licence vs vessel registration (Cdn terminology) for travel to US and Bahamas

[roland stockham]

Registration in Canada is quite straightforward and inexpensive so why not get a proper international registration. In county licenses are aimed at boats that will never cross a boarder.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by deblen

Better verify with Transport Canada.

https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/marine-faq.htm


Terminology. Canada Registered = USA Documented

You get an official number,an official vessel name & a hail (port of registry)

Canada Provincially Licensed = USA State Registered

You get a number,to be posted in 3" letters on both sides of the vessel.
A name is optional as is a home port-neither mean anything officially.

Make sure your dinghy is Provincially licensed with 3" numbers on it before you go into US. Carry all papers to prove that you own both the mother ship & the Dink.

Good answer (above).

I'm a canuck as well.

My feeling is that a BLUE BOOK is preferred when you visit customs entering other countries. The license document I had for my last boat looked like I printed it myself and had almost no info on it. BTW, BLUE BOOK is REGISTERED VESSEL in Canada. Regardless of the rules of each country, the BLUE BOOK looks more official.

As for dinghies, you only need to license your dinghy if it has a motor. ANY motor, any size.

In Canada, vessels under 10hp...like my C&C25 or anything with an old yanmar YSM8, needs no papers at all. I went back and forth to the USA many times. Customs recorded my HULL NUMBER from the stern, along with the vessel name, and there was never any trouble.

[CFS Klopas]

3s

Originally Posted by hamburking

As for dinghies, you only need to license your dinghy if it has a motor. ANY motor, any size.

The license referred to here is state registration. Definitely true for US Residents in most US states, it's possible it doesn't apply to foreign dinghys.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by roland stockham

Registration in Canada is quite straightforward and inexpensive so why not get a proper international registration. In county licenses are aimed at boats that will never cross a boarder.

I agree with the above comment, mostly.

The last time I changed ownership of a licensed vessel (ON80xxx), there was no fee, and no tax collected.

The last time I looked, the fee for change of ownership for a registered vessell was $150. Change of name $250. Change of port $150. So if you buy a registered vessel in canada, you may end up paying $550. If you buy it outside of canada, I think you only pay a registration fee of $250. I did this once, but it was along time ago.

Fees - Transport Canada

I was surprised when looking at boats for sale that some/many had not kept up the license or registration. I bought a boat that came with the original blue book, still made out to the original/first owner of the boat, even though it had 4 owners already when I came along. I foolishly bought the boat, and spent a great deal of time and effort getting a new/valid blue book.

[ocean.jedi]

license with numbers on the bow is a state thing. Totally unnecessary for a foreign "registered" vessel (which from the posts i learned means "licensed" in Canada), unless you plan on staying an extended length in one state's territorial waters.

73's Ocean Jedi

[Ferrari]

Are you planning to import your vessel into the US permanently?
Or do you just need a temporary import permit. Max 1 year with possible extension.
If less than I year in the US you can cancel the remaining time on your permit when leaving and reapply after a specific time. 1 month I think 🤔but not %100 sure.
If importing permanently you’l need to comply with all regulations including Federal and or State duties on the value of your vessel.
F

[jmschmidt]

Thanks to deblen for very concise and clearly understandable information on the differences and similarities between the various forms of vessel ownership paperwork between Canada and the US.

As for the dink, it was standard for decades for a US flag (Documented) vessel to have placed on its dinghy the words "Tender To" or ever "T/T", followed by the vessels name and official number. My dinghy has T/T and only the official number of the mothership on it. The local water cops and the USCG have never questioned it. However, if you use the dink for other than tendering to or from the mothership you need a state registration, at least where I live.

[hellosailor]

Greg-
It sounds like you were never really in the US beyond California. Be aware that California laws and practices ARE NOT the same as most of the US. Cali might be happy with a dinghy that has a motor but no registration numbers. But the OP is heading down out east coast. Potentially NY, NJ, Delaware, Maryland, VA, NC, SC, Georgia, Florida, and more. Each has different rules and I'm sure Florida isn't the only one that may insist the dinghy has to have numbers. Or perhaps they'll excuse it, since it belongs to an alien.
Cali may be in the US, but it isn't the US. Far from it.

[DougM]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Sounds like i'll get their with either option. Appreciate the heads up on the dinghy. Meanwhile i'll wait for the weather to warm up ...
Doug

[deblen]

Originally Posted by ocean.jedi

license with numbers on the bow is a state thing. Totally unnecessary for a foreign "registered" vessel (which from the posts i learned means "licensed" in Canada), unless you plan on staying an extended length in one state's territorial waters.

73's Ocean Jedi

Nope re read post # 5. Terminology:

Canada (Federally)Registered = USA Federally/USCG) Documented.


Canada (Provincially) Licensed = USA (State) Registered (Unless there are some States that call this "licensing".)

Len

[deblen]

Originally Posted by DougM

Thanks for the advice everyone. Sounds like i'll get their with either option. Appreciate the heads up on the dinghy. Meanwhile i'll wait for the weather to warm up ...
Doug

Have a great trip!! / Len

[nautitrix]

From page 2 of my certificate of registry
commercial vessels must put their name on both sides of the bow.
For pleasure craft, name and port of registry, "both must be marked on some clearly visible exterior part of the hull".
Also, your certificate of registry has an expiry date on it and must be renewed. If you have not received a renewal for 30 days before your expiry you must contact the ministry. This means you need to keep track of your expiry date in case you do not receive a renewal form for some unknown reason.
Keep proof of ownership of your dinghy with you if you are not going to provincially licence it. It is not necessary to register it but if you are in Ontario waters I believe if it has an engine of any size it must be licenced. We just bought a dinghy in Virginia, for our Canadian Registered boat, and were told by an agent of the State of Virginia, we don't need to "register" (licence) it here as it is part of the the big boat's equipment. There are several states that will make you pay a recreational fee after 90 days in their waters, for both your big boat and your dinghy. Fair enough if your using their infrastructure.
I don't know what you will decide, but if you phone or email Transport Canada, they are extremely helpful people who seem very happy at their work.

[deblen]

Originally Posted by nautitrix

From page 2 of my certificate of registry
commercial vessels must put their name on both sides of the bow.
For pleasure craft, name and port of registry, "both must be marked on some clearly visible exterior part of the hull".
Also, your certificate of registry has an expiry date on it and must be renewed. If you have not received a renewal for 30 days before your expiry you must contact the ministry. This means you need to keep track of your expiry date in case you do not receive a renewal form for some unknown reason.
Keep proof of ownership of your dinghy with you if you are not going to provincially licence it. It is not necessary to register it but if you are in Ontario waters I believe if it has an engine of any size it must be licenced. We just bought a dinghy in Virginia, for our Canadian Registered boat, and were told by an agent of the State of Virginia, we don't need to "register" (licence) it here as it is part of the the big boat's equipment. There are several states that will make you pay a recreational fee after 90 days in their waters, for both your big boat and your dinghy. Fair enough if your using their infrastructure.
I don't know what you will decide, but if you phone or email Transport Canada, they are extremely helpful people who seem very happy at their work.

Thanks, & with all the posts I see regarding stolen dinghys,I would think it worth $20 to put some ID numbers on it. Maybe paint it dayglo pink as well
Len https://www.amazon.ca/Hardline-Produ...001GXDWGO?th=1

[nautitrix]

Originally Posted by deblen

Thanks, & with all the posts I see regarding stolen dinghys,I would think it worth $20 to put some ID numbers on it. Maybe paint it dayglo pink as well
Len https://www.amazon.ca/Hardline-Produ...001GXDWGO?th=1

I have no experience with this but some people say not to put anything on your dinghy that will identify which boat at anchor is unoccupied while the dinghy is at the dock in town.

[Sailorbob8599]

Originally Posted by Foredeck

I am Canadian. Here’s what Transport Canada told me, that resulted in registering my vessel federally:
A provincial licence number is ok for the US BUT
The vessel itself is not entitled to diplomatic support from the canadian government should some issue arise.
In the same way that you, holding a Canadian passport are entitled to all appropriate consular services, a federally registered Canadian vessel gains the same entitlement - because of its registration, not your passport.

This is not the case for a provincially licenced vessel, and if things get iffy, your boat enjoys no diplomatic protection.

The cost is $250 lifetime, the vessel name & port of registry are in fact its licence and must be visible on the transom ( there are standards), and the name on each bow ( standards for this too).

My guess is that your dingy, accompanying the boat with vessel name and port of registry on the transom is considered part of your vessel’s equipment.

Further to Foredeck's comments, when registering your boat in Canada (& I suspect similar or same in the U.S.), the registered number is to be engraved either on a main beam, or part of the vessel that cannot easily be removed without major destruction to the boat. The reason for this is, the number becomes a physical part of the vessel and sure proof of ownership whereas, a provincial licence number is no proof whatsoever and carries no weight in a court of law. Moreover, you may travel anywhere in the world and enjoy the same protection for your vessel that you receive for yourself from having a Canadian Passport when abroad.
All of this information is freely available on Transport Canada website.