Rules is Rules , but ??

Our Grumman Aluminum dink is usually rowed or sailed , but we got a great deal on a 12v trolling motor.

With no gas on board I wonder what the requirements for a 9 ft " electric power" dink would be?

Powered is powered...but in my experience, if your boat looks like it is safe an has life jackets in it....the LEOS rarely bother adults, in slow dink unless you are crashing a big scene where they are patrolling.

That said....most places I know of require it to be registered with numbers and a sticker.

In Florida the law would require it to be registered. The rules don't differentiate between types of power or kinds of motor. It just says that to be exempt from registration your boat has to be "non-motor powered."

That said, odds of getting caught? Probably pretty small. Penalties if you do get caught? Not inconsequential, but not extraordinarily severe either.

Fred you're better off asking forgiveness IF you ever get caught. Old geezers in small boats are not high priority targets.

Craig's advice makes sense. Here in Washington I'm pretty sure you would not need to register your skiff unless the motor was 10hp or more or if the skiff was 16 feet or longer. As you know these requirements vary from state to state and I suspect that, like Washington, you could pretty easily Google Florida's registration requirements for your skiff and motor setup.

But humming around in a low-powered skiff would most likely not arouse the interest of whoever has legal jurisdiction on the waters in Florida unless they were conducting some sort of "let's make an example of ___" campaign.

You are a boater therefore you are rich and you should have to pay the state for your pleasures.

FF said:

Our Grumman Aluminum dink is usually rowed or sailed , but we got a great deal on a 12v trolling motor.

With no gas on board I wonder what the requirements for a 9 ft " electric power" dink would be?

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Call your local tag agency and ask. I can say that in both Georgia and Florida the word "motor" means numbers are required. I tried to get out of it. I paid $25 for three years in GA. Florida is less now because Algae is antique so I get the old boat discount. That kicks in at 30 years old in case you wondered.

Good luck.

FF said:

Our Grumman Aluminum dink is usually rowed or sailed , but we got a great deal on a 12v trolling motor.

With no gas on board I wonder what the requirements for a 9 ft " electric power" dink would be?

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Just put FF12895 on it, or whatever your number of posts is at the time.
They'll think you're from out of state and leave you alone.

"Florida is less now because Algae is antique so I get the old boat discount. That kicks in at 30 years old in case you wondered."

The FL requirement for an antique registration required the "Origonal engine to be in place.

Fine with my Utility boat , a 6-71 is a 6-71 , but a battery powered trolling motor ?

Probably will try "Tender To" on the dink , and stay close to shore where the risk of damaging the running gear of the police boat would outweigh the joy of issuing another ticket.

Fake windup key added to the top, when a water-cop is in view pretend to wind it up.

Like this but a bit smaller...

Varies greatly - in LA, if you float a tongue depressor with twisted rubber band power on state waters - you need a registration.

FF said:

"Florida is less now because Algae is antique so I get the old boat discount. That kicks in at 30 years old in case you wondered."

The FL requirement for an antique registration required the "Origonal engine to be in place.

Fine with my Utility boat , a 6-71 is a 6-71 , but a battery powered trolling motor ?

Probably will try "Tender To" on the dink , and stay close to shore where the risk of damaging the running gear of the police boat would outweigh the joy of issuing another ticket.

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FF
Actually it states "original type". It does not have to be the same motor, but if it came with an inboard diesel it has to have an inboard diesel. You can not change it out to a gasser or outboard.

In TX you do not need registration if it is a tender to a bigger boat. BUT, it can only be used traveling back and forth from the mother ship.

I would not want to try and explain that to the water police in another state, so our tender is registered.

sbu22 said:

Varies greatly - in LA, if you float a tongue depressor with twisted rubber band power on state waters - you need a registration.

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That's funny. Most of the North East is that way btw. So what are we talking here, $35 and a few stickers?

Marin wrote;
"Here in Washington I'm pretty sure you would not need to register your skiff unless the motor was 10hp or more or if the skiff was 16 feet or longer."

Registration is required in WA Marin if it has an engine or motor for propulsion. I inquired as to that re my 18' power canoe. And a standard canoe w a bracket for an engine needs to be registered also. Even rubber duckies w a motor of any kind for propulsion will still need registration. Only if it's paddled or sailed would it evade the registration requirement. And then only up to a certain length.

I think they were just looking for revenue on this one.

FF said:

Probably will try "Tender To" on the dink , and stay close to shore where the risk of damaging the running gear of the police boat would outweigh the joy of issuing another ticket.

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I would NEVER put T/T (tender to) on my dinghy. All that does is advertise that your boat is unoccupied. At a public dinghy dock, that's the last thing I'd want to do.

Now Algae is the dink for Seaweed, and the names go together if you think about it. I've seen others with similar, such as Wandering Star's dink was called Asteroid.

I'd never suggest T/T as a name for the auxiliary boat. I've got a list in my Log Book of interesting pairings that I've collected along the waterways...

No engine, no sails. No numbers, no stickers. Making it simple.

manyboats said:

Marin wrote;
"Here in Washington I'm pretty sure you would not need to register your skiff unless the motor was 10hp or more or if the skiff was 16 feet or longer."

Registration is required in WA Marin if it has an engine or motor for propulsion. I inquired as to that re my 18' power canoe..

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Here are the official WA exemptions for registration.

If your vessel is a canoe, kayak, or a vessel not propelled by a motor or sail.
If your vessel is less than 16 feet in length and has a motor of 10 horsepower or less and is used on non-federal waters only.
If your vessel is properly registered by a resident of another state or country who uses Washington waters for 60 days or fewer.

Hells bells, we'll argue about anything.

Good grief. What is the tag fees on that - $30? Pay the damn thing already.

Craig,
What do you mean arguing? You must be having flashbacks of being a mod again.

Marin and I aren't arguing. He's help'in me/us out.

Janice wrote: "I've got a list in my Log Book of interesting pairings that I've collected along the waterways..."

Here's one for your list - a 60' Hatteras MY named DO IT NOW, carrying a 13' Boston Whaler with the name (in matching font) DONE DID IT. The hailing port was someplace in Texas, as I recall.

manyboats said:

Craig,
What do you mean arguing? You must be having flashbacks of being a mod again.

Marin and I aren't arguing. He's help'in me/us out.

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Yeah, it won't be arguing until somebody gets wrapped around the axle.

Registering the dink (Zodiac 9 footer with a 4 horse) costs me about $15 - but I'll bet I spent $100 figuring out some secure, weather-proof, decent looking way to display the numbers and annual stickers. I'm still not there. Next time I renew I'm going to bring a birthday party balloon with me and ask the registrar to show me how to display the stickers on an inflatable rubber object.

NSW Australia You can buy a 60' boat head out to sea do a lap of Australia as long as you dont go over 10Knots But if you own a 12" tinny with a 6hp motor you must have a license and the boat must be registered

And please be careful driving down the main St of Sydney you hit a kangaroo after sunset






When is a licence required NSW AUSTRALIA


The speed at which you drive your boat will determine whether you need a licence.
If you drive a powered vessel for recreational purposes on NSW waters, at a speed of 10 knots (18.5km/h) or more, you must have a boat driver licence. Ten knots is the speed at which most accelerating boats will start to plane (rise up and skim on top of the water, instead of ploughing through it).

gaston said:

NSW Australia You can buy a 60' boat head out to sea do a lap of Australia as long as you dont go over 10Knots But if you own a 12" tinny with a 6hp motor you must have a license and the boat must be registered

And please be careful driving down the main St of Sydney you hit a kangaroo after sunset





When is a licence required NSW AUSTRALIA


The speed at which you drive your boat will determine whether you need a licence.
If you drive a powered vessel for recreational purposes on NSW waters, at a speed of 10 knots (18.5km/h) or more, you must have a boat driver licence. Ten knots is the speed at which most accelerating boats will start to plane (rise up and skim on top of the water, instead of ploughing through it).

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Nope to the bit in red, you will have issues north of the NSW State border. In Queensland you need a current licence from somewhere (there is a list of acceptable international ones) if your engine is over 4.5KW. Not sure about the other States but likely to be similar. The NSW situation is weird - intended for blowboats no doubt. It might be an interesting discussion with the authorities if the 60' boat was capable of more than 10 knots.

Depends on the state in the USA. Oregon gave me a ticket for a non licensed inflatable dingy with a tiny electric trolling motor.

"Good grief. What is the tag fees on that - $30? Pay the damn thing already."

Its not the fees that are a PIA.

Our dink is simply yanked up over the wide stern platform and lashed down.

OK passing up the motor and a heavy battery is no fun ,

but the addition of all the garbage required Day Night signaling devices (inspected) fire extinguisher (inspected) and all the rest of the gov trash Required to keep me safe is a bigger PIA ..

Will probably have to reinstall the aft crane , and work out a location for the placard pile , Crew injuries , garbage dumping no discharge and the rest.

kthoennes said:

Registering the dink (Zodiac 9 footer with a 4 horse) costs me about $15 - but I'll bet I spent $100 figuring out some secure, weather-proof, decent looking way to display the numbers and annual stickers. I'm still not there. Next time I renew I'm going to bring a birthday party balloon with me and ask the registrar to show me how to display the stickers on an inflatable rubber object.

Click to expand...

Not the ultimate in "secure" but many people put the numbers on a piece of plastic polymer (the stuff that Starboard is made of) and attach that to the grab line near the bow.

"Not the ultimate in "secure" but many people put the numbers on a piece of plastic polymer (the stuff that Starboard is made of) and attach that to the grab line near the bow."


I have had no problem with that method.
Also had no problem with 'painting' numbers on the inflatable.
No issue with 'gluing' numbers on either.
And had success gluing on 'pockets' which would hold the number 'placs' themselves.