How to Mark Your Doc Number?

[off-the-grid]

The previous owners of my boat just used vinyl lettering inside one of the aft cabins. I was thinking this may not be permanent enough, I was either going to get some sort of plaque made or maybe just epoxy a sheet of clear acrylic over the number.

Now someone is telling that the vinyl numbers are fine. I guess vinyl would technically/potentially leave some "scaring" as the USCG website says, since you'd possibly need to us a blade to remove it, and may leave some glue/ghosting behind, plus maybe some small scratches/nicks from the blade.

I know what it says on the USCG website, but in the real world what is acceptable?

[donradcliffe]

Last year, the USCG boarding team looked at my vinyl lettering with a couple of coats of epoxy over it, and said it was OK.

[FrankZ]

The Bristol 35 we just purchased was previously documented. The numbers are carved nicely into the compression post about 1/4 inch deep. Looks like someone started with a stencil.

[James S]

Mine was also carved..... into on side of the companionway trim

[anotherT34C]

I was wondering about this as well. My boat has been documented for decades, but the PO never bothered to post the numbers anywhere. I haven't yet either.

I was going to stick vinyl letters inside one of the open cabinets, and brush over them with varnish. Hopefully that'll do?

[Microship]

I took the CG regs literally, peeled off the old vinyl inside the engine room, and used a router lettering kit to engrave them in a riser off the teak-holly sole. Probably crazy, but it does look stylin'... and definitely tamper-evident!

Steve

[neelie]

Vinyl letters/numbers and a layer of glass cloth epoxied over them. The wetted down cloth remains transparent after it cures.

[MarkJ]

We had a lot of problems with this because we didnt want to wreck the look of the boat.
The Australian rules allow for screws if they can't be removed.

We decided that filling the phillips heads of the screws with epoxy would render them un removable. No need to cover the whole thing with epoxy.

A sign shop laser etched into alaminum plastic backed thing that gives a nice 2 tone, selectable colour scheme.

We mounted it on the nav station covering the hole of a previously removed radio

Your boat is beautiful and you can do better than burning the precious timber work. Think creativly and come up with a solution that enhances your interior

[Cheechako]

vynil lettering, one layer of thin "boat cloth" over it.

[SabreKai]

Sabre Dance came with a nice little bronze plate screwed to the bulkhead but I ended up using my buzz box and 1/16 rod to weld the number onto the main deck beam just below the cockpit steps.

Sabre

[Charlie]

I took vynyl numbers and put them in the lazaret then went over it with a couple of coats of epoxy. A few months later I was looking under the saloon seating and found that the numbers were there as well. Do the Canadian Aussie rules require that the numbers are visible w/o opening anything.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

Last year, the USCG boarding team looked at my vinyl lettering with a couple of coats of epoxy over it, and said it was OK.

During a boarding about fifteen years ago, the Coasties told me to remove the vinyl numbers in my chain locker and grind the numbers into the fiberglass.

Steve B.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Charlie

Do the Canadian Aussie rules require that the numbers are visible w/o opening anything.

It must be in a conspicious place. It can't be shut in a cupboard (or thats where ours would be!)

I spoke at length the the registraion guy and they are pretty easy going but the law says whats required so its a balance of doing the right thing, not going over the top, and doing it asthtically to your boat.

In an email from him:

You should try and mark the internal markings on one of the main bulkheads. What we are looking for is to mark it some where that it is permanent, readable and accessible.

On receipt of the email certified Marking Note I will complete the registration for the ship.

Marking of Ship – Methods
· Official Number and Register/Net Tonnage/Length overall shall be either cut into or raised from the surface in one of the following ways:
- in a wooden ship, by chisel cuts into the timber to a depth of about 3mm;
- in a metal ship, by cutting with a cold chisel or by centre punching;
- in a glass reinforced or plastic or ferrocement ship, where the nature of the material precludes the user of conventional methods, by engraving on a plate of metal, wood or plastic and securing it where it can be easily been seen to the main beam (or if there is no main beam to a structural member which is an integral part of the ship) with rivets, through bolts with ends clenched, or screws with slots removed. Metal or plastic plates may also be secured with an epoxy adhesive and then coated, after fixing in position , with a translucent epoxy resin.

So the bit we used was: " ...by engraving on a plate of metal, wood or plastic and securing it where it can be easily been seen ... to a structural member which is an integral part of the ship... with ... screws with slots removed...."

In other words READ the law and get a bush lawyer to interpret it! ("Bush Lawyer" is an Aussie term for... ummm a bloke who can interpret the law so the law is on your side )
Just find latitude in the words

[Viking Sailor]

I epoxied 4 inch teak numbers (the kind used for home address signs,) to a white painted bulkhead in the forward cabin. They match the rest of the teak and thus looks really nice. I think I got the numbers at Home Depot. The USCG has boarded a of times and never commented on them one way or the other.

[Cheechako]

3" vinyl letters with Boat cloth laminated to the hull was acceptable on a CG inspection I had.