I went to the DMV this morning and got my boat all "legal." I had originally sent in a form that I downloaded along with $9.00 a little over a month ago thinking that would be all I would have to do. A couple of weeks ago, I heard from them stating that they wanted receipts to document my expenses along with a whopping $228.00 more!!! In my mind I could hear them licking their chops at the office cooler: Whoo Hooooo.....another "yachtsman!!! I thought: "Uh oh...what have I gotten myself into?" So today I took my receipts, most of the major ones anyway. They made photocopies of them and charged me only $15.00! Grand total: $24.00. Needless to say, I'm very relieved and looking forward to getting her on the water at last. Yesterday as I was working, we had an excellent steady breeze blowing from the port side. I had the sails up and It was just killing me that i wasn't on the water. The sails look and feel great. What a beautiful sight to see them filled with air! I was sitting in the cockpit getting a feel for them. I guess you could say I was on a "land" jibe. I still have a good bit to do on her, but I guess that will always be the case
Great news Tom. I love sitting on land that first time with the sails up.
I am a bit of a rebel when it comes to fees and taxes. Especially since in Montana they use to charge enormous vehicle license fees based on the value of the vehicle. Not the weight or anything else that smacks of sensible. Car tags use to be $600 plus a year for a samll vehicle like a subaru or toyota. Larger, more expensive vehicles like Lincolns, Caddies or even higher end GM or Ford products were $1000-$1200 a year. Currently they are more reasonable because eventually polititions ended up out of office over just such things.
The point of this ramble is; I modified my boat, the Triad, by shortening it 1/2" to avoid having to license of register it. Non motorized boats, under 12 feet in length, are not required to be licensed in Montana. My Triad is eleven feet, eleven and a half inches.
Sadly I may have to license her anyways as I intend to take her to Minnesota for some lake sailing if everything works out right. I think a boat licensed in another state is legal in most states but knowing the attitude of the tax thugs I doubt they would accept the Montana law on boat length and license.
When I moved from Hawaii to Minnesota, after getting out of the service, they made me pay sales tax on my Datsun when I went to license it. They said since Hawaii didn't have a sales tax on cars and Minnesota did that I had to pay it before registering it. Even though the car was 2 years old by that time and I had bought it new.
I don't mind taxes if they are fair and based on something close to sensible. I can't think of any that match that description though?
Dagumit Terry, Being originally from Boston you make me want to throw some tea in the water. :lol:
I can't wait for the day I raise the sails in my driveway, congratulations .
Brian.
The day I went to register my boat, I pulled up to the registration office of the DNR and there was a truck outside. They were closing that office that very day and moving to Social Circle. This is at least 50 miles from anything (except Keith). Next day I pulled my boat all the way out there to let the ranger put his stickers on my boat. At least gas was still under $2.00 then.
I feel lucky, in Alaska, if the boat is less than 13 feet you don't need a State sticker. Sail boats get by at $15, they up the pot to $25 for motor if under 26 feet. I pay the extra for the comfort of my kicker.
They claim the money is used to improve state boat launch sites. They initiated this fee about six years ago. I didn't mind so much then, because I thought it would be great for the boaters.
Well, they finally dredge out the channel to Harding Lake in Fairbanks. One good deed at least. But the rest of our state parks that feature lakes, that I've seen, look a little shabby. All state launch sites have $10 launch fees, too.
Neptune help you if you have to use one of the shore heads at one of Big Lake's State Parks :evil:
Yeah, I probably just over stepped myself, but I got to call them the way I see them.
Kind of shameful for such a rich state. :oops:
Throw a little tea in the water for me, too.
Here's a little story from the way-back machine,
1984, Lompoc, CA - up the coast from Santa Barbara, three of us completed building a Glen-L Rebel. 14'-10" tumblehome skiing runabout with a 77hp Mercury Mark 78 hanging on the transom. Well, my buddy, Mark, called DMV and they asked what we built. He said that it's a 15 foot, plywood motorboat with an outboard motor. Well, technically, it's true. They declared the value of the boat at $650 right over the phone.
Now, in California, and apparently in Montana, too, part of the registration fee is the property tax on whatever you are registering. So, a valuation of $650 is really, really good for us, seeing as how we had receipts on hand for $8,500.... (Those are 1984 dollars, keep in mind) It's quite a nice boat.
I still have it, too.
I hope everyone enjoys building and then using their boat as much as we have ours. Fair winds (or a sporty broad-reach) and following seas to all,
Dale
Regards,