Documentation trouble

[Voyager3]

Has anyone had and issues trying to transfer documentation after buying a boat? We bought our Manatee last year and are trying to transfer the documentation. We have been in the que #4 for 3 months. Any suggestions? Calling doesn’t seem to help.

 

[STB]

Things taking a long time is normally, especially during boating season. According to the USCG National Vessel Documentation Center, they are only up to April 10th:

-- https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/258155a

 

[Capn Craig]

Documentation

Call Somebody who cares. Good luck with that. Mine took about a year. I did have the confusing to nobody issue that the hull number was recorded in error since the beginning of time. it had my hull mfg. date as 1932 instead of 1982. they had read 82 as 32. that was resolved after registering the boat in another state to satisfy the Coast Guard. The fact that fiberglass wasn't used in boat building until Many years later, was lost on the CG. Almost a year later it was done Presto Chango.

 

[STB]

I probably should also note that if you scroll down to the bottom of this page:

--https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Deputy-for-Operations-Policy-and-Capabilities-DCO-D/National-Vessel-Documentation-Center/

You'll find the link to the current copy of that "NVDC Case Processing Report" which shows where they are in the queue for each type of request.

You'll note in the version I linked to above, it shows the following for recreational vessels:

RECREATIONAL INITIAL - 10APR19
RECREATIONAL (EXCHANGE, RETURN TO DOC, REINSTATEMENT, REPLACEMENT) - 10APR19

And the top of the report shows that the data was last updated on the 9th of August and posted o the 12th of August. I think they update it weekly.

 

[FoxtrotCharlie]

Yep, sent ours in first week of April, and just received it last week. Hang in there

 

[Wayfarer]

I think they're still all bunged up from the last government shutdown. There are people out sailing around on expired licenses with waivers from the USCG saying it's their fault it's taking so long to renew.

 

[BandB]

I think they're still all bunged up from the last government shutdown. There are people out sailing around on expired licenses with waivers from the USCG saying it's their fault it's taking so long to renew.

They are. They were in decent shape before but they've done nothing to make up any time they lost and the way they prioritize work transfers like this are not priority.

If you're not planning on traveling outside the country you'll be fine. If you were, you could have submitted as urgent and gotten priority service.

 

[Wayfarer]

They are. They were in decent shape before but they've done nothing to make up any time they lost and the way they prioritize work transfers like this are not priority.



If you're not planning on traveling outside the country you'll be fine. If you were, you could have submitted as urgent and gotten priority service.

Haven’t had any troubles with Canada yet. Fingers crossed that continues.

 

[JohnEasley]

Ours arrived Thursday of last week. Took five and a half months.

 

[gsholz]

The interesting part is that when you buy a boat the escrow company will typically get the documentation info from the CG before closure to check for liens etc. This only takes a few days. So, the CG documentation center has the tools in place to respond in a reasonable time frame. It is just when you wait for your new doc it takes 6 months. You can get a new passport in two weeks, but it takes 6 months to print your new doc sheet? Makes no sense to me.

 

[STB]

The NVDC prioritizes those things with an impact, e.g. commercial, vessels with immediate foreign waters itineraries, abstracts needed for sales.

They do things that don't have an immediate impact, e.g.,recreational docs, time available. That means that, to maintain efficiency, a queue builds in busy months and drains in less busy ones.

It could be faster, but then they'd have to hire more people, and documentation would cost much more.

 

[BandB]

The NVDC prioritizes those things with an impact, e.g. commercial, vessels with immediate foreign waters itineraries, abstracts needed for sales.

They do things that don't have an immediate impact, e.g.,recreational docs, time available. That means that, to maintain efficiency, a queue builds in busy months and drains in less busy ones.

It could be faster, but then they'd have to hire more people, and documentation would cost much more.

And after the shut down they went weeks/months prioritizing the needs you've mentioned and setting recreational transfers completely aside. There were people whose livelihood depended on them and those people came first. Their staff had previously been reduced and no personnel has been made available to allow them to catch up. Imagine their frustration as they worked hard after their move to get caught up for the most part and then lost all the progress they'd made with no way now to catch back up.

 

[Capitaine R]

Collections?

I'm guessing our Documentation is finally done. I have been checking the work packet search page every weekor so since December, when we first sent it in. It has always said that the packet was received on Dec 13 2018 but today it saysNO PENDING WORK ITEM(S)


Ours was delayed due to no fault of the CG, but the Broker Who had the old owners fill out the bill of sale incorrectly, twice . I'm hoping I am correct and the Documentation papers will be in the mail box soon.

 

[foggysail]

Has anyone had and issues trying to transfer documentation after buying a boat? We bought our Manatee last year and are trying to transfer the documentation. We have been in the que #4 for 3 months. Any suggestions? Calling doesn’t seem to help.

At one time you could pay extra for priority service, might look into that. We filed to document along with all the forms indicating length, displacement and so forth immediately after we purchased the boat, used of course. Shortly after, we received our documentation certificate along with a notice that the boat was previously documented and the Coast Guard reassigned the original documentation number to us. We were not aware it was previously documented.

The dealer provided a title for the boat but we could have had a problem if there somehow been a screw up with leans filed with the Coast Guard prior to it being titled.

 

[BandB]

I'm guessing our Documentation is finally done. I have been checking the work packet search page every weekor so since December, when we first sent it in. It has always said that the packet was received on Dec 13 2018 but today it saysNO PENDING WORK ITEM(S)


Ours was delayed due to no fault of the CG, but the Broker Who had the old owners fill out the bill of sale incorrectly, twice . I'm hoping I am correct and the Documentation papers will be in the mail box soon.

And that is why I use a documentation service.

 

[Voyager3]

Thanks everyone. Should have used a service. Ugh!

 

[STB]

Voyager3,

If it makes you feel any better, I did use a big name Florida service during the "government shutdown" era. And, well, it went poorly.

They FAXed my paperwork once. It produced an error, but they didn't FAX it again, because they were worried the government would charge them twice if it did go through. They didn't initially tell me this -- just that it had been FAXed. Then, once the government reopened, they eventually followed up and sent it through again. I got it back way late -- and it had the name of the vessel wrong. When I called the NVDC directly they had it fixed and to me in a week (the correction apparently went to the head of the queue).

As for my Florida registration (taxes), they went equally poorly. Florida allows recreational vessels at least 30 years old with original engines or equivalent engines to be registered as "antique vessels". The reduces annual taxes down to approximately nothing. Despite me giving the doc service all of the documentation showing that the boat qualified as an antique under Florida law (builder's certificate w/year and engine serial numbers, survey with engine serial numbers, abstract of title), and had previously been registered as one (old owner's registration) -- they registered it without the discount. In their defense, they did give me the state registration for free as a result.

I think the big lesson I learned is that documentation services aren't magic w.r.t. federal documentation and just do the same thing we would do by filling out the same paperwork and sending it the same place. And, as for state registration -- their big service is waiting in line at the DMV instead of us.

As for escrow service when buying a vessel -- that's certainly different.

 

[Voyager3]

Wow. I guess I just wait and see. Thanks

 

[STB]

foggysail,

When I asked the NVDC about priority service (Early February 2019), they told me it was still available for a fee -- but the only requests that could be expedited were those for vessels with planned journeys subject to foreign jurisdiction.

Basically, if I was going to stay in US coastal waters, they told me to keep my bill of sale, application for documentation and/or running letter, and state registration aboard and I would be fine until the actual document showed up -- so they wouldn't expedite it, even for a fee.

,

 

[foggysail]

Times and functions have changed over the years. Too many years ago to remember, I paid an overtime fee to have a CG person quickly process our application.

However—- if they told you to have proper paper work with you indicating you’re waiting for your documentation to get processed...... and KEEP a copy of your communications with NVDC you should be OK!


And if your communications was by phone, then send your request in writing to them.

https://mariners.coastguard.dodlive...ation-application-priority-handling-criteria/

 

[Oldsarge]

Mine only took a month or two back in 2002 but I used a marine documentation service.
That was then, and this is now, quite a few years later. A reputable documentation service
can handle anything from a yacht to a big ship's documentation. Cost may be much higher today, as it cost me several hundred dollars when I had it done in 2002.
They made sure all parties were satisfied with the transaction including the bank that
had a lean on the boat.

 

[rgano]

Documented the trawler, but this boat, no. Now I can change the name and repaint the hull to hide anytime I have created too many powerful enemies.

 

[Voyager3]

Hide and seek!! LOL

 

[Voyager3]

Thank you. I heard they downsized since then so it takes longer. We have been #4 for a few months now. Just don’t want to have to pay again.

 

[ProMaritime]

That's about what it took the last time I did it and I've heard its getting worse. They jacked up all the fees, started charging for renewals and what was that money supposed to be for? Well, better service, of course. Oh, and I forgot, five years ago when I renewed my masters ticket I could call and get a live body on the phone, not anymore. My latest renewal is underway right now. The last five days I have received no less than nine confusing and unintelligible emails from the National Maritime Center regarding my MMC renewal.

 

[Wayfarer]

That's about what it took the last time I did it and I've heard its getting worse. They jacked up all the fees, started charging for renewals and what was that money supposed to be for? Well, better service, of course. Oh, and I forgot, five years ago when I renewed my masters ticket I could call and get a live body on the phone, not anymore. My latest renewal is underway right now. The last five days I have received no less than nine confusing and unintelligible emails from the National Maritime Center regarding my MMC renewal.

Oh good! Hopefully things improve before mine is due for renewal next year. I'm in the process of documenting my new vessel right now, so I'll be sure to report back on how long it takes. I'm using a documentation service, or at least my bank is. Fingers crossed!

 

[ProMaritime]

Wayfarer, I'm told that copies of your application paperwork for doc/redoc that you sent in works for most things, including if you get boarded.

 

[Wayfarer]

Wayfarer, I'm told that copies of your application paperwork for doc/redoc that you sent in works for most things, including if you get boarded.

Good to know! I'll be sure to ask the Doc Service lady about that next time I talk to her.

 

[Comodave]

Documentation services will send you everything you need to carry for temporary documentation. The ones I have used also sent me a statement that documentation papers had been sent in to the CG. We had that for proof of pending documentation.

 

[Voyager3]

Ugh��. I have no idea what to do but wait. At least it’s not just me. Ugh