Boating License/Towing NJ

[Berkay]

Good Morning,
I was looking to get information from those with experiences on the stated topic.
1. My first question is what license do I need to operate a sailboat on TIDAL waters. The NJ DMV website states that a boating license is need to sail in bodies of water that are non-tidal. Therefore, I'm assuming that doesn't cover me going out into the open ocean. Is there a specific license I need then to do so? Also, while on the topic, for future reference, if I am sailing state to state or country to country, would I need any type of separate paperwork?
2. Some of the boats I'm looking to buy are out of the state or a 2-3 hour drive. If I am buying a boat and need to tow it back with no paperwork, will this cause an issue if I get pulled over or are police officers understanding about you literally just bought the boat a few hours ago? Do I need to get temporary paperwork for it or maybe at least insure the trailer for the trip by adding it to my plan? I'm a new sailor trying to get into sailing so I don't want something like this causing me headaches before I even get into the water.
3. I have a 2019 CX 5 Mazda, which it states everywhere that it has a 2,000 lb towing capacity. This is no issue at the moment since I would probably be buying a sunfish or a smaller sailboat to learn on but when I plan to move up or if I find a great deal on a larger boat this seems to turn into an issue. For example, I found a nice price on a Catalina 22 but my research tells me that this boat is about 2,500 lbs. Yes its more but how much room is there to play with when towing. Will my car support that extra 500lb weight? I should state that I have the largest engine that I can get and the highest model for the car I have, but regardless it still states its 2,000 towing capacity.
I have learned an enormous amount from this forum and everyone here. Thank you very much for all the answers and help that has been provided. Stay safe.

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

Can‘t clarify NJ laws, but many states require a boating safety card (usually a one day course) to operate in coastal waters. They are reciprocal between states, just like your driver’s license. You don’t need any boat registration to tow it over the road or keep it on a trailer, nor for storage on land. You wouldn’t need any registration for a sunfish. Generally, states don’t require boat registration if the boat doesn’t have an engine, and many states don’t require registration if the engine is under 10hp (hence the reason for the popular 9.9hp outboard rating).
As for your Mazda tow rating; I advise that you not exceed it. We can assume Mazda has a safety factor built into that rating, so the 500# excess probably won’t be critical. But if something breaks or you lose control, and that causes damage or injury you can’t hold anyone liable except yourself, and your insurance might refuse coverage if it’s discovered. You might also be found negligent in a civil suit (I’m not a lawyer, but just speculating).
PS- I never heard of anyone being asked for the boater safety card. It’s not enforced, but considering some observed boater stupidity IMHO more training should be required.

 

[jssailem]

Welcome @Berkay to the forum and to the wonderful world of sailing.

Reading from the Safe Boating pamphlet prepared by your New Jersey government..,

https://www.state.nj.us/njsp/info/pdf/marine/021606-boating-safety-manual.pdf

These are the relevant exemptions to the required boating license
Exemptions
1) Vessel powered by a motor less than 1 HP or a 12 volt electric motor.
2) A vessel 12 feet long or longer with less than 10 HP.
3) While competing in an authorized race pursuant to a per- mit issued by the Division of State Police in the Depart- ment of Law & Public Safety.
4) If the person is an out-of-state resident who has writ- ten proof of successful completion of a course substantially similar to a NJ approved Boating Safety Course.
A boat license is separate from the boating safety certificate and is issued by the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC).

 

[jssailem]

Now it you want to jump aboard one of those Four outboard powered speed demons and cruise the NJ rivers you will require a boat license issued by the state of NJ.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

As long as the trailer has a plate and working lights, I don't know why you would have any problem. If you were pulled over for a traffic violation, I don't know why they would bother looking for proof of ownership on a Sunfish or similar. I'd guess that a Catalina 22 stripped down might be 2,500 lbs but under normal circumstances, more. Besides the trailer has some substantial weight. I would not use my Mazda 6 or your CX 5 for a tow vehicle with a Catalina 22. Ok for towing a Sunfish or similar. You might be looking for a small 4 x4 with a towing transmission.

 

[Capt jgw]

Most states require a license plate on a trailer, at least here in Michigan you have 10 days to get it home before you register. Bill of sale works for that. Trailer plates here used to be $14 a year, but a while back they went to forever plates for $75. Nice if you keep your trailer more than five years, but a lot of people don't. No idea what NJ does for trailer plates but you should be able to get it home. For the tow vehicle, are you going to tow it a lot of just the one trip? If just once or even once a year, renting a truck might be a better option. Trucks used to be cheap when only businesses bought them, but now days everybody thinks they need one so the prices are rediculous.

 

[BarryL]

Hey,

Some thoughts and comments:
Any trailer on a public road needs to have a license plate.
The item ON the trailer does not need to be registered.

Regarding trailering a Catalina 22 with a Mazda 5: How far will you be going and how often? IMHO, if you plan on launching the boat in the spring and recovering it in the fall, AND the trip is not very long AND you don't need to climb or descend any hills, then I would think the Mazda 5 would be OK. Otherwise no.

My first sailboat was a Catalina 22 and I trailer sailed it for my first year. I had a Honda Odyssey (3500 lb tow limit). My tow distance was around 10 miles from my house to the marina, and pretty flat. The towing was fine. Not a lot of fun, but not terrible.

Barry

 

[MitchM]

your biggest issue w an old trailer that has a current plate from previous owner is that all lights on the trailer are old and better stay working on yr trip home. . getting stopped for no turn signal, no running lights on the trailer can be 100 s of $$. get the emergency trailer 'magnetic lights' tow package from harbor freight or an auto part store in case the original lights don't work. and make sure you have good electric hot and ground to each of the necessary lights.. the emergency light pack will save you a lot in tickets cause at least the police know you are trying to be legal...

 

[Project_Mayhem]

Most states allow X number of days to get a trailer registered. So long as you have some paperwork (such as a bill of sale) showing that you're within that grace period you should be fine.

I wouldn't tow a Cat 22 with the Mazda. Sure, it'll move it but how long before it damages the transmission is a mystery. You also don't know if the suspension can safely handle the load. When suspension is overloaded it can lead to loss of control and poor braking

 

[Thaniel]

Any trailer on a public road needs to have a license plate.

Not in every State. Some states do not require Trailer plates. But the OP need information on NJ laws. Something most of us here don’t know. I’d recommend checking the NJ state web site. I doubt “but some guy on the forum said it’s ok”. Will help much when stopped by law enforcement

 

[Mr. Dave]

NY requires you to register a trailer upon purchase, need it weighed if it's not documented, hard to do accurately with a boat on it, that was my Catch 22. Left the 1974 plate on, drove carefully to avoid tolls (and license plate reading), saw no cops. Still doing it that way, honestly, not proud but that's how it goes sometimes...

We rent a u-haul pickup, the boat and trailer are at stated capacity on the minivan but why blow a $4,000 transmission? That said, we keep her in a slip, so it's just a 2x annual expense, $60 a pop. Maybe you need a bigger tow vehicle.

Also, dudes with pickups will haul for cash sometimes, and having a friend with a truck is next best to having a truck.

But a sunfish on a trailer weighs a few hundred kilos at worst, a lot of smaller day sailer / knockabouts are also light weight, shop by displacement if you're going to be hauling regularly. Sailboatdata.com is da bomb, baby!

 

[Project_Mayhem]

If you need a temporary tow vehicle for longer distance take a look at Enterprise Rent a Truck. They allow towing and I think I talked them into 120 free miles without much issue. There is a $20 towing charge per rental