When is a Tonnage Survey required?
Tonnage Surveys are required if a boat is to be registered under Part 1 of the British Registry of Shipping.
What are the advantages of Registering a vessel under Part 1 British Registration?
Possession of the Part 1 Registration Certificate will prove that you own the vessel.
The Certificate will prove your boat’s nationality.
With the Certificate, you may use the boat as security for a marine mortgage.
With the Certificate, you can get ‘Transcripts of Registry’, which show the boat’s previous owners and whether there are any outstanding mortgages.
To apply for Part 1 Registry you must satisfy with the following:
The owner of the boat must be British.
They must sign a Declaration of Eligibility and submit an application form along with proof of ownership, such as the Bill of Sale and the Builder's Certificate.
To be registered your boat must have a unique name.
You will need to submit a Certificate of Incorporation (if a company is applying).
You will need to submit a Certificate of Survey of Tonnage and Measurement, which can be provided by Fieldhouse Yacht Surveys.
What does a Tonnage Survey involve?
A Tonnage Survey involves the measurement of the length, breadth and depth of the vessel, followed by a series of calculations.
The vessel may be in or out of the water whilst the Tonnage Survey is being carried out.
The value of the calculated tonnage bears no relation to the vessels’s displecement or weight, but is a volume calculation based on the length times breadth times depth.
On completion of the survey a Tonnage Certificate is issued before the original copy is lodged with the UK Ship Registry in Cardiff.
Fieldhouse Yacht Surveys can undertake your Tonnage Survey
Fieldhouse Yacht Surveys is authorised by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (on behalf of the IIMS) to undertake Tonnage Surveys on vessels of up to 24 metres length for British Registration.
In addition to British Registration, Fieldhouse Yacht Surveys is also approved to undertake Tonnage Surveys by a number of other Red Ensign Flag States as follows:
Jersey – Vessels less than 24 meters length
Guernsey – Vessels less than 24 metres length
Isle of Man – Vessels less than 24 metres LOA
BVI – Vessels less than 24 metres load line length
Cayman Islands – Vessels less than 24 metres load line length
Gibraltar – Vessels less than 24 metres length