Superyacht questions

Lol no they are flying the civil ensign of the Cayman Islands not Australia. These superyachts are not docked but are registered there. Among other things for tax reasons.
But before I answer your questions I am shure other members here can you give more profound answers than me.
Here are photos of the Flag of the Cayman Islands and the civil ensign (red).

Most unlikely. Steering and throttling is done by one person, docking, standing watch, navigating and doing the dishes will take a crew of some sort.

Cayman Islands.

Plenty have been in storms, most vessels will handle more than most crew. Weather routing is a wise activity to attempt avoiding such conditions that would put vessel, crew, machinery and equipment in dire straights.

On the very big ones things are very much as on a cruise ship. You will not find wheelhouse start for the main engines

This really begs for the classic. In particular, minimal crew requirements:


Well, not one, actually.
In other words, there's also a big question on whether "one of these huge superyachts" could be registered, flagged and operated legally without a mate, "engineering team down below" etc.

It is simply where the yacht is registered. Rarely do they actually ever go there. I believe it is called a flag of convenience.

Trying a bit of clairvoyance on your question, you are probably running a generally off concept of "home port". Think of a car: okay, owner might have a permanent parking place rented/bought with that car in mind, but in no way that car is required, guaranteed or should spend any time there. It is equally likely that car actually spends half of it;s time on repairs in various garages across the city and the other half lended out, and said parking slot actually ends up occupied by a neighbor's car, on agreement.
That is, if said "parking place with specific car in mind" was ever there to begin with - very often, it isn;t.

More formally speaking, port of registry (documentation) is even more virtual concept. It's not even really scrutinized to be able to host a ship in question. Think, idk, a "postal address" in the form of bulk PO box.

There are youtube videos that can answer some questions you may have. For example there is a nice video showing the Seven Seas as it departs Ft Lauderdale. It shows crew activity etc. One of the cool features is that the ship rotates 180 degrees on its axis. Superb helmsmanship.

I have a question: why do ships register at all? Registration conveys legal title to the registry, so do some owners just forego the registry process?

By that definition are you then saying titling your car conveys legal title to the state? Registration doesn't relinquish ownership.

As to why register, because virtually every part of the world requires you be registered somewhere to enter. Again, much like a car. Why title a car? Without registration you'd have no means of showing ownership. Similarly if you had no means of establishing ownership, then anyone else could take your boat and register so they would. Or if you caught them having stolen your boat, you'd have no proof it was yours.

It's all just an established method of recording or documenting ownership of a boat.

yes, registering your car DOES convey legal title to the state and if you don't believe me write to them and ask. There are two aspects to "ownership"; legal title and equitable title. Legal title is almost worthless but it is still a claim on ownership. The one who pays for the asset has paramount claim to the equitable title, that is all the proof you need. Being unregistered does not make one more or less likely to have a mobile asset stolen. Its besides the point.

As for needing registration to enter a port, that is interesting and more what I was driving at. Is that the case, i.e. if I want to dock at a port does the office of harbourmaster require one to produce documents and if so, what do they usually require?

If you believe titling and registration is beside the point then just leave your car untitled, tell me where it is sitting, and then try to recover it after I take it. The titling is required to drive the car on the road and that's a reasonable analogy to a boat registration.

It's not just the port, it's every law enforcement officer. Just like driving a car. You get stopped and you're asked for your registration. On a boat the same. As to ports it depends on where you're going and where you're from, but at the very least any foreign port requires your registration or documentation to clear in. I know nothing about your "office of harbourmaster." I'll just give one example. To clear into Ensenada, you're required to have your documentation or registration, your passports, your proof of liability insurance, a crew list to be stamped by immigration and the port captain, perhaps tourist visa depending on the country you're from, and a temporary import permit. You will deal with the Port Captain, Customs, Immigration, and a port bank.

Do you have some problem with vessel documentation?

I was expecting more of an informed discourse. You clearly are unable to distinguish between lawful and legal activities.

Hi,

Any boat calling any port foreign to its flag of registry will be required to produce certain documents given its build nature and visit nature in that port. Much like when you submit your passport entering any foreign port, you submit your passport, state the purpose of your visit and maybe an entry visa, and so on, depending on your"flag" passport. A vessel entering a port for commercial purposes will submit a manifest or bill of loading among other documents, the same is not required from a pleasure boat, which could be on charter, then requiring a valid document issued by its flag of registry that it is allowed to carry passengers for pay and that it follows the international set of standards depending on its certified "class". So you can imagine a boat, set a purpose, a flag, a foreign port of call, and start imagining what documents might be required and you will be right! Not to mention, foreign ports will require in most cases a proof of insurance, after all, this is a foreign flagged vessel that might be engaged in illegal or ill operation and might endanger life, ecology, and/or property.

To add to the fun you are having right now, some ports might seize your vessel or fine you if you are not in compliance with its entry prerequisites, or even operating with crew number below the minimum safe manning figures set by the maritime administration of the flag state in some cases!

You may now add political or sovereign reasons of producing such documents and having them in order. Remember in the 80's the oil tankers that were re-flagged in the states to give them immunity against attack while operating in the Persian gulf.

This is the baseline I guess!

Cheers,

Alf

Thank you Alf. Yes it is tangled documentation web they have woven. Some of it is pure common sense and necessary. I wonder how often a super yacht owner has been "fined" without just cause. Or whether some shady ports just fleece the smaller guy who doesn't know his law.

No need to wonder, many times! I remember a very famous expedition yacht seized in Italy back in 2010 if am correct, can't remember the boats name, but a quick search here and you will find it. The reason was related to insurance documents. (Don't take my word on that, still in medical rehab!)

I can tell you from personal experience, Italian ports used to worry every living bone of me, am in dry land for almost the past two years now, but I don't think it changed much.

Did a quick search:
2010 MY Force Blue, seized while under charter for VAT related issue.
2012 MY Villa Sul Mar, Seized in San Remo for Fuel Tax.
Maybe not documentation related, usually documentation issues are fined heavily.

Cheers,

Alf