RANT Canadian vessel name RANT

[BigNut]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Seems like a somewhat restrictive requirement, but I get the need for uniqueness.

So - broad question: are there genuine advantages to registering a private, non-commercial pleasure boat by name with Transport Canada vs just the provincial registration (the number) and then you name the boat whatever you please?

See here:

https://tc.canada.ca/en/marine-trans...l-registration

If you want to leave Canada, it needs to be registered.

[Sunsetrider]

Also please note that both registration and licensing are Federal matters, not provincial.

[gonesail]

a unique name? that's ridiculous. it's why we have hailing ports. enjoyed the rant about that strange place north of the US border

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by BigNut

If you want to leave Canada, it needs to be registered.

Huh. Didn't realize that.

We have a trailerable microcruiser, licenced, not registered. (technically, because of size and hp, we didn't even need to do that). We've towed her into the US more than a few times, to launch and sail in US waters (MI, NY VT). We have US friends who've likewise towed their licenced boats to Canada and launched/sailed in Cdn waters. Do trailerable boats get exempted, or are we profligate lawbreakers now?

[bgallinger]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

That's weird. When I licensed my boat in Ontario (not registered, licensed) I walked into the Service Ontario office, filled in the form, and walked out with my number. Took minutes.

Lucky you!!

[bgallinger]

Lake Effect....Transport Canada will tell you that unless you Register (Document for the rest of us), you will NOT be able to enter ANY foreign country such as the USA or Bahamas. Now if you believe that, I have some oceanfront property in Arizona for ya.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by BigNut

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If you want to leave Canada, it needs to be registered.

I didn't read the link yet but my BC licensed boat goes to WA State and gets a USA cruising permit with no difficulty.


I believe that much of this is local, like BC and WA or Ontario and NY State, where licensed boats cross regularly during the season, rather than folks planning to go much much further.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by bgallinger

Lake Effect....Transport Canada will tell you that unless you Register (Document for the rest of us), you will NOT be able to enter ANY foreign country such as the USA or Bahamas. Now if you believe that, I have some oceanfront property in Arizona for ya.

. As you say, it is demonstrably false. Before the Covid apocalypse Canadian licensed boats routinely crossed to the USA. No issues. I've heard the Bahamas recognizes Canadian licenses. Beyond this it might start to become problematic.

[Ardbeg]

Well my personal experiences are as follows: My previous boat I named Adagio and was told the name was taken. I had to go all the way to Adagio 7 to get registered. My current boat is definitely a trademark although not a trademark in Canada that I know of. It is a trademark and patent in UK. Walked into the Transport office in Montreal and registered in a day. What became interesting is AIS. MY boat was unique in the world of AIS for about 7 years then someone in Scotland decided to name his powerboat the same as mine. The boat is on Islay no less! So now there is one on AIS in Canada and one in Scotland. I even copied the company logo exactly and put it on my bow. I sent a photo to the distillery and they thought it was great. Not great enough to give me a free spinnaker though. So it is clear that everybody has a different story when dealing with bureaucracy in Canada. I have even seen a sailboat called Cohiba on Lake Champlain. He used the company logo on his bow. That was what gave me the idea of Ardbeg. PS until this year I crossed the border regularly. In fact US Border Patrol got to know me well, when I called in.

[BigNut]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

. As you say, it is demonstrably false. Before the Covid apocalypse Canadian licensed boats routinely crossed to the USA. No issues. I've heard the Bahamas recognizes Canadian licenses. Beyond this it might start to become problematic.

I would imagine, like so many things, this is not a problem, until it becomes one. And when the lawyers/bureaucrats/nitpickers step in ... only the fine print will save you, if that.
I would suggest that you register if you are planning any cruising significantly away from home.
We registered out of the box.
Our home port is: Edmonton. Go figure. Only port you are allowed to register in if you’re from Alberta. Not sure about licensing.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by waterman46

You have a great rant here! They let ten different companies use that name for industry but you can't use it for a non-commercial item like your boat! All I can say is "WTF!!!" but I won't of course.

Don't you guys use hailing ports displayed on the boat as well as the name? The USCG says "There is no rule against duplication of names for documented vessels, so hailing ports are helpful in identifying vessels."

I believe you'll find that US Documented vessels may have the same name but the Hailing port must be different.

[chris mac]

Originally Posted by BigNut

Big difference between the two, l believe, Mike. Also, when was this? The rules have changed, it seems, again.

We licensed our dingy in alberta(boat is registered with edmonton ab as home port) and it is completely online.
Submit your info on their form, and within 24 hours you get a temporary acceptance with number. Once its finalized you get another email telling you so.
We did this last summer, and a different boat about 6 years ago. Both exactly the same way.

[Thumbs Up]

Doesn't Canada require a name and a number? Try RANT ONe.

[kryg]

Having grown up in Canada, (I now live in Avalon NSW Australia) I understand the Canadian Gov., lack of understanding and legal flexibility. Normally if you call your boat say " Jelly Bean", since it is not a candy it would not be a trademark issue? The rebel in me asks - I wonder why you don't register the boat in Panama, call your boat what ever name you want. There is an idea, how about calling it "Panama Hat"!

Humour aside... since you paid Canadian sales tax and bought the boat in Canada you should not have a problem keeping it there - register your boat where you like - I wonder if there is a problem to own the boat in Canada and have it registered in Panama? I'm Guessing, I'm sure a number of ships are Canadian owned but registered in there? Just a thought. Consider doing a search into the legality of Canadian boat ownership with Panamanian registration? Then the Canadian Transport registration board can RANT - if you succeed? Now that would be a great outcome and great story getting better.

Originally Posted by madprops

I'm trying to change the name of a boat in Canada. Sounds simple enough right... Wrong.

*RANT ON*

This is what the Transport Canada website says regrading naming a boat.

must be unique, even when said aloud
can’t use a registered trademark
can’t be a prohibited mark
can’t be confused with a distress signal
can’t include vessel acronyms, for example, “SV” for sailing vessel, or “FV” for fishing vessel
can include an article such as “the”, “le”, “la”, “l’”, though we don’t consider this when approving a vessel name (for example, “THE HAPPY DOLPHIN” is the same as “HAPPY DOLPHIN”)
You must provide an authorization letter, if you are using the name of:
a famous Canadian person
a city or town in Canada"


Easy enough. I use the search and punch in the name I want and its available, I do about one hour of checking to make sure no name sounds like mine... A bit odd but I'm feeling good. I fill out the paperwork send it in and wait a month. I get an email back saying I cant use the name because its registered in the Canadian Trademarks Database... But its just a generic word! I didn't even think to check.

*RANT INTENSIFIES*

Thats right, if you want to name your boat "Dolphin" you can't because a company from Israel that makes pool cleaning robots holds the trademark to the word "Dolphin" in Canada. Ok no biggie you will add you favorite color and call it "SILVER DOLPHIN".... Nope a company in Illinois has that trademarked for a "series of fiction and non-fiction books on a variety of topics". "DOLPHIN'S MOON" maybe if it wasn't trademarked by a German company that makes gaming machines.

But thats ok you are starting to hate that name anyway. You think to yourself if I'm going to be living on it why not "MI CASA". Well its to bad a company in Delaware that makes salsa mix and tortillas has that trademarked in Canada. Maybe LA CASETTA ("the little house"), Sorry a wine company from Italy has that one.

So you think well ill just call one of these companies and get them to send me a authorization letter saying I can use the name. They have nothing to do with sailing or the boat industry anyway, so you call one up and they say no problem. Bam 3 days later you have a signed authorization letter in your hand that says its ok. You call up Transport Canada, tell them about the letter... but they say no. it can't be a trademark even with a letter from the owner of the trademark.

Well now you are mad and things go into overdrive. You think, ill just name it after my own company which I have trademarked. Since I own the trademark everything will be ok... Wrong, it doesn't matter who the owner of the trademark is, they will not allow it. If you have a whale watching company named Whale Watcher and you trademark that name you can't call your boat Whale Watcher.... A company can't even buy a boat and name it after themselves. But it would be fine if you bought the boat called it whale watcher then got your company name trademarked

This is a new rule so there are tons of boats that have names that are trademarked. I don't understand why this was needed. Yes, all I have to do is add a 1 after the name I want and I can have it. But that is ridiculous, why should I have to add a 1 when my boat is the only one to have that name. Do you have any idea how many words are trademarked in Canada this is crazy, you can't even name your boat FLOWER POWER because a fertilizer company has that. Pluto is not even a planet anymore but you can't use that because its a "Electronic cigarette liquid" under a trademark.



Even if it is a word like "SUNSHINE" that is trademarked by more then ten companies all in different industries. You can't have it for your boat name.

*RANT OVER*

I don't plan on just dropping this, there has got to be something I can do. If anyone has any advice please let me know. I'm typing up an email to ask about how I can lodge a complaint.

[BigNut]

Originally Posted by chris mac

We licensed our dingy in alberta(boat is registered with edmonton ab as home port) and it is completely online.
Submit your info on their form, and within 24 hours you get a temporary acceptance with number. Once its finalized you get another email telling you so.
We did this last summer, and a different boat about 6 years ago. Both exactly the same way.

So, is your boat registered, and your dinghy licensed? Not sure what your are saying.
I understood the PO to say the rules for NAMING a boat have changed recently.
In any event, we did the same as you, as the dinghy was not included in our original registration. Most Caribbean countries don’t seem to care, but, as you say, it is all online and easy. We did it from Guatemala.
But I don’t like being registered in Edmonton. Lethbridge rules! 😝😂