Word of caution regarding licensing that vintage canoe

Hi all,

Iowa just radically changed its canoe registration process. Apparently this is a response to the increasing number of stolen recreational vehicles like ATVs, a problem I'm pretty sure wood/canvas canoe lovers did not cause. Anyway, Iowa now requires clear documentation of the purchase, which includes as much information as possible in terms of seller, price, model, date, etc. Of course, the history related to our purchases is typically less than clear in terms of modern VINs, etc. If there is any question, then you have to have the canoe certified by a DNR officer, who will likely ask for the same information. If you are like me, I purchased most of my canoes in dilapidated form with a handshake and cash. No more. I will be certain to gather this information ahead of time, especially since it may be a year or two before I actually register that canoe to paddle and obtaining it after the fact is quite challenging. I'm not sure where other states/provinces are at with registration, but a simple purchase form looks like it can go a long way to preventing hassles downstream. Even though your locale may not require such stringency, it may soon.

Joe
 
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