Documenting Boat - Whose Name to Include in Ownership

[barrascuda]

We are getting our vessel documented. The Title and Registration is in my name (the wife), should we have it documented with the USCG in both my name and my husbands?

Or does it matter? Example when we go to internation ports if the boat is only documented in my name will it cause a problem? Do I have the be the one that meets the Customs Agent at every port?

[Cotemar]

barrascuda,

C. NAME OF MANAGING OWNER - Put your name here
E. NAMES AND SOCIAL SECURITY OR TAX ID NUMBERS OF ALL OTHER OWNERS - Put your husbands name here

G. CITIZENSHIP VESSEL OWNED:
X- BY ONE OR MORE INDIVIDUALS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

C. MANAGING OWNER:
Name the owner to whom the Coast Guard should send correspondence and their Social Security number. A Social Security or TAX I.D. number IS REQUIRED. A telephone number is not required but is helpful. Only an owner or part owner can be the managing owner. For vessels owned by a corporation the corporation is the managing owner: for a trust arrangement, the trustee is the managing owner: for a Partnership or a LLC, the name of the Partnership or the LLC should be shown.


E. NAME(S) AND SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER(S) OR TAX I.D. NUMBER(S) of all persons (other than managing owner) who own an interest in the vessel. If no owners other than the managing owner, leave blank.

[Alecadi]

In our case we put both our names, just in case as we have been told that if something happened in a foreign country the wife (or husband by the way) can be in troubled getting command of the boat and back home if his/her name doesn't appears on the USCG documents.

[barrascuda]

Do all the managing owners need to be on the Vessel TITLE?

[forsailbyowner]

Make sure you put (wifes name) OR (your name) NOT (wifes name)and(your name). My wife died and this little detail caused no end of bureaucratic nightmare at documentation renewal time

[Cotemar]

All the owners of interest have to be on the Documentation.

When you go to international ports if the boat has both your names on the documented there will be no problem.
Only the captain should go ashore, you or him to check in. Everyone else should stay on the boat until you clear in.

[Loquat]

I have a similar question. If I deliver a boat, say to Bermuda from Charleston, for the owner, the girlfriend. How do I clear customs with the boat when the owner is not there? I asked my delivery captain friend yesterday, and he says- get 'marching orders' from the owner. He says a notarized letter with instructions on what the sail plan is.

Is this Legit? I think I will convince her to put my name on the cg doc when we renew next year anyway... any thoughts...

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Loquat

I have a similar question. If I deliver a boat, say to Bermuda from Charleston, for the owner, the girlfriend. How do I clear customs with the boat when the owner is not there? I asked my delivery captain friend yesterday, and he says- get 'marching orders' from the owner. He says a notarized letter with instructions on what the sail plan is.

Is this Legit? I think I will convince her to put my name on the cg doc when we renew next year anyway... any thoughts...

I do this all the time. A letter of authorization from the owner is all you need. Notarization is nice but not required as long as the original documentation is in hand and you don't look or behave in a fashion to raise red flags with the C&I officer.

The letter can be simple: "Captain whosy is authorized to act as master of the vessel Whatsis from date to date while moving the boat from here to there and all reasonable intermediate ports. signed owner whatsername."

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

I do this all the time. A letter of authorization from the owner is all you need. Notarization is nice but not required as long as the original documentation is in hand and you don't look or behave in a fashion to raise red flags with the C&I officer.

The letter can be simple: "Captain whosy is authorized to act as master of the vessel Whatsis from date to date while moving the boat from here to there and all reasonable intermediate ports. signed owner whatsername."

+1

I would also include the Owner's contact details (not simply so they can easily verify, but provides an easy reference for form filling) - the easier you can make the life of officialdom (by saving on the thinking ) the better

[Catamount]

Originally Posted by barrascuda

Do all the managing owners need to be on the Vessel TITLE?

The federal Documentation will supercede your state Title -- the state title will become essentially irrelevant.

[webejammin]

We documented our catamaran last fall in both my wife and my name, but my wife (for bussiness reasons kept her maden name ) should we carry a copy of our marrage certificate to explain things in other countries? or does it matter ?

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by webejammin

We documented our catamaran last fall in both my wife and my name, but my wife (for bussiness reasons kept her maden name ) should we carry a copy of our marrage certificate to explain things in other countries? or does it matter ?

I don't think it makes any difference for documentation or other C&I reasons, but seems a good idea to demonstrate next-of-kin status in the event of a medical or legal issue.

[Capt Phil]

We had all our boats and cars in both names but had them registered with 'or' not 'and' in case one of us died which allowed the other to execute sale or transfer of assets.
As far as delivering a vessel by a non-owner either inside but particularly outside the US goes, a simple Letter of Permission which can be found in any marine title office has always worked for me a s a delivery skipper. It is signed by the registered/documented owner and allows the boat to be moved from port to port over a stated period of time. Once a regular client wrote 'indefinite' in the time frame and that caused a problem with a Port Captain in Mexico who didn't understand the difference between indefinite and forever. He suggested I write in the specific dates and take the Letter to a Notario which seemed to satisfy him. Hope this helps... cheers, Capt Phil