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The new FTA between New Zealand and the EU came into effect on the 1st of May 2024. NZ & EU Free Trade Agreement Comes into Force New Zealand's Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) came into effect on 1 May 2024, and the implications for those who wish to import new vessels from the EU, and additionally, vessels currently in NZ under a Temporary Import Entry or imported after 1st May are outlined here. New vessels will have to meet the product-specific rule of origin to be eligible for the preferential tariff rate – of zero. The rule for vessels (or any product classified in chapter 89) is CC; or Max NOM 40 % (EXW). This basically means the vessel must have been fully manufactured in the EU – including the hull, or if there are imported parts also classified in chapter 89 the manufacturer has achieved an added value of at least 40% of the ex-works price of the vessel. Second hand EU built boats that have already arrived in New Zealand and currently under a Temporary Import Entry TIE. If a boat is in New Zealand under temporary entry conditions, then those conditions continue to apply. A deposit equal to the duty payable or other form of security is made and returned to the importer when the good leaves New Zealand. If the boat is subsequently made available for sale in NZ (by implication changed from TIE to formally imported) then duties are payable. Under NZ law the duty payable is the duty applicable on the date of entry into New Zealand (i.e. when the boat crossed into our territorial waters) so if it was here before 1 May then it would not be able to access the preferential rate – only available to goods imported on or after 1 May. Duty applicable would be based on the value of the boat. The EU NZ FTA does not alter normal procedures – just makes duties 0% on EU imports made on or after 1 May. GST still applies on the CIF value for yachts manufactured in the EU. The same would apply for EU manufactured boats coming from Australia, but the onus is on the importer to prove that the yacht was manufactured in the EU. This opens the door for us to explore many more options when sourcing vessels for our clients and working closely with our EU colleagues, we will be able to find the exact vessel they require.

Removing old worn out antifouling is probably the most disliked maintenance job you will ever have to do on your boat. I know that when I have done it, it has been tedious, dirty, dusty and arm tiring and personally, I hate the job with a vengence. Traditionally it has been done by using either Linbide scrapers or random orbital sanders and now with the Health and Safety Police out there, the sanders have to be used with some sort of vacuum to suck up most of the dust. It is a good thing, but it does add additional weight to the sander when holding it against the hull of your boat. Of course, if you can afford it, you could have this job performed by a boat yard contractor and let them clean the antifoul out of their orifices for the next week. But wait, there is a better way and new Parker Marine Group member, Aquamax, could be the answer. Aquamax use only high pressure water to remove the antifoul, back to the epoxy layer. The control over the water pressure is such that they can accurately and precisely remove just the layers of paint you want removed. This job is performed in an area where all the waste water is collected and can be taken away for safe disposal. I worked with Aquamax on a project in Wellington. We had to remove a foul release coating back to the epoxy on a fibreglass yacht. I was so impressed with the process and the amount of control the operator had during the entire process, that I invited Aquamax to become a Parker Marine Group member. So if you need your old antifouling removed, or even if you need all the coatings removed to start afresh, contact us and we'll get Aquamax on the job for you.

Well, as a boat building material, steel offers many advantages. The primary advantages of steel are economy, ease of construction, incredible toughness, improved comfort(roll moment of inertia), survivability in extreme conditions, longevity, and ease of maintenance and repair. One big advantage of using steel in boat building and construction is that it's much more rugged, having a far superior abrasion resistance when compared to any other boat building material. A steel boat rusts from the inside-out, so if it's an improperly built hull that has not been cleaned, prepped and coated during construction, there will be future problems ahead. If the boat has been built by a professional builder and has been sand blasted, undercoated and painted to a paint manufacturers written specification during construction, future corrosion issues will be alleviated considerably. So always try and find out if the vessel was built professionally. A well maintained steel hull, with a good coating system, can last almost indefinitely, as long as it's kept properly painted and rust free . It's not uncommon to see steel boats from the '50s and '60s still in service, if they've been kept in good condition and regularly repainted. It is true that steel hulls have a high potential for corrosion, but modern construction techniques and coatings reduce that risk significantly. Unfortunately, many steel boats on the used-boat market will be short on such protection and when considering the purchase of a steel boat it is vital that the surveyor is experienced in steel boat construction methods and inspects the inside of the hull thoroughly. An ultrasound survey is also recommended, as this will find any areas of corrosion that may exist. If the ultrasound shows that the hull is of a uniform thickness everywhere, then you can be assured the hull is in good condition and will last for years to come with a good maintenance program. Steel is one of the most popular materials used for boats and has consistently been the material of choice for the past century. Its high strength, durability, resistance to abrasion and relatively low cost, are some of the main reasons why steel is widely used in the boat building industry. Steel hulls will flex the least and are strongest in terms of impact resistance, so in answer to my initial questions "Is steel scary" and "Should I buy a Steel Boat" My answer is No, it's not scary, but like all materials used to build boats, steel has its own set of maintenance requirements. Steel corrodes, wood rots, fibreglass gets osmosis. Don't be scared of steel, it is the easiest and cheapest material to maintain and repair.