Cornelis:
You are Dutch. In Holland, ships and things that go to sea are very common. It is part of your heritage. The Dominican Republic was a colony. All shipping was from the metropolis, there was not native shipping allowed. Shipping here is suspect, foreign and highly regulated so as to stifle it. Or so it seems.
If you try to do things "properly" here in the Dominican Republic, this is what will happen:
1) They will lay out a very easy path for you to follow.
2) About 3 or 4 months into that path, things will get very complicated with lots of hands out for some "consideration"
3) You will be fleeced, frustrated and really unhappy.
4) You will want to take your boat "home" but it seems that you can't because you do not have this paper or that paper, and it seems that a local comandante really likes your craft....
Scary? Yes. Possible? Yes...
Please listen to the people here who have done this....come here and talk to them (Mike Fisher!!! Where are you???) There are people here who have 47' boats here. Come talk to them...see how they did it. Do not listen to me or anyone else, we are trying to get you to be aware of typical scenarios. Pack an overnight bag, hop a cheap flight from Ft. Lauderdale,and spend a weekend talking to yacht owners...If you can afford a 700K boat you can afford to learn from the people that have them ...
Ken has already told you what he did.. Pay attention...
Do not ever think that things are as they are said to be or as they are in the law!! Not here, not yet.
US$700,000 is a nice boat.
HB, worried about idealism
Thank you so much for what you wrote and for your concerns.
I am aware of my gringo mortgage and always had some hope my DR wife could be a barriere to prevent too bad things happening to us.
The situation you described looks familiar to me; had that in other issues already.
A forum member here suggested to leave the importation of a boat to an import company and did put their link in his post. I already wrote them.
Indeed my Dutch roots make me think that leaving, traveling and arriving with boats is a normal thing to do.
The Dominican do have another history yes but they could make good money by just adjusting things a bit.
There are huge opportunities for the country in Yachting. Imagine when registration would cost 5% or so, how many boats would come, pay lots of money and bring work for many people.
As a spin-off the house market could see a boom as well. All would benefit.
Why why why...is all I can ask myself many times while driving around here.
Curious who is gonna win now. Unimaginable that Mr.Hipolito -papa- even had the guts to show his unashamed face again in my opinion after all that happened while he was in office. But what will Mr. Danillo do.....or not do..... We will soon know.
As far as the boat concerns; I want to do it decent or I dont do it at all. Its not a gin tonic boat but a sturdy passagemaking fuel efficient trawler. I don't want a show-off item especially not in DR but you are right, 700 plus the taxes is about half or less then a new one but still brings a nice boat.
We'll see what the import people write me.
Greetings,
Cornelis
Greetings,
Cornelis