How to apply

You can register your bareboat vessel in the Canadian Register of Vessels for 6 months to 5 consecutive years.

To obtain a certificate of bareboat registry:

1. The vessel owner must suspend the foreign registry
2. The bareboat charterer must register the bareboat vessel in Canada by providing the following information:
   • Form 18—Application for Bareboat Charter Registry (Form 84-0170)
   • Bareboat charter party agreement
   • Certified transcript or abstract of vessel registration in the foreign state that shows all liens and mortgages
   • Letter from the existing foreign state (flag state) stating that the bareboat charter registration is allowed under the law of that state and that for the duration of the charter, the registration is suspended in that state
   • Letter of consent from the mortgagees, if any
   • Current International Tonnage Certificate (ITC)
   • Letter of consent from the owners
3. Upload your documents and pay for your application

If you extend the bareboat charter period, you must advise us so we can update the register.

1. Provide the following information:
   • Letter from the Canadian registered owner which includes:
     • the request for the extension
     • confirmation that no changes were done to the agreement
   • Letter of consent from the mortgagees, if any
   • Letter of consent from the foreign registry office to continue to bareboat the vessel
2. Upload your documents and pay for your application

The bareboat charterer must close the registration of the bareboat vessel in Canada.

1. To get a deletion certificate, the bareboat charterer must prepare a letter and include the following information:
   • the request to close the registration in Canada
   • official number of the vessel
   • vessel name
   • date and time of closing
   • address where the deletion is to be sent
2. The vessel owners must reinstate its foreign registration
3. Upload your letter and pay for your application

If you lease your vessel to someone outside Canada, you need to suspend its registry in the Canadian Register of Vessels.

The suspension of the registry in Canada and registration of the bareboat charter vessel in the foreign country must be done.

1. Provide the following information:
   • letter from the Canadian registered owner, which includes the:
     • details of the bareboat charter agreement
     • vessel name
     • vessel official number
     • period of the agreement
   • letter of consent from all mortgagees, if any
   • letter from the Foreign Flag State stating that there are no objections to the bareboat registry (a certified translation into English or French is required, if applicable)
2. Upload your documents and pay for your application
3. After the registry is suspended, you must:
   • Send us a copy of the Certificate of Bareboat Charter Registration or transcript of the foreign state registry

1. To extend the suspension of the registration of a Canadian vessel, you must provide the following information:
   • letter from the bareboat charterer requesting the extension
     • New bareboat charter agreement if the current agreement is coming to an end
     • Letter of consent from the mortgagees, if any
     • Letter of consent from the foreign Registry office to continue to bareboat charter the vessel
2. Upload your documents and pay for your application

When the bareboat charter agreement ends, the foreign registry of the vessel should be closed and it must again be registered in the Canadian Register. This is called reinstating the registry.

1. Provide the following information:
   • Letter from the Canadian registered owner which includes:
     • the request for the reinstatement
     • the exact time and date of the reinstatement
     • confirmation that no alterations were done to the vessel
   • Letter or Certificate of Deletion of the bareboat charter registry from the foreign Registry office
   • Letter to the mortgagees advising return to Canada, if any
2. Email your documents to vr-ib@tc.gc.ca. There's no cost for this service as it was included when you suspended the registration.
3. Make sure the Canadian Maritime Documents are within their expiry date and remove the other flag's certificates from use.