The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union, what will happen?

Yesterday almost 52 % of the British People voted against the European Union. The negative impact for the world economy can already be observed on the stock exchange markets and the foreign exchange markets. The English Pound dropped to its lowest level since 1985, just over night.

Mr. Cameron may have done a disservice to his country by initiating this plebiscite.

As the European and British politicians are still under a state of shock, most of the European businesses like ours had already a plan B in their drawers but what will be the impact of this british separatism (and may be isolationism) on the yachting industry and the yachting world?

Just a few possible examples to start the discussion with no priority and right to completeness:

- British boats will loose their CE certification for the future or even retroactive.

- EU boats will need a special British certification, which makes them more expensive.

- MCA or other british classification of yachts may not be recognized by EU countries in the future.

- MCA licences for mariners may not be recognized by EU countries on EU flagged yachts in the future.

- The Ensign (the british flag) will be concidered a non EU flag (officially called a third country flag).

- Yachts flying the Ensign will be forced to pay the VAT after 6 month in the EU for example.

- EU built yachts became more than 15 % more expensive in GB over night due to loosing english pound.

- Yachting and living for British Citizens will be more difficult and expensive in Europe (The Med!!!!).

- Will British and Commenwealth crew be allowed to work on EU flagged/located yachts in the future?

To be continued

I personally do not know the answers to all these and much more other questions and problems. I am afraid, the 51,9 % of the British People voting against the EU, opened Pandora's Box last night.

All statements of European politicians and European national politicians say, GB will not be allowed any kind of cherry picking, means keeping the advantages and just dump the disadvantages. As our secretary of financial affairs Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble said in his famous (awfull ) english: "Out is out". And their is a pretty high possibilty, that the United Kingdom may even break apart (Scotland !).

What does our yachtforums community think about the impact of the BREXIT on yachting in general and especially in Europe? No bad feelings and emotional politics, just a discussion from the yachting point of view.

Looking forward to the answers and statements of our mariners and knowing members.



The meaning of this picture is left to the viewer .

If it would be that easy, fine with me. But I am afraid this will not happen. I have talked on the phone this morning to an very old friend of mine, who is a member of the European Parliament. The MP said: "The vast majority of the members of the EU parliament and of the European Comission have the strong opinion, that allowing GB to keep the advantages of the European domestic market without accepting any common rules and costs (like Norway for example), would lead into the fast erosion of the remaining EU of the 27. If Britain gets lucky away with its BREXIT, several other EU countries will follow". End of his statement.

We have prepared for this BREXIT in business, as we are pretty much engaged on the British Isles with our company. Several possibilities have been evaluated and we are prepared, either way. We are even prepared to recall our non British employees.

But the impact on the European yachting community can not be really forcasted. That is the reason, I started this thread. Our EU bureaucrats are known for their unpredictability and their own dynamics. Many British Citizens and EU citizens with British employees (crews) may find themself pretty soon in a very uncomfortable situation. The same counts for owners of yachts flying the Ensign.

There is a good old english saying: "S....t is always gathering speed, when going downhill" And the EU is definately going downhill at the moment. And Lars, I 100 % agree with You, business as usual will not work for the EU in the future. Europe has changed last night.

IMHO, this is the darkest day in the history of the EU. Who is next to leave? Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark??? Not good, not good at all.

Agreed, the regulation frenzy of our EU bureaucrats can be really a pain in the neck sometimes. But from the yachting point of view, things like the CE regulation and the mutual recognition of certificates and licenses are pretty helpfull for the yachting industry, boat owners and crews.

If the EU would be clever enough to dump some of the extravagantly bureaucratism, its citizens might be much more positive towards this economic and political union. If not, we may return to an age, nobody really wants, border control, passports and visa for travelling within the continent, customs and markets with different rules in each individual country. Mr. Putin and the Chinese will love it. 28 different, estranged, egoistic countries will be an easy meat for them.

Liam, please do not mix the Euro with the EU. I agree, cramming 17 countries of differnet performance and capabilities under one currency with the rules of the strongest economy was a bad idea. The Euro was not a German idea. It was a condition for the reunion of Germany to give up the Deutsche Mark for a common European currency. But in 2008, the course was set the wrong way. I do not believe, the Euro will survive with its current rules and setup. At least not for all 17 countries. But the EU in general was the best thing for Europe in the last 50 years and for your country too.

All other matters like CE, certifications, licences, flag, VAT and more will require bilateral treaties between GB and the 27 remaining EU countries in the future. This is the real nightmare. Btw. The validation of US licences is not a problem in the EU. We have several US mariners working for us in Europe and on EU flagged ships and yachts. Btw. my boats fly the Maltese Cross, the best flag one can have in Europe .

Not on your side of the pond for sure. But in the Med, it will have some impact on yachts flying the ensign and its crews. There are to many countries with the urgent need of money around this body of water . Not being forced to stick to EU rules, when dealing with british boats and mariners, will give them the opportunity to raise some additional funds.

Being concidered a "third country" will not be easy for a seafaring nation like GB, located in Europe. Do not get me wrong, I am not gloating at all. I personally hope, the consequences for GB, leaving the EU will be as small as possible (for the economy their people and yachting), at its best, NIL. But I am afraid all of us will pay the bill, GB presented us last night.

Fish, I do love your beauiful isles. Sorry, that they were the only part of the United Kingdom ever occupied by the Germans . And thank you for buying this beautiful German mobile harbour crane. I have shares of this company, they pay pretty good dividend.

Norseman, I was hoping for the passing of this BREXIT too but with my typical German worst case thinking, we were prepared, shiftet our liquid assets to a safe harbour and made some great profits. Can You imagine, the British economy lost 53 billion $ last night, just by taking this decision in the plebiscite even with the real final exit be as far as two years in the future. Some of this money is now in my pocket .

The bad thing is, the 50+ generation in most parts of England (except London) voted against the majority of the younger generation of people in England and against the majority of people in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The British People are left behind really split. As the Prime Minister Cameron already resigned, it will take some good politicians to get them back on the same table and lead this Isle into a good future. All analysts see Britain and its ecconomy as the big looser of this BREXIT in the long run.

The big problem, I see, both for the economy of GB and Europe (very strange for me to say, GB and Europe!!) that our national and European politicians (from what I see from todays interviews) are really, really angry about the outcome of this voting. GB will have a very hard time to negotiate any treaty with the EU bureaucrats for the future. They (astonishingly not the German politicians) keep saying, GB will have to take it the hard way in order to prevent other EU countries to try the same way. That is bad, arrogant and typical for politicians having lost contact with their people (voters).

As far as yachting and shipping is concerned, my colleagues in the shipping business believe, we may have to go away from Lloyd's underwriters and the financial center London in the near future. The ticker says, the first investment banks are already concidering moving to Frankfurt and Paris.

Not good, not good at all.

Portugal and Madeira are not a "Flag of Convenience" and EUROMAR is pretty straight forward. They have their European rules and stick to them, period.

Malta is at first "one of the above" and on the other hand, very easy and friendly to deal with, as far as the Maltese authorities are concerned. Very polite, very helpfull and with minimum bureaucracy but still fully legal. With a certain setup, they have the lowest VAT in Europe. You even do not have to bribe them during a flag change (just joking). Beautiful country, very nice people and a great flag state.

I fly their flag with pride and have Valleta as homeport.

The autonome government of Scotland will initiate one more plebiscite for leaving the United Kingdom as their is a complete new situation coming up for Scotland. If this would occur, they will ask for staying in the EU. This would be no problem what so ever, as all EU regs are already implemented in Scotland. But it would be a uge problem for England, as most of the Oil and natural gas in the North Sea belongs to Scotland.

You are having a difficult time understanding what is going on here in Europe at the moment because of Your American point of view. The business world in Europe is on high alert and does hear the "coughing of the fleas". This thinking about leaving the financial place London is something like the rats are leaving the sinking ship. Not my personal way of thinking but the way investment banking and industrial planning works in Europe at the moment. The smallest rumor moves the indices up and down. Troubled times, thats all.

Olderboater you are unbelievable. 3 years ago you are joined YF with some little knowledge about speed boats on lakes (your own statement). Now you holding a captains licence, operate and own several expensive yachts, travel the seven sees and are the biggest opinion owner on YF, telling off everybody not giving you the right of the last word. I give up, as I said before, you are the fastest learning and most intelligent men on earth and definately on YF. Excuse me for giving the impression of not accepting your extraordinary superiority, which I of course do.

Btw. My mentioning of Your American point of view was not ment as any kind of criticism at all. It was just a reference to your location and this well ment. I may sometimes use a wrong word or make typos, because I am not a native english tongue but I do not believe, I am known on YF for being arrogant or showing any kind of know it all manner. I am just a mariner and yachtsman by heart and an old business man with more than 35 years in the maritime industry.

Not only me but several other YF members I talk to, have sometimes the feeling, that most of your boating knowledge if not all, is Google based only with no practical and real background what so ever. You are obviously very good and very fast in searching the web and you are a great keyboard warrior but in reality ..........? We never see you posting any pictures of any of your many claimed voyages and pictures shot from any of your boats. One member wrote me, you may be a complete bouncer but I would never going that far, saying that. Olderboater are you?

If other members believe, Olderboater is correct with his accusation of me having any member called being ill informed because they're American, I will step down on YF and this wll be my last post and Carl may cancel my membership on YF and JF immediately. Sorry Olderboater, this time you made me really angry. People like you, scare members away from YF.

HTMO9