Boat identification

[Ua2pants]

I'm new to the forum, and I recently accuired a boat (free) that someone gave me because they bought property and it was abandoned. I got a bill of sale but I'm order to register it, I need to get a title (Pennsylvania) and I'm having trouble trying to figure out what this boat is exactly.

Any and all help would be appreciated!!

 

[Ua2pants]

Update :: the only identifying name on it says caribe? It's hard to make out because letters are attached to each other, I'm clueless though.

 

[jbcurt00]

Have you talked to someone in PA that works at PA Fish & Boat Commission?

I suspect you'll have more difficulty then just the boat model/maker.

Why didnt the property owner (who had legal standing to do so, you do not) fill for title on an abandoned boat?

Talk to PA F&BC before you spend any money working on it. It may take a while to sort out....

good luck and welcome to iboats.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Right now you have a yard planter. Good luck with the legal loops for getting it properly titled

 

[Bob_VT]

Look for a number molded into the hull at the back by the transom. It should have a HIN (Hull identification number) and the first 3 letters of that number will tell (when looked up on the USCG MIC database - google that ) what company made the boat. Yes you have a tough road ahead however, the season is just about done in PA so you have plenty of time to research things

Welcome to iboats!!

 

[MTboatguy]

Nice planter, when are people going to learn, free boats are the most expensive boats you can get, there is a lot of work to track them down and get new paperwork issued on them. Good luck. Like others have said, welcome to Iboats.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Nice planter, when are people going to learn, free boats are the most expensive boats you can get, there is a lot of work to track them down and get new paperwork issued on them. Good luck. Like others have said, welcome to Iboats.

Exactly. This is not looking a gift horse in the mouth scenario. The boat will cost you more to take to landfill after it takes you hours to dissect it along with all the worn blades of a Sawzall and all the time to chase legal ownership. It is very possible that boat was stolen, used and dumped 30 years ago. You are getting the headache and associated cost of scrapping the heap from guy giving the boat away "free." Leave it where your found it, it's a rotten scow.

 

[Ua2pants]

Thank you all for the welcome!

As for legality, I know what's in store for me, I have to go through all the steps for filing for a title but that shouldn't be too difficult, my problem is trying to identify the model so I can know what years it was produced for the paperwork but have no idea how to identify it. As for it being a problem to fix up, that's why I took it was to make a project out of it.

It's all fiberglass and the hull is structurally sound. The flooring I already know will need replaced and I'm pretty good at using glass and resin. That's not a problem at all.

Where is a good starting place to see if it was stolen? It's always a possibility but not likely.

Thanks again!

 

[MTboatguy]

Thank you all for the welcome!

As for legality, I know what's in store for me, I have to go through all the steps for filing for a title but that shouldn't be too difficult, my problem is trying to identify the model so I can know what years it was produced for the paperwork but have no idea how to identify it. As for it being a problem to fix up, that's why I took it was to make a project out of it.

It's all fiberglass and the hull is structurally sound. The flooring I already know will need replaced and I'm pretty good at using glass and resin. That's not a problem at all.

Where is a good starting place to see if it was stolen? It's always a possibility but not likely.

Thanks again!

After over 30 years of buying and taking free boats, I have only ran into one boat that was stolen. Now tracking paperwork down or getting new paper work issued has been a far bigger problem over the years and all I can say is good luck.

 

[dwco5051]

Before you sink the first dollar in that hull research what you need to get the boat registered (A title is not required in PA if it was not previously titled and built before 1997 as that boat appears to be) but just getting in registered can be just as time consuming and frustrating.

Start here;
https://www.fishandboat.com/Boat/RegisterTitle/Pages/default.aspx

Here is the PF&BC help line phone number for someone that can explain what you need. Help-line: 866-262-8734

The procedure for claiming a title for an abandoned boat can be found here.

PA Code 93.110 5325(a)12

Did you get the trailer too? An equal PITA as it needs to be titled.

The bill of sale from the property owner is worthless as the bill of sale has to be from the last registered owner. The property owner is the one who has to do the paperwork on an abandoned boat, you can not do it.

 

[dwco5051]

Where is a good starting place to see if it was stolen? It's always a possibility but not likely.

A stolen boat will only be entered in NCIC if it has a HIN number. Then it only remains on file for 5 years unless the owner had it re-entered. Depending on when it was last registered even the PA registration numbers may not even still be on file. In the process of several software upgrades over the years many Pennsylvania expired reg numbers disappeared from the dead files never again to see the light of day.