You would think answers to these questions would be so apparent that there would be little need for discussion, but often the hive mind of the Internet turns up problems and permutations that most wouldn't dream existed. Here are five red tape oddities I have turned up:
1. When an out-of-state vessel visits Florida it gets 90 days of reciprocity before having to register in Florida, but only if the vessel already has a state registration from another state. In other words, boats that are only Coast Guard documented don't get the 90-day reciprocity and must state register in Florida. A lot of folks don't believe this, so I went to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, asked, and got the answer. You can read more about it in an upcoming article in Ocean Navigator magazine.
2. Unlike most states that give visiting boaters 90 days of reciprocity, New Hampshire only gives you 30 days before you have to re-register!
3. Visitors to New Jersey must have a Boating Safety Certificate when operating a boat, even if their home states do not require one.
4. In New York State all mechanically propelled vessels (except PWCs), including your dink, must carry an anchor.
5. Massachusetts excise tax is based only on how long the boat is and how old it is. Any boat that is at least 35 feet but less than 40 feet and 7 years or more old is valued at $12,000, and the tax is $10 per thousand. In other words, $120 per year for said vessel is paid to the town where it is kept on July 1 of each year, or where "habitually moored."