When we bought Aleau she was named Gillian B and was registered in the U.K. We were informed by British authorities that we would not be allowed to keep her registered there. To do so, we would have to provide proof that we permanently resided in the U.K. – which, of course, we couldn’t do.
Fine, I’d like her to be registered in Canada. No such luck. Transport Canada was extremely difficult to deal with. Employees had no interest in a Canadian proudly flying the Canadian flag in Europe. Their final suggestion was that I bring Aleau to Canada, have a Transport Canada approved tonnage surveyor, calculate the tonnage, and then sail Aleau back to Europe. When I pointed out that Aleau was not an ocean-going vessel and would sink within minutes of being at sea, they said I should have her put on a ship and shipped to Canada. Really???
It was becoming a problem. Not only were we searching for a country Aleau could call home, she needed to be insured. The British company that had originally given us a policy changed its mind at the last moment. It said the rules had changed and it could no longer insure non-UK registered vessels.