Conference vicki::boats

    
    I live in Mass and I keep my boat moored in R.I., and according to
    R.I. law, technically I must register my boat in R.I. if that is it's 
    Home port. 
    
    The advantage is that R.I. has not p[ursued the excise or personal
    property tax on boats , at least up to this point in time. Registration
    fees are reasonable, although they require you to have a seperate
    registration for an outboard motor. My 22' I/O costs me $25 per year to 
    register. registartion varies by length.
    
     The boat registration people are nice to deal with, althouh they are
    so screwed up beacause of computer system problems it is sometimes
    hysterical. The baot regisrty in Providence is the only place you can
    register a boat, although you can do it by mail.
    
      To register a boat, you must identify where the baot is moored or
    stored in R.I. 
    
     Since my boat is in R.I. for most of the year, the Mass people don't
    bother me. If you trailer a boat, keep it in Mass, and have R.I.
    registration. youre local Tax people might view that as a way of
    avoiding taxes.
    
     Suggest you call the R.I. dept of Environmental management, Boat 
    Registration Div, Providence to get more info.I ended up with my boat
    registered in R.I., and my trailer registered in Ma. and have had no
    problems. 
    
    Dick
    
    
    
     

    I registered my boat in Mass and kept it in RI for 3 years with
    no problems.  Mass fees used to be cheaper, $ 24 for 2 years, but
    no doubt they are higher now.  I believe RI law says you can
    keep the boat in their waters with out of state registration for
    a specific period - 90 days ?    But, in practice, this doesn't
    seem to be enforced.  Mass registered boats at RI marinas are common.
    
    As far as Mass taxes, that seems to vary with each city/town. I
    never received a tax bill from Mass for my boat.

    If you're a Mass resident, and store your boat here for part
    of the year but registering in another state without paying
    the Mass sales tax may raise the eyebrows of the Mass tax 
    people.  I would call the Mass registry or tax office before
    registering in RI just to see what they have to say about it.  
    I think you *know* what they'll have to say...           
    
    What with the budget woes in Mass, they are looking closely
    for tax evaders, and are actually encouraging people to turn 
    in their neighbors if they see cars or boats registered out
    of state. 
    
    Rick

    Tax evaders? I've had my boat registered in Mass for the last two
    years, and never received any excise tax bill. I just changed over
    to Maine non-resident registration 'cause I wasn't getting anywhere
    with the MA registry. (Besides, it's a lot cheaper)


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      "The Sno-man"			

    Thanks for all the responses! I just wanted to do the right thing.
    The boat will be kept in R.I. year round. I just didn't want to
    run into problems down the road.

    It's 1991, and the registration aquascape may have changed, so here are
    my questions, with a little help-it-make-sense background.
    
    I have an zodiac imitation with a 6hp outboard. Its purpose is to give
    me portable mobility wherever I happen to be.
    This boat and motor will be used all over MA, ME, NH, and VT this
    spring, summer, and fall as a Divers' Environmental Survey vehicle.
    I have residences in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
    
    If I register in MA, will it be recognized as valid registration
    (however temporary) in VT and ME? What about if I register it in NH?
    
    Thanks.
    
    John H-C

    
    John,
    
    	A Massacushetts registration is now honored in all the states
    you mentioned. Actually, it always was valid in Ma, ME and VT, but
    now a Ma registration is also valid in NH. 
    
    	Anyone know about the other state which was holding out... Was
    it Washington or Alaska.....?
    
    Rick
    
    	BTW: We are only speaking of inland (non-tidal) bodies of water,
    otherwise USCG bow numbers are required.

    John,
    All of the states you mentioned are fully reciprocal.  If the boat 
    will be used more than 60 days in any one of those states it should
    be registered there.  Otherwise, it should be registered in your
    home state of Massachusetts.
    
    You could easily register the boat in NH using your address there, 
    and save some tax money up front.  Before doing this you should 
    check the cost of registrations in each state, because the higher 
    cost of NH registrations may wipe out any tax savings in just a 
    couple of years.  The biggest advantage to registering in NH is 
    convenience, you can register it at almost any marina, while in 
    MA you have to go to the registry, usually in Boston.

    RE: .7
    Rick, State registrations are accepted in coastal waters.  In fact
    the CG would prefer that you register with your local state.  They're
    the ones who pushed NH into starting a bow numbering system, they
    got sick of registering so many NH boats.
    
    Rick

	I recently moved to Washington. There is NO problem with Washington
registration being honored in other states, there is no problem with other
states being honored here. They are kinda picky about residents' registration
as the fees are HIGH, (but we don't have income tax...so they tell me)

	I've also seen Alaska, and Canadian boats in the guest marinas here up
in Puget Sound. No one has heard about special permits etc. that I spoke to. In
Canadian waters, you must have regular charts aboard, not cruising guides. Other
than that, I haven't come across other regulations different from other states.


...Larry_who's_been_out_several_times_including_a_two_day'er_already_in_'91

    Welcome to Puget Sound, Larry. Where do you keep your boat? I am in
    Anacortes Marina Slip E-18. I am TENAFLY, a 31' flybridge sedan. Hope
    to see you around.
    
    Steve Saslow - Koll Center
    

         I had a boat Given to me .It has not been registered in almost 8
         years.What do I do to get it titled and registerd.My uncle told me
         to register it as a home made boat.I dont understand why?
         How and what do I need to do to register the boat.
     

    What state do you live in?
    
    In NH, it's a snap. In MA, its a PITA.
    
    Does it have a hull  number? You're going to need that to register the
    boat unless it really *is* homemade.
    
    If the boat *can* take a motor, you'll have to have it registered in
    MA.
    
    You get a bill of sale or some document declaring it a gift to prove
    ownership when you register it.
    
    Those are some of the basics I've learned in the last couple years. 
    
    Before anybody can really help you, you'll have to tell us where you
    are, what kind of boat it is, and what kind of use it will see.
    
    Good luck, and welcome to the quixotically perplexing world of boat
    ownership.
    
    I stick to kayaks and canoes wherever possible, myself. <grins>
    
    John H-C

    John, in N.H. they didn't even ask me for a bill of sale, title, or
    anything.  Maybe because the boat is over xxx number of years old, in
    this case 25.  I only had to give them a hull number which turned out
    to be wrong anyways.  Makes me wonder why I bothered to register it at
    all.  I never did put the registration numbers on the boat and I keep
    it docked next to an Auxiliary Marine Patrol boat.  I'm sure in Mass
    they'll want to see a bill of sale and title so they can extract the 
    required applicable taxes!
    Wayne