Boat name hidden by dink

Capt.Bill11 said:

News to me. And I live in FL.

Click to expand...

I think he's referring to the Sojourner's Permit. If you're registered in another state, you may normally stay in Florida without registering for 90 days. You may then register for an additional period of time if you do intend to take your vessel back to your home state.

http://www.paradiseyachtsales.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Sojourner1.pdf

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,

Click to expand...

Once again, you are a funny guy!

Where are you getting your lettering for bottom of dingy.

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

WARNING Thread Drift:

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

Click to expand...

I believe BandB got it with the Sojourner's Permit.

jnvoss said:

Where are you getting your lettering for bottom of dingy.

Click to expand...

Any sign store that does vinyl letters or the Internet.

dimer2 said:

I believe BandB got it with the Sojourner's Permit.

Click to expand...

While I'm assuming you're joking, that is just a FL state registration sticker.

If you're state-registered and not USCG documented (meaning registration numbers on the bow), it's not an issue.

Regardless, a visible boat name is handy when a passing-from-behind boat wishes to give warning.

Capt.Bill11 said:

While I'm assuming you're joking, that is just a FL state registration sticker.

Click to expand...

Actually it may not be. A Sojourner's permit looks like a state registration but doesn't involve sales tax and doesn't involve titling in the state. He's not joking. Go to the link I posted. It is just a unique classification of a registration. Since you and I live in FL we'd have no need for them, but many who visit here for extended periods do get them.

BandB said:

Actually it may not be. A Sojourner's permit looks like a state registration but doesn't involve sales tax and doesn't involve titling in the state. He's not joking. Go to the link I posted. It is just a unique classification of a registration. Since you and I live in FL we'd have no need for them, but many who visit here for extended periods do get them.

Click to expand...

I've heard of that. But I wasn't aware of that correct name for it nor that you got a sticker that looks similar to the state registration sticker.

Learn something new everyday.

A vessel's name and hailing port on its stern is mandated by the USCG on documented vessels. They regulate lettering size and font. They do not enforce visibility from the stern. If there was a law governing that function, it would be regulated by the states and I am not aware of any state that requires a vessel to be named. So therefore, there is no problem. An overtaking vessel would simply refer to you as "recreational vessel on my bow" and pass you on the agreed 1 or 2 whistle. You're good to go.

markpierce said:

If you're state-registered and not USCG documented (meaning registration numbers on the bow), it's not an issue.

Regardless, a visible boat name is handy when a passing-from-behind boat wishes to give warning.

Click to expand...

Only if they can figure out how to pronounce it.

dhays said:

Only if they can figure out how to pronounce it.

Click to expand...

My signature is attempting to teach you all.

Only twice have boats passing from astern have called me. Both times by name. No others, and no toots! It's like everyone for themselves? Besides, I'm more than likely in Carquinez Strait although pictured just east in Suisun Bay (just pronounced what!?). Sooo sooon.

Capt GB said:

A vessel's name and hailing port on its stern is mandated by the USCG on documented vessels. They regulate lettering size and font. They do not enforce visibility from the stern. .

Click to expand...

They actually don't require stern. In post #22 I quoted directly from their site. I thought stern until I looked, but for non-commercial vessels, they simply state "clearly visible exterior part of the hull."

Capt GB said:

A vessel's name and hailing port on its stern is mandated by the USCG on documented vessels. They regulate lettering size and font. They do not enforce visibility from the stern.

Click to expand...

Not quite. The USCG requirement for recreational vessels is that the vessel name and hailing port are to be marked together on some clearly visible exterior portion of the hull. There is no requirement that it be the stern.

Even though, the requirement is that it be "clearly visible", there is no federal requirement that I know of that it not be blocked by a dinghy (or a towel, or lovely crew member sunning herself on the swim step). State authorities can't complain about the name being blocked since it is a federal requirement and not open to interpretation or enforcement by local LEOs. The USCG could complain that the name wasn't "clearly visible" but I have never heard of it happening around here.

Of course, as others have pointed out, having your name visible is not only a point of law, but also of courtesy and pride. IMO, It is courteous to fellow boaters to have your name visible to them.

Capt GB said:

So therefore, there is no problem. An overtaking vessel would simply refer to you as "recreational vessel on my bow" and pass you on the agreed 1 or 2 whistle. You're good to go.

Click to expand...

If it was only that simple.

Capt GB said:

... An overtaking vessel would simply refer to you as "recreational vessel on my bow" and pass you on the agreed 1 or 2 whistle. You're good to go.

Click to expand...

How many "recreational vessels" will that include in VHF range?

When the boat name is covered, so too often is the stern light.

Nobody, repeat, nobody, radios up to a slower boat to arrange a pass, slow or otherwise here in Australia. They just blast by...or cruise slowly by...depending on type of vessel. It really does not matter which side they go past, they have decided it - you just react accordingly, turning into or away from wake wave depending on time and room, and size of the passer, and passee vessel. The more considerate semi-planers do slow down a bit - many don't. It tends to work out in the end. I doubt calling up to advise of intent would add much, other than as FF said, a lot of radio chatter. Works for us...

Life in the US often comes across as very complicated to us antipodeans...

"The "radio chatter" is to arrange for a slow pass and on which side."

If the passing vessel has operating skills there is little reason for the slow boat to slow even more.

Sadly I have only been passed EZ and well 3 or 4 times in 50 years of boating.

So I secure everything , expect the worst , and am prepared to change course when the waves hit.

No big deal.

No radio Blah Blah Blah all daylight hours.

The obscured boat name/hailing port question came up on a TF maintenance thread (about dinghy davits or weaver clips) within the last couple of months. Someone responded with an excerpt or link to an authoritative (at least sounded so) source that explicitly stated that the temporary obscuration of the info by the dinghy was acknowledged and OK by the USCG regs.

Search though I may, I cannot come up with that thread.

Over the years, when carrying my inflatable on the Weaver clips, with the name/HP thoroughly obscured, I have been boarded by the USCG several times with no mention made.

markpierce said:

Only twice have boats passing from astern have called me. Both times by name. No others, and no toots! It's like everyone for themselves?............

Click to expand...

That's a shame. On the AICW, it's pretty common for trawlers and many faster boats to contact a boat they want to pass and arrange for a "slow pass". That is where the lead boat slows to idle or near idle so the passing boat can pass slowly and near no wake speed. Once the passing boat passes, it speeds up and the boat that was passed does so as well in the faster boat's wake.

It's technically a violation of the rules but without the slow pass, the 8 knot boat would take a really long time to get past a 7.5 knot boat.

What is technically a violation?

In an agreed upon pass, anything without colliding is OK....

Capt GB said:

......... An overtaking vessel would simply refer to you as "recreational vessel on my bow" and pass you on the agreed 1 or 2 whistle. You're good to go.

Click to expand...

How would an operator know that he (or she) was the "recreational vessel on my bow"? He/she doesn't know you or where you are.

You can try describing the boat or its location but that often fails. Having the name visible on the stern is best by far.

Assuming no vessel ID available, I use something like: "Westbound Tow at ICW milepoint XX, M/V Sailfish 1 mile astern, passing on the 2 before we get to Dirty Socks Bend - advise." Usually works fine with commercial traffic. Rec boats - if they bother to monitor VHF, pretty good.

Steveg353 said:

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.

Click to expand...

Get the carbon fiber reinforced vinyl then.

Steveg353 said:

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.

Click to expand...

Pretty much any good quality stick on vinyl letter will.

It's not like that suggestion was made by people who haven't done it. Nor who only have slow tenders.

FF said:

"The "radio chatter" is to arrange for a slow pass and on which side."

If the passing vessel has operating skills there is little reason for the slow boat to slow even more.

Click to expand...

Please explain what skills the operator of 8-9 knot trawler needs to use/learn to pass a sailboat going 7 knots in a confined ICW channel without "waking" the sailboat without either boat slowing down?

Better yet, explain what skill would be involved for a flat bottomed sportfish to pass a trawler doing 8 knots in the same channel courteously without the trawler slowing down?

And no, coming screaming up on their stern, chopping your throttles at the last minute, passing close by and letting you stern wave push you by with little or no wake is not going to work well if the trawler is doing about 6-7 knots or more.

Although the when I used to do it in an 80 footer and the boat being passed was going slower than 5-6 knots it was fun to watch the expressions change from totally pissed off to "Holy crap! He just went by me with no wake to speak of really fast and but I can't really flip him off because there was no harm no foul".

The problem was, while this manuver works just fine, it tends to scare the crap out of the people on the boat being passed unless you can clearly communicate in advance to them what you are about to do. And the wake of the fast boat you are running does really settle out very quickly when you chop the throttles and drop off plane instantaneously.

Peter B said:

Nobody, repeat, nobody, radios up to a slower boat to arrange a pass, slow or otherwise here in Australia. They just blast by...or cruise slowly by...depending on type of vessel. It really does not matter which side they go past, they have decided it - you just react accordingly, turning into or away from wake wave depending on time and room, and size of the passer, and passee vessel. The more considerate semi-planers do slow down a bit - many don't. It tends to work out in the end. I doubt calling up to advise of intent would add much, other than as FF said, a lot of radio chatter. Works for us...



Life in the US often comes across as very complicated to us antipodeans...

Click to expand...

I've never been down under, so I don't know, but we may have more boaters over here so the radio contact really helps.

I wonder if we also have more stupid/inconsiderate boaters over here. Florida seems to be the breeding ground for that type.

I've never met an inconsiderate Aussie.

Damn I'm getting bitchy....

It is actually the "passed" vessel that needs the skills if the fast boat chops abeam...then the slow boat turns stern to the wake for a minute or so, fast boat resumes and the slow boat rides the big 3 waves or so and turns back on course.


The worst thing the fast boat can do is start to accelerate too early and leave the biggest wake just as the slow boat is getting there (the fast boat guys tend to forget the slow boat is actually moving).


I actually prefer fast passes, slow passes are for the inexperienced. Only the rare occasion is a fast pass not desirable for me.

Two big Sea Ray tennis shoes approached me from behind on the Gulf Coast ICW, and the leading one was actually polite enough to inform me about his intention to pass. He throttle back, gave me the call, and when I thanked him for the heads-up, he and the boat behind him gunned it and left a hole going by that a 65 footer could've fell into. I damn near lost my helm chair out the pilothouse door that day and being at the extreme right of a very narrow channel, I had no alternative except to absorb these tremendous wakes from both boats. I stomped on the deck to warn my wife below, but it was to late to save her from a pretty heavy impact.