Conference unifix::sailing

I have kept my Sabre 30 in Marion for the last three seasons. There are
two boatyards that pretty much have the harbor locked up and your chances
of getting a mooring depend on their whim. Either will tell you that there
are no available moorings and that you will have to be placed on a waiting
list. This list will get very short IF you are also looking for a yard to
winter store and perform maintenance.

I had a friend who was on the waiting list at Burr Bros for about 5 years.
I got in without a wait because:

      a.) I was recommended by a good customer.
      b.) I told them up front that I wanted winter storage.

There are some tradeoffs. The rental price of a mooring is very cheap for
a place of Marion's stature. I've been charged between $250-$275 for a
350lb mooring. (Town requirements are for a mooring weight that equals
beam x length. I my case I needed 10 x 30, or a min of 300 lbs). On the other
hand they get me during the winter when I pay top dollar to haul, winterize,
cover, spring comission, etc. That bill comes to about $1800 dollars.

To me, these prices are an acceptable burden. I live in Groton MA and Marion
is an 88 mile drive down Rt495 and I195. To cross the canal an find something
on the cape is out of the question. Weekend traffic would be a killer,
figuratively, if not otherwise. Padanaram (S. Dartmouth) is the only other
place I'd consider. Mattapoisett is totally unprotected and has limited
facilities. I don't know much about the Wareham/Onset area, sailboats do
live there, but it looks like a battle to survive the twisty channels, and
canal currents to get in and out.

Marion seems to be a very popular DEC harbor. I personally know at least 10
DEC boats and I've heard estimates that suggest there are at least 30
in total. Friends are there if you want them but it's very easy to keep
a low profile if you prefer to flush all reminders of Mon-Fri from your mind.


Now that I have digressed to the point where I almost forgot your question.

Burr Bros Boats Inc can be reached at (617)748-0541. Ask for Dennis Joaquin.

The other yard is Barden and I don't know their number.

Also there is the Beverly Yacht Club. I don't know if they rent to members
or not. They have moorings but I think they're used for visiting yacht club
guests and racing fleets. This is a very active racing club. The reason I
don't know if they rent is because the few members I know are keeping their
boats with Burr.

John

The dollar numbers John quotes sound very high to me. My Marblehead 
mooring (for a 32' boat) was $315 last year. I had my boat hauled and 
the mast unstepped and stored at Little Harbor Boatyard (not cheap!). 
$346. Nautical Services trucked the boat to my home. Under $500 round 
trip including renting seven stands (which I will buy in the spring). 
Probably another $300 or so to have the mast restepped and the boat 
launched. There are boatyards on Cape Ann where one could haul and store 
for under $1000. I guess you have to decide how much you are willing to 
spend to be in a certain harbor. It is easy to get a mooring in Salem 
Harbor, but the services aren't too good. 

Alan

Burr's prices are VERY high. This winter I had planned to truck the boat
home, hopefully sell it and bring the new boat back to Burr next year.
This was foiled when a storm visited on my scheduled haul date. The
trucer had no more open dates prior to Dec 1st when I had to be out of the
water due to insurance requirements. Had I brought it home, the charges
would have been $399 each way. This was a distance of 93 miles (Mattapoiset
to Groton) and included stand rental. Mattapoiset has to be used as there
is no trailer ramp large (deep) enough in Marion.

I had somewhat misled Burr. I told them the boat was almost sold and didn't
think I'd need winter storage. Otherwise, I don't think that I'd get a 
mooring in the spring if I hauled home.

The impression I have from the articles in Practical Sailor and 
elsewhere is that it is illegal for a boatyard or marina to require that 
you purchase winter storage or other services from them in return for a 
mooring or dock space. But then there is reality. Good luck trying to 
prove Burr is breaking the law (unless you are a lawyer whose second 
hobby is suing people). 

In other harbors the right to have a mooring is controlled by the town,
boatyards/yacht clubs are not allowed many moorings, and the waiting
lists are in fact first come, first served. This is the way Marblehead
and Salem are supposed to work, and I think that the process is followed
in the main. Both Julie and I put our (different last) names on the
waiting list and we were both eventually (in two or three years) called
and asked if we wanted a mooring. There are a few ways to help the
process favor you, though. 

After I read the Practical Sailor article I considered raising the issue
with Burr - for about 30 minutes. Then I realized the practicality of the
matter.

Marion does control moorings. I think they took over in the last few years.
Or at least they changed the rules. Now you have to be a resident to
own a mooring. All existing moorings to non-residents and/or boatyards were
allowed to exist under a grandfather clause.

The trick would be to find someone who owns a mooring and wants to quietly
rent it. A "MOORING WANTED" ad in the local paper may work.

Hmmmm, another legal issue. Can a town legally require that mooring 
owners be town residents? There is precedent that it cannot. There is a 
boat launching ramp on the Concord River in Bedford. At one time the 
town tried to limit its use to Bedford residents. Now it can be used by 
one and all. I would also think that some of the federal legislation on 
civil rights might apply -- everyone has the right of equal access to 
public facilities. 

Just received my 1985 mooring permit from Marblehead. Next year I will
have to prove that I own the boat on my mooring (else no permit) and
prove that I paid my 1985 excise tax (else no permit). This will make
subleasing moorings virtually impossible. 

Much of what I've said about Marion regulations is 2nd or 3rd hand information.
I do know that things have been changing in just the three seasons that I've 
been there.

Yesterday, I received notice that my mooring rental could not be renewed unless
I had proof of payment of my 1984 Marion excise tax.  Guess I better find out
what that was. What are the Marblehead rates, or, are the rates set by the
state with the collection responsibility left up to the town?

Does the fact that I'm documented (as opposed to having state registration)
mean that I wouldn't normally receive a tax bill?

The harbor master in Marion is named Chris Taft and his phone number
is (617) 748-0458. I believe there is still a ban on throwing any
new moorings in the harbor so there is undoubtedly a waiting list.
The other boatyard is Barden's and is run by Bill Colson. His
phone number is (617) 748-0250. I am wintering there now and don't
find it terribly expensive. It will run out about $1200 to $1400
for hauling, storing, and wintering a 37 foot boat. Each year there
seems to be at leaset one mooring "for rent" ad in the Sunday
Globe in Marion. Also, while not as protected or as much of a
"sailor's harbor", don't totally discount Mattapoisett because
getting a mooring in Marion will be difficult. Mattapoisett is
well protected except from the south-east. When you get an easterly
the harbor rolls like crazy. You can, however, usually find
lee protection on the far shore if you are spending the night.
They do run a launch service with the mooring rentals out of
the Mattapoisett Boat yard. They did not have a dinghy dock
however which is inconvenient. Good luck.

The Marion excise tax is actually the state excise tax. The state sets 
the rates (based on the boat's value and age) and the towns collect the 
money. You are required to a tax form with the town assessor by August 
1st (I think) every year. The town then sends you a bill at their 
leisure (Marblehead still hasn't sent the 1984 bills). The tax on my 32' 
boat is in the $100 to $150 range -- not too bad considering all of the 
other expenses. I would guess that a lot of people are not filing the 
forms, hence the refusal to renew mooring permits if you haven't paid. 
There are, by the way, dollar penalties for late filing and payment. 
Hope you aren't too depressed ......

Alan

re .7
Since you're documented the State probably does n't have any record of you
and since the state tells the towns all about registered boats the Marion
Tax collector probably doesn't know anything about you.

You have my sympathies - the idea of turning yourself in to the Tax Collector
is a very depressing thought.

But on the other hand, you do have that mooring in Marion! :<)

Maybe you could slip the Harbormaster some Patriot tickets...

Ed

Even if you are documented, the state almost certainly knows you own the 
boat. I don't own my boat. I own the Delaware corporation that owns the 
boat. The boat is documented as owned by the Delaware corporation, and 
the documentation was done through the Dover, Delaware, Coast Guard 
office. Nonetheless, I eventually received a bill for the Massachusetts 
sales tax that I hadn't paid. Yup, my name headed the dunning letter.

Also, the boat excise tax brings a lot of money into the town. I am 
quite sure that the harbormasters and tax assessors trade lists of 
names. While it is no fun filing a tax form, it is a whole lot less fun 
trying to find a new mooring (I would almost kill to keep my present 
one). 

Alan

re.11
Alan,
this is geting interesting. Who do you think turned you in? Or could it
be we have some resourceful tax collectors?

ED

The Harbor masters and/or marinas are supposed to turn in lists of boats moored
in a particular harbor on July 1. (It used to January 1, so you could escape
the escape the excise by getting hauled in NH or RI). Those lists will
certainly be turned in because the towns want the revenue. 

Several years ago, the state started to get tough on the (technically) Use Tax.
They impounded several large documented stink pots on the cape. I saw several
Dept of Rec. Vehicle inspectors on the Town Dock in Marion. They were getting
lists of suspicious boats, i. e. Delaware documented or NH registered boats.
Presumably they cross checked for Mass owners and then hit them with tax bills.
I don't know if this is a continuing effort or a one shot. 

I own my mooring, so I get hauled at Skip Warr's in Wareham for much less than
the cost of Marion.

I didn't bother filling out the tax enquiry form. (1969 Columbia 26).
They estimated it. Tax is $53/yr.

Incidentally, don't ever count on Colson to do anything.

Massachusetts had been for some years now checking all of the documenation 
papers filed in Massachusetts, Delaware, and probably elsewhere looking 
for boats owned by Massachusetts residents and boats owned by corporations 
owned by Massachusetts residents. They especially like finding 
corporations. I paid the sales tax once. I now annually pay a 
Massachusetts corporate excise tax and some other tax whose name escapes 
me. The taxes and my CPA's bill come to $350 - $400 per year. I'd sell 
the boat to myself, but then I'd have to pay the sales tax again! As 
soon as I leave Massachusetts the corporation taxes go away. Moral here 
is don't bother with a Delaware corporation. The only advantage that I 
can console myself with is that it might provide some liability 
protection should I ever get sued.

Massachusetts is also looking for out-of-state boats kept in 
Massachusetts waters. The owners of those boats owe the sales/use tax. 
As mentioned previously, boats have been seized for nonpayment of the 
tax. It is probably less expensive to pay the tax voluntarily than hope 
to avoid it. When I was billed (2 years after I bought the boat) all I 
had to pay was the 5% tax. If I had argued, the state would have 
cheerfully hauled me into court and added 18% interest and penalties to my 
bill. I heard of one fellow that argued himself into a final bill twice 
as large as the original.

(It is ironic that computers make it ever so much easier for the tax 
folks to pursue us.)

I once added up what my boat costs me every year -- loan payments,
taxes, mooring, storage, insurance, depreciation, equipment, etc. After
a fifth of Mount Gay rum I forgot the number. And I don't want to know
again! 

Alan

The moral of this story seems to be "Don't live in Massachusetts".
Or at least "Don't keep your boat in Massachusetts".  Ok, so what
is the tax story in Maine?

I have kept a boat in Maine for going on eight years now. In the past
they have been extremely lax but now they are tighting up. On a new boat
which is either purchased in Maine or first registered in Maine they
will hit you with a 5 or 6% sales/use tax, this collection is triggered
by boat registrations if you don't supply a number from another state and 
check the new boat box. When I re-registered a boat that was numbered in
New Jersey there was no tax. When I bought a new boat and first registered it
in Maine they got me. There is also a yearly tax paid to the town based on the age and LOA of the boat, when you pay it you get a sticker to be displayed
in a visible position next to the numbers or on the cabin top. If you don't
have one of these either the harbormaster or the Maine state water cops will
get you without a doubt. The rate escapes me but I think I paid about $75 for
a 27 footer 1 year old. The old age break starts at about 5 years. I am in 
Casco Bay at Handy Boat Service and I am really pleased with the place. Cruisingin Maine sure beats the hassles in Mass.

When I bought my boat a little over three years ago there were enough
concerns over the value of Delaware Corporations that I decided to
skip that route and take my chances. R.I. and CT were very active at that
time tracking down 'real' owners in Del. and it appeared that MA was about
to follow suit. My one slim hope was that when the tax people swooped
into the harbor to take a census that they might mistake my boat for
one from CT. (My hailing port is "GROTON", I didn't put MA on it for that
reason.)

No such luck. I was caught in the 'big roundup' just like the rest of you.

Marion has just decided in the past year to actively collect their share
of the Excise Tax. 

      First they went around the harbor an placed a two-part, plastic,
      serialized tag on every mooring. The mooring owner had to remove
      part of this tag and return it to the town. Gotcha! If you didn't
      contact them they could presume that the mooring wasn't proper
      and take the appropriate action.

      Next they began issuing a Town of Marion decal which has to be placed
      in a visible location on the boat. (Porthole nearest the mast, I think)
      You get this sticker when you pay the excise tax.

      Now it's a simple matter to monitor what boats are on what moorings.
      The boatyards aren't allowed to rent full season moorings to someone
      without this sticker. I don't know what happens to transients.

Before I turn myself in to the Marion tax assessor I'm trying to find out
what to expect. I talked to someone very briefly yesterday who owns a
Marion mooring. He said that the town isn't interested in penalties, etc.
That the situation will be treated just like the sales tax collection was
a couple of years ago. Pay your current bill and that's it. He also
has predicted that I should expect to pay in the range of $90 - $110.

Actually, I have a small predicament. I'm trying to sell the boat. Should
I pay the tax on a boat I may not put in the water? What if I pay and then
put the sticker on the new boat? I suspect that would be inviting 'real'
trouble. Not worth the effort.

As the previous response noted: we need some input on how things are done
in ME and NH. I recall some discussion on the subject in a very early note.


On a related issue: in MA I had never registered my 9' Avon (it has a motor)
and was never bothered. Very often I operated right in front of the harbor
patrol and other official agencies who should have cared. Never had a
problem. Not that I expected one. I was operating under the false assumption
that motor powered boats under 10' were exempt. Last year I went to ME and
within an hour of the time I landed I had a ticket. The officer gave me
two options, one I could buy a temporary permit (good for two weeks I think)
or two, I had 10 days to produce a MA registration. I took the latter option
which turned out to cost more than I expected. You can guess the rest of the
story - first MA wanted proof I paid sales tax on the Avon, I hadn't (it
was a private sale), next was sales tax on the motor, I hadn't (it was
purchased out of state - Defender Industries). Need I say more?

PS: Anybody ever tried to get registration numbers to stick on an inflatable?
    Doesn't work. I saw a trick in ME. Put the numbers on a small board and
    hang this over the side when you're underway. Who's got a better idea?

John

re numbers on an Avon: There is a special paint for Hypalon fabric (the  
material Avon and other dinghies are made with). Boat/US had it in their  
1984 catalog, but I can't find it in their 1985 catalog (which looks less 
good in general than the 1984). The paint is expensive, requires special 
thinners, and has a short shelf life. Maybe Avon dealers or Imtra have 
it. Waterproof felt tip pens will work, but the markings fade in a few 
months and have to be redone. Oh well. 
 
Alan 
 

(This is moving away from moorings in Marion, but,...)

re: .17, .18

As recently as three years ago, annual taxes in Maine varied considerably 
town to town.  It is assessed as personal property tax, and Rockport never
bothered us in four years there -- winter-stored and moored!  Portland area
is naturally the hotbed of enforcement.  Maybe things in general have gotten
tighter, but if so, quite recently.

Once we came to Mass, we faced the excise tax bite.  It wasn't so bad.  It is
assessed on a fixed schedule (unless changed since last year), and the rate I
recall was $15/$K...which sounds dangerous until you look at the table.  Our
four-year-old 33' ketch was assessed at the rate table's maximum for our size
at something like $13,000 -- absurdly low.  So, we paid less than $200, which
ain't bad for a sport like that. 

Given that first I was living aboard, it seemed especially cheap, and when I
moved ashore (to another town,) I figured I got plenty of value returned in
the form of harbor patrols, indirect support for the USCG, etc.  (Some of that
money went to the new sewage treatment plant, so that everyone's waterline no
longer turns the stomach -- and requires less frequent repainting.) 

J.

RE: 17

Don't bother with the special paint. I used a small bottle of model airplane
paint, it's looks fine. Once a year I touch it up. Dingy is over 4 years old.

RE: Taxes, fees, etc.   Pour one more Mount Gay Rum for me, too!  I'm
			getting depressed! (Cabin fever?)

    
    	RE:: .16
    
    I tried to send mail to APPLE::WALKER but user is not known at that
    mail address. I assume that you have moved.  I would like to talk
    with you about Casco Bay and Handy Boat Service.  Can you update
    your currecnt mail/enet location?
    
    thanks,
    chris
    

    After reading all these replys I guess the one thing I found out
    is that if you pay your taxes, then everybody makes out better..
    (re .20) not only as explaned in .20 but they dont have to pay
    all those people to run around and use all that gas to stink up
    the air.
    
    WAIT A MINUTE,,, where the H@#$%!% did that soap box come from??
    
    All aside though, I have been helped enough by the harbormasters
    to not mind paying the small amount for harbor/use tax.
    
    casting off 
    `Charlie'

    Marion has created another novel way of making a few bucks.
    
    This past season they began a new "Mooring-Parking Permit" fee of
    $100. Payment required only by non-residents of Marion.
   

Marblehead has been charging for mooring permits for years.