After realizing I couldn't reach some areas of the interior liner that had broken loose in the Siren 17 (a common problem), I decided to just pass the boat along. It went to an enthusiastic new owner in Connecticut. He was still enthusiastic despite my disclosure of exactly why I lost interest. It is fixable, but for me it would likely require full removal of the deck for access, which was more of a project than I wanted to take on.
Not long after, I found another free boat that piqued my interest; a CL 16. I have always been slightly interested in the Wayfarer dinghies, and the CL 16 is simply a Canadian fiberglass clone of those. This one was just the hull and (oddly) the boom. No mast, sails, centerboard or rudder. I was fine with this since I have a spare Day Sailer rig that is very similar size. The boat was in Massachusetts which doesn't require paperwork for engine-less sailboats like this, so I expected to need only a notarized bill of sale in order to properly title and register it in RI. Thankfully, the seller was happy to do a notarized bill of sale for $0 (I paid for the online notary). I filled out the application for title and took it with my notarized bill of sale to the RI DEM to title and register, but was turned away because they said I also needed a notarized statement from the seller that it was non-motorized and didn't require a title, which they said was a standard form for Massachusetts. I was skeptical because I couldn't find it online, but after an email to the Mass Environmental Police, they sent me the form! Fortunately, the seller was happy to complete this as well, and we met at the AAA office not far from him for free notary services since we were both members. Finally, I figured I was all set and headed to the RI DEM office in Providence once again. I handed them all the paperwork, but when they went to process things they came back and informed me the boat could not be registered or titled in RI since it previously had a title in RI from back in 2012. The guy I got the boat from had disclosed he got it in 2016 from a seller in Massachusetts with no paperwork, so presumably the title got lost somewhere along the way and since Massachusetts doesn't require paperwork it was a non-issue previously. I asked RI DEM what I could do and they informed me I needed to seek legal advice regarding a "quiet title" process, which they gave me a basic handout for. Frustratingly, the process involves running legal notices in the Providence Journal which cost hundreds of dollars, not to mention multiple trips to Superior Court. I simply wasn't up for that level of expense or headache so I decided to simply pass the boat along with the disclosure about the title issue for any would-be takers in RI or other title states. I hoped someone from Massachusetts or Connecticut might want it since they could use it without issue. I figured worst case, I could keep it as a yard decoration and even planned some Halloween decorations around it. Fortunately, someone wanted it and took it home before I got to decorating!
I've decided to just be happy with the wonderful boat I have, Yamp Swankee!