The site says: "Online Vessel Safety Check - This fun, interactive program lets you find out if your boat or personal watercraft would pass a Vessel Safety Check, before you have one. It's easy and convenient to use!
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Item 1 - Display of Numbers:
The boats registration number must be permanently attached to each side of the forward half of the boat They must be plain, vertical, block characters, not less than three (3) inches high, and in a color contrasting with the background. A space or hyphen must separate the letters from the numbers. Place State tax sticker according to State policy.
(e.g. FL 1234 AB or FL-1234-AB)
So, if I start at number one with my documented boat will I pass or fail? I do not have my Washington state registration numbers on the bow. I have my document numbers permanently affixed as required in #2, but I don't have my State Registration numbers on the bow.
Washington state law says: "308-93-145
Vessel registration numbers Display, size, color.
(1) What vessels are required to display a vessel registration number? All vessels registered under chapter 88.02 RCW are required to display the vessel registration numbers. Vessels documented by the United States Coast Guard are prohibited from displaying the registration number.
So it appears if I follow state law, I don't put the numbers on. (which is what I've done for the past 17 years that I've owned documented boats) But, if I have a voluntary inspection done it appears as if I will fail.
The webmaster of the USGC site insists that Inspection point #1 is correct as written. I questioned this and he replied that #1 is a direct quote from the Nav Rules. I asked for clarification of which Nav Rule, since I am required to carry a copy on my boat and he could not state which rule it was. He could not identify the Nav Rule.
He says it is clear that when Point #2 says that when document numbers are put on a permanent part of the vessel that it is obvious then, the registration numbers don't need to be on the bow. I can't see where the two connect at all. Since documented boats have two sets of numbers, at least in WA, Point #1 says put the state numbers on the bow, and Point #2 says put the USCG document numbers on a permanent part of the boat. Pretty clear they are talking two separate actions to me.
Now, why is this important? Because when the CG does an inspection I don't really want to be in violation. I'd just as soon have everything in order. If I am reading this wrong maybe I've been lucky for the past number of years. I got the big hairy eyeball from the Cutter Osprey going thru Pt. Townsend a week ago, with no numbers on the bow and they didn't see the need to tell me about it. Maybe they were just busy with all the other small boats they were boarding and decided not to bother with me, but you never know.
Speaking of that event, virtually every boat they boarded had a violation. The most common seemed to be no registration papers on board. That was followed closely by no type IV throwable device. Several boats in the 2 hour boarding session I listened to on the VHF were "pulling in lines and returning to port immediately".
For the record I support the enforcement effort, I don't want to be the one needing enforcement.
Ken