So here's an update on my quest to secure a title and registration. You can check out post #187834 for a little background but basically, The 1981 H16 I purchased recently, had no title or registration.

I found this out only after the boat was all loaded up and ready to go. I wasn't to concerned about the boat, as I was pretty sure a non motorized sail boat didn't need it, but the trailer was a bit of a concern. Even though the guy told me that small boat trailers no longer needed to be registered, I new that was not correct.

Since it still had the tag from the owner previous to the guy I bought it from, I figured I could contact him or do the homemade trailer deal. Well that took a little work but was fairly easy to accomplish. The boat on the other hand was a totally different story.

While I'm inquiring about the procedure for getting the trailer registered, the girl at the tag office also says that yes the boat (as of just recently) did have to be registered if it was 16' or over.

I had to have a wildlife officer come do an inspection on the boat and apply for a title. The guy felt it wouldn't be an issue and had me get an affidavit from the previous two owners stating that the boat had never been registered. The owner previous to that was from Georgia and the officer couldn't find where it had ever been registered in his name either.

He didn't think I had any cause for concern and he would recommend that a title be issued, but that if it was denied, it would be much more complicated. He also stated that selling the boat without the title was illegal and that the guy who sold it to me could get in some trouble if somebody wanted to press the issue.

Well yesterday (six weeks later) I get a 15 page document from Florida Fish and Wildlife stating that they can not issue a title and I must submit form TL-07 which is an application for certificate of title with alternate proof of ownership and securing a court order awarding ownership.

Can you believe this? What the heck do I do now?

Man, I got this for a stress reliever and so far it has been anything but that.