Conference unifix::sailing

    Yes.  You must be regiestered in NH.  And, New Hampshire doesn't
    cooporate with neighboring states.  Thus, you must separately register
    there, if required.  I'm not familiar with states other than NH.
    
    Glad they don't do this with auto licencing!
    
    -	stp

    Well, for anyone who's interested I made a phone call to Maine.
    Maine, like Massachusetts, if it doesn't have a motor it doesn't
    need to be registered. So I'm clear for sailing in Maine. I thought
    this would be worth putting in here seeing as I couldn't find this
    info here anywhere else. I'll tell you all about Vermont when I
    decide to go sailing there.
    
    					Happy Sailing,
    					The season approaches
                                             Geoff
    

    Here is another low intelligence question that needs to be answered
    othrwise you are going to be sailing folks and I will be holding my
    question list still.
    O.K. The boat was bought in Long Island brought to R.I. and paid the
    sales taxes to my buddy Mike in Massachusetts.Then I bought an outboard
    in MA and paid the tax.The question is WHERE I register the dingy now
    here in Mass or R.I.The boat is been documented-CG cashed my check last
    month.-Also how you register the dingy ;do you go to the town  hall of 
    the place you moore the boat or .......
    On another related unrelated subject,which I read recently but I cannot
    locate the note,do mI have to pay the excise tax and if yes WHERE.
    Thanks.

RE: .3, 

>>>    ...the question is WHERE I register the dingy now
>>>    here in Mass or R.I.

If you live in MA, then here.  It's convenient to have an address in the
state where you've registered your boat, and RI can't force you to 
register it there just because it gets some use in their (ocean) waters.

>>>    -Also how you register the dingy ;do you go to the town  hall of 
>>>    the place you moore the boat or .......

In MA, the state operates specific offices for this purpose in several
locations.  Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the dept right 
offhand, but it's definitely not the RMV nor your local town hall.

Also (once you find out where the place to go is), you must bring either 
evidence of having paid MA sales tax, or bring the right amount in *cash* 
only -- they will not accept any personal checks or cards.   (I heard
several people moaning about this...one fellow was settling up on an
apparently rather large cruiser -- they told him he could pay his $14,000
in a certified check if he didn't want to bring the cash.)  Once the tax
is paid, there are some registration fees, not all that much, and they
give you your registration number and stickers right then and there. Buy
the numbers at a hardware store on the way home, stick 'em on, and you can
be legally underway that day. 

>>>    On another related unrelated subject,which I read recently but I cannot
>>>    locate the note,do mI have to pay the excise tax and if yes WHERE.

Yes.  Don't worry, having done the above, your town will automatically
include you in its next annual mailing!  It is income that goes directly 
to your town; they mail bills based on registration records the state 
provides annually to each municipality.  $10 per $1000 assessed valuation,
I recall.  The assessed valuation first year may be only somewhat less
than you paid for the boat and motor, but will go down reassuringly fast
in succeeding years.  The state uses a standard formula to determine these 
figures, based on general boat type, primary use, overall length and age.

J.

    As a bit of info, when I registered my boat in Worcester in 1987,
    the WOULD NOT ACCEPT CASH. I had to go to a local bank and buy a
    bank draft since I did not have my personal checkbook with me.
    
    Apparently they do not want cash on site, so accept none.
    
    Joe
    

    OK, so this might seem dumb, but here goes anyway.
    
    In the UK my boat is not registered.  I can register it's name on
    the "Small Ships Register" if I want to get documents to take it
    abroad but as I use it for coastal cruising only it's not worthwhile
    - yet.                         
    
    My question is this : What happens if I bring my boat with me when
    I move to the US, what do I need to do?  I plan to register it in
    the UK on the S.S.R. before I leave, but will I have to re-register
    in the US, pay any taxes, what?
    
    The boat is 19'6", "trailerable", outboard motor, 4 berths, sea
    toilet, etc., etc.
    
    Brian

>    My question is this : What happens if I bring my boat with me when
>    I move to the US, what do I need to do?  I plan to register it in
>    the UK on the S.S.R. before I leave, but will I have to re-register
>    in the US, pay any taxes, what?
    
>    The boat is 19'6", "trailerable", outboard motor, 4 berths, sea
>    toilet, etc., etc.
    
You will need to register the boat in the state in which you typically keep
it. They will assign you a registration number and give you a sticker. You
must put the number (in 3-inch stick-on letters) and the sticker on your
boat's bow. The state will charge you a modest fee (different in each state) for
the registration. The registration must be renewed every year or two.

If the boat is new or almost new, you may need to pay a sales or use tax on
the boat. If you can prove you paid a similar tax (e.g. VAT) to another
jurisdiction (e.g. UK) you can probably avoid the tax. (These regulations
vary substantially from state to state.) You may also need
to pay an import duty when you bring the boat into the country.

The trailer will also need a separate registration, through the state's
department of motor vehicles.

    Interesting that you have to register trailers too!  You can hitch
    up any old bit of wood with wheels on it in this country and as
    long as the police don't consider it dangerous (open to interpretation)
    then you're OK - crazy.
    
    I can't prove that VAT was paid on the boat although it must have
    been.  Maybe if I get in touch with the builder.  
    
    Brian

You might also consider registering her with the Coast Guard.  Many states have
reciprocity agreements with other states (registration in Mass is good in Maine
for instance), but many don't (you must register in New Hampshire if you are
going to sail in New Hampshire waters, regardless of where else you've regist-
ered).  Since New Hampshire doesn't have reciprocity with other states, the
Coast Guard numbers give me the ability to sail in Maine without having to
register there.  CG registration is good for 3 years (I believe) and the cost
is minimal.  Forms are available at most Post Offices.