Boat buying process

truecrimson

Well-known member
I don't want to get too excited yet, but a great bargain on a used boat may have just fallen into my lap. It may still fall through.

If it doesn't fall through, what is the process for transferring boat and trailer titles in PA? How much does it cost?
 

troutspinner

Nuts & Bolts Guy
As long as the seller has titles for both the boat and trailer, you visit a notary and they will do the transfer. I forget what the fees are but I do t believe they are too significant. I am sure you can look them up on the PFBC website. The notary will ask for the amount of the transaction so they can charge you sales tax. That amount is something you and your seller should discuss, regardless of how much you are giving them. ;)
 

truecrimson

Well-known member
Cool, thanks.

I am trying to schedule a time to go look at it. If I don't get killed and robbed I'll update once that happens. It will take a week for me to get a tow hitch installed on one of my vehicles. I may do that even if this falls through, just so it is done.
 

Bootfoot

Well-known member
$26.00 if it’s 16’ or less. $15.00 for boat title. $12.00 for trailer registration. 6% sales tax on the purchase price. I’m sure there’s fees charged by the tag place as well but the big bucks is the sales tax. You will need to take ID and bill of sale. I’m curious to hear what the deal is?
 

Melvinp

Well-known member
At 2500 in tax’s transfer of titles (boat &trailer) and registration boat and trailer for a motorized boat 17ft long 500 bucks
 

Don

Well-known member
Be sure that the car which you plan to use is rated for the weight of the boat and trailer and has a small amount of lee-way. For instance a 2013 Jetta like the one I drive is rated at 2000 but the trailer needs brakes. I don't want brakes on a boat trailer as small as mine. The non-braked rating in somewhat lower at 1499lbs. My little boat/trailer is under 1000.
Welcome to the dark side :)
Hahaha, Mark!
 

truecrimson

Well-known member
$26.00 if it’s 16’ or less. $15.00 for boat title. $12.00 for trailer registration. 6% sales tax on the purchase price. I’m sure there’s fees charged by the tag place as well but the big bucks is the sales tax. You will need to take ID and bill of sale. I’m curious to hear what the deal is?
1989 Lund with trailer and stuff for $800

Turned out to be a scam. After going back and forth all day about coming to look at it, they hit me with the boat not being where it was supposed to be, like in another state, and asked for my contact info so I could be contacted for shipping and to send the money.

Hell no! I am not sending money for a boat I have not seen!

The ad was on Harrisburg Craigslist and supposedly located in Carlisle. I contacted within minutes of it being posted, because I was looking at boat porn ;) It was flagged and gone by the next day. I found the same ad on other craigslist locations.

Screenshot 2022-05-05 2.30.34 PM.png


Welcome to the dark side :)

Eh, not quite yet, unfortunately. But Troutspinner is seducing me quickly ;) Ah, hell, I'd sell out and buy one right now if I could afford it.

Be sure that the car which you plan to use is rated for the weight of the boat and trailer and has a small amount of lee-way. For instance a 2013 Jetta like the one I drive is rated at 2000 but the trailer needs brakes. I don't want brakes on a boat trailer as small as mine. The non-braked rating in somewhat lower at 1499lbs. My little boat/trailer is under 1000.

Hahaha, Mark!

That is something I need to look into. I took a look inside the door frame yesterday, looking for that sort of info. But all I saw was tire info and cargo weight. Nothing about towing. I might get one on the Rav 4 instead of the Corolla, but I have to check whether an after market hitch would affect the warranty and pre paid maintenance plan. I know Toyota will charge $250-$300 more than U Haul to put an official hitch on. U haul on the Corolla is like $360. Toyota on the Rav is closer to $600.

Hitch just bolts on the vehicle

Yeah, I don't ask mechanics to suction themselves or run their own ventilators. If I try to just bolt a hitch on I'd bet money it would come off on the highway somewhere and the boat would pass me in the other lane.

If I were still in TX I'd go to my brother. He's a "Melvinp". He'd make me do it, but talk me through it using his tools in his garage and then he'd make sure I hadn't screwed it up. More likely after I screwed up enough he'd just take over and do it right. Much better for me to just pay a professional who knows how to screw it up correctly ;)

Funny story there. So I was a teenager, dad was teaching us to change our own oil. I broke two filters and dad said "You're brother and I will do the oil from now on." I still had to set the VCR, and fix the guns.

Well, this one fell through, but sooner or later there will be one.
 

troutspinner

Nuts & Bolts Guy
Sorry to hear about your disappointment but at least you caught it before it went too far. Just keep your eyes open, something will come along.
 

Bootfoot

Well-known member
Well the trailer is worth 700, the boat is worth 1300, and the motor is worth 2000. That ad had SCAM in big capitol letters written all over it. Don’t let your desire to get a boat over ride common sense. Also a Corolla or a RAV4 are not and will never be tow vehicles for anything other than a kayak.
 

Bootfoot

Well-known member
There is what they say and then there is what makes towing easy. At 1500 lbs the RAV4 is maxed out or over with a 14’ boat. I’m not buy the 3000 lb rating even a little bit. I know this because I towed my first boat with what amounted to a rav4. probably The dumbest thing I ever did for two trips. I quickly bought a proper tow vehicle and it was night and day In the ease and safety department. Ever been or seen that guy who couldn’t pull the boat up the ramp. how about that guy driving in front of you on the turnpike with a boat swaying back and forth in the lane. No thanks.
 

Don

Well-known member
My first boat was a 25' family sailboat, 8' wide and 30' long on trailer. The chevy caprice family woody wagon pulled it fine but I had years of experience driving large and ungainly rigs.

I agree with Boot. Don't call it too close.
A new 14' basic Lund on a trailer is under 800lbs.
 

truecrimson

Well-known member
There is what they say and then there is what makes towing easy. At 1500 lbs the RAV4 is maxed out or over with a 14’ boat. I’m not buy the 3000 lb rating even a little bit. I know this because I towed my first boat with what amounted to a rav4. probably The dumbest thing I ever did for two trips. I quickly bought a proper tow vehicle and it was night and day In the ease and safety department. Ever been or seen that guy who couldn’t pull the boat up the ramp. how about that guy driving in front of you on the turnpike with a boat swaying back and forth in the lane. No thanks.
Well, if another vehicle is going to be involved then I'll definitely be out of the looking for a boat game, and back into the kayak game.
 
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truecrimson

Well-known member
Well the trailer is worth 700, the boat is worth 1300, and the motor is worth 2000. That ad had SCAM in big capitol letters written all over it. Don’t let your desire to get a boat over ride common sense. Also a Corolla or a RAV4 are not and will never be tow vehicles for anything other than a kayak.
How did you determine the values?
 

Don

Well-known member
How did you determine the values?
Well TC, Boot is right in a general way but his idea of a boat is not necessarily everyones idea. He fishes the Delaware and similar places and his figures aren't far off for a more heavily built boat. If I were you I'd start tromping around and study the different construction types. At many of the areas that you fish at you just don't need much boat. For the areas you regularly fish a 12' - 16' open, floorless, aluminum hull is all you need and is where average fishermen have gotten their start since WWII. Most of them are plenty stable for average PA lakes (save Raystown, Paulpack, and Allegheny Res.
You see what my boat can do at 12'. If it had a transom there would be know end to where I'd take it. I've been Weakfishing in Chesapeake in 20kn winds, I've drifted the Delaware and now I fish a lake that is a mile wide in both directions. That little boat I posted above is a very stable boat like many others made over the years. Find one that is 20-25 yrs old and has a title on a minimal trailer, with or without a motor. It will not weigh much and will be a nice start. Personally I'd not shy away from no motor. That little trolling motor I have will push a rowboat for a day and a half on the half shot battery I have. Many a tranquil day/evening have I witnessed and there is more to come.
Look at your quest for a boat as a tutorial. Pay attention. Read about them. To learn about stability read the back issues of Small Boat Journal. Read the works of Phil Bolger, Reel Parker.
Look at this:
After crawling around some of these site you'll know allot more about weight and balance and materials. You'll know more about what youre looking at when examining the potential of old boats.
These kayaks you have are also tying up your resources and when read you can cash them in. Once you have a boat you can buy a cover and store your gear and coolers in the boat and push it all into a storage facility.
 
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