GL: Holding Tanks (Doc vessel registration in Florida)

[bob Austin]

Ref Henry Quigley's post about being given a warning because his documented
vessel was not Florida registered.  I suspect if you look at the Warning it
was for not having the proper registration sticker from Florida.  I have
posted extensively on this subject based on information based on E-mail
correspondance with Capt Alan Richard, Assistant General Counsel Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission.  His position is that any vessel on
Florida waters, must have a registration certificate.  You have 30 days to get
this certificate if you have a new (to you) boat.  If the boat is from another
state which does not register boats, then you must have some Registation
certificate immediately when you enter Florida waters.  His position is that
you can get a FAX from USCG doc center within the 30 day peroid which has the
Doc number.  (In Henry's case, he had the check).  He should take that to the
nearest tax office, pay any fees and register the boat.  If Florida taxes are
due, they have to be proven, or paid.

The FFWCC has become much tougher on this issue in the last year.  I wondered
if it was because of the complaints about the "Venice water cop"--Capt Richard
denied that was the case, and told me that all FFWCC officers had always been
enforcing these laws.  That was not my, or a number of other boater's
impressions.