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My plate was exactly like the 2nd example here in this article: http://www.whalercentral.com/articles...cle_id=103 but the decal "BWC" and the decal letter between the 2 sets of ID characters were missing, apparently from wear over the yrears on the port side transom. I had to transfer title from FL to TX and title the motor, as TX requires separate motor title and FL does not title motors. I did the required pencil tracing of the HID on the transom for registration, completed 12 pages of paperwork on boat and motor, and took all this to the TPWD main office in Austin. The lady informed me that the motor was no problem, but I would have to have a TPWD Game Warden inspect the hull because of the missing letters in the tracing of the hull ID plate. I contacted a warden in my district and met him with the boat at a shopping center about 25 miles from me here with the boat.

As the TPWD officer inspected the plate, he used a multi-tool to dig the rivets out of the hull and pulled the tag away from the hull and informed that the plate was altered and that there should be HID # embossed in the hull, the plate was not original and had been poorly installed by someone trying to cover the "real" HID. I explained to the officer that the HID plate was correct and original, but he explained that the engraving of the first 4 digits on the plate was different from the second half of the number, and he was using this as proof the HID plate had been altered. Please see example 2 above and note that the difference between fonts of stamped numbers is actually PROOF the plate is NOT altered!

The TPWD officer then informed me that in the state of TX, it was illegal to possess a vehicle with altered ID plates, so he was going to have to sieze the boat! He then tore off the HID plate completely from the transom and put it in his pocket.

Since the TPWD officer had not brought his trailer ball with him, I was asked to follow him to the local police department and leave the boat, motor and trailer there. I complied and went back home without my boat.

The officer called me the next day and apologized profusely for the whole seizure incident and told me I could retrieve my boat, as it had been determined that the HID plate was not altered after all, and a supporting HID plate had been found in the bow storage locker with ALL LETTERS AND NUMBERS INTACT!

I was forced to retrieve the boat 35 miles from the place I had left it, but I met the Officer at the Travis County TCRA storage location, he filled out all the required inspection certification paperwork, and handed me the HID plate that he had dug out of my transom the day before. I will never forget what he said.."...you will need to take the plate and boat back to a dealer to get it put back on your boat properly, I am sorry about removing it but I have placed a Mylar Texas HID verification sticker on your hull" !!! I left that place with my boat, dumbfounded, but at least I had my boat back.

It would be very helpful if I had known about the 2nd HID plate on the boat in the bow locker! This would have prevented both the TPWD Game warden inspection and subsequent siezure of my boat, as all I would have had to do was take a photo of the intact HID plate with me at the original visit to the Main Office TPWD!

If you are looking at this page here to verify HID before purchasing a boat or in order to transfer ownership of a boat, PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THERE IS 2 HID PLATES ON A BOSTON WHALER: ONE ON THE TRANSOM AND ONE IN THE BOW STORAGE LOCKER> THESE MUST MATCH TO VERIFY HID #.

Hope this helps others using this board to avoid a nightmare in registration like I experienced, and also hopefully this will prevent members from purchasing a stolen boat.

Jerry Mooney
Dripping Springs TX