I bought a dinghy in Florida, never registered it there and didn't pay
sales tax because I took it out of Florida within an allowed time. I
finally used it for the first time in California.

I was under the impression that state registration (and hence the
deadly 8-ish percent "use tax") could be avoided by labeling the
dinghy "tender to" the mother ship. That vessel is documented.

If I look at the DMV web site, it only allows exclusion for liferafts,
and says anything else has to be registered. Yet, I see lots of
dinghies labeled T/T something...

Anybody been through this experience?