Not for sale in US waters

[US27inKS]

I've been window shopping for boats that I would like to look at in 3 years when I might be able to actually buy. On several boat ads I've seen the disclaimer of **NOT FOR SALE IN US WATERS TO US CITIZENS** on several boats, but the boat is located in Ft Lauderdale. What gives?

[hellosailor]

Why don't you give us a URL to one of those ads?

It might be owned by a Cuban national, or some other party that US citizens are not commonly allowed to traffic with. (How that would even get into the country, I don't know.)

[US27inKS]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Why don't you give us a URL to one of those ads?

It might be owned by a Cuban national, or some other party that US citizens are not commonly allowed to traffic with. (How that would even get into the country, I don't know.)

Here's this one. I can find more examples if you want.

2 Hulls Inc

[artbyjody]

Typically they are charter boats and therefore due to a law on the books - forget the exact name, is prevented from being sold for use in our territorial waters.

[cardiacpaul]

this may be a wild example....

"no state issued title"

I've got no idea other than I know of a couple of powerboats that didn't have a title (don't ask, too long of a story to get into, had to do with new owner circa 8 yrs old purchase never transferring title, old owner died, no state taxes paid, arrrgh) but they were sold, and then shipped overseas.

[davidpm]

This site seems to have the answer
BoaterEd - NOT FOR SALE TO US CITIZENS WHILE IN US WATERS!

Seems to be a tax dodge.

[Yado]

This is an illustrative example of how this works from a boat for sale on yachtworldcom:
Originally sold by the Sabre dealer in France, "Abyss II" has just arrived home from Europe! She is Belgian flagged and as such cannot be sold to US citizen's while in US waters. The easy solution is a closing in the Bahamas.


YachtWorld.com Boats and Yachts for Sale

[arbarnhart]

There is also the issue of consumer protection laws that cause sales contracts to have additional unspecified stipulations that vary by state, product and/or amount of the sale. And a sale implies a contract even if there isn't one written up. The laws generally make some sense for an individual buying from a business but often not as much for a transaction between individuals. Selling something in the US that is or needs to be titled is a headache. If you have something you can easily and legally sell outside the US, I can see where it would be the preferred option.

[hellosailor]

"She is Belgian flagged and as such cannot be sold to US citizen's while in US waters."
Has Belgium made it to the US State Department's embargo list? Or, does Belgium prohibit the transfer of flagged vessels to foreign nationals?

Andy, I have to disagree with you. Titling versus venue is never a headache if the seller and buyer pass the right papers at the time of sale. And the transaction itself is bound by the laws of the venue where it took place--regardless of the nationalities of the parties. The US courts and state courts would claim jurisdiction, just as much and perhaps more so than the courts of the parties home lands. By adding "more" to the mix, they only complicate things. It sounds more like a creative tax dodge is at work, perhaps EU folks washing the VAT around, or something like that.
There's something peculiar here and so far, the only explanations seem to be from boaters ed: A tax dodge, or an illegal sale of a vessel here on a cruising permit.

[funsailthekeys]

I bought a boat years ago from Belgium and there had to be paid an import tax. So my best guess is the tax has not been paid and it is here only on a cruising permit. Hence the not for sale in or to the US.