Pete,
The short answer is Backyard Boat Builders are still required to follow the regualtions. Now let me give you the long answer and some history on the Backyard Boat Builder Policy. The laws written in 33 CFR or 46 US Code 43 do not mention Backyard Boat Builders. Anyone building a boat is considered a manufacurer. The definition of a manufacturer I posted above does not say the manufacturer of 1 boat or 100 boats. In the legal sense there is no difference. That said, in the 90's the Coast Guard created a document called the Safety Standards for Backyard Boatbuilders. This was intended to give guidance to non-professional, individual new builders, first time builders, people with little experience, or people building for themselves and not for sale. In the front of this document it says the requirements to comply with applicable regulations for the boat type still apply. Just becasue you are a Backyard Boat Builder that does not excuse you from following the regulations. It was our policy to not assign a MIC to the Backyard builder. Since it was a one-time build the person would go to the state, obtain a state HIN, and register the boat. No one from the Coast Guard would inspect it. It would be the responsibility of the person building it to make sure it was safe. Some states inspect homemade, backyard boats prior to registering them. Some don't care and only want the tax money.
Sometime in the 2000's the document Safety Standards for Backyard Boat Builders was rescinded. Its still found on the internet and is a good document for someone building a boat with little expereince. The policy is still to refer one-time builders to the states but many states are doing a better job of asking questions if it is truley a homemade, backyard boat. In reality, because no one is inspecting homemade backyard boats the perception that the rules do not apply to them is now believed to be true. Because no one is inspecting them it also has led people to abuse the policy by building many boats when that was clearly not the intent of the policy. We all know of business making "homemade boats".
There are states taking a closer lookat homemade boats. I received a call from a state official in North Carolina a few months back. A person had visited a state office to register a homeade boat 6 times. The state declined him and sent him to me to register as a manaufacturer. Texas is very strict on homemade boats. If I remember right, a person can only register a boat as homemade 3 times before Texas considers them a manufacturer. If I'm wrong about that number I'm sure someone will correct me.
My purpose for posting is to not be Big Brother or try and catch people building boats that may need to be registered with the Coast Guard. My point is to get accurate information to you, dispel some of the myths and misinformation I see posted, and to pass on safety information.
The short answer is Backyard Boat Builders are still required to follow the regualtions. Now let me give you the long answer and some history on the Backyard Boat Builder Policy. The laws written in 33 CFR or 46 US Code 43 do not mention Backyard Boat Builders. Anyone building a boat is considered a manufacurer. The definition of a manufacturer I posted above does not say the manufacturer of 1 boat or 100 boats. In the legal sense there is no difference. That said, in the 90's the Coast Guard created a document called the Safety Standards for Backyard Boatbuilders. This was intended to give guidance to non-professional, individual new builders, first time builders, people with little experience, or people building for themselves and not for sale. In the front of this document it says the requirements to comply with applicable regulations for the boat type still apply. Just becasue you are a Backyard Boat Builder that does not excuse you from following the regulations. It was our policy to not assign a MIC to the Backyard builder. Since it was a one-time build the person would go to the state, obtain a state HIN, and register the boat. No one from the Coast Guard would inspect it. It would be the responsibility of the person building it to make sure it was safe. Some states inspect homemade, backyard boats prior to registering them. Some don't care and only want the tax money.
Sometime in the 2000's the document Safety Standards for Backyard Boat Builders was rescinded. Its still found on the internet and is a good document for someone building a boat with little expereince. The policy is still to refer one-time builders to the states but many states are doing a better job of asking questions if it is truley a homemade, backyard boat. In reality, because no one is inspecting homemade backyard boats the perception that the rules do not apply to them is now believed to be true. Because no one is inspecting them it also has led people to abuse the policy by building many boats when that was clearly not the intent of the policy. We all know of business making "homemade boats".
There are states taking a closer lookat homemade boats. I received a call from a state official in North Carolina a few months back. A person had visited a state office to register a homeade boat 6 times. The state declined him and sent him to me to register as a manaufacturer. Texas is very strict on homemade boats. If I remember right, a person can only register a boat as homemade 3 times before Texas considers them a manufacturer. If I'm wrong about that number I'm sure someone will correct me.
My purpose for posting is to not be Big Brother or try and catch people building boats that may need to be registered with the Coast Guard. My point is to get accurate information to you, dispel some of the myths and misinformation I see posted, and to pass on safety information.
