Boat name hidden by dink

We have a 10' dinghy on weaver davits on the stern. Obviously the dink covers the boat name home port name.
I have put the boat name in 4" bold lettering on a life ring that is highly visible from behind the boat. At least as visible as 4" letters can be.
We also are transmitting AIS info. We have not had any issues here in the Galveston Bay area but our plans are to cruise the ICW from Texas to Florida leaving this October.

My question is: from personal experiences, do you think we will have problems with LEO's along the way.

I know I can have the name sewn onto the new cover but would rather not have to cover and uncover the dink every time.
Any weaver davit owners out there?

Paint the name on the bottom of the dinghy?

Thank you, thank you, thank you for even thinking about this, and especially for taking steps to make you boat's name visible. I found it so incredibly annoying on the ICW when boat's names were obscured or illegible. You want to hail people to arrange a civilized pass, but half the boats are unidentifiable. I was always tempted to wake them, but never did.....

Based on the number of boats I saw with obscured names, I doubt you will have any issue with law enforcement. Your life ring is a good solution. Other clever things I saw the more thoughtful people do were:

1) Hang a little sign board over the dinghy so it's visible from behind the boat.

2) One clever boater actually painted the name of their boat on the bottom of the dinghy. So when the dinghy was hauled up on it's side and stowed across the transom, it became the sign.

3) And I saw people hang signs elsewhere on the boat where it was visible from behind.

It sure makes boating more pleasant and less stressful for everyone if there is a way to call you by name, and if you care enough to actually have your radio on and answer.

Thought about that but Im not sure what kind of paint or stickers would adhere to the shiny bottom of a boat that runs 20 mph through the water. It seems a little strange but I would do it if would appease the gods. I'm hoping the life ring and AIS transmission will steer the LEO,s onto the next vessel. Not hiding anything but also not excited about being boarded more than the next guy because of my dink.

You can order vinyl lettering on line and place on the bottom of your dinghy I have a smooth alum bottom dinghy and they have worked fine with the recommended prep . Looks really nice and professional and cost me less than $50

I was really wondering if the simple act of covering the permanent name and home port drew unnecessary attention from law enforcement.
From what I have read, they seem to be a bit more aggressive in south FL. I do not know this from personal experience.
Twisted, I cannot imagine running the ICW or at any time without my vhf on. Im sure we will see a lot of things I cannot imagine on our trip.

BTW it is an Achilles hard bottom deep vee. Only the bottom of the vee is blemished but Im sure we will fix that soon.

We put our boat name on the bottom of the dinghy with vinyl letters. The dinghy regularly runs at 20+ knots. It's had no effect on the lettering.

Steve, if you haven't already done so, get an inspection by the USCG Auxiliary before you leave. That sticker and a Florida cruising permit sticker on your window seems to satisfy them as several times they have cruised alongside, seem to look at the stickers, wave and take off to the next boat.

"You want to hail people to arrange a civilized pass, but half the boats are unidentifiable."

The simple system it for boats to pass rationally , with no need for endless radio chatter,

RNL said:

You can order vinyl lettering on line and place on the bottom of your dinghy I have a smooth alum bottom dinghy and they have worked fine with the recommended prep . Looks really nice and professional and cost me less than $50

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Or, you could do this. It its not a close-up, but you can see the boat name above the pilot door, and the rego number astern of that at the same level.

FF said:

"You want to hail people to arrange a civilized pass, but half the boats are unidentifiable."

The simple system it for boats to pass rationally , with no need for endless radio chatter,

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And most still can't do the pass correctly.

I really have never heard of anyone dinged over a covered up name.

On my weaver davits and hard dingy, I just painted the name on the bottom.

On the new rib, my fender holder is on the back of my flybridge and has a 2 foot by 4 foot piece of thin starboard with the name on it.

I have seen dink on weavers with a flap of cloth or signboard draped over them while underway with the names on them. So some do the effort but many dont.

When we cruised in Canada we had a banner made and displayed it as shown.
That was our solution.

similar to post #13. I leave it in place all the time. Vinyl letters on white Aluminum sign material.

jleonard said:

When we cruised in Canada we had a banner made and displayed it as shown.
That was our solution.

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Steve said:

similar to post #13. I leave it in place all the time. Vinyl letters on white Aluminum sign material.

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We just passed this guy.

Larry M said:

We just passed this guy.

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Strange looking boat. Endeavour?

This is from memory so I may be wrong: I don't think the requirement is to display the boat's name on the stern, just on the hull where it's visible. Mine is displayed on both sides of the bow as well as the stern. The PO carried a dinghy on the stern which would have covered the name and home port. This is quite common.

That said, it's really best to have the name readable by boats behind you. Boats who want to arrange a slow pass, etc. In my case, I'm usually not the one passing, I'm the one being passed unless it's a sailboat. If it's a sailboat, the radio won't be on so it doesn't matter.

I suppose horn signals would work in a passing situation but you can't arrange for the slow pass thing.

FF said:

"You want to hail people to arrange a civilized pass, but half the boats are unidentifiable."

The simple system it for boats to pass rationally , with no need for endless radio chatter,

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That would require people to know the whistle signals, which is a rarity.

WesK said:

If it's a sailboat, the radio won't be on so it doesn't matter.

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At the risk of slinging mud, what is it with sail boaters? Radios seldom turned on, navigation lights are optional, no anchor lights, think they the stand on vessel under all conditions, blah blah blah. Catamarans are the worst. They seem to think they are immune to all worldly influences and trivialities.

I have been thinking about this same question. Our new boat has its current name and home port on either side of the boat sine a Sea Wise Davit and dinghy cover the stern. We want to put the new name on the stern. We have considered lettering the bottom of the dinghy, that is done all the time around here. It works fine other than beaching the dinghy is hard on the lettering.

This is how we do it. No issues in the last couple of years.

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.

Obviously this is only applicable to documented boats. The ability to read the name is necessary due to no numbers. The numbers on a boat not documented are on the bow. It's just most do it on the stern, but can be on the bow. However, the size is a firm requirement.

Have I ever seen anyone have a problem with them not being legible? In the US, no. However, if you had other issues and the LEO was already not pleased with you, then an easy ticket. And I did hear a boat in the BVI given a firm scolding over the radio and told to pull to shore for a complete inspection. The LEO was just upset because he had no way to hail the boat. What got the LEO's attention however was how close the cruiser ran to a small sailboat. It started something like "Cruiser who just passed sailboat." Then was "White 50' or so cruiser making huge wake that just passed sailboat." Then next was more like "White boat with no visible name and dinghy on stern and idiot skipper, respond now or you will be boarded immediately." So the name not being visible wasn't the initial issue but was very annoying to the LEO.

Never dinged over 20 years with "covered name" , don't get me wrong, I think its a good idea putting it on the bottom the dingy, just ours in in the water a lot, meaning needs a good hard scrubbing, or driven up on the beach for the dog.

BandB said:

........... "White boat with no visible name and dinghy on stern and idiot skipper, respond now or you will be boarded immediately." .

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Well, that was very unprofessional of the LEO. What if the operator didn't have a VHF on?

cardude01 said:

Strange looking boat. Endeavour?

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Good eye, Dude. Endeavour 40 original style without the Skylounge. Not too many of them.

dimer2 said:

That sticker and a Florida cruising permit sticker on your window seems to satisfy them as several times they have cruised alongside, seem to look at the stickers, wave and take off to the next boat.

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WARNING Thread Drift:

What the heck is a cruising permit?????

FF said:

The simple system it for boats to pass rationally , with no need for endless radio chatter,

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The "radio chatter" is to arrange for a slow pass and on which side. The VHF allows for much better communications than whistle signals. In my experience, most folks are simple and direct and the "chatter" lasts only a few seconds.

twistedtree said:

Thank you, thank you, thank you for even thinking about this, and especially for taking steps to make you boat's name visible. I found it so incredibly annoying on the ICW when boat's names were obscured or illegible. You want to hail people to arrange a civilized pass, but half the boats are unidentifiable. I was always tempted to wake them, but never did.....

Based on the number of boats I saw with obscured names, I doubt you will have any issue with law enforcement.

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What he said.

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

WARNING Thread Drift:

What the heck is a cruising permit?????

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News to me. And I live in FL.