What Is A Grey Imported Boat And What Does It Mean? 

Thanks Aaron, very informative. Another item to be aware of if buying an importing a boat from overseas is the buyer is deemed the importer of the vessel and takes on all liabilities in respect of importing that vessel for the life of the vessel in Australia. This has implications for servicing as many authorised service providers are not generally allowed to provide service or support for grey imports and if they do, will likely charge more. If there are recalls or warranty advisories, these can be difficult to attend to unless dealing outside the dealer networks which has other risks. Part of the importation and commissioning of boats is the formal handover of the vessels warranty obligations, which the importer would do. If the boat is out of warranty, it may be difficult to get factory certified trades to work on the vessel. Also, a lot of vessels tend to come up from the U.S. on the international market, predictably after there's been hurricanes. These are often storm damaged boats that have been repaired to sell to the unaware. Some boats also arrive damaged in transit. A good importer will put the vessel in a steel cage and shrink-wrap for protection, and have it fumigated to dispose of any insects and other nasties before it arrives. Boats from Europe have to be shrink-wrapped and treated for stink bug before they can be brought in, and there only a handful of places in Europe that will do that work, normally completely booked up for the factory boats. A lot to take on when importing a boat!!