One might be surprised at the distinct lack of recreational boat ownership in a land of such beautiful scenery. To my knowledge, there are less than 10 quantified modern boat builders located in this country. The greater portion of these are Expats. All of these builders have websites, and all have a ‘classified ad section’. Most boats that are available are sailing vessels, with a small assortment of power boats. Most of the power boats are older models. In short, surprisingly, the selection is quite limited.
There are differing opinions about boat registration, and this is largely due to locale. In our isolated area, most recommend not to bother with registration. The domestic agencies that oversee boat registration do not exhibit any reciprocity in requirements, and often have divergent requirements. The Butuan Coast Guard office does not own a boat.
An Expat can own a boat-no different than a car. If you break down at sea, there is no Coast Guard or Sea-Tow to call. This makes recreational boating a somewhat riskier proposition than one might consider. This is also a reason why the Jetski community remains diminished. As a boat owner, you have to function as your own Coast Guard, and/or coordinate your outing with another boat owner so you can be rescued if needed. Butuan is located along the Agusan River about 4 miles from the ocean. It generally takes our speedboat/jetski about 20-30 minutes to reach the ocean from our small marina-dependant upon the amount of deadheads in the water.
In downtown Butuan, there is a Philippines Port Authority facility. If you have a sailing vessel, this is your only choice, as your mast will not clear the bridge going upriver. They charge per foot/per day. No utilities are available, but you might be able to negotiate for such. Someone needs to live on your boat at this facility or you will lose it. Our small marina can accommodate power boats to 40’, has 24hr security and utilities available. Some Expats have chosen to purchase banca boats in the past. The fascination with these boats generally diminishes quickly!
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