coast guard documentation

[Crimea Cruiser]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Once it expired from not being redone (yearly now) isnt it not in effect at that point? is this the same no longer documented?

A lapsed document is in effect the same as not having title, unless state titled. Although the number stays with boat until a deletion is completed by last documented owner. So if Kim R does not have the boat documented in her name or a state title, and all she has is a bill of sale, it is not very strong support of ownership on either USCG side or state side.
I know because I have been looking into this issue for a friend in similar situation, but add foreign national to equation and gets even messier.

[jeremiason]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

If you want to meet the letter of the law, you need to update it in your name. Technically, you aren't supposed to take a CGR boat out on the water without it beign valid. I believe you can get it canceled.

If you are just cruising locally, there is s good chance nothing will ever come of it but it could (ie: most people speed in thier cars but nothing says you won't get a ticket.)

That is incorrect...

The previous owner is required to notify the USCG that the boat has been sold and the vessel should be DELETED FROM DOCUMENTATION. The former owner is also required to return the Documentation Certificate.

The new owner is not required to do anything with the USCG unless he wants to, or if the vessel is over 5 tons and is used for commercial purposes.

If the new owner chooses to document the vessel, he has to submit the new paper work to the Vessel Documentation Center, referencing the Documentation Number on his vessel.

If the vessel is registered in a state and is not USCG documented then the State will issue the Vessel Title.

USCG National Vessel Documentation Center, FAQ Page

[jeremiason]

Originally Posted by Crimea Cruiser

Although the number stays with boat until a deletion is completed by last documented owner.

Just as a clarification... The USCG Number is never removed from the vessel. It is just removed from the rolls, but no vessel ever is assigned a second USCG Documentation Number.

When and if you re-apply for new USCG Documentation, the original issued USCG Documentation Number (Carved in your Bulkhead) will be used again.

[kim r]

thanks for the input on the documentation - i will try to find the place to input the number....i bought Andiamo last summer. i see you have a metal boat- Andiamo is ferro cement and has some bubbles under the paint that burst into rust runs.... so- what am i looking at there - nothing serious i don't think - how do you handle the rust runs ??? and any infor you have on taking care of them... what they mean... getting ready to haul for the first time next month

[kim r]

it definitely has a very permanent set of numbers carved into the bulkhead in like 5 inch numbers

[kim r]

i think i might as well - - it if free to re-register it every year but i have not seen what it will cost initially

[Crimea Cruiser]

Originally Posted by kim r

thanks for the input on the documentation - i will try to find the place to input the number....i bought Andiamo last summer. i see you have a metal boat- Andiamo is ferro cement and has some bubbles under the paint that burst into rust runs.... so- what am i looking at there - nothing serious i don't think - how do you handle the rust runs ??? and any infor you have on taking care of them... what they mean... getting ready to haul for the first time next month

In my opinion ( without inspecting first hand ), that would unfortunately be the interior steel mesh or rebar that the cement adheres to, rusting. Did you get boat surveyed before purchasing? Ferro cement can be tricky stuff. Be to consult the other ferro owners here.

[kim r]

I'm all good as far as state - but i do feel the more documentation the better -

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by kim r

I'm all good as far as state - but i do feel the more documentation the better -

It's not a matter of more, it's one or the other. Either it is USCG documented or it is state titled, it can't be both. Rgistration depends on the state you live in or travel to. Florida for instance requires that a boat have a state registration in some state, even if that boat's home state does not require registration of documented vessels. If they catch you visiting without a state registration they will give you an opportunity to register it in Florida or pay a fine for not having it registered. I believe the fine is more than the registration fee and can be given on a daily basis. When I lived in NC state registration of documented vessels was optional, but it did save some grief when visiting states like Florida.

[valhalla360]

In theory, they aren't supposed to issue seperately at the state level but when we bought Vahalla II, I went to register and the lady handed me a new title. If I hadn't questioned if that was correct, I would have had both. After about an hour of her disussing with her boss and making a few calls, she took the title back.

As far as the old owner supposedly cancelling, that's great if they actually did it.

There's probably a 95% chance it was canceled and you are good to go but for the 5 minutes it will take to plug the number into the coast guard site I gave, why not check.

[Badsanta]

Rust runs. That sounds serious.

[xeon_tsd]

FYI. Boat purchase June 1st. CG documentation arrived Oct 30th to the company that ran all the paperwork for me.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by xeon_tsd

FYI. Boat purchase June 1st. CG documentation arrived Oct 30th to the company that ran all the paperwork for me.

Wow.. that took a while. I've been pretty lucky usually less than the 90 days.... maybe the Sequester & shutdown effected it?

[evm1024]

I think that it is very much worth getting your vessel documented (reinstated as it were). The NVDC can give you a history for some fee. This will list the documentation history including previous owners.

It may be a hassle to prove that you are the ovner if it has been out of documentation but when you sell there will be no doubt that you at=re the owner and are free of liens. Or so it appears.

What make of boat and what length (and year) inquiring minds want to know.

You can specify any hailing port that you want more or less but be aware that the documentation database is :read" by states looking for tax evaders. Say if you list San Francisco as the hailing port expect to get a letter demanding california taxes. Be sure to have prof that you have never taken the boat to california. Perhaps not a good example but you get the idea.

Regards

[FlyMeAway]

In some states, documenting gets you out of registering your dinghy provided you have a motor under a certain HP. In Washington State, for example, that motor is 10 hp.

In some (possibly many?) states, documenting gets you out of naming your dinghy and (AFAIK) gets you out of posting your dinghy's registration number on your dinghy (you can post your vessel's doc number instead), per the CFR. Some states may have an independent numbering requirement, though.