Registering a CSR in Michigan for inland lake use?

[svtboy76]

Good morning, I've been reading the forums for a while now and I'm interested in the sport as well as building my own boat/working on a Yamato. So far my experience has been limited to the inboard hydroplanes that run on Walled Lake, Mi by our house once a year. I've read up on the MHRA and plan to go watch a race down at Grass Lake this year as well. I do have a boating background as we have a 24' Yamaha that we use on our lake.

Question for the group? I see a lot of threads where people are limited to testing their boats only on a non-patrolled lake or river, is there a specific reason these boats cannot be registered? I would get a lot more enjoyment/use out of building one if I was able to use it on my home lake here in Michigan (Wolverine Lake). If the boat was speed limited to 54mph and a muffler was installed to keep the noise down, is that the only mechanical issue? Has anyone registered one sucessfully? I'm aware all the standard safety equipment (extinguisher/air horn/anchor, etc) would be required as the boat would need to pass a potential inspection (I would not use it at night and not install any lights). I would install those items in a way that they could be removed/modified for racing. Thanks for the info, and I'm enjoying reading the board!

[Islandmon]

Hmmm ? let me guess you have an SVT ? Just a wild guess . The short answer is yes you can register a so called race boat and have it be legal if you follow the Mich boating regs. I assume you have a 55mph limit on your lake ? Feel free to call our write me anytime being we are somewhat neighbors, I'll be glad to help where I can. Also, just as an FYI I know of a couple of CSR's that would be perfect lake racers and can be bought at a good price.

Thx,

Sam

[pearson95m]

Yep, a lot of people register their boats. Some of us take our chances, and have paid the penalty. (this guy) I have a suggestion that I’ve seen other people use. Place your MC stickers on a piece of wood or plastic… then just duct tape that to your boat when testing. That way you don’t have to have those ugly stickers on your boat for race day.

[wagner-racing16-s]

Csr

In ohio the biggest problem is that any boat has to have an anchor and a fire extinguisher on board also you have to have some type of signal. Being a racer and going testing this is extra weight I don't need in the boat to adjust my setup for racing. If your just going for a ride and to have fun then that extra stuff wouldn't be an issue. Thats why we go where there is no patrol on the water mostly.

[Dave M]

What Josh Said

For a stocker, you won't have much trouble for noise. The biggest complaint will be someone is out there in a racing boat, which means the cops will come and check you over.

When you go to register your boat, tell them it is a home built. Take into mind, that you will need to pick up a fire extinguisher, and a ski vest that is coast guard approved. A racing life jacket is not coast guard approved. Just wear your race gear that is 5000000% better, and toss the other one in the nose of the boat or someplace. Like Josh said, just put your MC numbers on something and tape it, or what I do is put it on lexan and c clamp it on while testing. No duck tape reisue that way.

Your biggest issue is going to be other boat traffic once you are out there. That is why we always look for a less populated lake to test on. When I am testing for nationals, or any race I want a good run without interference so I can meter speed and some other things. it requires repatition of runs for comparrisons.

[svtboy76]

Good information, thanks! Yes, my understanding is that 55mph is the inland lake speed limit here in Michigan (that's what it says on our public dock anyway). Thanks for the offer to help locate a boat, I'm actually very interested in building one from a kit, something about the process of building a boat sounds just as much fun as racing it.

I know there will be some compromises but it would definitely be more attractive to have this boat be available for use in the back yard on a hoist rather than trailering it to another lake in Michigan on a regular basis (except for races of course). Perhaps in the case of the fire extinguisher/anchor I can locate that mass in the boat where I need the weight for balance, and then replace those items with the ballast required to get the boat to race weight for that situation (I weigh 170).

Thanks for the advice so far, does anyone have any experience with the registration paperwork? I know the SOS can be really tough on registering kit cars, the paperwork (http://www.michigan.gov/documents/wr...pp_25931_7.pdf) is asking for a lot of info I would not have if I built a kit like hull identification numbers.

[Mark 32]

Some states have rules exempting closed course race boats from displaying registration numbers during testing and tuning. Double check with your local authority...most of the rule enforcers on the water don't know about this and won't offer you the information.

[Charlie Pater]

The Coast Guard has issued a memo enabling our racing life jackets to be used in racing boats on MI lakes. At one time I had a copy of the memo on Coast Guard stationary. Someone else may have a copy. The memo essentially allows racing life jackets in good condition to be used in racing boats. I will look through my stack of papers this weekend and try to find the memo. Local police generally are not aware of the Memo.

Charlie

[svtboy76]

Sounds like it might be a good idea to stop by the local police station. We do have a regular patrol boat out on the weekends after memorial day. They are usually very friendly to the lakefront owners but it is a better idea to make sure there are no laws on the books that could make life difficult, or perhaps there's a rule that would allow me opt out of registration (per Mark's comment).

Regarding the amount of boats on our lake, we are an all sports but relatively open lake. There would probably be plenty of times I could open up a CSR (to 55) to have some fun, we regularly take our Yamaha and make full speed runs without issue (it also only goes 55). I'm assuming from a tuning perspective I can just limit the throttle travel to a GPS set 55mph and then change that if I'm tuning for a full speed run.

[racer121M]

I have been registering my CSRs with the SOS here in Michigan for over 20 years without any problems. I have even been stopped by the "gendarmie" but all they wanted was to check to see if I had numbers...didn't even have to shut down the engine. I have never had a problem with fire extinguishers or horns either. As I remember the fire extinguisher rule does not apply to stocks since we have no built in gas tanks (except on my marathon boat but that is my little secret). Of course your milage may differ.

[krazy karl]

I am not even sure what is required here in Calif in boats under 16', but I carry a whistle for a noise maker and I bought a cheap fire extinguisher and discharged it, so it weighs next to nothing. The cop on my lake won't check anything, but mainly interested in seeing the current registration sticker. He actually likes my race boats but not the one with the Merc on pipes. It has been permanently banned. I also put my numbers on a piece Lexan that I screw to the boat, so it looks kind of permanent but only leaves two small screw holes on each side. Small price to pay to keep the cops happy.

[Dave M]

Best Advice

Worry more over the Conservation Officers than the local police. They have more authority on inland lakes than the sherrif patrol.

Best advice is to talk to both first. I have not received a ticket for no extinguisher, or life jacket violations. And I test Mods. Sometimes common sense is present in an officer. They can tell I am responsible and respectfull to other boaters if they show up. And the race gear I wear far exceeds anything the coast guard requires. So hopefully the authorities in your area have some common sense as well.

[DtwSailor]

SVTBoy, also feel free to contact me as I live relative close by as well, in Oakland Township. I run Hydros, and have had no problem registering with the secretary of state, and have placed my numbers and decals on a plexiglass that I Velcro onto the boat when needed. I have even taken the rigs across the border into Canada last year for testing at our cottage on the Detroit River, with no issues on customs and immigrations and registrations. I did this by talking to both the Canadians and Americans before attempting.

If you have never been in a race boat before, please strongly consider the MHRA's racer school, happening next month in Constantine Michigan. This will not only allow you to become familiar with the safety operations needed, but also give you the chance to get on the water.

There are a number of racers here in the metro Detroit area, and anyone of us will be glad to help you.