Actually....
How do I say this. I am sure that given the current economy for recreational luxury proucts, like boats, in the middle of winter, is soft. So soft that JC"s $40,000 used boat might actually sell to you for, I am betting, less than $20,000 as far as motor vehicles is concerned.
How could anyone question that? After all the two best days in a boater's life are the day he buys the boats and the day he sells it. Have a receipt drawn up for the $20,000 number to show MVC when you register it.
Off topic.... In Maryland, one pays sales tax on a boat, but the state earmarks all the money for the waterways. In NJ, one pays sales tax on a boat, and it goes in a general fund, none of it earmarked for the water. The politicians than use the money to hire their brother-in-law, who works 2 days/week, and on those two days he works, he ok's a state program to build new housing for the poor by builder "X", who amazingly out of the goodness of his heart builds the brother-in-law a new house for half of cost, on land sold off by the state to the brother-in-law for $1,800.
Sigh. I actually think the boat receipt should read $8,000 now.