Dinghy Registration

[jwalk]

Just brought my US documented S/V back from 4 years in West Indies to Florida waters.I remember something about having to register the dinghy even though I dont plan on being in Florida over 90 days.Any thoughts?

[Randyonr3]

For years I was under the understanding that my documented vessel included a dinghy for the primary boat but was set streight just a few days ago by a local law inforcer..
He printed out an 8 page information piece from the US documentation center..
On page 5, half way down the page..AND IT READS

IS THE VESSEL TENDER DOCUMENTED?

Documentation of your vessel does NOT cover the vessel's tender or dinghy. These craft fall within the jurisdiction of the motorboat numbering laws of the state of principal use.

Even so, I dont plan of regestering my dink..
But thats just me..

[Amapola]

If you get stopped in your dink in FL, the first thing they look for is your FL registration.

[MarkSF]

So here from the CA DMV website :

Vessel Boat Registration and Information

A vessel powered solely by oars or paddles does not have to be registered. So my dinghy only has to be registered if I put an outboard on it? Is this correct?

[delmarrey]

Each state is different the OP is asking about FL.

[Astrid]

If the non-motor powered vessel is less than 16 feet in length, it is not required to be registered or titled. However, if the vessel is 16 feet or more in length, it is required to be registered and titled.

all vessels used on public waterways with any kind of motor must be titled and registered.

From Florida Dept of Highways and Safety.

[Capt.Don]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

So here from the CA DMV website :

Vessel Boat Registration and Information

A vessel powered solely by oars or paddles does not have to be registered. So my dinghy only has to be registered if I put an outboard on it? Is this correct?

Mark, That's my understanding too in California.
Don

[dohenyboy]

So it I build a 100-foot boat and get Ben Hur and friends to row it, no motor no sails, I don't have to get it registered? Cool

[DrivinSteve]

Originally Posted by dohenyboy

So it I build a 100-foot boat and get Ben Hur and friends to row it, no motor no sails, I don't have to get it registered? Cool

[marc2012]

Originally Posted by dohenyboy

So it I build a 100-foot boat and get Ben Hur and friends to row it, no motor no sails, I don't have to get it registered? Cool

But think of the msd design issues.Not to mention all the posts re which stove,food storage etc.marc

[Dulcesuenos]

Im going to add my own exp and most recent dinghy dealing to this. Yes u need to be registered if using a gas powered motor. If you do not have a title for your dinghy u will need a certificate of origin from the manufacture. If you have neither no registration for you unless you have proof it is home made and show receipts and fill the appropriate forms out and they may require inspection. This is for Florida. If your certificate of origin is over 2 years old they will give u an incredibly hard time and depending on how nice or nasty u look like u are and the mood of the manager at the tax collectors office will decide the outcome. What works best go in tell them its a 1969 achilles (they had no titles back them) and tell them u need to register it. You will give them a "hull id number" and then a registration number and u r done. I have "heard" it works lol. At least this state doesn't require outboards to be titled like some others.

[norsearayder]

no motor ,just oars,i had no problem of any kind in fla,now in the bahamas they didnt need a thing as long as i have no motor..on a side note coming off the dinghy dock fully loade d,women supplies and ice i was making little to no progress against a 25 or better breeze,i wasnt trying too hard [saving my strenth for a longish row when not 1 but 2 moterized inflatables offered a tow,on most days i refuse sightin doctors orders but on this blusterly day i took a much apreicated tow,thank you noisy gas burners!!!

[Hud3]

Jwalk,

I brought my USCG documented boat and unregistered dinghy back into the U.S. after four years outside the country. This was in Florida, about three years ago. Same situation as you describe.

If my dinghy had been registered in another state, I would have had 90 days before being required to register it in Florida. Since it wasn't registered elsewhere, I had to register it immediately. I don't recall the registration fee, but it was something like $30-35. There's a base fee to the state and each county can add on a variable amount. You'll need some form of title, purchase receipt or manufacturers certificate of origin.

Since I had owned the dinghy more than six months, I did not have to pay any sales tax or "use tax". Boats under 16' without motors do not need to be registered in Florida.

[tamicatana]

I would posit that it depends on how long you plan to be in Fla, and where you are.

My experience: I spent Christmas week in the Keys on my trailerable trimaran, duly registered in Mississippi. Usually I don't have a dink, but this trip we carried one. I read that about the FL registration thing. Not wanting to mess with that for a week-long trip, I painted my trimaran's MS registration numbers on the dink (just in case).

I wasn't hassled in any way. 'course my poor old dink is a really beat up old thing and the OB is ancient, and the only time we used it was at Boot Key. Nevertheless, I suggest if you have some sort of numbers painted on your dink, unless you do something else to garner attention, you'll do just fine.

[osirissail]

98% of the time (WAG) - you can get away with not properly registering a vessel in accordance with the local State reg's. 1% of the time (WAG) you will simply be told to go get it registered. The remaining 1% of the time (WAG) you will incur fines and all kinds of hassles that will ruin your day/week/month and leave a bad taste in your mouth/memory about that particular place.

Weekends in popular boating areas is where most of the "hassles" occur as the local law enforcement officers are out on the water trying to keep order out of the chaos of small watercraft whizzing here and there. If it is a "slow weekend" the LEO's will start looking at bigger boats for the presence of "numbers" and "decals." Personal opinion, but I think the LEO's need to show something was done for their spending their work hours and cost of their fancy patrol boat whizzing around.

Since cruising is about having as enjoyable as possible experiences, avoiding that last 1% of the time experiences is well worth the effort. Very few "dinghies" for cruising boats are larger than 16 feet loa - (Florida limit), so leave the motor off it and you will be within legal requirements if you are not happy taking the risk.

But having just "numbers" on the dinghy (or even the main vessel) will not "hack it" in most USA States. The States issue "decals" annually or so that must be displayed on the boat to show that you have paid the fee's for the current period/year. Without the decal, the numbers mean nothing.