Renewing US Documentation While Cruising

[richard_wb]

US vessel documentation must be renewed yearly. For those on multi-year cruises, what method do you use to submit your yearly signature and receive your updated documentation certificate in exotic locations, in a timely manner?

[markpierce]

Mail in a renewal form. Download some copies and then send in a completed form a month or two before the renewal date.

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc/forms/cg1280.pdf

[s/vfootloose]

If you have someone you can trust in the states you can make them your agent, use their address. When the renewal comes they sign it and return it. Then they can forward the the paperwork to you when it comes.

[matauwhi]

G'day, mate. Ditto with s/v footloose's technique. Cheers

[Hud3]

Or, you can use a mail forwarding service, as do a large number of fulltime cruisers.

Note that if you send in your renewal a month early, the USCG will start the renewal year a month early, and you will have had eleven months, not twelve. Not that it matters much, since there's no fee for renewal, but it does advance the expiration date.

[Play Actor]

I discovered by accident -- forgot to renew in time last year -- that you can renew an expired document on line for a small fee -- I think it was $5. You can only do a renewal of an unexpired document by mail or fax. Go figure. Either way, you still have to get the new document via mail, somehow.

The renewal form can be downloaded, printed, and faxed back. That's our normal method. The online approach was only availble for recently expired documents, I think. Check out the USCG website. It's all there.

[Troubadour52993]

We used a family member in the states, and then planned a visit for them to bring us the paper document.

Still not sure why this has to be done annually. I think it's a revenue thing for state DMV, but since there's no charge from USCG, you'd think they'd change to 2 or 3 years.

[MoonlightSailor]

Agreed....is a PITA to renew annually for full time cruisers.

Can one get by with an email/fax copy that is sent from the states by an agent when checking into a port of entry?

[donradcliffe]

Port captains do want to see the original. In a pinch I've used the previous year's original plus a fax of the new one, buy they weren't happy.

[capn_billl]

Originally Posted by s/vfootloose

If you have someone you can trust in the states you can make them your agent, use their address. When the renewal comes they sign it and return it. Then they can forward the the paperwork to you when it comes.

There are companies that provide this service.