Sam Ervin Custom Boats?
 

Hello all. I just bought a '74 SC20 and I'm new to this site.

I went to the DMV to transfer title to my name, and the title clerk says my HIN comes up as a "Sam Ervin Custom Boats". My HIN is SECF0372M74C, and I can tell you by looking at this boat that it is a Seacraft (I attached a photo).

What can I do to straighten this out, because I now hold title to a Sam Ervin Custom Boat that looks a lot like a Seacraft?!

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Looks like a SeaCraft to me. Is it possible that one of the previous owners bought it without a title and registered it as a "homemade" boat claiming that the repairs and rebuild were more that the value of the original hull? Maybe his name was Sam Ervin?

Jim

Humm,

The "RK" in your FL number tells me this was done within the last year..
I bought a 19 ft G3 in March of this year and the new FL registration is "RN"

Hard to say how to set this straight with the state...

Honestly would not lose sleep over it my 1970 is titled, Make "BLANK"
Body VS , WT-L-BHP 20'

We all know it is a SeaCraft

Welcome Home !

Stepping in to the Way-Back machine...
 

I love a research project. I don’t have a chance to read through all of this but here’s an old thread, check out post #2. Unless your boat is a sailboat built in Hawaii the problem is with the DMV. It looks like Sam Ervin got “SEC” after SeaCraft changed. Maybe the USCG can clear this up?

http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...t=14280&page=3

DVM problem.... they can screw up even the most simplest stuff. I don't think the coast guard will be able to do anything... I would just keep pressing DMV to fix it...because its all on their end. Strangely I have not had this happen over here in the peoples republic of California whose DMV's has probably the worst reputation of all. If you can show them maybe someones else's seacraft title that is labeled properly then maybe that will motivate them to fix it.

Nice Boat

strick

Many thanks for the help, gentlemen. I know (or at least was told) my boat was purchased from the original owner last year, who kept it in a barn in GA since new. The title had to be transferred to FL, so it got new FL numbers last year.

I've done some digging and found this list of USCG registered HIN prefixes:

https://boathistoryreport.com/direct...urers/?page=47

Going off this list, it does appear that "SEC" was taken by Sam Ervin after SeaCraft was sold, and then again by "Seabird Construction LLC" (maybe a DBA for Sam?).

Either way, I was just checking to see if there is an easy fix for my conundrum. I'd like to hold title for a SeaCraft, but I won't be selling this one anytime soon, so I guess it doesn't matter much.

Thanks again for all the help!

Went thru a similar thing a few years back. Its an FWC thing now actually, DMV cant really dig into it. And i can tell you you wont be at the top of FWC's priority list haha.

I would just live with it. Or use one of the shadier DMV's down that way if you really want it changed...

love the bootstripe with logo. where to get one like that?

Thank you sir, but it came with the boat, so I'm not sure.

I went to a different DMV office today and got everything straightened out, I've got a title that reads "SeaCraft" coming in the mail.

When they transferred at the other location, they went the easiest route and allowed their system to autopopulate the incorrect manufacturer. The clerk that I spoke with took the extra 5 seconds to click "SeaCraft OOB" on a drop menu under "Vessel Manufacturer" and did a title correction (free of charge, might I add).

I'll call it a win!

From the DMV?? That's more like a Stanley Cup win!! At my DMV office I asked when was the best day to come when I could hear people talk in English, did not go over all that well!

I had similar difficulties with my ‘77 Safari because it had a Florida title and I wanted it titled in SC, which should not have been a problem. 125 miles to nearest DNR office (one way to Charleston), thinking it would be easy. Clerk needs a photo of HIN, so I call neighbors in Fla, to photo while waiting outside the office. No bueno. I SWORE I had verified prior to purchase it was clearly stamped on transom. Wrong. Transom redone from outside and stamp is gone. Weeks of work, trips back and forth, emails, etc.. Ultimately, clerk, on first name basis now, offers to give me some Other form of an SC HIN.

Ma’am, (been in SC half my life at this point), Thank You but that would be like retitleing a Vintage Ferrari with a Yugo VIN. Thankfully that hit home and she finally took the Fla. Title as accurate allowing me an original SC title with original HIN. Took some serious arse kissing.

Part II

Fl to SC Title Chg
 

Had excellent personal response getting a SC title after my move. I didn’t want to mail my title, so stopped in Columbia on a trip to Fla. The friendly, attractive clerk advised me there was a missing digit on my original Fla title. She offered to hold the title in her desk until upon my return I could make a pencil tracing of the HIN and send that to her. I did. The sweet, southern lady sent me my new SC title!

Southern Hospitality combined with a little Boot Lickin’. It is whatever it is. Haha.

Ha! Yeah I had to do a little sweet talking at the DMV counter, myself.. but it'll be well worth it when I hold that title.