Can it be documented to another country??
I hadn't' really thought about that. Perhaps a flag of convenience country, which would certainly be lower-profile when traveling than having an American flag on the stern. Which countries are most advantageous for a private boat?
Maybe find a rudder off a 1947 boat and then "rebuild" your boat around it.
If you look at my post that restarted these conversations (#20) I was sorta going in that direction. There are ways around paperwork. It will be years before the boat reaches American waters and will be "used" at that point anyway.
I certainly like the idea of actually protecting our environment even on a small scale, but several things hammer at my mind:
(1) I have to live with this boat for the next several decades, not some politician;
(2) I'm responsible for the safety and lives of my family during this period and I cannot believe the engine electronics will be 100% reliable during that entire time, which leaves me stranded in some remote location.
(3) What is the cost to fly a technician into the Soloman Islands from Japan/Korea/etc. to repair my faulty sensor that has shut down the engine??????
I'm starting to lean towards installing the 10hp Tier 3 engine for main propulsion and then switching it out after the boat is operational and has become "used."
This is a very serious subject since I'm getting closer to signing the Contract, but truthfully I might be being overly cautious. Like Blissboat just said, electronics can be very reliable. My Nissan SUV runs perfectly and it is 130 degrees here in Qatar with 95% humidity.