Texas started titleing unpowered boats a few years ago. Before that, life was a lot simpler. Sail only boats were ranked right up there with canoes made out of old horse troughs by 10 year olds in west Texas, the state didn't care.
When you title your boat they give you a laminated card and tell you that you must have it with you at all times when you are operating the boat.
The clerk will not be amused when you say
there is no place to keep that card on a catamaran, what do you expect me to do, duct tape it to my chest
The clerk always says something like,
just keep a copy in the glove box
My solution has been to put a copy of the card in a Ziploc and place it in the hull of my boat. You can go ahead and add a little saltwater to the bag or just wait and let it happen naturally. Now let it sit for a couple of years.
The expression on Parks and Wildlife's face when you pull that slimy, moldy thing out and say
I told the Clerk there was no place to put the card on a catamaran but who am I to argue with the state. Oh yeah, the original is in my truck where it is safe
will be worth all the effort.
It is best if Park and Wildlife has to help you lift the bow of your boat and jiggle the hull to get the bag to slide to the stern where you can get to it.
Have you ever been stopped by Texas Parks and wildlife? I have never heard of any cats being stopped by these guys. There have been instances where guys have sailed right by TP&WL with no numbers and not been stopped. They are too busy chasing the jet skiis. I do agree with your frustration. It is just a system to collect revenue at the inconvience of sailors. Also, those registration numbers sure are ugly on an otherwise beautiful cat!!
I had the same experience with the bureaucrat that extorted money from me to register my boat. It was new and I put it off until the weather cleared up from the spring rains. I told them that I bought it over the internet so there was no tax to be paid. Well in Texas there's this use/sales tax that applies to everything you buy over the net...Beware! I had my card laminated and have it stashed in my survival bag. Theres some wording in the info I received that the card must be surrendered if the boat is sold or destroyed. I don't know if that means the card is the property of the state or not. If you don't have those things available the lawman will get after you as well.
Fair winds,
Thom
try to regester a 'home-built modified production boat'. thats a treat.
Depends on where you sail, Dave.
At some lakes, they are pretty aggressive checking
up. Also, sometimes, even the park rangers (having nothing
to do with the lake at all) will cite people for not having
the numbers and cards. This is probably not legal, but what are you going to do.
Manfred Trent
I haven't been stopped myself, but I saw game wardens writing tickets at Texas Cat Champs in Palacios a couple weeks ago, to cats not displaying registration numbers. Also, sometimes they will wait at the halfway point of the Ruff Riders distance race and write tickets as well...didn't happen last year, but I hear it did the year before
Oh yeah, and when I licensed my trailer here in Texas after bringing it back from Michigan, the girl in the office did a
non-title
registration because I gave a total loaded weight under 1000 lbs. Just a thought
sail fast y'all
at
What happens when boats from out of state participate in these races? In Md we don't have to register boats if they have no engine - thus no registration numbers. If a Md boat travels to one of these races would it be subject to being stopped and would then have to prove they're from out of state? It's interesting how this varies from state to state. Here, they are anal about titling and registering the trailers. They don't care about the boat unless it has an engine. Other states, the trailer doesn't matter but you better register and put numbers on your H-14. Some get both.
Keith Chapman, Annapolis, Md.
H-18
Northstar 500 (monoslug)
WRCRA - www.wrcra.org
I sail right near the SC and GA border and had a buddy drift off into GA. When he came back he pulled a soppy citation from his hull for not having registration numbers on his boat. SC, where we both reside, does not require registering a non-motorized boat under 21' but they do require the boat be titled. GA requires both. The ranger that cited him wasn't very knowledgable about cats and kept demanding that he take his main down while on the water (on a Nacra 5.2!). He also barked at him for not having a drivers license with him too (what happens to a youth sailor?). I am beginning to wonder that had he had proof that he lived in SC that he might not have been cited - dunno. I think his court date was due pretty soon.
Michael - you there?
[color]Jake
[color]Nacra 5.2 (2112)
[color]Hobie 18 (???)
The bigger government grows the more red tape you will have... Trouble is there are way too many people that think the government is responsible for them from the cradle to the grave.
Loved it when the Governement shut down -- everytime they legislate, we all lose a little more freedom!
By the way, watch how the jet skiers are getting outlawed everywhere.., next up.., sailboats, especially our frisky, fast catamarans.
E.A. Poe
Government is still trying to assess more and more taxes:
Another effort is under way to require boat registration for nonmotorized boats in the State of Florida. The Boating Advisory Council, which makes recommendations to the State Legislature, is expected to consider this proposal at their October 17 meeting.
Currently, the State of Florida does not require registrations (and numbers on your boat) for nonmotorized boats, regardless of size. This would affect somewhere between 100,000 and 150,000 boats, including canoes, kayaks, and sailboats.
If you are opposed to legislation to require registration for your nonmotorized boat, you can make your feelings known by contacting the Chairman of the Boating Advisory Council, who is Col. Bob Edwards, Commander of Law Enforcement Division, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. The mailing address for him at the FWC is 620 S. Meridian St., Tallahassee, FL 32399. Phone is 850-488-6251. The direct web site is http://floridaconservation.org/law , and at that site there is a message form you can fill out.
Rick White
The problem with cats in SC is that since no one wants to pay property taxes, no one titles them anyway. Took 3 months and a moderate amount of red tape to get a title on my H-16, just starting to work on it for my H-17.
Hobie 17
MISTER LUCKY