Registering pleasure craft including yachts

For Companies

Registering pleasure craft on Part I of the Register

Any eligible pleasure craft owner can apply to register under Part I of the UK Ship Register. The advantages of Part I registration is that you can:

To prove your boat’s nationality – British;
To prove the legal title to your boat;
To use the boat as security to obtain a marine mortgage; and to obtain ‘Transcripts of Registry’, which show the boat’s previous owners and whether there are any outstanding mortgages

Eligibility for Part I registration

To be eligible owner applicant needs to be one of the following:

British Citizen or British Dependent Territories Citizen or British Overseas Citizen
Company incorporated in one of the EEA countries
Citizen of an EU member state exercising rights under articles 48 or 52 of the EU Treaty in the UK
Company incorporated in any British overseas possession which have its principal place of Business in the UK or those possessions
European Economic Interest Groupings

Our Fees: £350 plus VAT

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For individuals

Registering pleasure craft on Part III of the Register

If your pleasure craft is under 24 meters and privately owned then Archers can assist you in registering your pleasure craft with Part III of the UK Ship Register

Eligibility for Part III registration

In order to be eligible, all owner applicant(s) must be resident in the UK for 185 days of the year and be one of the following:

British Citizen
Citizen of an EU member state exercising their EU right of freedom of movement or worker’s right for establishment
British Dependent Territories Citizen or British Overseas Citizen or British National (overseas) under Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986
Other commonwealth Citizen not falling within the above list.

Please note – Part III registration is not for:

Companies;
fishing vessels; or
boats 24 meters or over in length

Our Fees: £150 plus VAT

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Pleasure Craft Registration FAQ

Q1 – what type of boats or vessels eligible to register on a British flag under either Part I or III of the UK Ship Register?

Only pleasure craft is eligible to register under either Part I or Part III or the UK Ship Register. (Other types of boats or Vessels are required to register under Part of the Register). A pleasure craft is a boat (like a yacht) that is used for sport or pleasure. The owner of the boat is not using the boat to receive any money for operating it or carrying passengers.

Q2 – What are the differences between Part I and Part III UK Ship Register?

Part III Register is for – Privately owned boats A privately owned boat is considered a pleasure craft if, at the time of its journey, it’s on a free voyage or excursion and used by its owner or family members Part I is for – Company owned boats A company-owned boat is considered a pleasure craft if, at the time of its journey, it’s on a free voyage or excursion and used by (i) Officer of the company or (ii) immediate friends and family of employees or officers of the company

Q3 – What If I have a joint ownership of the pleasure boat that I am eligible to register but my partner isn’t?

In this case, your partner can still have a minority share in the boat. For example, you can own a larger overall shares of the boat ie. You own 51 shares of the boat and your partner has 49 shares. Please note that the bills of sale and Declaration of Eligibility form (applications to the UK Ship Register) will have to reflect this.

Q4 – what other license or registration I will need to apply as a UK boat owner?

As an owner of a pleasure craft you will need a Ship Radio License which Archers can assist you in applying for the license.

Q5 – What to do if your boat is not a pleasure craft?

For any concerns about your boat being a pleasure craft, contact us via info@archerscs.co.uk or give us a call on (0044) 02033978776.