Hailing port letters...

On The Rocks said:

OK, so what are the advantages to the recreational boater of USCG documentation vs. State registration?

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Lenders like it because it makes their Preferred Marine Mortgage easier to enforce under federal law than a chattle mortgage from state to state. It makes it somewhat easier when going to foreign countries.

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

Interesting bit on the Dink.....

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Good catch. A lot of people don't know that the regs require that the name be visible from astern of the boat, which when you carry a dink on tip davits concealing the transom, you have to put it on the bottom of the dink in compliance with the size and content of the regs. I have always understood that you also have to put it on the transom of the boat (since when the dink is down, the boat still has to have visible name and hailing port).

captrigney said:

I found there is one advantage to BUYING a documented boat... So, you can have more assurance of a clean title.

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Which also makes it better for the SELLER because they can produce a clear title.

Dave

manyboats said:

Ancora, I agree .. hailing ports should have nothing to do w where the owner lives. It's all about where the boat lives. Walla Walla WA (in the middle of Washington state) is not a port. Mark, Looks like the USCG boat is about ready to go down stern first.

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There are taxing implications based upon hailing port choice, it's up to the owner of the vessel which hailing port they choose to use and under current Federal statute it's allowed.

gwkiwi said:

There are taxing implications based upon hailing port choice, it's up to the owner of the vessel which hailing port they choose to use and under current Federal statute it's allowed.

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Taxes are based on the boat's location, not the lettering on the hull.

Greetings,
Mr. QB. "how many Seattle's are there, anyway?" Just the one as far as I know but this is not the case with other cities. List of the most common U.S. place names - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I'm just glad I don't have to put "Big Thicket Creekmore Village, TX" or "Pops Hammock Seminole Village, FL" on my transom. Heck, that's probably 8 gallons worth of fuel there. Apologies to Pops and Big Thicketers.....

twistedtree said:

I'm glad to hear there is at least some enforcement of this. Illegible boat names and ports is a pet peeve of mine. Half the time it's the owners selection of a fancy font that makes it illegible.

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Amen.
Or worse, no name whatsoever.

Poach said:

Good catch. A lot of people don't know that the regs require that the name be visible from astern of the boat, which when you carry a dink on tip davits concealing the transom, you have to put it on the bottom of the dink in compliance with the size and content of the regs. I have always understood that you also have to put it on the transom of the boat (since when the dink is down, the boat still has to have visible name and hailing port).

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I'm not sure this it correct. According to the US Power Squadron: "When dinghys 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. However, the requirement to be CLEARLY VISIBLE may necessitate duplicating the name and hailing port on either side of the hull. Stenciling
on the bottom of the dinghy is not considered a permanent marking."

The regulations for the placement of the name do not require it to be visible from astern, only that it be "on some clearly visible exterior part of the hull"

That being said, we have our name (In addition to the transom) on the bottom or our inflatable so that it is visible from astern. Mainly for other boaters to be able to communicate with us by name.

C'rigney has a point. Now, it's a question whether the USCG chooses to pick on you. This Vallejo-based USCG boat passed us by yesterday (as they always have), but then spent time adjacent to an open (no superstructure) boat fishing:

markpierce said:

C'rigney has a point. Now, it's a question whether the USCG chooses to pick on you. This Vallejo-based USCG boat passed us by yesterday (as they always have), but then spent time adjacent to an open (no superstructure) boat fishing:

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And I'm sure the USCG has bigger fish to fry than being the "Name Police".

captrigney said:

And I'm sure the USCG has bigger fish to fry than being the "Name Police".

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It's all up to the boatswain's mate's whim!

http://www.gocoastguard.com/find-yo...isted-rating-descriptions/boatswains-mate-(bm)

captrigney said:

That being said, we have our name (In addition to the transom) on the bottom or our inflatable so that it is visible from astern. Mainly for other boaters to be able to communicate with us by name.

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I want to thank you for doing that. It's so much easier to be safe and courteous when you can easily call another boat by name.

When I documented my boat, I did not want to use Wilmington NC (near, but actually don't live in the city) or Wrightsville Beach (near also, but that area has a rep of being a bit snooty). I actually live on what is called "Middle Sound". I asked a documenting agent and they said I had to use some sort of major port town. Hmmm. Not satisfied, I asked the CG if I could use Middle Sound. They said as long as it was identifiable on a nav chart, it was ok. So that's what I put on the paperwork and it came through no trouble.

captrigney said:

And I'm sure the USCG has bigger fish to fry than being the "Name Police".

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Like nav light screen board colors...

Ski in NC said:

When I documented my boat, I did not want to use Wilmington NC (near, but actually don't live in the city) or Wrightsville Beach (near also, but that area has a rep of being a bit snooty). I actually live on what is called "Middle Sound". I asked a documenting agent and they said I had to use some sort of major port town. Hmmm. Not satisfied, I asked the CG if I could use Middle Sound. They said as long as it was identifiable on a nav chart, it was ok. So that's what I put on the paperwork and it came through no trouble.

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That's a pretty boat!

FlyWright said:

I pay the same property tax in CA on my documented vessel as state registered vessels pay. I've not heard of a federal property tax....yet.

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They were exempt from state property tax, may be true maybe bulls%*t, no 1st hand knowledge here. I did pay tax on it in Kansas but I'am now in Illinois and they have no property tax on boats.

River Cruiser said:

They were exempt from state property tax, may be true maybe bulls%*t, no 1st hand knowledge here. I did pay tax on it in Kansas but I'am now in Illinois and they have no property tax on boats.

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I can only speak to my experience here in CA. I paid state sales tax and the annual state property tax.

same here, Al.

And I'm sure the USCG has bigger fish to fry than being the "Name Police".

SURE!

Checking the potty discharge and the date on flairs and fire extinguishers is really critical.

On The Rocks said:

OK, so what are the advantages to the recreational boater of USCG documentation vs. State registration?

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In NY, mostly for the bank's benefit if you have a loan on the boat. In NY, you are required to register your boat with the state regardless of documentation and display the state sticker (no reg numbers). Sales tax is always paid, no exemptions for documented boats. We do not pay personal property tax.

Lookin' around the yacht club marina yesterday and noticed many vessels with improper home port names. Letters smaller than 4" were common, but the biggest boo boos were the lack of state abbreviations, including on our club commodore's boat. Don't know if the coasties would make a big deal out of home ports blocked by dinghies, but there were a number of them, too.

No harm if state registration numbers and stickers are shown.

I'm lookin' at documented vessels.

In our area the Coast Guard makes a semi big deal out of dinghies blocking the name and hailing port. They generally only issue a warning but they do advise that it will be ticketed in the future. It's no different than an auto with cardboard over the license plate except the intent isn't generally the same.

They also do the same on undersized and unclear.

ancora said:

I'm lookin' at documented vessels.

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My conclusion is that your local USCG (wherever the heck that is), cares diddly about the lettering of presumably documented boats.

BandB said:

In our area the Coast Guard makes a semi big deal out of dinghies blocking the name and hailing port. They generally only issue a warning but they do advise that it will be ticketed in the future. It's no different than an auto with cardboard over the license plate except the intent isn't generally the same.

They also do the same on undersized and unclear.

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Where exactly is your area? That would be nice to know for reference. Then it would be helpful.

And, cardboard over a license plate? Where in the hell can you get away with a warning on that?

Nsail said:

Where exactly is your area? That would be nice to know for reference. Then it would be helpful.

And, cardboard over a license plate? Where in the hell can you get away with a warning on that?

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South Florida. And you can't get away with cardboard over a license plate. Nor a dinghy over the name and hailing port. They are very nice about the dinghy as they realize people aren't trying to pull anything, just not thinking. Sure a lot easier when you're about to pass someone on the ICW to be able to call their name than call them that "slow big white boat."

So, branching off just a little from the original point, anyone have good ideas for getting the name to stay on the hull of a RIB dinghy?

We had a vinyl graphic made for the transom, but I doubt it would survive long on the bottom of a dinghy. Paint seems the only other option, but it won't look good.

Here is Moonstruck's dinghy with name on the bottom.

if fabric .....the technique I like is to use stick on letters, box it out with tape, spray with fabric paint and remove the stick on letters...name is outlined in paint and the taped box makes it a little neater...but some artistic creativity could used feathered edges too....