Does having two names on title complicate clearing customs?

[Jhorton]

I am wondering if anyone has thoughts or experience regarding having two names on their boat title. Mainly, does if complicate clearing in and out of customs / immigration anywhere? My concern would be if my partner was for some reason not on board for a clearance, would it create issues or not? Thanks!

[Paul L]

Never had anyone question the two names on our documentation in many clearances.

[StuM]

Never been a problem for me - even when only one of us is on board.

[TxThundr]

What about the converse? Anybody only have one name on their title but wish they had both (speaking from a husband/wife point of view)?

[model 10]

Here is a situation; if you check out of Guatemala, you need to be gone for 3 months. If you need to come back early, you need a new master, so if your wife, for example, is handy you can name her as the master. not sure you could if she were on the document.

[Laughing Buddha]

Never had a problem from Mexico across the Pacific to SEA.

Did see an Immigration Officer in Tahiti challenge a woman at check-in. She gave him the "what-for" asking; "So only French women can be Captains?" [Isabelle Autissier]

He let her process paper - the 20 of us remaining on line all rendered a polite "golf clap."

There may be an advantage having both names on documentation - if one of the owners dies in a foreign port. There is still an owner to settle arrangements and not subject to local jurisdiction (perhaps- I don't even play a lawyer on TV...).

Cheers - Jim

[FSMike]

My lady and myself have our boat documented under the name(s) "John Doe or Jane Smith".
That way should one of us be deceased or otherwise incapacitated the other can legally do whatever is necessary with the boat.
Obviously this requires a little trust lol.

[Moontide]

Boats owned by corporations often need a notarized letter giving permission for the captain to have the boat, even when the captain is the president of the corporation and/or sole shareholder. Imagine you could keep a letter like this on board to solve issue if it ever comes up, which I doubt it ever would unless some official is looking for a tip to help you solve the problem..

[Akapeterc]

The only problem I encountered was with Australian Registration I had to get another bill of sale done with both signatures from a couple in Canada because only one had signed the original bill of sale

[Wulf]

About 20 years ago a friend became ill and had to return to Canada, leaving the boat in Turkey. Everything was in his name including the boat, resulted in an absolute nightmare for his wife when trying to wrap things up, sell the boat where it was, etc before she returned home. We are firm believers in each having credit cards etc in separate names as well as a shared one. Boat, cars, house etc in both names. Always.

[Bill Seal]

For joint ownership, just make sure it's OR not AND !!!
Hard to dig up a corpse for a signature.

[jamhass]

If it's USCG documented, one of the owners is designated as the "Managing Owner" who is "authorized" to do darn near anything except (presumably) to sell the boat by him/herself.

Never had a problem with our "2-named" ownership. (Last word NOT intended as a pun, but I will accept blame ...)