$450 to transfer documentation?

[hkkelton]

I am confused as I just transfered a boat to my name and when I got to the end had to pay the $450 to complete that phase (and then had to email the bill of sale and rest). I was assigned an account to access on the USCG website and assigned a contact with an email at uscgdocumentation.us so it all certainly seemed legit. When we first bought the boat under a different owner name our broker also charged about 700 for full handling of the process. Does it have anything to do with size or type of vessel? Also going to take 3 or more months to get physical papers this time around - was same first time around.

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by hkkelton

I am confused as I just transfered a boat to my name and when I got to the end had to pay the $450 to complete that phase (and then had to email the bill of sale and rest). I was assigned an account to access on the USCG website and assigned a contact with an email at uscgdocumentation.us so it all certainly seemed legit. When we first bought the boat under a different owner name our broker also charged about 700 for full handling of the process. Does it have anything to do with size or type of vessel? Also going to take 3 or more months to get physical papers this time around - was same first time around.

The clue is at the bottom of the page :

"U.S. Vessel Documentation is NOT the U.S. Coast Guard or the National Vessel Documentation Center; we are a third party agency that handles USCG Documentation processing to NVDC."

[jmschmidt]

Yes, always check for .mil or .gov to deal with the real agency. The wonderful internet is full of hucksters that charge you up the you-know-what for stuff that the official website offers free or for a reasonable charge. This advice advices applies to everything from setting up a business (every state offer this service for an LLC or corporation, etc.) to documenting a vessel to getting IRS forms. These hucksters pay Google or the other search engines to have their websites pop up at the top of a search. Official website government websites and even many private companies don't pay the search engine companies. Now if you are buying a foreign flag vessel and are involved in a deflag/reflag situation better consider a documentations service. Just too complicated with having to get official translations of foreign language documents and other required documentation. Even then the last time I did one of these through a service it was less that $500. But don't go to the internet for a ligit agency, get a recommendation for a reliable, trusted and independent broker or other expert. Don't be so naïve as to think that some brokers are not on the payroll of the documentation hucksters.

[powsmias]

Originally Posted by Hard A Lee

I was just filling out the online form on the USCG site to transfer documentation of the boat we just bought. When I got to the end, it said it was going to cost $450. Is this correct? I thought I had seen that it was $89 or something like that. I think I checked all the right boxes...

If you choose not to do it online, there is only one office in the usa and it's in west virgiinia.. go figure.. was there last week to transfer mine instead of online cause on way to visit daughter and only a mile off I-81 interstate .. cost was 100.

[tinkrman69]

Ny land address is in florida and in florida, they don't care about documented vessels, you still have to register it. They'll even make you get a temp registration, for a non-resident cruising the florida coast. so I de-documented my vessel when I bought it. It was about 80 bucks a little over three years ago. the title transfer and registration for two years, was less than a hundred bucks as she is over 25 years old...ie...antique and then there were the sales tax.

I don't trust the internet with my info and/or money so I did the whole thing by snail mail. It was all done in less than a month. to transfer documentation would have taken five months. And with all the law enforcement harassment in south florida at the time I'd of had to stay at a dock till I got the paper work in hand

[ur2slo]

Sounds like a few of the things I'm going through.

I went online to renew end of July. Site or my computer was giving problems so figgered, what the heck, downloaded all forms printed at library, sent PO Money orders and waited. And waited, and waited. the called Records Center on morning and surprised to get an actual voice.
Nice Coastie, asked ID#, told me oh yes we have it. Its beef received in August, ( my renew date is 8/31). Says they are currently working on mail submissions from JUNE.

Huh??

I am still waiting, should be soon tho

FYI : when the broker originally transferred mine. It coast about $375.00 to have title company do it. Always cheaper to do yourself afterwords.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by ur2slo

Sounds like a few of the things I'm going through.

I went online to renew end of July. Site or my computer was giving problems so figgered, what the heck, downloaded all forms printed at library, sent PO Money orders and waited. And waited, and waited. the called Records Center on morning and surprised to get an actual voice.
Nice Coastie, asked ID#, told me oh yes we have it. Its beef received in August, ( my renew date is 8/31). Says they are currently working on mail submissions from JUNE.

Huh??

I am still waiting, should be soon tho

FYI : when the broker originally transferred mine. It coast about $375.00 to have title company do it. Always cheaper to do yourself afterwords.

Don't think online applications happen any faster. I did mine online and it took several months (5-6 if I recall) before I received my documentation. I did call after several months (and reached a live person) to ask and mentioned I was launching soon and was concerned about getting the documents. At the time, according to the schedule on the USCG website I was still a month away from head of the list. However the person I spoke with promised to check and I got the docs about a week later.

[ur2slo]

Good to hear that a good ole fashioned phone call can still work!

I been thinking myself to call again, its now on Mondays to do list.

Thx for input.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by ur2slo

Good to hear that a good ole fashioned phone call can still work!

I been thinking myself to call again, its now on Mondays to do list.

Thx for input.

In these days of voice mails, automated phone systems and robot calls it is amazing that you can call a US government office and get a live person on the phone. When I called they were closed at least one day in mid week, maybe two so check the schedules on their website.

[Hard A Lee]

I went to the REAL Coast Guard web site and found what I needed. Do not go to the uscgdocumentation.us! Not sure if I would go so far as to call it a scam but it's definitely misleading and shady. You'll fill out the same form at the Coast Guard site and save $300 or so...

Sent from my SM-G900V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[BillyBobtx]

In the last few years I went through the doc process. I was frustrating but worth the effort. If I recall, it had something to do with the original owner paying off the vessel at his credit union, but not telling USCG it was paid off. Of course, with my luck he had passed away...

It took the credit union three times (faxed I think) to get a proper release to USCG. But having gone thru the process, all is well and in the end painless and not too expensive. I am sorry that there are scammers out there.

I think the USCG doc center is closed to phone calls on Thursdays. Recently I moved to my homeport and needed to change my mailing address, USCG doc center made the change over the phone for me. They have been very patient with me and I do not remember being mad at them as all the people I have dealt with were personable. Frustrated yes, mad at them- NO.

Here is a link where you can search a doc vessel by name or by doc id:

Office of Science and Technology

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by BillyBobtx

In the last few years I went through the doc process. I was frustrating but worth the effort. If I recall, it had something to do with the original owner paying off the vessel at his credit union, but not telling USCG it was paid off. Of course, with my luck he had passed away...

I had a similar experience. The boat was still documented in the name of the original owner, with a mortgage showing. None of the subsequent owners had bothered with the legal change of ownership...just passed along the blue book. I was fortunate enough that the registrar of ships in toronto took pity on me, and helped me through the process. In addition to the registred owner being deceased, the bank branch where the mortgage was registered no longer existed!!! Had to contact their head office and track down their old paper records. When finally found, the file contained a letter addressed to the registrars office clearing the mortgage...it was signed, addressed, and even stamped...but never mailed...just sat there for 20 years.

After that I favoured small boats, under 10hp, which in Canada require no documentation or paperwork of any kind. That also means no tax! Needless to say, the old yanmar 9hp in a big sloop is very attractive to me.