Registering my Grampian 26

Yeah!! Evidently it's the first time she's been legal in at least a decade!

 

UPDATE:

Perhaps I should elaborate on this post.. I'm surprised I didn't explain the difficulty I went through in registering my Grampian 26.. I had discussed it on a forum or two.. Guess I just forgot to mention it here..

I purchased the boat here in Georgia about 80 miles away, from a private seller; receiving only a bill of sale and a receipt.. The seller owned it approximately 6-8 years but never registered it (which seems a little odd since he is in a well established and rather predominate position with the DNR). The boat resided at Sapelo Island, which if I understand correctly, is considered as private waters, and thus an owner would not be required by the state to register it.. And that's where the difficulty began when I set out to get it registered..

 

I utilized the online process of registering it, along with some assistance via emails and phone calls with the DNR. By necessity I had to provide a compiled list of documentation in order to compensate for the lack of a Original Title or Previous State Registration Card.

Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be much.

 

What little I had was this, and it didn't seem to be enough:

 

1. A Bill of Sale

 

2. The registration number on the boat (vinyl stickers) : GA 6059 WU

So I download the boat registration database of all registered Georgia boats from georgiawildlife , and thoroughly went through it and found numerous registrations beginning with GA 6059, but found nothing  ending with "WU"..  I did notice one Grampian 26 registered in Georgia (and two 30 footers), but that's all.

 

3. Previous Owners. The boat had been given to Fred (the seller) by a man in Lake Lanier numerous years prior. I was able to further confirm that prior owner via an archived page of the GrampianOwners.com, that a Fred Price in  Lake Lanier had owned it (hull 349) and had named it "Grace", as shown on this archived page from 02/08/05, and also via this guestbook signing in 8/14/03.

 In hopes of obtaining some form of documentation; I was unable to make contact that person.

 

4. The hull number: 26349

Although it was the only solid proof I had, it also was a problem because it was mandatory for the hull number to be at least 7 digits! I sent them a picture of my hull identification plate showing it was only 5 digits long, and also spoke with them on the phone, but they insisted that they needed at least 7 or 8 numbers to enter it into the database... Crazy.

For this I found a remedy thanks to the F.A.Q. at the Grampian Owners website. concerning Grampian hull numbers:

 

"...The most common has the format GRMsshhhmmyy where GRM is the builder, (GRaMpian), ss is the model (size) of boat, hhh is the hull number and mmyy is the month and year the boat was built. It has been reported that boats built in Canada may have the prefix ZRM and this is in fact registered to Grampian by the US Coastguard http://www.uscgboating.org/recalls/mic1.aspx . No one has ever reported seeing this prefix however.

Some owners have reported, especially on older boats that the number on the plate is  just sshhh with the same interpretation as above. The hull number can often also be found on the mainsail, especially if it is original..."

 

Ok.. So to register my Grampian 26 I utilized the above keys .

I simply added GRM before my number, and 0276 after it (for February 1976).. So my entire HIN became GRM263490276..

 

Anyway... In the end, after several weeks of calls, emails, and frustration,  I finally managed to get it registered with nothing more than the limited bits of information as described here. I suspect perhaps the fact that the DNR employees I was dealing with all seemed to know the seller didn't hurt.

 

 Indecently, I had bought the boat being told it was a 1976, however. the Grampian owners database shows that hull number 26349 is actually a 1972 model, so to be more accurate I should have submitted the number GRM263490272 - but what's done is done, so I guess I'll leave well enough alone.

 

So my 1972 Grampian 26 is registered as a 1976.. Oh well, at least it is registered!

 

 

 

 



Customer Service of Good Old Boat Magazine..

Have not posted in a few weeks. Not to much going on, haven't sailed yet, nor began any real work on her yet, so there's just not much to say. However, I did finally receive the registration after some difficulty, due to the fact the previous two owners never registered it . I meant to post about that when it happened, but it was a busy day, and I forgot to. Oh!, Speaking of difficulties...

The January/February Issue

I had submitted an online request for a free issue of the very popular Good Old Boat magazine, and received the January/February 2016 edition in the mail soon after. You can view 6 pages from the issue in their "sneak peek"
When the full edition hard copy arrived in the mail, I was impressed with the quality of not only the content of the articles and stories, but also of the print job itself.
I have a lot of familiarity with the what work goes into publications, the types of print jobs, and cost involved, and can tell this issue hadn't been just thrown together, and they didn't take the more budget printing route, which saves on cost, but shows in the final product.
They put out a first rate publication. So I ordered a years subscription, and also requested a hard copy of the March/April 2009 back issue which contains a review on the Grampian 26. The website indicates that issue to be only available in a pdf downloadable version, but fortunately Karen Larson said she had a few copies left and just happened to have one of them right there laying on her desk! - So I lucked out..

I received permissions to post snippets of their Grampian 26 review here on my blog, which I will do after I receive it.. But you see, there is another story....

It was in the first week of  January when she mailed me the back issue, but a few later I received an email from her..

"The issue I mailed you just came back with stickers saying: NO MAIL RECEPTACLE and Return to Sender - No mail Receptacle - Unable to Forward and other nasty USPS talk. Now what?.."

Evidently I had mistakenly told her the address of a little store front I lease on the main road, which does not have any mail delivery, so the post office returned to sender. I can be such an idiot at times.
So I emailed her my correct mailing address and she responded immediately ..

"..I sent your envelope out again. We shall see!.."

 Now the middle of February, it still had not arrived, so I emailed to make sure she had mailed it to the corrected address that I had provided..

"Yes, I did send that. I don’t keep track of the dates. Why not give it until Monday? If it hasn’t arrived by then I’ll send another one.."

Come Monday, I received another email from Karen..

 "I’m ready to send a second issue tomorrow, Rich, if you haven’t received my package in today’s mail. Let me know!.."
I hadn't... but just in case I gave it another day, and then replied that there had been no sign of it..
She replied in short order..

 "Guess what I got in MY mailbox yesterday afternoon. Their message stuck on the mailing label is: "No mail receptacle”
Is there another mailing address I can use?
This is one very well-traveled envelope!"

Unbelievable!!. I replied; Karen, there's got be something wrong somewhere. Before I call the post office, can you confirm the address?..
Her reply:

"..I was able to tear a bit of the sticker off the label (thanks, USPS). Yes. Address is confirmed..

..The envelope seems OK. Not confusing. No barcodes at the bottom that might have been for the previous address. Tell you what: I’ll scan it..."

"Karen, I took a print of the label to the post office, and they said they wasn't sure what happened but said that the 1507 looks kind of like an 1807 and maybe that's why since there is no such address..  They said if you resend it to make sure the address is clear, and that they would keep an eye out for it and make sure I got it.. !

I know this has got to have become a pain the A to you by now, but would you please send it yet again??

I'm sorry..:"

"..I’ll do it again. But my 5 was not an 8! (The USPS sticker on it kind of makes it look that way). Unfortunately I’ll cover it with a new label and you won’t know that for a fact.

Anyway, off we go again! It will go out in tomorrow’s mail. Please do let me know when it arrives! (I’m counting on this one. I typed the label instead of my bad handwriting!)

Karen

Thanks Karen..

Seems like something in the cards must be trying to keep me from reading this article, it's going to tell me something terrible about the Grampian 26 that I was unaware of.. or maybe it's a blessing creating a prolonged anticipation and thus making the final reading all the more better.. or maybe someone at the post office is jealous of my boat, so they're intentionally sending it back out of spite.. or maybe I should told you the correct address to begin with. 

Actually this ordeal feels very much like the frustrating delay I experienced in not only getting the Grampian transported down here after I had bought her, but also the delays in having it registered, but it all came out well in the end, as should this..

Who knows, I actually may eventually receive the new cushion covers I was  that was supposed to have been included with the sale months ago, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

Anyway, looking forward to the issue. I know you'll be glad to be done with this.

 

They say three times the charm.

sigh.. They also say three times you're out.

 

Rich

Blue, Blue, and Yellow too..

Good grief! What is happening? No sooner I mention the rarity of colors other than white on a sailboat, and the two blue Grampian 26's for sale..
And suddenly, now there's currently a total of three G26's on ebay at the same time - with the most recent addition being a YELLOW one!

What the hell is going on??

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GRAMPIAN-MARINE-LTD-26-FT-1973-GALLEY-WITH-BATHROOM-LARGE-V-BERTH-SOLID-DECK-/191796541345?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2ca7f6f7a1:g:y0AAAOSwX~dWr3PR&item=191796541345