Paint/dinghy question

[South of Heaven]

Guys,

I have a unique question. I just bought a fully composite dinghy (white color, 7.5' LOA , 50lbs). It'll be mounted on my swim platform on Weaver davits on it's side (so it'll be blocking my boat name/port on the transom ). My boat is USCG documented so I'll need to display the boat name on the side......Or do I???

I got the idea to paint my boat's name/port on the bottom of my dinghy. Whattya think??? Yay or nay? I'd say that 95% of my dinghy's life will be spent high/dry and out of the salt water. So I'm not gonna be painting the bottom (anti fouling).

What type of paint would I use? Would simple stencil letters work? Do they make different stencil fonts? Could I use vinyl graphics? That would be nice but the bottom of my dinghy is not flat....there are actually "strakes" and a "keel"!

Here's my new dinghy.

 

[markpierce]

Doubt your dinghy qualifies for USCG documentation, usually requiring a boat at least 24-foot length to contain sufficient volume. You will likely need to obtain state documentation with those ugly numbers and tags displayed, unlike those pictured dinghys.

As far as paint goes, suggest it be consistent with your home-boat's color.

 

[South of Heaven]

Doubt your dinghy qualifies for USCG documentation, usually requiring a boat at least 24-foot length to contain sufficient volume. You will likely need to obtain state documentation with those ugly numbers and tags displayed, unlike those pictured dinghys.

As far as paint goes, suggest it be consistent with your home-boat's color.

What?? No, I mean the dinghy will completely block the name of my boat. So I have to decide if I wanna add the name to the side of my boat or onto the bottom of the dinghy.

 

[dhays]

Guys,

I have a unique question. I just bought a fully composite dinghy (white color, 7.5' LOA , 50lbs). It'll be mounted on my swim platform on Weaver davits on it's side (so it'll be blocking my boat name/port on the transom ). My boat is USCG documented so I'll need to display the boat name on the side......Or do I???

I got the idea to paint my boat's name/port on the bottom of my dinghy. Whattya think??? Yay or nay? I'd say that 95% of my dinghy's life will be spent high/dry and out of the salt water. So I'm not gonna be painting the bottom (anti fouling).

What type of paint would I use? Would simple stencil letters work? Do they make different stencil fonts? Could I use vinyl graphics? That would be nice but the bottom of my dinghy is not flat....there are actually "strakes" and a "keel"!

Since you are documented your boat name and hailing port have to be displayed on your boats transom. Odd as it may seem, there is no requirement to have the name and hailing port on the bottom of the dinghy, even if it always covers up the transom of your boat.

I have the same situation and have considered trying to put the name of our boat and hailing port on the bottom of my dinghies. So I am interested in seeing the replies. Both my RIB and my rowing dinghy have bottoms that I don’t think will be conducive to vinyl graphics.

 

[Sabre602]

My late father-in-law's boat had a dink that lived on the transom, too. Since it blocked anyone's view of the name, he had it in vinyl on the dinghy's bottom. The vinyl letters are easily applied to the contours of the tender's hull. He had the same letters on there for decades...no worries.

 

[dhays]

My late father-in-law's boat had a dink that lived on the transom, too. Since it blocked anyone's view of the name, he had it in vinyl on the dinghy's bottom. The vinyl letters are easily applied to the contours of the tender's hull. He had the same letters on there for decades...no worries.

Good info. Thanks.

 

[Comodave]

To open a can of worms, the regs say that the name and hailing port must be marked together on some cleraly visible part of the exterior of the vessel. Covering the name and hailing port with the dinghy may preclude the clearly visible part of the regulation. Marking the bottom of the dinghy is not an exterior portion of the vessel. Now are you going to get cited, probably not.

 

[psneeld]

On the Great Loop Association website a lengthy discussion and posting of USCG documents went on just recently.

A second display of name and hailing pirt is not required as long as it is on the transom, or sides of the vessel in the proper size. Doing it only on the dingy doesmt count, but isnt prohibited.

Whether you place a second , clearly viewable name not on the transom, but have the proper, required markings on the trannsom but covered up, it is considered a "law enforcement issue".

Which I interpret as....it is up to the LEO that stops you if the "clearly" requirement really mattered.

I agree that it really isnt a problem....Many do it that way, have been boarded yet no one knows of any violations issued. At least on recreational vessels.

 

[South of Heaven]

Hmm, interesting points. Are there any LEO's on this site who could chime in??

 

[jleonard]

When we cruised in Canada we chose to display our name on a banner as shown.

 

[psneeld]

Hmm, interesting points. Are there any LEO's on this site who could chime in??

Heck, I was often the USCG helo pilot complaining we couldnt read a name on a boat....

But because some were faded, damaged, unrecognizable fonts, covered up, etc, etc....

I would never have actually violated a pleasure boater for it.

Joked around about it with lots of LEOs when we were stopping boaters for being stupid but maybe hard to prosecute.... often the state registration numbers would not be perfect, an easy thing to document. But we never did it.... just too unprofessional.

It would be the rare LEO or circumstance I think for getting a violation. Especially if the secondary marking is a serious attempt to allow normal identification of the vessel from.a distance.

Waterborne LEOs really dont write up many violations...not a slam, just an observation and I bet for good reasons...any weekend on the water shows us that.

 

[Donna]

When I researched, this was the legal way to do it.

 

[Larry M]

My late father-in-law's boat had a dink that lived on the transom, too. Since it blocked anyone's view of the name, he had it in vinyl on the dinghy's bottom. The vinyl letters are easily applied to the contours of the tender's hull. He had the same letters on there for decades...no worries.

That’s a good idea.

Whether it’s required or not, it sure is nice when your over taking a vessel and can call them on the radio.

 

[Puffin_NT32]

Years ago, I painted boat name and hailing port on bottom of dinghy. Black bottom paint is Pettit's Hydrocoat (same as boat), and names hand-painted with Trilux 33. With dinghy always in water and only hoisted on transom underway, paint held up just fine. Became too much of a PIA to keep painting, so I stopped. Tug is documented, but never had an issue with obscured name/hailing port. Boat is also RI registered, showing current sticker (no numbers) on bow, and boat name is visible within green accent strip at the bow, so I'm still legal.

 

[DavidM]

I store my dinghy on the transom with Weaver davits just like the OP proposes doing. I put the boat name in vinyl letters on the bottom of the dinghy so it is visible from the back. You can see it on my avatar to the left. I was stopped last year by the USCG for a safety inspection. No problem.

David

 

[HopCar]

The dinghy is made of a “Polymer Material”. Not knowing if paint sticks to polymer material, i’d use vinyl lettering. I think putting the name on the dinghy bottom is a good idea. The LEOs will appreciate it. Whatever you do is going to get scratched up over time.

I didn’t normally carry a dinghy on poor old Possum but when I did it blocked the name. Nobody ever said anything about it.

 

[Froggy_130]

Hola, just had a thought to share. RustOleum makes a spray paint designed to use on various plastics or polymers which are normally resistant to conventional enamels, like trash cans, which might work for you.

 

[South of Heaven]

UPDATE: I decided on vinyl graphics for the boat name/port on the dinghy. The shop that made them used a beefier MM material to help with abrasion resistance. Not worried about it though (although the keel actually should actually prevent the graphics from getting scratched up) it's only a dinghy after all! Lol

 

[ctjstr]

oh man...I wish you the best with that 7 1/2' dink. I inherited the same size Sorenson and after one weekend, I was ready to burn it to the waterline. Took on waaay more water than I was comfortable with. Of course it might help if me and the dogs each lost a few pounds....maybe more than a few.

toni

 

[South of Heaven]

oh man...I wish you the best with that 7 1/2' dink. I inherited the same size Sorenson and after one weekend, I was ready to burn it to the waterline. Took on waaay more water than I was comfortable with. Of course it might help if me and the dogs each lost a few pounds....maybe more than a few.

toni

Toni,

I wanted to get an even smaller dink but couldn't find one!! Lol. I also considered buying an inflatable and then deflating it when not in use but I decided against that.

I'm 6', 185lbs. No dogs.....

 

[OldDan1943]

If I put the name and hailing port on the aft side of the boat, which side? Port or Starboard?

I saw one trawler with the name and hailing port on the aft starboard. Does it need to be on both sides?

 

[South of Heaven]

If I put the name and hailing port on the aft side of the boat, which side? Port or Starboard?

I saw one trawler with the name and hailing port on the aft starboard. Does it need to be on both sides?

I think just one side is enough. Here is the FAQ section from the documentation site.



"HOW DO I MARK MY VESSEL?
The official number assigned to documented vessels, preceded by the abbreviation "NO." must be marked in block-type Arabic numerals at least three inches high on some clearly visible interior structural part of the hull. The number must be permanently affixed so that alteration, removal, or replacement would be obvious and cause some scarring or damage to the surrounding hull area.

The name and hailing port of a recreational vessel must be marked together on some clearly visible exterior part of the hull. The vessel name of a commercial vessel must also be marked on the port and starboard bow and the vessel name and the hailing port must also be marked on the stern. All markings may be made by any means and materials that result in durable markings and must be at least four inches in height, made in clearly legible letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numerals. The "hailing port" must include both a place and a State, Territory, or possession of in the United States. The state may be abbreviated."

 

[dhays]

If I put the name and hailing port on the aft side of the boat, which side? Port or Starboard?

I saw one trawler with the name and hailing port on the aft starboard. Does it need to be on both sides?

If putting it on the aft quarter, I'd put it on both sides. Another option would be to put the name on the sides and put the hailing port on the stern. I think that would be legal and take up less hull real estate.

 

[OldDan1943]

If putting it on the aft quarter, I'd put it on both sides. Another option would be to put the name on the sides and put the hailing port on the stern. I think that would be legal and take up less hull real estate.

I have the name and hailing port on the stern but with the RIB hanging in the davits, the name and hailing port is not visible.
I figure on the aft stbd. quarter would make things a bit more legal.

 

[FoxtrotCharlie]

I've seen several 'sundeck trawlers' with name and hailing port on the weather boards around the sundeck, above the dinghy on weaver davits. Works well.

 

[dhays]

I have the name and hailing port on the stern but with the RIB hanging in the davits, the name and hailing port is not visible.
I figure on the aft stbd. quarter would make things a bit more legal.

Odd as it may seem, if your name is on your stern it doesn't matter if the dink obscures it or not, at least from the USCG standpoint. I think having a visible name is a good idea however. I have the same issue and am looking at painting the name on the bottom of the dink AND putting the name on the port and starboard PH sides.

 

[OldDan1943]

Odd as it may seem, if your name is on your stern it doesn't matter if the dink obscures it or not, at least from the USCG standpoint. I think having a visible name is a good idea however. I have the same issue and am looking at painting the name on the bottom of the dink AND putting the name on the port and starboard PH sides.

I have 2 name boards forward of the pilot house, mounted to the house. Is that enough to satisfy the USCG?
The name and hailing port is on the stern but obscured by the horizontal position of the RIB, in the davits. Of course the T/T Kinja is on both sides of the RIB.

 

[dhays]

I have 2 name boards forward of the pilot house, mounted to the house. Is that enough to satisfy the USCG?
The name and hailing port is on the stern but obscured by the horizontal position of the RIB, in the davits. Of course the T/T Kinja is on both sides of the RIB.

Just having your name and hailing port on the stern satisfies the USCG documentation requirements REGARDLESS if your dink blocks it or not.


It doesn't make any sense, but those are the rules. So, you are in compliance with the rules already and don't have to do anything else.

 

[psneeld]

I have the same opinion based on my research....the dingy blocking the name on a rec boat is no big deal..

But I have had that opinion challenged by those that read "clearly visible" to mean by law enfocement officials not doing a boarding, but those trying to ID you from afar.

I would embrace that philosophy too if the USCG didnt outright publish that a dingy blocking the name doesnt require a second location of the name.....

https://www.boatus.com/boatgraphics/uscg-requirements.asp

When dinghy’s are stored on the swim platform or transom causing the Vessel's name and hailing port to be obscured from view, there is no Federal requirement to place the name and hailing port elsewhere. That is a Law Enforcement issue only.

 

[OldDan1943]

Just having your name and hailing port on the stern satisfies the USCG documentation requirements REGARDLESS if your dink blocks it or not.


It doesn't make any sense, but those are the rules. So, you are in compliance with the rules already and don't have to do anything else.

Works for me.