PA salvage title on a boat?

[vroom ZOOM]

I don't know if I am posting in the right place, but this one seems to be the most correct to me. I am thinking about getting another boat from the auction yard, "upgrading" so to speak. I will be taking north across the border, but here is the thing: the boat has a salvage title. Now don't start posting all over saying its going to be a lemon, I know what I am buying (magic hammer, compression, no milky oil, moisture etc), I have bought lemons before and yeah i learned this the hard way. I am more concerned about the paperwork, how does the salvage title thing work and can I get a clean title? (I read that somewhere). I did buy good boats from the auction before but never had to deal with a salvage title before. Anyone know how this works?

Thank you!

Sidenote: here is an idea... has anyone ever used any one of these devices to take a core sample from a boat? https://www.google.com/search?q=incr...hrome&ie=UTF-8 I think I will try it

 

[GA_Boater]

Talk to your folks in Ontario - The ones that give you Canadian paperwork if you pass the test.

You think an auction house or any seller for that matter, will let you near a boat to use that thing?

 

[vroom ZOOM]

Sorry, what test... If you are talking about the driver licence for a boat, my apologies, otherwise there is no test... I heard that PA will give a clean title once the boat is bought from the auction, but I don't know how that works, that is why I am asking here. For licensing in ontario I don't even really show them the title, just the bill of sale which comes with every lot and it doesn't even mention the title there... but I would like to get the clean title from the PA dmv or whatever organization does that.

 

[GA_Boater]

Then ask the auction house, but being from PA, a salvage title is forever.

The test is having whatever paperwork is required by Ontario.

 

[vroom ZOOM]

Thank you for your help, I probably won't buy the boat then, but just in case I did send the fish and boat commission in PA an email and I will see what they say.

 

[Alumarine]

I don't think you need to be concerned about the salvage title if Transport Canada just needs a bill of sale.
It's not an Ontario thing, it's a Federal thing. They will issue an Ontario prefix if that's where you live.
Not sure about getting the trailer across the border.

https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marinesafet...-menu-3215.htm

 

[vroom ZOOM]

no trailer on that boat... i am more concerned with having clean prior docs if I have to sell the boat. (I usually get a new boat every year, since they say that a boat owner is happy only twice, the day he bought the boat and the day he sold it, so I am happy twice a year (jeez the boat dealers are REALLY happy)) I am getting off topic here but I read somewhere that a salvage title on a boat is not like a car, it only makes up for lost documents to allow the vessel to be sold. also, is there a database of vessel titling and salvage records on USCG website or something? I wonder what kind of damage it could have had... hull looks ok, no cracks or holes, no hurricanes in PA, freshwater boat.

 

[GA_Boater]

Insurance totals, stolen, abandoned, lost titles, estate sales and other things are the reason for salvage titles.

Once you make it legal in Canada, US titles are meaningless. CG could care less about state titles. Is it a PA title? It could be from any state.

 

[vroom ZOOM]

yup its PA, and it is not being sold by the insurance company.

 

[roffey]

In the past, when I have purchase a used boat I just register it with Transport Canada. All I need is a bill of sale and in one case I wrote the bill of sale my self and signed it. I believe as long as its not stolen you get the title. The main reason for the ownership is so they can send a bill to when the boat sinks, lol.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Whisky Tango Foxtrot is a magic hammer.

if your talking a hammer test on a transom to see if its good, it only works after the old rotten wood has long since been eaten by termites and ants. it doesnt work on wet and rotten transoms. you need a moisture meter.

 

[vroom ZOOM]

oh no! I think we have touched on a hot topic. I wonder what woodonglass thinks about this, and yes I have a moisture meter... problem is that its readings can be all over the place depending on the make of the boat. Some dry boats max out the moisture meter for some reasons. Maybe its the meter... which one would you guys recommend? wet transom to a certain degree is not half as bad as a rotten one, and when it is rotten, you can hear it. (at least I can on one of my boats, I no longer use it of course, but if I tap on it I can hear the difference)

 

[vroom ZOOM]

idk this is the boat, maybe it rings a bell for someone?

 

[dingbat]

Whisky Tango Foxtrot is a magic hammer.

if your talking a hammer test on a transom to see if its good, it only works after the old rotten wood has long since been eaten by termites and ants. it doesnt work on wet and rotten transoms. you need a moisture meter.

I would disagree. Dry transoms resonate, they don’t thud.

Same methodology used to field test a welded assembly for corrosion or cracks

Your looking for a difference in resonance, Pretty easy to distinguish between a wet and dry transom with experience.

Had my boat surveyed for the bank when I bought it. Transom “ringed” solid (dead blow) but the moisture meter returned a positive reading.

Concerned, I called to discuss with the surveyor. He said nothing to worry about. The readings where consistent with a boat for its age (2 years) and usage ( slipped).

This would imply all boats retain moisture which brings up the issue, how much is too much for a boat of a given age and usage.

 

[garbageguy]

...This would imply all boats retain moisture which brings up the issue, how much is too much for a boat of a given age and usage.

I think it depends where the moisture is, and with what it's in contact.
If in structural, wood component - can't be good at any concentration in the long term. Boats...

 

[roffey]

I think all should go back and read the OP. He mentioned the condition of the boat is not a concern, its how or if the boat can be registered.

 

[Scott06]

Sorry, what test... If you are talking about the driver licence for a boat, my apologies, otherwise there is no test... I heard that PA will give a clean title once the boat is bought from the auction, but I don't know how that works, that is why I am asking here. For licensing in ontario I don't even really show them the title, just the bill of sale which comes with every lot and it doesn't even mention the title there... but I would like to get the clean title from the PA dmv or whatever organization does that.

I don’t think you can get a clean title once it has been declared a total loss by an insurance company. The whole idea is that whoever buys it can’t be hoodwinked into not knowing it was damaged, therefore it will always have a salvage or R (= rebuilt) title. This is to protect buyers.

 

[roffey]

Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not sure but I believe in Canada you can re titled the boat as homemade. Transport Canada will be able to tell you for sure. I bet the salvage title will be good enough to get you across the border. Once in Canada the American rules no longer apply?

 

[vroom ZOOM]

Ok, just if anyone is reading this for future reference, I sent TC an email, and they said that all is needed is the bill of sale, and once the boat is in canada, the salvage title goes away.

 

[roffey]

... so you going to go for it?