HRS §200A-5
Which state's title rules apply to a boat
This section says that once a boat gets a title certificate from a state, that state's rules control the title until the boat gets a new title elsewhere or becomes a documented vessel. A boat gets covered when the owner sends the application and fee to the right agency.
buyers
The statute, as written — Law governing vessel covered by certificate of title
(a) The local law of the jurisdiction under whose certificate of title a vessel is covered governs all issues relating to the certificate from the time the vessel becomes covered by the certificate until the vessel becomes covered by another certificate or becomes a documented vessel, even if no other relationship exists between the jurisdiction and the vessel or its owner. (b) A vessel becomes covered by a certificate of title when an application for the certificate and the applicable fee are delivered to the department in accordance with this chapter or to the governmental agency that creates a certificate in another jurisdiction in accordance with the law of that jurisdiction.
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.