Best Place for Boat's Name and Home Port

[SHADS]

We have a 1994 Hunter 26. We are looking to put the home port and boat's name on. What I've read is for it to be placed on the port side of the stern. I know this is a matter of preference, but also looking to see what others have done. Thanks in advance for all the replies.
Mark

 

[cephius (Dave)]

My placement

There's so little room on the H260 transom, I placed the names on the stern quarters as well.

My personal opinion is that port names on recreational boats are silly so I never add them. But then I'm not registered with the CG either.

 

[C Jones]

After reading this I walked around our marina and looked at all the boat names and placement. It looks like where ever they have room is the place to put them.
I agree with Dave that a home port on a recreational boat is silly but sometimes I like silly so I added mine.

 

[Steve Dion]

It is not silly if your boat is documented. It is required.

The home port can be almost any place (based on USCG regulations), but you need a "place"!!! <g>

 

[Kings Gambit]

The requirement is also for 3" letters, minimum. It used to be the case that the "hailing port" could be the city and state of the CG documentation office where your boat became documented. It could also be the city and state of where your boat was berthed, or the city and state you lived in. Since one cannot put "St. Petersburg, FL" on the transom of a Pearson 30 in 3" letters along with the name of the boat, we used Miami, FL as the hailing port b/c that's where the documentation was processed. Now, however, all of the documentation is processed out of West Virginia; so I don't know if that prior option still exists. On the Bavaria, the transom is wide enough for "Long Beach, CA."

FYI-the good thing about CG documentation is that it's a one-time charge, with no annual renewal fees as with some State registrations, and no State registration of your dinghy, even with an engine, is required if it is used only as a tender to the documented vessel. In CA the DMV people will try to tell you that that is not true; but it is. You just have to "splain it" to 'em.

 

[soling42]

"the good thing about CG documentation is that it's a one-time charge, with no annual renewal fees as with some State registrations, and no State registration of your dinghy"

Now you have my attention. While my modest sea sled will never see a foreign shore, how would I follow up on whether this would replace an annual reg fee for our Fl documented vessel? Maybe Boat US would have the pros/cons state by state? Surely I'm missing something in my zeal to ease my tax burden.

 

[Lee Coller]

State Registration on Documented Vessels

"the good thing about CG documentation is that it's a one-time charge, with no annual renewal fees as with some State registrations, and no State registration of your dinghy"

Now you have my attention. While my modest sea sled will never see a foreign shore, how would I follow up on whether this would replace an annual reg fee for our Fl documented vessel? Maybe Boat US would have the pros/cons state by state? Surely I'm missing something in my zeal to ease my tax burden.

Whether or not state registration is required on a documented vessel depends on the state. Most states require documented vessels to be registered as well, but documented vessels don't have to put the registration numbers on the boat (just the registration sticker). California (very surprisingly) does not require documented boats to be registered.

See here for your state: http://www.boatus.com/gov/StateTaxRegistration.asp (FL does require state registration).

 

[Lee Coller]

CG documentation does not cover the tender

FYI-the good thing about CG documentation is that it's a one-time charge, with no annual renewal fees as with some State registrations, and no State registration of your dinghy, even with an engine, is required if it is used only as a tender to the documented vessel. In CA the DMV people will try to tell you that that is not true; but it is. You just have to "splain it" to 'em.

That's not correct. See: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc/nvdcfaq.asp#23

 

[Kings Gambit]

Interesting finding. Thanks. I'm almost certain, however, there was previously some allowance for tenders to documented vessels (but maybe not in CA), the only requirement being that the tender have some identification linking it to the CG documented vessel, and that instead of CF or FL numbers, it carried a name in the place of those numbers. Maybe my tiff alluded to with the California DMV over documentation was for the sailboat itself when I initially brought it to CA from FL. It's been 12 yr and memory fades.:neutral:

 

[Kings Gambit]

Apparent current regulations in FL re: documentation versus registration. See below.

Registration Requirements: All boats must be registered in Florida except those under 16' without motors. Military personnel are exempt from boat registration until their out of state registration expires. Registration is required on Coast Guard documented vessels. Boat registrations are issued on an annual basis. Florida residents must register a newly acquired boat at the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles within 30 days.

 

[Bill1565]

"the good thing about CG documentation is that it's a one-time charge, with no annual renewal fees as with some State registrations, and no State registration of your dinghy"

Now you have my attention. While my modest sea sled will never see a foreign shore, how would I follow up on whether this would replace an annual reg fee for our Fl documented vessel? .

CG Doccumentation and Florida money grubbing are two different things. Doccumented vessels in Florida for more than 90 days require Florida State registration in addition to doccumentation. You just don't have to post Fl numbers. You still have to buy the square sticker

Also there are size requirements for documentation and ownership history required. I believe that a 26 feet is too small for documentation. Also damn near impossible to doccument a vessel that has not been continuously doccumented since new.

 

[Lee Coller]

5 Tons or More for Documentation

Also there are size requirements for documentation and ownership history required. I believe that a 26 feet is too small for documentation. Also damn near impossible to doccument a vessel that has not been continuously doccumented since new.

See here: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc/nvdcfaq.asp#04

You must be 5 tons or more, according to the link above, a vessel over 25' will be 5 tons.

 

[soling42]

Thanks, but I thought it might be too good to be true down here. My zeal is less stimulated, replaced by my annual tax bleeding which was recently almost doubled on all of our vehicles and vessels undoubtedly to stimulate the economy. Woo Hoo feedin' the government machine.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Interesting finding. Thanks. I'm almost certain, however, there was previously some allowance for tenders to documented vessels (but maybe not in CA), the only requirement being that the tender have some identification linking it to the CG documented vessel, and that instead of CF or FL numbers...:neutral:

After a little searching around I found something at the Alaska DMV that mentioned replacing the CG registration (documentation) program (they called it) with their own. It's probably a thing of the past where ever it once may have existed--this change took place around 2000. Back to rowing I guess!!

From the Alaska DMV Website:
NOTE: Tenders are boats that are used exclusively for transportation from a boat to shore. Under the previous USCG registration program, tenders did not have to be registered. This changes under the state program. Tenders must be registered unless they are non-powered.