Quote:
Originally Posted by Misty Blue
There is a limit to which boats can be documented. I seem to remember that she must be minimum of 5 tons. (That is a calculation not pounds) I could be wrong, don't have my stuff with me today. It is done through the US Coast Guard and is a major pain in the paperwork.
Documentation can have advantages. First when you are documemted the boat becomes a vessel of the United States. That is she can enter forign ports flying old glory and often makes coustoms, etc easier in the port.
A real big advantage is that obtaining a mortgage on a documented vessel is often easier and with a better rate than on an undocumented vesse.
Now the sticker...In NH if your vessel is documented you are not required to show hull numbers. You must, however, have the annual decal posted in the proper space on the bow. This may be the case with the 40'er at Silver sands. They provide a service to assist owners and prospective owners in getting documented.
Hope this helps.
Misty Blue
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This is pretty much correct. I have
Documented two sailing vessels....the first in 1974 and the second in 1980. The intent was to avoid State Taxes. I live in Rhode Island. In 1974 I bought a NEW sailing vessel in Conecticut and took delivery of the boat in Conecticut.... and Documented the boat with the Coast Guard.
About six weeks after I arrived home with the boat....I got a nice letter from the Tax Department in Rhode Island. They congratulated me on my New Purchase and noted that they had no record of my having paid a Sales Tax on this boat and suggested that I should comply ...or there would be penalties. So I complied.
As it turned out: The RI Tax Department was making regular trips down to the
CG Documentation Office in Newport and "Taking Names" and sending out letters. OH WELL.
The second boat was also purchased New ...BUT in Rhode Island. I again Documented the New boat...this time paying the sales tax like any other purchase.. At least I was exempt from having to REGISTER the boat in Rhode Island year after year.
It's tough to EVADE BIG BROTHER. NB