Can anyone help me ID this boat?

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badewolf

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I bought a boat on craigslist last night 12' V-hull. no markings or any names. It has a HIN, but its not showing up in any database i've seen. I'm trying to find the manufacture so I can contact them to send me an MSO certificate, because as it stands I can't title it! Any help is greatly appreciated.
 

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What state are you in?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you might be in for a big headache...been there...done that...

Boat manufacturer's are very reluctant (and refuse) to give out MSO's for boats that are not newly delivered.

At a bare minimum you will need to get a NOTARIZED Bill of Sale from the previous owner. Depending on what state you are in, a NOTARIZED Bill of Sale may be enough, as long as the boat HAS NEVER BEEN REGISTERED BEFORE.

I live in NC and bought a 1957 Crestliner v-hull from an old guy I played golf with...he had no paperwork on the boat. We did a notarized bill of sale and I also had to provide a penciled etching of the hull number with the paperwork. The DNR in Raleigh sent me notices for additional information and eventually I got it registered, but it was a headache. I'll never buy another boat or trailer without the proper paperwork again.

Good luck...

Rod
Oriental, NC

PS. I initially thought that boat may be a GameFisher as well. If it is, tracking down the builder might be tough because there were several manufacturer's that built those boats for Sears.
 
Even easier go to DMV and register it as homemade. Boats manufactured or imported on or after November 1, 1972 must bear a HIN those boats before that don't have one. Dmv will issue you a transferable registration (title) and your boat is legal. I went through the same hassle with a boat I bought off ebay and did some research online and this is what I did. Make sure u have the bill of sale. I registered my boat as a 1970 14 ft Sears. hope this helps
 
[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=342366#p342366 said:
ccm » 20 Feb 2014, 22:00[/url]"]It looks like a Sears Game Fisher to me. I Might be wrong though. I Hope you can get a title. I looks like a really sound boat.

I hope so, usually I wouldn't buy a boat without a title period. I live in florida and its a royal pain in the @## to get anything registered. But I only paid $280 for the whole deal with that 6 hp johnson. (seen in the first pic laying in the boat) I couldn't say no to that. here's another pic.
 

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[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=342374#p342374 said:
1957Crestliner12 » 20 Feb 2014, 22:25[/url]"]What state are you in?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you might be in for a big headache...been there...done that...

Boat manufacturer's are very reluctant (and refuse) to give out MSO's for boats that are not newly delivered.

At a bare minimum you will need to get a NOTARIZED Bill of Sale from the previous owner. Depending on what state you are in, a NOTARIZED Bill of Sale may be enough, as long as the boat HAS NEVER BEEN REGISTERED BEFORE.

I live in NC and bought a 1957 Crestliner v-hull from an old guy I played golf with...he had no paperwork on the boat. We did a notarized bill of sale and I also had to provide a penciled etching of the hull number with the paperwork. The DNR in Raleigh sent me notices for additional information and eventually I got it registered, but it was a headache. I'll never buy another boat or trailer without the proper paperwork again.

Good luck...

Rod
Oriental, NC

PS. I initially thought that boat may be a GameFisher as well. If it is, tracking down the builder might be tough because there were several manufacturer's that built those boats for Sears.

Florida, I went to the DMV yesterday with the notarized bill of sale we did at the bank when I bought it and they still treated me like a criminal. Saying how I bought it illegally since it wasn't titled. It belonged to an older guy who had a HUGE lake in his back yard, he told me he only used it back there and had never registered it since new. He seemed like an alright older dude so I don't think he was lying.
 
[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=342389#p342389 said:
SF Flats Fisher » 21 Feb 2014, 07:43[/url]"]It may be a Sea Nymph.. I have a 14 footer and the serial looks like this:

When I try those HIN lookup sites mine doesn't show up as anything. Does yours show up when you search it? Or do boats before a certain time not show up in the database?
 
[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=342377#p342377 said:
masterbaiter » 20 Feb 2014, 22:44[/url]"]Even easier go to DMV and register it as homemade. Boats manufactured or imported on or after November 1, 1972 must bear a HIN those boats before that don't have one. Dmv will issue you a transferable registration (title) and your boat is legal. I went through the same hassle with a boat I bought off ebay and did some research online and this is what I did. Make sure u have the bill of sale. I registered my boat as a 1970 14 ft Sears. hope this helps

I have a notarized bill of sale and the previous owner said he would be willing to come to the dmv if it would help, I heard if you register a boat as homemade they want pictures of the build and receipts and things of that nature and a fwc officer has to inspect it. Not sure how much of that is accurate thou.
 
badewolf said:
[url=<a class="vglnk" title="Link added by VigLink" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=342389#p342389 said:
SF"><span>https</span><span>://</span><span>www</span><span>.</span><span>tinboats</span><span>.</span><span>net</span><span>/</span><span>forum</span><span>/</span><span>viewtopic</span><span>.</span><span>php</span><span>?</span><span>p</span><span>=</span><span>342389</span><span>#</span><span>p342389</span><span>]</span><span>SF</span></a> Flats Fisher » 21 Feb 2014, 07:43[/url]"]It may be a Sea Nymph.. I have a 14 footer and the serial looks like this:

When I try those HIN lookup sites mine doesn't show up as anything. Does yours show up when you search it? Or do boats before a certain time not show up in the database?

I've never tried to look it up on a website, never could find any. I had owned this boat for a few years and then a gentleman asked to purchase it, so I wrote him a bill of sale, had it notarized etc etc, he goes to the DMV and the DMV tells him to go home and call the police, they want a title and all that good stuff. I went to the DMV myself to attempt to file for a lost title, or get the title from whoever has it. I have bills of sale all the way up to the first person who owned it in '79. Still no luck, DMV refused to help. So luckily I came upon the 1984 16' Monark I have now, which is bigger and even better.
 
[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=342366#p342366 said:
ccm » 20 Feb 2014, 20:00[/url]"]It looks like a Sears Game Fisher to me. I Might be wrong though. I Hope you can get a title. I looks like a really sound boat.
+1 I had a Sears Game Fisher that was mfg by Sea Nymph and marketed by Sears as a Game Fisher and the construction looked very similar to yours. Maybe just a few small changes because of the year model difference. Here are some pics of the one I use to own. You decide for yourself.

SEA1.JPG
SEA2.JPG
SEA3.JPG
 
yeah, DMV can be a pain in the butt depending on what state you live in. most of us on here have gone through this on one of our first few boats... here's my advice for you to save you both time and money:

wash the boat and take some better pictures than were in the craigslist ad you bought it from. relist it on craigslist for $50 more than you paid for it, but be happy if you get your money back. buy a boat with that has the right paperwork.

probably not what you wanted to hear, but just being honest with you. there are other ways to do it, like with an out of state title company, but their fees would be 1/2 or 1/3 what a 12' tin goes for.
 
Not to be contrary, but I work part-time for a marina, so I've dealt with this a lot.

I'd advise you to go back to the DNR, and ask them for the proper procedure. If the clerk gives you a hard time, ask for her supervisor. Many times, the supervisor will come out, chastise the clerk, and give you the proper forms and instructions.

In VA, you have to do a title search, and then send certified letters to the last known owner. If they respond, great, but if no response in 15 days, the DNR sends a letter, and if no response, you get your title. Most other states I've dealt with HAVE a similar procedure, but it is a PAIN to get them to disclose this fact.

Always start out by being very nice, then become more and more firm, but still polite, asking for each person's supervisor until you get to someone who knows how to get this done legally. I've had to go to the branch manager more than once, and every time, she hands me the papers, and thanks me for my patience.

Hopefully, it will go well for you.

-TH
 
I had no problem at all registering mine in ny. I didn't have to show the boat to anyone they gave me a registration number and a valid registration sticker and off I went. I would give the registering your boat as homemade a try before trying to sell your boat. the worst thing dmv can say is no.
 
Here is an obvious question....

Did you call the DNR to ask if they had the HIN number in their records?

IF they have a record of the boat, then they can help you find the previous owner and get it titled in your name.

Usually best to work with the system, if at all possible.

-TH
 
I bought a boat 14' v Hull with no markings, ID numbers, nothing to identify it. I also didn't have a bill of sale. It was a boat that was at an apartment complex used on the lake there. I went to the DMV and explained the circumstances and they gave me the "register as homemade " paperwork and told me to do it that way. If it is UNDER 16' there are different rules. I filled out the paperwork as home made, went back to the DMV and 48 bucks later I have my registration and FL numbers.
 
Sorry I didn't catch which state you were in. I'd try to talk to a my local Boating Enforcement Agency what ever it's called in your state. Not the office but a field officer. Get him to run those HIN numbers and if it's ever been on file it should still be on record. When you junk or quit licensing a boat you are supposed to let them know. This allows them to re-issue that license or "State Number" on the port and starboard side of the vessel to another. If it's before their systems was computerized they might have to do a hand search but it can be done. Good Luck!
 

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