Challenge: Find the Hidden HIN on an Abandonded Tartan T34C in Florida

[Color My World]

All,

I am trying to find a way to identify an abandonded Tartan T34C. The HIN on the stern was ground off before the boat was abandoned and has been towed to a marina. Looking at the boat it appears to be a mid 1970s boat. I am trying to determine if Tartan placed a hidden HIN on boats prior to the federal mandate for a hidden HIN that went into effect in August of 1984.

I called Tartan but there isn't anyone there who would have been there during the 70s.

Looking at the Florida Statutes it appears that lost or abandoned property, (cars, boats, etc) can be re-titled after advertising, placing signs and waiting for a 90 day time period. However Florida Wildlife Commission says no way this boat will ever be titled without a HIN and that it needs to go to the landfill.

Here are a few of items I need help with.

1) Has anyone out there ever been issued a title in FL for a boat that has the HIN removed following the Florida Statutes. If so, please let me know how you did it.

2) Did mid 70s Tartan T34Cs have a hidden HIN and where is it. Location and pictures please.

3) Any other way to track it down, the name on the stern Is "Sherpa" and the hailing port is Port St. Lucie, FL. I looked on the Coast Guard site and it doesn't show a T34C by that name. There are no FL numbers on the bow.

4) It has a decal with a large C in the middle of the decal on both sides of the mast with a serial number (C0215122) that I told was a yacht tax decal. Any idea how I can track that serial number?

5) Tartan says they can't track using the serial number on the Atomic A4 engine.

I have done a post on sail-net but have not had too much luck there.

Thanks to all for any help you can give me.

[pressuredrop]

to the best of my knowledge you should be able to get a homebuilt title in the absence of HID #'s, i know it is now always a smooth, easy, and painless process, but it is doable

[Drew13440]

There is a Tartan Owners website with a 34C forum. Google and go - those folks will know if there's another HIN. Why anyone would abandon a boat like that is beyond me. Insurance fraud? Maybe there's a way to find out if any recent claims have been paid for a 34C "lost at sea?"

[GordMay]

A 1970's boat may have had an HIN (starboard side of the transom), and even a “secret” HIN; but they wouldn’t have been compulsory.

Boats manufactured or imported on or after August 1, 1984, also have a duplicate secondary HIN affixed somewhere on an unexposed location inside the boat or beneath a fitting or item of hardware. The purpose is to help authorities identify your boat if a thief or vandals remove or damage the primary HIN on the transom.

[IceMan]

There was a post on this site for boats that are or were registered with the federal government. I cannot remember it or find it right at the moment. I looked up the name of my boat and it told me all it's previous names and a couple of the owners names. If anyone knows of the site maybe they will chime in and then you can look it up. Hope this jogs someones memory and helps.
WD

[daddle]

Call the Coast Guard Doc Center. They have all the records for documented boats and can do a search.

For cars, and especially common with airplanes: find a similar scrapped boat with a HIN. Cut out the little bit with the HIN. That's your new boat. Register that scrap as a boat. Then "repair" it by replacing the "few" missing pieces. Seriously.

You might also try state registration. I know in CA they don't seem to care about numbers. And older boats don't have HINs anyway.

[Hud3]

Originally Posted by IceMan

There was a post on this site for boats that are or were registered with the federal government. I cannot remember it or find it right at the moment. I looked up the name of my boat and it told me all it's previous names and a couple of the owners names. If anyone knows of the site maybe they will chime in and then you can look it up. Hope this jogs someones memory and helps.
WD

Here's the link: Office of Science and Technology

[Hudson Force]

Since there is a current USCG registered Tartan 1985 with the name Sherpa, it seems possible that that same listed owner may have had ownership of the earlier 1970's Tartan named Sherpa. Although, the '85 Sherpa is in California,- maybe just a coincidence.

[redmirage]

You can call the Coast Guard Vessel Doc Office and check and see if the boat was documented in 1985 or for the next few years. If it is not currently regestered it will not show up. The only problem may be that the name could have been changed. Good luck. Also concerning Home Built I know in South Carolina you can get in a lot of trouble trying to regester a boat as home built when it is not. Also when I have built home built boats I was assigned a hull number by the state.

Charles

[capngeo]

Home built titles in FL are fairly easy... I've done them quite a few times with abandoned dinks... My current Whaler has a "homebuilt" title that says "Boston Whaler" on it!

[Ike]

FIrst place everyone except daddle has given you good advice. Daddle's solution is a violation of both Federal and state laws and can net you a big fat fine.

Over the last 25 years I have helped people find info on abandoned boats. It is a long and torturous process.

You took the right first step in checking Florida laws on abandoned property. Every state is different. Plus that you can go to all the effort and at the end some jerk can come forward and claim the boat.

Boats built in the early 70's did not have a hidden HIN. The wasn't even a voluntary standard for it. It wasn't until boat theft got so bad and law enforcement began demanding it that the USCG required it. I know, I was working there at the time.

I suggest you also might want to contact the USCG Office of Boating Safety, Phil Cappel 202-372-1076. He may be able to give you some insights on to how to get this documented or registered. At the time I left (2004) we were trying to get the Documentation Office to assign HINs to boats with no HIN. That may have come to pass. Of course we were also assigning an HIN on occasion but only as a last resort. Of course each state can assign an HIN but first you are going to have to go through the routine for abandoned property.

Good luck