My boat - US flagged - is in Spain on the hard and I am getting close to the maximum 18 months temporary importation period for VAT purposes.  Keeping the boat in Europe past the 18 months would mean that I owe VAT on the value of the boat.  Yet I cannot currently travel to the boat from the US and have had to cancel my entire season, including a sail to the Faroe Islands to get out of the EU customs zone and reset my 18 months.  The EU indicated in March that local customs offices should show flexibility in situations like mine.  So I engaged a customs agent is Spain to get me an extension of the 18 months to next summer.  They just got back to me that they could not help me.  Has anyone had success with Spanish customs (or French customs) on this issue?  I’m thinking of sailing the boat to France if the French are more helpful.  Many thanks for any help you can provide!

joerg Esdorn
A55 Kincsem, Vigo Spain