Dinghy Registration

[Loopy4sailing]

Hi,
I am looking for information in regards to the topic of dingy registration. I know from working on yachts, all dingy's just have T/T (name of vessel) written on the tender. Can this be down with cruising boats as well? Or do you need a separate registration for the dingy? Any advice would be great. Thanks,

[Unicorn Dreams]

Each state has different rules, examples,

Under 10 HP not required

Boat must be registered along with separate registration for outboard, yeah duak registration

Just check with your local authorities to be sure

[John A]

No Custom Office that I visited in Central America, The Caribbean, the Bahamas, or when I returned to the US asked about any dinghy.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by Loopy4sailing

Hi,
I am looking for information in regards to the topic of dingy registration. I know from working on yachts, all dingy's just have T/T (name of vessel) written on the tender. Can this be down with cruising boats as well? Or do you need a separate registration for the dingy? Any advice would be great. Thanks,

Short answer: You need a separate registration for the dinghy if you put a motor on it... assuming you're going to use it in Maine where your profile indicates you're from:

Maine Boating Laws - Registration Information

First line "All motorboats of any size, including airmobiles and personal watercraft, must be registered in Maine to be used on the waters of this State"...

That would include tenders of yachts, even if the yacht is documented with the CG.

[Loopy4sailing]

Thanks for your comments about dingy registration. I will not be using it in Maine, but in Florida and the Bahamas. It will have less than 10 hp on the back. Thanks again.

Colin

[AnchorageGuy]

The Bahamas won't care, but in Florida they will want to see a registration on it from somewhere. Chuck

[osirissail]

If you are in Florida for more than 90 days you need to register your vessel in Florida. If it is a USCG documented vessel it still must be registered - but you will not get a title or any State numbers, just a decal.
A work around is to keep moving and do not spend and significant time in any one place. Having your own State's boat decals can help so long as you don't have a long term in any one place/county.

As to the dinghy:
From the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
Official Website Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

Q. Is a non-powered vessel required to be registered and titled?

A. 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.

Q. I only use a small trolling motor when I use my 12 foot vessel in the canal behind my house. Do I have to register my vessel?

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

[senormechanico]

Going down the West coast in the '90's nobody cared, but when we got to Newport Beach California, we heard the local cops were hard core about it.
I got out my black marking pen, made up an "appropriate looking" number and had no problems!

[lorenzo b]

I think it's a good idea the register your dinghy and put numbers on it that cannot be easily removed and also make your motor secure and distinctive. It's amazing how many dinghys are out there for sale by people who don't own them.

[tomcat1]

"all dingy's just have T/T (name of vessel) written on the tender"

It's not always a good idea to tell the world which boat is abandoned at the anchorage. I would consider this before writing the name of my boat on the tender.

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by tomcat1

"all dingy's just have T/T (name of vessel) written on the tender"

It's not always a good idea to tell the world which boat is abandoned at the anchorage. I would consider this before writing the name of my boat on the tender.

Durring a recent trip thru customs, I was advised to put my DOC # on the dink instead of the boats NAME to avoid such a issue..

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

Going down the West coast in the '90's nobody cared, but when we got to Newport Beach California, we heard the local cops were hard core about it.
I got out my black marking pen, made up an "appropriate looking" number and had no problems!

I assume you did not run into a Sheriff's or MWP patrol which, if so, would have required you to show your registration papers as will the Marine Patrol in Florida and particularly Key West. I do not know the penalty for falsifying registration but it cannot be good in any case, particularly if the authorities are "hard core". Here (Florida), we carry a "bail-out bag" in the dinghy which includes a copy of our registration (laminated in plastic) which, together with flotation devices, pfd's and various other equipment is required to be aboard the boat. Jeeze, it really doesn't take a lot of effort, or cost, to be legal and eliminate the hassels.

[Troubadour52993]

USCG documented boat: The tender should have the documentation number followed by a 1 per the CFR. I like this better than T/T, as others have said, since an observer doesn't know what boat it's from, yet it's identified. Even in Florida, if you are in the state less than 90 days, you can use the dink to transit crew directly from/to the documented vessel, no side excursions allowed. I was stopped by the FL fish & wildlife to check my life jacket and whistle, but not hassled about the numbers, so at least with that particular officer it passed muster.

Here's what I copied on the CFR and keep onboard to show those folks with guns and uniforms:

HOWEVER, this is what the Code of Federal Regulations at Title 33: Navigation and Navigable Waters, has to say:
§ 173.13 Exemptions.

Where the Coast Guard issues numbers, the following classes of vessels are exempt, under Section 12303 of Title 46, United States Code, from the numbering provisions of Sections 12301 and 12302 of Title 46, United States Code, and this part:

(a) A vessel that is used exclusively for racing.

(b) A vessel equipped with propulsion machinery of less than 10 horsepower that:

(1) Is owned by the owner of a vessel for which a valid certificate of number has been issued;

(2) Displays the number of that numbered vessel followed by the suffix “1” in the manner prescribed in §173.27; and

(3) Is used as a tender for direct transportation between that vessel and the shore and for no other purpose.


§ 173.27 Numbers: Display; size; color.
(a) Each number required by §173.15 must:
(1) Be painted on or permanently attached to each side of the forward half of the vessel except as allowed by paragraph (b) or required by paragraph (c) of this section;
(2) Be in plain vertical block characters of not less than 3 inches in height;
(3) Contrast with the color of the background and be distinctly visible and legible;
(4) Have spaces or hyphens that are equal to the width of a letter other than “I” or a number other than “1” between the letter and number groupings (Example: DC 5678 EF or DC–5678–EF); and
(5) Read from left to right.
(b) and (c) don’t apply
(d) Each number displayed on a tender exempted under §173.13 must meet the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section and have a space or hyphen that is equal to the width of a letter other than “I” or a number other than “1” between the suffix and the number. (Example: DC 5678 EF 1 or DC–5678–EF–1.)

[John A]

While in Trinidad during hurricane seasons, more than once, I was offered $800 to $1000 US to furnish a local with a dinghy and mortor.

[Pyrate]

When I asked about my dinghy in Alaska, they mentioned that the name was completely optional. Most people tend to name their dinghies with the same name as the larger vessel, sometimes with 1 or 2 tacked on if there's multiple ones (larger yachts - generally odd numbers being stowed on the starboard side, even on port). Also, in Alaska, anything powered needs to be registered. As far as being registered in FL when you're cruising there, I wouldn't worry too much about it. As long as the homeport is in Maine, and that's where you originated from and where you'll be returning to, then it shouldn't matter. The boat I just bought has been kept in AK for at least 4 years, but was registered in Canada because the owner was Canadian. He sailed on a 'cruising permit' where he just had to check in with the authorities when he went from port to port. I don't know if that would really be necessary as it's at least an American flaged vessel. It's just like driving your car in another state - doesn't really matter what license plate you have on it. If you're living there, then you have to get it re-registered, but if you're just on a summer vacation, then it's not a big deal.

Pyrate