Pre-Shipment Checklist - Importing Boats to Australia

Import Approval - (Boats with Trailers ONLY)

Have you considered GST & Duty?

Import GST and Duties are payable in addition to any quotation we provide, GST is 10% and Duty is based on the country of manufacture. Boats manufactured in the USA are duty free if accompanied with an appropriate Certificate of Origin. Also see next section.

Quarantine Requirements

Its very important that the boat is spotless both inside and out. All dirt etc on the trailer needs to be water blasted off, and the hull should be clean and free of any organic matter, such as barnacles etc. The inside should be washed and vacuumed so there is no dirt or leaves etc inside the boat. This includes engine bays and hatches.

All used boats are inspected by Quarantine on arrival, and only after this inspection is the cleanliness condition known. Due to this we can’t quote the cleaning costs. Further inspection and cleaning may be required as instructed by Quarantine and are not included in this quotation.

Quarantine is the biggest unknown cost because it’s impossible for us to know the condition of your boat when we quote for shipping. We allow in our quotes a single inspection charge, if as a result of the inspection a problem is found then any washing or fumigation is additional. It’s a good idea to have the seller make sure the yacht is as clean as possible, if it is very dirty then often it won’t be allowed on the ship, though we can take care of cleaning it at the port as an additional charge.

Boat Preparation

Outside your Boat

• Consider removing anything that will reduce the overall volume of your yacht like swim platforms, radar arches, flybridges, keels and bowsprits. The smaller you can make your boat the lower the shipping price will normally be.
• Hatches should be tightly secured and sealed with tape to prevent damage from wind/sea driven water and prevent the hatch from coming open while in transit.

Inside your Boat

• Make sure all items have been battened down securely including hatches, the open sea can have some tremendous forces that do considerable damage if something comes loose.
• NO personal items to be left on board the boat.
• Check all drain plugs, there should be no water in the bilge as this becomes a quarantine issue on arrival.
• The batteries should be disconnected, and the cables tied off to prevent contact.
• Drain the fuel and water tanks as much as possible, ensuring the tank is no more than 1/4 full. If your boat is being shipped during winter months then water should be drained from water systems, pumps and air conditioners.

Have you taken out Marine Insurance?

Not compulsory, but worth asking us for a quote. Your road insurance will not cover any damage that may occur while in transit. Find out why you need Marine Insurance

Documentation Required

• Bill of Sale
• If purchasing your boat, we will need a copy of the Bill of Sale from the seller. If you already own the boat, then we need a copy of the original purchase Bill of Sale.
• If this has been misplaced, then it will need to have a valuation done on arrival.
• Photo ID
• A high-quality colour scan copy of the photo page from your passport, or your Australian Drivers Licence.
• Boat title / Ownership papers
• Depending on the country of purchase, and in some cases the state, the boat will have a title or ownership paper. Do not have these sent to you or altered until our agent instructs the seller. In many cases the original documents are needed in order to export the country of origin.
• Certificate of Origin
• If importing a boat from a country with a free trade agreement, in order to import free of Duty, you will need to have a Certificate of Origin completed by either the dealer or the manufacture. The certificate must be based on wording as per this Sample.
Certificate of Origin

Boats with Wooden Cradles

If your boat is not on its own trailer, then it will require a cradle to be carried on any vessel. We can construct a custom cradle for your boat from either steel or timber, depending on your hull design. If your yacht comes with its own cradle, or you are commissioning a bespoke cradle elsewhere, it needs to be either steel, or ISPM15 compliant timber, or fumigation fees and cradle destruction will apply on arrival into Australia.

Air Conditioning / Refrigeration

Boats with on-board refrigeration or air conditioning will need comply with the Ozone Protection act.

Exemptions :

• An equipment licence (EQPL) is not required for equipment that has been:
• owned for more than 12 months, for private or domestic use before import; and
• is imported for private or domestic use in Australia.
• An equipment licence is not required for imports of up to 25 kilograms of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) or nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) equipment during a calendar year.

If you do not meet above exemptions then you will need to have them degassed and decommissioned prior to export, a certificate from the company involved is also required with your documents. It’s important to do this to avoid expensive pre-charged equipment licenses on arrival.