Pick a lettering design....

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by SoundWave

............
............ The way I read it, if the vessel is CG Documented, it has to have the ship's name on either side and a place name (from a place in the US) as it's home port on the stern. ........................

I believe that the names at each side are for documented commercial vessels. I do know that the USCG documented recreational vessels only require the name on the transom with the home port.

[MarkJ]

#3

No one is gunna rob your boat if they think that Pit Bull fighting dog is on board...



Sent from a stupid phone that replaces words with weird stuff.

[Steve Bean]

A fairly new rule for USCG documented vessels allows you to use any place in the USA as your hailing port. The earlier rule gave two choices: your home city, or the nearest main Coast Guard office. For me, I had the choice of Salinas or San Francisco. Can you guess which one I used? When I repaint, I will use Monterey, my home port.

[Dave Lochner]

Originally Posted by Steve Bean

A fairly new rule for USCG documented vessels allows you to use any place in the USA as your hailing port. The earlier rule gave two choices: your home city, or the nearest main Coast Guard office. For me, I had the choice of Salinas or San Francisco. Can you guess which one I used? When I repaint, I will use Monterey, my home port.

If you change the hailing port be sure to tell the CG:

HOW DO I CHANGE THE NAME OR HAILING PORT OF MY VESSEL?
The name and/or hailing port may be changed by filing an application for change on form CG-1258 with the appropriate fees. If your vessel is subject to a mortgage of record, you must obtain permission from the mortgagee on form CG-4593.

USCG National Vessel Documentation Center, Fee Page

[Macblaze]

I'm going to go against the crowd and vote for #2.

Look at them and squint. The home port isn't big enough to survive a quick blurry glance and it does manage, slightly, to make the main type harder to read. Since you don't seem to be adding the home port for legal reasons, make the secondary info really secondary and leave the emphasis on the name.

My 2 cents...

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Dave Lochner

Be aware that the Black Dog chain of restaurants may have something to say about your design if they get wind of it. The Black Dog

My suggestion would be to make sure your lettering does not infringe on any trademarks or copyrights that they own. No one wants a cease and desist letter.

Dave, I don't disagree with your caution.

I find needing to think about **** like this truly frightening. Like some single boat owner is going to affect their obscene corporate profits. They get enough corp welfare as it is.

Re: OP --- #3 for clarity, but I always liked the font on #1 much more.

[roncgibson]

I vote for number 3, easy to read at distance . . . (and in an emergency situation, god forbid).

[Sardean]

I vote for #1, looks great

Sent from my SM-T315T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Cheechako]

I like #3. But the head of the dog will not be recognizable except at the dock. If you want it more readable at sea space the letters out. If it's a documented boat it's likely not compliant.

[hamburking]

I choose #3.
Cleanest, easiest to read, most attractive.

If anything, make the letters as big as possible, so they can be read from a distance.

Also, don't let your children pick the name (see photo)

[denverd0n]

If this is for the purposes of Coast Guard documentation, be aware that your hailing port needs to be one of the locations identified in Commerce Dept. publication 55DC (which, unfortunately, does not appear to be available online). This includes pretty much every populated town and city in the United States, but my guess is that St. Andrews Bay is not on the list. Hence, you will probably have to choose Panama City, Parker, Callaway, or something else like that. Or just pick a random city anywhere in the U.S. The Coast Guard doe not care if you have ever been there, or if the boat has ever been there, so long as it is someplace listed in 55DC.

[allanbranch]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Allan,

Since this is still in the planning stage, maybe you can find a more Lab looking graphic to represent Sailor, that one looks more like a spaniel to me....

Ann

Hi Ann, good point, she's actually a golden retriever with a black lab grandfather so she's long haired like a golden but black. She has some brown on her feel too. https://www.instagram.com/p/BBBdMoVH68Y/

[allanbranch]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

If this is for the purposes of Coast Guard documentation, be aware that your hailing port needs to be one of the locations identified in Commerce Dept. publication 55DC (which, unfortunately, does not appear to be available online). This includes pretty much every populated town and city in the United States, but my guess is that St. Andrews Bay is not on the list. Hence, you will probably have to choose Panama City, Parker, Callaway, or something else like that. Or just pick a random city anywhere in the U.S. The Coast Guard doe not care if you have ever been there, or if the boat has ever been there, so long as it is someplace listed in 55DC.

Great Point Denverd0n, what's the advantage of being "documented" via USCG?

[Dave Lochner]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Dave, I don't disagree with your caution.

I find needing to think about **** like this truly frightening. Like some single boat owner is going to affect their obscene corporate profits. They get enough corp welfare as it is.

Re: OP --- #3 for clarity, but I always liked the font on #1 much more.

There was a local coffee shop once named Federal Expresso. Run by some young folks, kind of a funky atmosphere, reputation for good coffee. FedEx got wind of the shop. After both sides got done paying legal fees, Federal Expresso is no more. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, The Freedom of Expresso coffee shop has been around for quite some time and doing quite well.

My suggestion is don't use an image of a Black Lab in profile and don't use a font like Times Roman or anything too similar to the Black Dog logo.

Generally, if the hailing port has a post office it should be good.

[allanbranch]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Dave, I don't disagree with your caution.

I find needing to think about **** like this truly frightening. Like some single boat owner is going to affect their obscene corporate profits. They get enough corp welfare as it is.

Re: OP --- #3 for clarity, but I always liked the font on #1 much more.

Trademark law is tricky, sure they could send me a cease and deist letter, but trademarks are usually corned into certain industries. Here's a trademark search for Black Dog.

There's black dog wines, guns etc. Trademarks are usually defended if one party could be mistaken for another who has claim to the name. So if I opened a restaurant there might be an issue. I don't expect they'll have an issue with it.