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California dinghy registration madness

7K views 23 replies 14 participants last post by  JomsViking 
#1 ·
I still can't quite believe this happened today.

I have an old Achilles dinghy, with a Yamaha 2 stroke. The engine is great but the dinghy's getting a bit long in the tooth, so I bought a new Zodiac Compact RIB from Defender. It arrived yesterday, all is good - or so I thought. Enter the California DMV.

I went to the DMV office today to register the boat, but here is what transpired :

If you are registering a new boat, and you tick "motorised", the system INSISTS on an EPA 3 star emissions tag. The one attached to a new outboard, but not to a 25 year-old Yamaha.

The only solution I could come up with, was to register the dinghy as "powered by oars".

The staff even implied that I would be breaking the law now to use any outboard with the boat, as the reg says powered by oars.

They also made me go away, fill out a completely new form but with "powered by oars" and not "motorised" ticked, take a new number, and start again.

Can it be true that you can't register a new dinghy without a new engine with it?

Can it also be true that you can't put an outboard on a dinghy that has, up to now, been powered by oars?

Or could it be that the people I encountered were just plain wrong. They were certainly unhelpful, inflexible, and borderline rude.

I feel like I've just spent the morning in a George Orwell novel, or maybe Terry Gilliam's Brazil.
 
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#6 ·
so you have a dingy that is registered to be powered by oars. got to love this state.
this is from the DMV

The following vessels do not have to be registered in California:
Vessels propelled solely by oars or paddles.
Nonmotorized sailboats that are eight feet or less in length.
Nonmotorized surfboards propelled by a sail and with a mast that the operator must hold upright.
A ship’s lifeboat (a dinghy is not a lifeboat).
Vessels currently and lawfully numbered (registered) by another state that are principally used outside California.
Vessels brought into California for racing purposes only (exempted only during races and tune-ups).
 
#8 ·
still hopping someone will have the answer. years ago we used our kite sailing dingy with an outboard and never had a problem. we now use an inflatable which was registered as a boat with no motor before we got the 2.5 hp outboard which we have used for two years and never have been stopped by the sherif so don't know what would happen. mostly all they are looking for are if you have PFD's for everyone on board.
 
#9 ·
The California DMV, oh my God!!, I feel your pain. I have been successful in registering boats & new cars, bought in Nevada, by mail. At times it is painful, but not nearly as much as going there in person. Make sure you make copies of everything before mailing. It takes a long time but is worth it.

I doubt if putting a small motor on a small boat that is registered as
"Oars only" would create much of a problem as long as you meet the safety standards. If you were stopped, just politely say "I didn't know":D

Paul T
 
#15 ·
This is not correct. A tender is used only to go between shore and the vessel. So in California, a tender can't be used for any other purpose. Use the dink to go to another boat to visit, and you are violating the law. Or so it was explained to me. Registration is $20 for two years for a dinghy used in the marine environment. Not a lot of money to keep from being bothered.

I haven't been to the DMV in person in a while, the last time was bad. Best bet is to try and use an office that is close to a marina, as you have a better chance of finding someone that knows boat registration.
 
#11 ·
Being in California, It could be argued that it depends on the day, time, and place you arrive at the DMV. I registered a brand new, ebay-bought, 11' dingy, with an 1997 4
4hp nissan outboard at the DMV in Los Gatos; all I did was show her a bill of sale and a photo I printed of the dinghy with motor. Filled the form, paid 36 bucks and was out. First time I didn't have your type of nightmare in awhile.
 
#21 ·
I just had to renew the reg on the sailboat too, and did it online. You just tick the box for coastal waters only, and then the cost is $20.

I wanted to be able to use the dinghy anywhere, so I paid for the mussel nonsense.
 
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