My Classic is officially a Classic Now

[fishing_fanatic]

Fishing fanatic

Since you boat is registered as a home built boat it is not a SeaCraft at least to the state it is a homebuilt boat. You would have to first get it registered back as a Seacraft and then move on the antique states. You would have to have a title for the boat with vin # and saying it is a SeaCraft.


FellowShip

If nothing else else, its an antique homebuilt

It says 1974 homebuilt on my registration, the year we salvaged it.

Dont think the VIN is a possibility, according to 65bowrider, Mosely made Seacrafts VINs were plate only, not in fiberglass and mine is long gone.

Besides, I dont care if the state thinks its a Seacraft or not, I know it is, the proof is undeniable, I just want the cheaper reg fee and the cool sticker . Unless I missed it, I didnt see anything in the statues that said homebuilts werent eligible.

So going antique homebuilt may be the way to go

[DonV]

Many thanks to all for the great info!!!! Early last week I received my new 2010 registration and sticker for a smooth fee of $4.25 per year and the best part....there was no bill for the $4.25, I guess they felt sorry for me having such and "old vessel". And to top it off just got back from a weekend in the the Keys and the State of Florida sent me my antique vessel sticker. Life is good.

Then it hit me, I paid over $4.25 for just a single gallon of gas last June in the Keys. Jeeeez...

[Phan000]

I never had my boat surveyed, but it states 1973 on my regisration renewal form. Can I just bring this to a surveyor and pay a few bucks to sign or?

[Fr. Frank]

The form says the owner can sign off on it.
Note that some tax collector agents will say it has to have the actual original power plant. It does not. It has to be "powered by its original type power plant." Not to mention that outboard hulls are not manufactured with power plants.

The USCG recognizes the following "types" of power plants: inboard, outboard, sterndrive, jet drive, and "other". If your antique vessel has not been converted from sterndrive to outboard, you have the original "type" power plant. My '72 is powered by an '06 Mercury, and I had to go get the actual text of the statute and show it to the supervisor before I could register the boat as an antique.

Here is the text of the law, Florida Statutes 327.72(2)(a)
A vessel that is at least 30 years old, used only for recreational purposes, and powered by the vessel's original-type power plant may be registered as an antique vessel. When applying for registration as an antique vessel, the owner of such a vessel shall submit certification, as prescribed by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles or from a marine surveyor that the vessel meets the requirements of this paragraph.

[eggsuckindog]

I never had my boat surveyed, but it states 1973 on my regisration renewal form. Can I just bring this to a surveyor and pay a few bucks to sign or?

You just fill it out mail it to Tally - they send you a letter and take it to the tag office - don't make it harder than it is - just say yes to everything they really don't care

[NoBones]

web page

Registration last year for 4 boats $147.50
This year $17.00

See ya, Ken

[eggsuckindog]

web page

Registration last year for 4 boats $147.50
This year $17.00

See ya, Ken

147.50 - 17 = 5.67 big bottles of Evan Williams fine Kentucky Bourbon, sounds like your sponsoring the next party

[Bushwacker]

Took my renewal notice to the tag office yesterday along with the completed HSMV 87243. They were a little confused, so they called Tallahassee, and also downloaded the official procedure, VSRS-01, "ANTIQUE VESSEL (30 YEARS) AUTHENTICATED DECALS", which they gave me a copy of. It says the DMV will issue the Antique Decal at no charge. The key part of procedure VSRS-01 reads as follows:

"III. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR ANTIQUE DECAL:

The following must be submitted to the Bureau of Titles and Registrations, Neil Kirkman Building, Room A330, MS #72, Tallahassee, Florida 32399
A. A copy of the most current certificate of vessel registration in the applicant's name.
B. A form HSMV 87243, Antique Vessel Certification, completed by the owner or a licensed marine surveyor. This document shall certify that the vessel meets or exceeds the standards established in 328.72(2), Florida Statutes."

The tag office even made a copy of my registration certificate for me to send in. I noticed my registration shows length as 20'8", so I circled that, noted that it should be 19'8" and enclosed a copy of the specification page from 1972 Seafari brochure, so will be interesting to see if they fix that! As DonV indicated, the DMV evidently sends you the Antique decal and a letter saying you qualify for the antique rate. You take letter to local tag office, who issues the registration sticker, and only charges the service fees; the normal registration fee ($51.08 in Palm Beach County!) is waived!

Fellowship, thanks for letting the Florida folks know about this significant savings in cost of owning our Classic SeaCrafts! It's been available for old cars for a long time but didn't realize it also applied to boats!

[wavelength]

Got ours in Sept.

[FELLOW-SHIP]

Hi Guys;

Glad to see you guy taking the advantage here in Fl. to be a Official Classic Seacraft owner. It’s nice to point to the Sticker on the side of the Boat when people ask me about your ride.. I guess this is the only area in life that getting older is a good and proud thing.

FellowShip

………………………….

Just for the Grins

Official Antique Classic SeaCraft Owner