paid for a survey before this discovery. To pass US EPA standards, the engine has to have the certification sticker attached to it. Best to make that the first item on your check list before spending time or money on anything else.
Pasngas42@reddit
Bought a boat (Jeanneau power boat)near Montreal and shipped it to Michigan. Initially told it was ‘easy and we do it all the time.’ Depending on size and value of boat things you may have to deal with; Financing/Lender - not many work with international purchases. Documentation - Lender/Insurer may require USCG documentation and boat needs to be taken off Canadian registration. Import Broker -(Livingston) Above a certain value it’s easier to get them involved for required paperwork/forms (like engine type for pollution standards) and have them post an import bond. Taxes - Import tax paid before entry or release into US if I remember correctly. Transport- Used an import trucking service familiar with boats. Due to 15’ beam, required 15+ road permits. Initially was to come through Sarnia, but they wanted a road survey for the last 15-20 miles on the 402 at a cost of $20k, so they took through back roads of NY and OH. It was about 4 weeks longer than expected- but we do enjoy it on the Great Lakes
endowedchair@reddit
Wow, that sounds expensive! I guess you explored just sailing /powering it through the Trent Severn waterway to Huron or through the Welland canal. Maybe a hired deliver service?
sailingtroy@reddit
That's funny because here (in Canada), it's been advised that buying a "divorce boat" in Florida and sailing it back up to Canada is a way to get a deal. But I guess if you find the boat of your dreams, wherever it is, if the price is right, you make it work. I know a guy who bought a boat in Turkey, sailed it to Florida, trucked it to Lake Ontario, and now it's somewhere in the Caribbean. Last I heard, she was hit by lightning. Anyhow, good luck with your purchase.
ezbigdawg7@reddit
found this with a Google search for “importing boat from canada to us”. BCP link showed up as well but it didn’t seem helpful.
blinkerfluid02@reddit
We did this once. Import duty is 1.5%, although I think it might depend where the boat was originally built. You'll have to pay sales tax in FL, which is 6%. We had a marine title agency handle everything for us.