Post Brexit: Towing in the EU

Originally posted by 423zero If you build your own trailer, boat or box, you are supposed to take it for a IVA test, trailers come under single use vehicles, if you go on you.gov it tells you what inspector will check and the top ten fails, you have to have permanent lights fitted to boat trailer without boat on, presumably this is where the lighting board regulations come in which states you may attach light board to load, ie, if with boat on trailer fixed lights are more than a metre from furthest aft section of load.

Edited by Paramedic - 02 Sep 21 at 10:33am

Less than 1 m  overhang, past lighting, no additional requirements needed.

Edited by The Q - 28 Feb 22 at 12:30pm

But that's for the UK. It's travelling to mainland Europe that's the issue.

It used to be that as an EU member, EU countries had to accept our trailer regs and couldn't charge us duties or VAT on the transport of goods.

Post brexit, we lost those freedoms.

Well, still little clarity. Off to the Javelin euros anyway. My Dutch friends say you can tow anything in Holland so long as it's not too heavy so taking a UK single stack trailer containing 1x Jav all our gear and a light board hung off the pintles.

There are rumours that if you take two boats you'll need an export / import carnet carnet for the boats to avoid paying vat on re-entry to the uk ( tbh, given the market value of my Jav, it would be cheaper to pay the VAT). A mate is taking a double stack so well test that out too.

All totally avoidable, but for the f***wits voting in f***wits

Chit chat in the class association. Based on one boat being a personal belonging but two boat being an export/import. Euros are 23rd July. I'll report back.

Shortage of crews means that a mate and I are taking one boat between us whereas in previous years we'd be four in the car with a double stack in tow.

One fellow sailor has two boats and two growing sons though, so the family are bringing two boats with four sailors behind a massive camper van. It would be a VERY MEAN border control oik to suggest they were importing boats! I'm sure it will be fine without a carnet.

I use carnets for work and the main issue is getting border control to understand what it is you want them to sign. They really aren't set up for it or in expectation of having to deal with them.

But ... No faffing guidance from our useless government who told us it would all be fine. All suck it and see. I'll tell y'all how it pans out.