# Outboard motor Rental Ideas



## Captain (Sep 8, 2013)

I don't have a motor, nor do I have a lead on one, sorry.

Just a heads up, the cataract rangers can be pretty strict about motor use, so make sure to cover all your bases before your launch. You may already know this, but not everyone does.

The three requirements for motorized rafts; placards that display the state issued number (3" or 4" tall), a valid and current registration, and an readily accessible fire extinguisher. 

Here's the catch. If you borrow a motor, the motor itself isn't registered, it's typically the vessel (hull, frame or transom). So if you show up with a registration paperwork for a 16' Avon and the motor is mounted on a 14' Cataraft, this could pose a problem. It's kinda like borrowing your buddy's license plates. If you are nice to the ranger at the ramp, you might slide right by, hard to say.

What some folks do is rent a raft with registered motor, I believe NavTec in Moab once offered this service. It's gonna add to the group cost, and is not ideal, but the upside is you are fully legit, and hopefully you will be renting a good quality motor with proper routine maintanance.

I've seen motorized trips get shut down without jumping through the hoops and it's a bummer. Sounds like there is current past the Dirty Devil, but "current" is a relative term.

Have a great trip and best of luck.


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## peterB (Nov 21, 2003)

Thanks for the heads up. 

Peter


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## caverdan (Aug 27, 2004)

I made up wood number plates with the registration stickers on them, for my cat. I put the S/N off the motor on the registration, not off the boat. I figure the moter and number plates go together and they both need to be on what ever boat I mount it to. I zip tie them to the chicken line. I've been checked with no problems so far at several lakes (Pueblo, Chatfield, Cherry Creek) also Deso and San Juan put in.


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## Osprey (May 26, 2006)

That’s very surprising Caver…the registration application specifically asks for the “Hull ID Number” (serial number), not the serial off the motor, then goes on to define the Hull ID as the number assigned to the vessel by the manufacturer.* I get your logic but surprised they let that slide if you were checked, assuming the check was more than just looking at the registration.** Sometimes they check it a bit more thoroughly when you have to get an invasive species tag.** I know it’s annoying to register my trolling motor for the fishing pontoon and pay the same as a ski boat but that’s the way it is in CO.***


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## summitraftgirl (Jul 23, 2008)

I'm surprised as well. Our motor is registered to our cat, and we have a raft we've never used it on and often wondered how we'd handle that if we ever did. Our engine and registration info has been checked thoroughly by the Westwater rangers before.

We actually put our registration number on the side of a water jug that is always strapped on one side or the other of our cat. In fact, when we did Cataract in late August the rangers we met along the way complimented us on that method of displaying our registration info. A friend gave us the idea when we first purchased our engine and it's worked great so far. 

We also had our small fire extinguisher in a holder that we use on our Jeep, and attached it to the oar tower that's on the same side of the cat that we strap the water jug to. The rangers see both the engine registration and the fire extinguisher at the same time. I believe the extinguisher has to be within easy reach, so the oar tower was the perfect spot.


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