Be careful with the painting
and Sharpie techniques. In California at least, the dink's registration sticker needs to be afixed in a specific location that, depending on the boat, may be difficult to ensure. If you paint or draw the numbers on, according to CA DMV you gotta put be sure that: "On inflatable boats or vessels so configured that a number will not properly adhere or cannot be clearly seen, the number should be painted on or attached to a backing plate along with the registration sticker. The registration stickers must be securely affixed 3 in. aft of, and in line with, the registration numbers." In my experience, the problem getting the reg numbers to stay on a PVC dink, (and in the proper place if the reg numbers are drawn or painted on) is greater than that of the just putting the damn numbers on. The DMV sticker WILL NOT attach to the PVC, so some type of plate is needed. I couldn't find a sticker plate that would attach to the PVC either, so I made up a plate that the sticker would afix to, and tied the plate to my dink's handhold lines, so it was more or less in line with the reg numbers. I got stopped and inspected/boarded by the Sheriff on my main vessel, and he looked at the dink I was towing as well. He didn't cite me for it, but commented that he couldn't be sure that when underway, my plate with the sticker, since it floated separately from the numbers painted on the hull, would always be 3" from and in line with, the numbers. (Personally I just think he was pissed off and having a bad day, but "Buyer Beware"!) Peter
