Guernsey

Part I Register:

In order to complete registration of a vessel, a number of documents are required as follows:

Name approval (GSR 342) (This form should be submitted by fax or email). On receipt of confirmation that the required vessel name is available, the following should be prepared and submitted in original form:
Application to register (form GC190 )
Appointment of authorized officer(s) (GC193) (for company owned vessels).
Declaration of Ownership. (GC194) for company owned shares or (GC195) for individually or jointly owned shares.
Copy of the certificate of incorporation of the company, if the vessel is corporately owned.
Title documentation. This should consist of the builder's certificate, for newly built vessels, or bills of sale for second-hand vessels. These forms are prescribed in law and advice should be sought from the Registry if there is uncertainty regarding the acceptability of any document. If the vessel is purchased from a qualified owner (see above) then further bills of sale must be produced to provide evidence of unbroken ownership back to a non-qualified owner or to the builder's certificate.
Previous Registration. Evidence of the deletion or cancellation of any previous British or foreign registration must be provided.
Tonnage measurement survey. This should be commissioned at as early a stage as possible after confirmation of the vessel name has been received from the Registry. The survey can only be carried out by certain qualified surveyors and a list is available from the Registry.
The Initial Registration fee - £280 GBP. There is no annual tonnage tax on British Ships registered at the port of Guernsey.

When the Registry has received ALL the required documents, formal marking instructions may be issued. This will include details of the official number (issued by the Registry), the register or net tonnage and the vessel's name and port of registry, to be marked on the vessel in accordance with these instructions.

On completion of the marking of the vessel, either photographic evidence, as specified by the Registry should be submitted or, if the vessel is present in Guernsey, the Registrar will schedule an inspection. When the Registrar is satisfied that vessel has been marked in accordance with Registry regulations, the Registrar will proceed to complete Registration and issue the Certificate of British Registry (commonly known as the 'blue book').

The Registry is normally able to process transactions and documentation presented on a same-day service basis. However, tonnage measurement surveys are outside the control of the Registry and applicants should ensure that sufficient time is allowed for the entire registration process to be completed. All forms are available by post or on request by email from the Registry and the most commonly used forms are also available from the Registry's website.

Fishing Vessels:

1. Registration

The registration of a fishing vessel is dealt with by the Registry of British Ships at the Harbour Office. Opening hours are 8.45 am to 1.00 pm and 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday.

In order to comply with the law there are three main requirements:

1. The vessel is used for fishing for profit. This means that all or part of the catch is occasionally or exclusively sold.

2. The vessel is owned legally and beneficially either by a British subject living in the Bailiwick of Guernsey or a Company registered in and having its principal place of business in the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

3. The vessel is fishing from a port in the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

Application will need to be made on the prescribed form (FSG37 found at the bottom of this page) and, subject to satisfactory completion, a 'GU' number will be allocated.

When the vessel has been marked as required with its GU number and name and port of registry, the Assistant Registrar or an officer representing him will inspect the vessel and, if necessary measure the vessel in accordance with the regulations.

When this has been completed satisfactorily a fishing vessel certificate will be issued and only then is the vessel properly registered to fish.

These requirements do not remove the need to register the vessel on the local register with the Harbour Office. Local registration may be applied for at the same time as Fishing Vessel registration but will not be processed until a GU number has been allocated.

2. Licensing

A fishing vessel licensing scheme for vessels fishing for profit within 3 miles of the Bailiwick coast is in place and further licensing requirements will be introduced for vessels fishing between 3 and 10 miles of the coast in the near future, when the relevant legislation has been enacted in Guernsey.

Owners of vessels with a Fishing Vessel Licence entitlement card issued by the Department of Fisheries will need to check with that Department that their entitlement is sufficient for the vessel to be registered.

Owners of vessels without the above are advised to obtain a licence or entitlement of sufficient capacity for their vessel that will allow the Sea Fisheries Committee to make arrangements for a licence to be issued.

If you have any doubts concerning your position you should contact Andrew Innes, Administrative Office, Department of Fisheries on telephone 235741.

3. Safety Regulations

Registered fishing vessels are required, by law, to have a current safety certificate. The vessel must comply fully with the Small Fishing Vessels (Safety) (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Regulations 2007. Please contact Captain A J B Pattimore, Deputy Harbour Master for further details

The amount of safety equipment and the complexity of the survey will be determined by the length of the vessel. Prospective fishing boat owners are advised to contact Captain A.J.B. Pattimore, Deputy Harbour Master on 720229 in order to understand more fully what will be required for their vessel and whether the vessel will comply with construction standards for commercial fishing vessels.

In the event that the vessel is transferring from the UK and has a current UK certificate, this will need to be presented to the Harbour Office where a Guernsey certificate maybe issued for the balance of the survey period, subject to inspection and approval.

Small Ship Register

The Small Ship Register (SSR) provides a cheap and simple alternative to full registration under the Merchant Shipping Act. The certificate of registry provided will give evidence of the British nationality of the ship when it is taken abroad.

A Small Ship Registration Certificate may not be accepted in some foreign ports if you are using your ship for 'commercial purposes' e.g. diving or chartering. The register does not enable ownership of a ship to be established nor can marine mortgages be recorded.

Registration on the SSR lasts for five years from the date of issue of the Certificate of Registry and can be renewed during the period six months prior to the date of expiry, provided no changes have occurred in the details included on the Certificate of Registry, in which case it will terminate immediately. The registration number can be retained provided application is made within three months of the expiry or termination.

The application form should be used only for the first registration of a ship and for the re-registration of a ship whose registry on the SSR has terminated or expired. A separate form for renewing the registration of a ship is available from the Guernsey registrar.

Ships cannot be on more than one part of the Register at any one time. If you have full British registration it is to your advantage to keep your ship registered on that Part rather than transfer it to the SSR. If you wish to transfer from one Part of the Register to another, it will be necessary to close the ship's current registration before the transfer can be made.

If the ship is registered on the full register at a port in the United Kingdom or the Channel Islands you may apply to register under the SSR. However, if there is recorded a mortgage or sale affecting the ship or a share in the ship the Part 1 registry will not be closed and the application will not be proceeded with. Where the applicant's name and the name of the owner on the Part 1 register differ, the applicant will have to provide a statement of entitlement signed by the present beneficial owner(s), and satisfactory evidence (e.g. bills of sale or a receipted invoice) of ownership.

Local Registration

Traditionally referred to as 'local registration', the Harbour Office operates a register of all boats 12 feet and over in length which are based in Guernsey. This is a statutory requirement and unlike Small Ship Registration is not voluntary. Failure to ensure that your vessel is registered with the Harbour Office is an offence under the Boats and Vessels (Registration, Speed Limits and Abatement of Noise), Ordinances, 1970 and 1994.

In addition, vessels using any of the moorings administered by the Harbour Authority must be properly insured with a minimum public liability cover of £1 million. Vessels which are based in the Island and registered with the Registry of British Ships under Part 1, commercial Fishing Vessels and boats on the Small Ships Register must also be registered on the Port Control Register as 'local boats'.