boat ownership

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ryalso

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May 31, 2006
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Considering the DR for relocation. Seeking information regarding expenses, i.e. local and import taxes and fees for the permanent relocation of a boat for personal use. Would it be wise to hold ownership under a corporation? Also, any other advice or thoughts on restrictions or other considerations concerning boat ownership in the DR?
Have found these forums to be quite helpful.
Thanks in advance.
ry
 
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Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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Is this a permanent change, including becoming a citizen of the DR, or do you plan to retain your citizenship where you are now and become a resident of the DR.

Will vessel be used for recreation or some commercial purpose?

Where are you a living now? If in the US, does the vessel have state registration or is it documented?

Assuming vessel is for personal use, do you plan to travel periodically to Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, or one of the Caribbean islands?

Having lived aboard here for many years, I have some knowledge of boat ownership in the DR, as do Chris and maybe a couple of others on this board.

But first we need some of the basic info I have requested above, as there is not a simple answer to your question. Boat ownership in the DR is more complicated than in the US, PR, or most of the other Caribbean nations.
 
R

ryalso

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May 31, 2006
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Thanks for the quick response...and the list of considerations.
We would plan to reside in the DR (thinking Samana Peninsula) most of the year but won't rule out returning to the states (US) on occasion.
Unlikely we would change citizenship.
Current boat is a documented small (32') SF and would be for personal use.
Sounds like a cart before the horse thing, but is diesel and dockage available in that area? We've spent some time up in Puerto Plata near Ocean World and know there's a marina, but we'd like the Samana area, we think.
While I wouldn't hesitate to cruise this boat to PR it is doubtful it would be more than a day boat...although I know how good the marlin fishing is on the PR side of Mona.
Envious of your live a board status. Used the 'Moorings' charters in the Grenadines and Saint Lucia and our last boat was an old Endevour 38 chater boat out of the VI that we rescued after a bad 'down island' repair, the result of a hurricane. Slow as molasses, but a real comfortable center cockpit cruiser we used between NY and Maine. While not having alot of expirience, crusing to me wasn't always only about the ride, and it just took too damn long to get anywhere and although I don't fish like I used to, I haven't grown up enough to not still get a kick out of it.
Anyway, way more info than you needed (or asked for) and thanks for any insights and help.
 
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Andy B

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Jan 1, 2002
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Samana harbor or a new marina near Los Cacaos that I just got wind of would be your best bet. If you maintain your US registration (which I HIGHLY recommend), you will have to buy a 6 month crusing permit for the DR and renew it as needed. I brought my 40' sportfish down from Florida and was going to use it for the guests of my hotel and this necessitated registering it in the DR. What a nightmare and after about a year of arguing and constantly hassling with the Marina de Guerre who wanted weekly payoffs to keep the boat in Las Galeras )even though we had bought the permit), we just gave up and kept it US registered. And then it was only through heavy intervention by the US Embassy did the local navy finally give up on their bribe attempts. We also gave up and sold the boat about 6 months later. There are some on this board that may remember the B### S### we went through. Never again. I won't even bring my current boat down from Flordia, a 26' Shamrock sportfisherman, even though the cruising laws were rewritten here about 6 years ago (by a friend, a US Coast Guard Captain attached to the Embassy in SD, he modernized the 1937 maritime laws for the DR, and he told me my case was one of the main reasons it was rewritten). I just content myself with using it when we are back in Florida.

There is some awesome marlin fishing off the mouth of Samana bay. I hung into several there that would easily exceed 400 lbs. Also brought the largest Atlantic sail I'd ever seen up to the boat before we released him. There's some good dolphin and tuna fishing off both Cape Samana and Cape Cabron. Wahoo are just around the north side of Cabron. You might want to look at the Sportfishing section in the Attractions menu of www.SamanaOnline.com for further area fishing info I've gathered.
 
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Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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If there is a new marina, and if there is space for you fine, otherwise plan on anchoring in Samana harbor until marinas are available. Diesel and gasoline available on the government pier in Samana.

Keeping your boat in Samana means having a plan for hurricane season. Sticking out as it does from the NE corner of the DR means that hurricanes and tropical storms occasionally hit the area or pass close by. More likely than not there will not be a serious problem, but you can't be sure so must secure the boat in anticipation of being in the path of the storm.

I llived aboard on a sailboat anchored in Samana harbor for about 14 years.
 
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ryalso

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May 31, 2006
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boat relocation

Hope you're happy, you've all ruined my day.
Seriously though, thanks for the hurricane and pirate warnings. We don't often deal with either of them here but as unappealing as they may be they seem to pale compared to the feds, the bribes and the hassels - not that I haven't paid 'the bite' on a couple of occasions. And frankly, I was hoping to get away from all the cops and coasties and the routine boardings we face daily here. You can't swing a wet mop without seeing one. Looks like paradise just doesn't exist. Especially too bad because Las Galeras was the area we were most interested in. I would have expected, particularly being a business owner, that they would go a little easier on you. In fact, I thought that would have been one way to maybe get around some problems if necessary.
Shows what I know.
Guess we'll just have to be content with visiting. You'd probably be happier without new neighbors anyway. I can't see retiring to paradise without a fishing boat. And to think of all those marlin not getting enough exercise. I'll bet the diving is pretty good too?
Anybody know anything about Mexico?
Thanks.
 
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Andy B

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Jan 1, 2002
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I'd hope you would appreciate straight talk about the real marine world here. You can deal with it if you want to have your boat here bad enough. But you must understand that there is even less freedom in the DR than in the states. If you think the US Coasties are bad, try having to check in and out with the local port comandante and provide a list of passengers and their nationalities everytime you way anchor. In the states we have an unbelievable amount of maritime freedom even for foreign vessels visiting the US.

Where do you boat that you're being hassled so much? I still boat in Florida on a regular basis and have only been flagged down for a safety check once in over 10 years. And why are they hassling you? Even when I owned a former drug smuggling boat, a 63' Tawainese built trawler that was profiled in the NCIS computer, I was only hassled once and after I complained to the Commandant of the CG's 4th District in Miami, the boys went out of their way to see that nobody ever bothered me again. Even checking back in by phone from a cruise to the Bahamas the only thing I was asked was "did I have a nice time?" The other boat I was with had to wait for a Customs inspection. They left me alone.
 
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ryalso

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May 31, 2006
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Yep, I really do appreciate the honest assesment.
Mostly coastal CT, and its not so much the boardings as the overall presence. I live accross from a small marina and I guess I just see way too much of them, mostly local cops (but coasties and the DEP too), cruising up and down the harbor day-in / day-out in much nicer boats than the average (and above) guy's. And this IS small town CT, just a private marina and a few more than a handful of lobster boats where we are. I doubt its a terrorist cell they're looking for. Won't boar you, but it wasn't like that years ago. The only time you saw police or the coasties was when you called them and even then it was often the Power Squadron that responded. But you're right, it doesn't sound nearly as bad as the DR. Sorry, I was just B######G and got way off the subject as well. BTW, maybe they're not as bad in FL because it has alot more boats and its a year round season? Or maybe the Southern mentality is just to leave well enough alone?
Thanks, again.
 
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Andy B

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Jan 1, 2002
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South Florida from Palm Beach down is a zoo on the waterway on weekends. I'm from north central Florida and it's getting crazy there on weekends, too. Don't let my assessment of things past here in the DR sway your decision to bring the boat here. Just be prepared to deal with the problems that will rear up. I sit and look at the ocean every day and do wish I had my boat here. Never again? Well never is a long time but I'm now savvy as to how to deal with local problems and never might just happen if I miss the sea enough.

Ken mentioned hurricanes. There is a good hurricane hole in the Los Haitises National park at the western end of the bay. Just run back up in there and web the boat into the mangroves. It will ride out a storm. The new marina near los Cacaos is a ways off, yet.
 
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