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View From the Chair

The magazine “Classic Boat” has a “Word of the Month” in each edition. In
December 2019 it was U.N.P.O.C which entered in a ships log stands for
“Unable to Navigate, probably on course”. That pretty much sums up 2020
for me as I have been unable to navigate at all. I of course hope that none
of our Southerly family have suffered the loss of someone close, but we of
course have all been affected in some way.

I have heard from members this year whose boats are in far flung places,
and they have been unable to visit, let alone sail as planned. Others have
been stuck on their boats for weeks on end whilst local regulations caught
up with a rapidly deteriorating situation.

I was reminded at my insurance
renewal that Dutch Courage of As things stand now boats that
Cowes had lifted out in Faro last have been located in the EU for
October and I have not seen her 3 or more years but were built
since. I had paid for a years sailing,
in the UK will have to return to
and the boat has not seen the
water. I should have probably the UK by 31 December 2021 or
notified the Insurance Company of lose their UK VAT paid status.
the situation, but it slipped my
mind. To add insult to injury, they hiked my premium for the coming year
(to destinations as yet unknown) saying that as I had beaten them down in
the previous 2 years, it was time for them to catch up.

And as if 2020 had not thrown up enough problems for us merry matelots’,
HM Revenue & Customs are looking as though they may well make
matters much worse for some boat owners. Who will be affected by this
issue will depend on where their boats are on 31 December 2020 when
compared to where the boat was constructed and whether the current
guidance given by HMRC changes in the light of pressure from the boat
owning public. As things stand now (early November) boats that have been
located in the EU for 3 or more years but were built in the UK will have to
return to the UK by 31 December 2021 or lose their UK VAT paid status.
This is despite having had VAT paid on them on construction. EU nationals
with boats in the UK on 31 December 2020 may fare little better, and the

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