Croatia has removed the handsome number of 6,363 boats and yachts whose owners have not paid the Permit Fees for the Safety of Navigation and Protection of the Seas for the years 2020 and 2021 from the Croatian Boat Register through forced deregistration. The decision, implemented as of December 18, 2021, is based on Article 192, paragraph 3 of the Croatian Maritime Code. The owners affected by deletion can only be re-registered after compulsory de-registration through a new application, i.e. a so-called initial application – an administrative marathon that can often be time-consuming, nerve-wracking and, in the worst case, quite expensive for owners.
SeaHelp warning in September 2021
Already on September 11, 2021 SeaHelp warned members of the consequences of not paying the necessary permit fees and published a link to the list of defaulters on the Internet. The warning was apparently heeded, because among the 6,363 owners affected by the mandatory deregistration, there are few people from German-speaking countries, at least in terms of names.
Registration at great expense
However, those who did not receive or did not heed the fee notice, which should also have been delivered by mail abroad, and now find themselves on the “blacklist” of the Croatian Ministry of the Navy, face not inconsiderable administrative hurdles after the compulsory deregistration.
Intensive review
First of all, an initial registration involves a detailed technical review according to the regulations currently in force. Such a check is usually carried out not only in the water, but also on dry land, which in many cases can cause crane costs if you can not slip the boat or yacht. Just about everything is checked, from bilge pumps to fire extinguishers and rescue equipment for the total number of possible crew.
EU Declaration of Conformity
In addition, after the mandatory deregistration, the EU Declaration of Conformity is required, but it only became mandatory for boat manufacturers after 1998. Recertification is possible with some port captains, but can take up to a quarter of a year or more, especially at the beginning of the season.
CE Certification
Problems can also be caused by a lack of CE certification, at least if they are used commercially. Whether this regulation also applies to privately registered boats and yachts is still not conclusively regulated by law.
Apply for re-registration online only
The Ministry of the Navy was probably surprised itself by the high number of deletions from the register of ships and offers for the affected owners, whose boats and yachts were deleted ex officio, now the possibility to online to register again, unfortunately only in Croatian. For this purpose, however, extensive papers must be submitted, which may no longer be available, especially for older boats or yachts.
Forced deregistration aims to clean up registry
Conclusion: When it comes to fees, the Croatian Ministry of the Navy can’t take a joke. On the other hand, the measure also leads to a cleanup of the registry, which for years had been carrying around so-called “deadbeats.”
