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oat registration in North Carolina has been a simple affair. Every boat registered in the state, no matter its size, pays $15 a year. Or $40 if you sign up for three years.

Federally documented boats haven’t had to register at all.

That could change if Senate Bill 58 becomes law.

Hike Co-Sponsored By Arapahoe Senator Sanderson

Norm Sanderson at the 2012 DOT ferry toll hearing at Pamlico Community College. There Sanderson had to explain voting to toll local ferries.

The bill is sponsored by State Senator Harry Brown {R} of Jacksonville, and co-sponsored by State Senator Norman Sanderson {R} who represents Pamlico-Craven-and-Carteret counties.

If the bill became law, boats 40 feet and over would pay $150 a year for registration. Boats 26 feet up to just under 40 feet would pay $100. Boats 20 feet to just under 26 feet would pay $50 while boats 14 feet to less than 20 feet would pay $25. Vessels under 14 feet would pay $15.

There would no longer be a discount for a three-year registration.

Sailboats up to 14 feet at the water line would be exempt, as would motorless kayaks, canoes, rowboats.

The Oriental area is home port to several thousand recreational boats which would be subject to the higher registration fees in their Senator’s bill.

The possibility of a sharp rise in registration fees has grabbed the attention of boat owners in recent days. But Senate Bill 58’s title refers to the paying part only obliquely. Instead, it is titled:

AN ACT TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR DREDGING OF THE STATE’S SHALLOW DRAFT INLETS.

Dredging Stated As The Goal – But Where?

The measure commands that at least half of the money raised from this hike in registration fees go to to a new fund, called the “Shallow Draft Inlet Dredging Fund.”

Numbers for boats will cost more numbers of dollars for boat owners.

The initial bill, introduced in February, did not describe what constituted a Shallow Draft Inlet.

Some specifics came in the most recent version of the bill, which was adopted by the Senate’s Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources Committee on March 5. The Shallow Draft Inlets to benefit from the hike in boat fees are still not named, but some more descriptive language has been added:

An Associated Press story on March 5 reports that Senator Brown mentioned the New River Inlet and Bogue Inlet as being important to keep open to shipping. He’s reported to have said that the inlet is used by commercial shipping, recreational boaters and fishermen.

The legislation calls for this state fund to provide half of the money for dredging projects. Local or federal governments would provide the other half.

Could Pamlico County Get Dredging Funds?

The definition above of a shallow draft inlet would appear to suggest that no waters in Pamlico County would be eligible for the dredging fund.

TownDock.net sought clarification on that matter and several others regarding the fee hike bill from Senator Sanderson. He has not yet returned phone calls.

One particular area of interest to a number of area boat owners is whether the traditional exemption that documented boats enjoy — and commercial fishing boats, too —- would stay. Federally documented boats have not had to register with the state in the past. It appears in this proposed law that they would have to – see line 5, struck through, below:

Here are some of the questions TownDock.net has:

• What bodies of water will be dredged? (The bill as now proposed doesn’t spell out specific bodies of water.)

• Would the dredging funds be available for use on any channels in Pamlico County? If so, which ones?

• How much would the new registration fees raise for the state? How much does the state now take in at the rate of $15 per boat? What is that money currently spent on?

• Who benefits by having the eligible waterways dredged?

• Are these waters that the Federal government used to dredge but won’t dredge any longer?

• The bill says that at least 50% of the funds raised would go to the SDIDF and $3 per registration to the acquisition and maintenance of boating access areas. Where would the rest of the money raised by the increased boat registration fees go?

• Can you clarify whether documented boats would have to pay this fee?

• Can you clarify whether commercial fishing boats have to pay this fee?

• What is the genesis of this bill? Who among your constituents requested this?

Additional Reading:

Click here to download SB 58, the version that was adopted on March 5 by the Senate Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources Committee.

Contact Information For Pamlico County’s Legislative Delegation

State Senator Norman Sanderson, whose constituents are in Pamlico, Craven and Carteret Counties, may be reached at his office in the Legislature during the week when the Legislature is in session (919-733-5706) or at his local number (252-249-3749). His email address is Norman.Sanderson@ncleg.net

This bill is currently in the State Senate, and has not yet gone to the State House but residents of Pamlico, Craven and Beaufort counties who wish to do so now may contact their State House Representative, Michael Speciale at his office at the Legislature 919-733-5853 or at his local number 252-635-5326. His email is Michael.Speciale@ncleg.net

Posted Tuesday March 12, 2013 by Melinda Penkava