What are the risks of owners of ships registered under the Delaware flag

Important information for owners of yachts registered under the Delaware (USA) flag.

The State of Delaware has introduced new procedures and directives to tackle abuse of the yacht registration system by yacht owners who keep their vessels outside Delaware most of the time or on a permanent basis.

Since the Delaware registration is not an international valid maritime registration, Delaware registered ships based primarily outside Delaware will be considered unregistered or no port of registry (citizenship), which means that local authorities can apply their own requirements. regarding the jurisdiction of the vessel, which in turn may affect the tax status of the vessel. The ship's insurance policy can also be questioned.

Awareness of the situation is growing among foreign port authorities, and owners of Delaware registered vessels based outside Delaware can expect increased control by local authorities, which could result in a potential arrest of the vessel.