Selling a liveaboard ketch in France: VAT/TA confusion
Posted by QuestionableSailor31@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 37 comments
Hey salty sea dogs,
I’ve got a UK-flagged boat currently in France under Temporary Admission, with about 12 months left on it.
I’m thinking about selling her and trying to work out the best option:
• sail her back to the UK and sell there,
• try to sell to a UK buyer while she’s still in France,
• or sell to an EU buyer and deal with any VAT/import tax implications.
The boat’s a 1987 31ft ketch that I’ve been living aboard and cruising on for the last 2 years. She’s pretty well set up for liveaboard/cruising life — solar, lithium, fridge/freezer, Starlink, etc.
Realistically she’s probably not worth a fortune — maybe somewhere around €15k.
A few people have mentioned that because she was built in 1987 she may qualify as EU VAT paid / deemed VAT paid, but I’m struggling to understand how that actually works in practice after Brexit and with a UK flag.
Would really appreciate any advice from anyone who’s been through something similar, especially around:
• selling UK boats in the EU post-Brexit,
• Temporary Admission rules,
• VAT status on older boats,
• and whether it’s worth the hassle of bringing her back to the UK first.
RoastedElephant@reddit
Pretty sure TA resets after 1 day outside the EU (checked in to a non EU country). Depending where in france, a final trip to Ceuta or Tangier and back would reset it. Might be easier to find a UK buyer in Gibraltar anyway. That said our experience in Portugal and Spain was that they didn't care at all if you don't mention it. They each reset our 3 months Schengen stay time as well, did not care at all
Casski_@reddit
After living on it for 2 years, and with all the upgrades for liveaboards, can i ask what your shower solution is?
QuestionableSailor31@reddit (OP)
I have a shower…. In the heads…. And I shower with it 😂 the heads is a wet room, sink has a shower attachment, sump pumps into the bilge, hot water comes from the engine.
Day to day in the summer I actually use a 15L weed sprayer filled with fresh water and use it shower off on deck as well as cleaning windows and the anchor. It’s like a mini portable pressure washer
Casski_@reddit
Alright thanks for the insight.
I've slowly began searching for my first liveaboard boat.
Please do let me know when you have a proper listing up, might be interested :)
amines1@reddit
You mind sharing more photos of the vessel?
QuestionableSailor31@reddit (OP)
She’s a beauty, centre cockpit, pilot house, ketch
amines1@reddit
Too bad its a ketch, otherwise Id make an offer. :)
QuestionableSailor31@reddit (OP)
Now that I’ve owned a ketch I’ll never go back! Same sail area split into small, easier parts to manage! Stay sail for upwind performance, use the mizzen as a riding sail in a rolly anchorage, mizzen and Genno instead reefing the main! What don’t you like about ketch rigs?
mmomtchev@reddit
Can you gybe single-handed? This is the only real problem of a ketch.
QuestionableSailor31@reddit (OP)
Easily, using the auto pilot. I can also gybe a spinnaker single handed too. Generally I’ll sheet in the main and mizzen, throw the wheel over, gybe the headsail, and then let the mizzen (and main) back out again
amines1@reddit
what I don't like is my lack of experience and adding another sail complicating maintanance and overall complexity of the rigging. I guess if I didn't learn sailing under the terrible conditions I did I would be more open to a Ketch. The also all mt friends dislike Ketch. One of them took the effort on his Hallberg-Rassy to remove the mizzen. Then again, Im too much of a stuborn guy and too little of a sailor to properly judge
QuestionableSailor31@reddit (OP)
That’s fair enough! Adding a sail does add some complications as it’s more to think about. But, I think having more options makes the pay off worth while. As the sails are smaller for the same sail area it’s much easier to trim and balance :) I quite often sail with just the mizzen and headsail up
amines1@reddit
Whenever I feel gloomy, I take a look at the GGR boats and think those are made for single handed blue water sailing. And pooof I forget the mizzen
QuestionableSailor31@reddit (OP)
😂😂😂
BaggyLarjjj@reddit
There’s always a ketch
alex1033@reddit
You listed the options correctly. The easiest for you would be to sell her in the UK, or sell in EU and let the buyer do the VAT and registration. The first option overhead is to sail there; the second - the selling price must be attractive so the buyer is motivated to go through the bureaucracy. What to choose? Find where the market is more favourable at the moment.
QuestionableSailor31@reddit (OP)
I think I’m going to go with trying to sell her relatively cheaply here in France. If she doesn’t sell over the summer then I’ll head back to the uk with her over the winter via the canals
AlwaysBeASailor@reddit
This is as fresh out as it gets
https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/8c62e3be-807f-4607-bb1e-9ff46db7d97e_en?filename=Guidance_pleasure_craft.pdf
olddoglearnsnewtrick@reddit
Very nice, are you planning to put a listing on Yachtworld or similar with details and pics?
QuestionableSailor31@reddit (OP)
I put an add on Facebook to gauge interest. I guess I’ll do a proper add on yacht world or Apollo duck once I have moved off and taken nice photos :)
olddoglearnsnewtrick@reddit
Cool. Good luck with that. May I ask if you can share the reason of letting this boat go?
QuestionableSailor31@reddit (OP)
I’m upgrading to something much larger, big enough to have multiple friends and family visit, and one day: customers
olddoglearnsnewtrick@reddit
Great idea! Wish you all the best for your project! If you have half a million stashed somewhere :) this you might like https://www.yachtworld.it/yacht/2010-amel-54-10168690/
AlwaysBeASailor@reddit
A friend just bought an Australian flagged boat in Greece. The owner had not paid VAT. Paid net and then paid VAT in the EU. Should be the buyer’s problem if he wants to keep it in the EU.
QuestionableSailor31@reddit (OP)
That’s good to know. I don’t think the VAT will be a huge issue as that actual value of the boat is pretty low, maybe €15,000 if I’m lucky so we’re only talking €3k ish
Dolphin008@reddit
It's a lovely boat, what type is it?
QuestionableSailor31@reddit (OP)
She’s a Hurley Meridian 31 Ketch. Built like a tank!
Dolphin008@reddit
She's gorgeous. I initially thought it was a Westerly because of that chine (?) under the bow
QuestionableSailor31@reddit (OP)
She has a pretty great shape and lines. With the deep centre cockpit and pilot house we’ve been comfortable in force 6-7 and out in force 8 without it feeling dangerous.
TheVoiceOfEurope@reddit
If only there was some tool on the internet where you could type in stuff like
and then get a bunch of links to information relevant to that statement. Someone should really invent something like that. Because then people could look up information and not have to rely on others to do the work for them.
QuestionableSailor31@reddit (OP)
If only someone invented a tool on the internet that was like a forum to ask real people for real first hand information and their experiance….
TheVoiceOfEurope@reddit
You're simply lazy.
Find out the basic stuff first for yourself, then ask specific targetted questions. "can't be bothered to do some research myself" is not why the community exists.
You wants som schmuck to spend half an hour typing out an exact sollution for you and you'll probably still argue with them.
QuestionableSailor31@reddit (OP)
Your level of assumption is pretty staggering. I have done plenty of research. But if you’ve actually sailed around Europe, you’d know the reality is that maritime rules, enforcement, and interpretation can vary massively — not just between countries, but between ports, and sometimes depending on who’s on duty that day.
That’s exactly why firsthand, recent experiences from people who’ve actually done it are valuable. If me asking for practical advice from experienced sailors somehow offends you, I’m not sure what to tell you.
Casski_@reddit
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7marlil@reddit
Sorry nplot bringing any answer but where are you docking your boat in France? Isn't it a nightmare to have a "place de port" there?
QuestionableSailor31@reddit (OP)
I’ve had no problems thus far. I’m going to sail her back to a yard near Martigues and go on the hard. If she doesn’t sell this summer I’ll probably head back to the UK via the French canals in the winter