and it just gets worse, after reaching the previous ower of my cat.. he passed on this story about a different boat he sold to someone.. The new owner tried to sell it recently...

"Darts have no Hull Identification Number (HIN), none of them. After a few dozen phone calls I learned that to get a HIN you must get inspected by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) agent. The guy who came to look at the Dart down at Gulfport was stereotypical law enforcement guy - flak jacket with sidearm. He interrogated the seller with intense detail, finally revealing that they were working from the angle that this boat is a stolen boat. He was not hearing that Darts NEVER have HINs nor the historical fact that few cats carry titles. The seller was told that this CRIMINAL investigation would be sent to Tallahassee in 4-6 weeks and perhaps they would offer a HIN but more likely they would pursue old records to identify all owners and the original importer, since the boat came from England long ago. The FWC guy said it could take 4-6 months to work out. The seller is despondent about losing his out-of-state buyer and considers his boat a total loss. The FWC guy also informed DMV and said that action flagged The seller and this boat from any further ownership transfer"