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I am new to boating... when I was a teen my dad had a boat and I seem to remember there are rules you have to follow.1. Where can I find the Rules of the water, legal and unwritten ones?
I live in central Delaware.2. How can I register a boat... Does this cost much?
My brother in law is giving me a boat he bought yet has not used or taken any time to mess with it. He has some paper work on it but it seems strange... It also has a trailer. How can I get that registered too? Does this cost much?3. What other things should I consider when first starting with a new boat... (used boat
) 4. How much do hitches cost and can my Chevy Caviler have one installed? How hard is it to install one?
Thanks,
Nathan
Follow Ups:
Try typing "Delaware boating regulations" into your internet search engine, (google, yahoo, etc.). Boat registration is handled by the Department of Fish and Wildlife in your state.You may not need to license your trailer, depending on state law. Here in Oregon, trailers under a certain size can go unregistered.
There are things you should know before you go boating on major waterways or the ocean. Navigation lights, channel markers, right of way rules, etc..
Get a book and study it, I'd say. Something like "The Official Guide to Small Boat Navigation" by Charles Farrell, for example.
Lots of people don't do this, of course. They just blunder about, getting honked at by angry cargo ship captains, running aground, getting tickets for missing safety equipment, and so on and so forth. Eventually, they may learn by hard experience what they could have learned with a couple hours of study.
you generaly register your boat at the town hall, it usualy isnt that expensive if its a inexpensive boat, expect the amount to vary based on motor size more then boat size. The trailer is also registered at the same place most often, Your DMV can also handle the trailer registration but i think ya still have to pay tax at the town hall.as far as rules, they are also usualy available at your town hall and a copy of them is usualy given with a registration, at least around here they are.
Now, a hitch on a cavilier, well, proably, but if it is more then say a 12 or 14 foot john type boat I would start to worry. It isnt likely that will haul say, a 24 foot ski boat with a 200 merc on the back. SOmething to concider here, It not only has to be able to haul it down the road,, it has to be able to haul itself,and the trailer and boat out of the water on sometimes very steep boat ramps. My small truck sometimes has problems with this on my 14 foot fiberglass job.
I would not recomend installing a hitch yourself,, But it is certainy possible and cheaperas far as what else to expect,, Man that would take a book, make sure your motor is in good shape incuding your gas lines. The Rule book will cover all the basic stuff about markers, what side to pass boats on, headway speed and all that stuff.
I will recomend a few things
1 a portable GPS unit is a wonderfull thing when on salt water, large lakes, or even unfamilure waters.2 bring a cell phone
3 Keep an eye on your gas tank , its very easy to run yourself out of gas on a boat without a actual gas gauge.
4 Dont boat beyond your ability, What I mean is dont go out in rough waters until you are comfortable enough with the boat to actualy know what rough water is and weather or not you can handle it.
above all, be safe and have fun.
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