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Registration

Aqua Marine has significant experience in navigating the registration, importation and compliance process for commercial and pleasure yachts of all sizes and under some of the main ship registries. We support owners to structure the registration of their vessel in a way that ensures it has significant benefit and can neutralise the VAT burden. We also have an experienced insurance team that handles a wide range of services and policies to facilitate all of the insurance requirements of the vessel, owner and crew.

Flag Registration

An important decision made by Yacht owners that can impact their vessel, both operationally and financially, is the selection of the most appropriate ship registry. The flagging decision requires the careful consideration of multiple operational, legal and technical criteria. Aqua has significant experience in navigating the registration, importation and compliance process for commercial and pleasure yachts of all sizes under some of the main ship registries; Malta flag - as an authorised agents, Cayman Islands, IOM and Jersey - which is effective for pleasure crafts.

Insurance

Marine Insurance is a complex multi-faceted area which requires experience and expertise in order to achieve the best results.

Aqua Marine has an experienced  insurance team that handles a wide range of services and policies to facilitate all of the insurance requirements of the vessel, owner and crew. This includes key areas such as handling of illness, accident and repatriation claims from start to finish with P&I insurers and insurance of personal effects of owners and crew.

Our industry qualified personnel have significant contacts and experience in dealing with policies and claims backed up by comprehensive policy cover placed at competitive rates. This provides safety and security to our clients as they know we will ensure they are best placed.

VAT

Over the years, Aqua Marine has cultivated privileged relationships with Top 4 Accountancy Practices to structure the acquisition of super yachts which intend to have some presence in the EU in a way that mitigates or manages the VAT burden. Careful management of this process is needed. It is often relative to whether the vessel is commercially chartered.

If the appropriate criteria are properly in place, Aqua Marine can support owners to structure the registration of the vessel in a way that ensures it has significant benefit and can neutralise the VAT burden. This can be helpful where vessels are acquired outside the EU but intend to have some usage or presence within the EU and/or Mediterranean.

Aqua Marine have offices in Malta and the UK. Through the operation of strong relationships, good accounting, effective VAT returns and proper management of the underlying vessels, our team can provide a strong and credible level of service which can manage effective governance and bring in proper cost control for our clients. This sensible structuring, together with effective reporting and proper management will reduce risk and raise revenue.

We have a proven track record through our governance process; super yachts under Aqua Marine management have seen an increase of 20% in the value of revenue per annum, ensuring that taxes and costs are properly mitigated but the value of the asset remains high. This is not always an easy balance. Through our independence and wish to work with best-of-breeds, we have succeeded in developing huge experience in this area and effectively delivering what is needed by our clients.