Documentation placard ad

May 7, 2011
281
C - 30 # 3573 Lake NormanNC formerly Bflo NY
Be nice
I noticed this being advertised.... don’t fall for the hype.

FYOwners, this is bull$h!t. Don't fall for it.
The official # DOES NOT need to be displayed in the cabin as the ad implies. It DOES NOT need to be ”CLEARLY” Visible to everyone. It needs to be visible w/o removing a structural member, cabinet, equipment, etc. etc. (e.g. could be inside a cabinet door or engine compartment) and IT MUST BE on a structural member AND applied such that removing or modifying it would be readily noticed. (e.g. engraved into a structural member, or numerals applied and epoxied over would comply.)

Screwed inside a cabin with #6 screws, as the ad implies, does not meet that requirement. Gluing it in place MIGHT meet the requirement, unless it could be peeled off and replaced with another plate/number.

Documentation Placard

Who says a documentation placard can't be beautiful?

All documented vessels must have their ID numbers displayed on a clearly visible, structural part of the interior of the hull. As boat designs have changed over the years, especially production boats such as Hunter, Catalina, Beneteau, etc., the large wood placards aren't necessarily what you want displayed in your cabin.

A sleek, brushed stainless steel documentation placard designed to meet all US Coast Guard standards

The numbers meet the required 3 inch height and are permanently fused to the surface of the stainless steel with a laser. They won't scratch or fade over time.

The placard measures 15 inches wide by 5 inches high. It can be purchased with holes sized to accept #6 screws, or no holes if you are going to use glue for attachment.
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
I wouldn't secure it with just scews . Too easy to remove and place a different number there. I use stick-on letters that I covered over with about 5 layers of epoxy in a place not easily seen, but easy to show "The Man" if need be..
 

Phil Herring

Alien
Mar 25, 1997
4,918
- - Bainbridge Island
FYOwners, this is bull$h!t. Don't fall for it.
The official # DOES NOT need to be displayed in the cabin as the ad implies. It DOES NOT need to be ”CLEARLY” Visible to everyone.
Hype and bull$h!t? I think that's a little over the top. Here's what a cursory Google search turned up:

From the USCG brochure "A BOATER’S GUIDE TO THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECREATIONAL BOATS"

Screen Shot 2018-10-18 at 1.44.54 PM.png

From Boat US:

The vessel must have the official number permanently affixed in block-type Arabic numerals of not less than 3 inches in height, preceded by the letters “NO .” on some clearly visible interior integral structural part of the vessel.

I agree that screws are not the best way to mount it, according to the regs, but it can certainly be mounted in some other way.

They're not sold as mandatory safety equipment, it's positioned right up front as a nicer looking way to display the numbers. It's offered with screw holes or without; how it's mounted is up to the owner.
 

MitchM

.
Jan 20, 2005
1,011
Nauticat 321 pilothouse 32 Erie PA
for 2$ i made a wooden board with proper #s on it, varnished it, mounted to the v berth wood wall with phillips screws, counter sunk the screws and covered them with wood bungs. in 35 years no coastie ever even asked to see it...
 
May 7, 2011
281
C - 30 # 3573 Lake NormanNC formerly Bflo NY
Phil,

I think my point did not come across. It's truth in advertising (rare these daze in advertising and a lot of other things.)

The advertisement implies that one needs to have the NO. displayed in the cabin (in plain view,) so ipso, buy ours because it will be beautiful when you display it. That is plain and simple B.S. As I said there is NO requirement, despite the ad, that it be in plain view of guests, or the Admiral, or spotted during an inspection. As I said it can be clearly viewed if it's inside a cabinet, or engraved into an engine stringer, or whatever, so long as it's PERMANENT and on a structural member.

And affixing their plate with screws DOES NOT meet the regs, so I call that plain B.S. (i.e., a lie, but not hype.) That is not PERMANENT (i.e., be obvious if removed or altered.) A screwed-on plate is not permanent. Period.

Whether a Coastie or Aux member will ask to see or comment on the NO. was not challenged. I don't have an interior NO. and have never had an issue either.

-Ken
 
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Feb 20, 2011
7,990
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
I'm gonna like this post 'cause it's just, well, bitchin'.
 

SG

.
Feb 11, 2017
1,670
J/Boat J/160 Annapolis
How much did they want for the plate?

For what it's worth, as almost all of us will probably agree, the "simple" screw-it on suggestion satisfying the "regs" is lame.

(Gluing metal to wood or fiberglass with epoxy is gong to make it more difficult than a simple plastic or wood "plate" with the numbers engraved. The simple solution is probably the "old" ones.)
 

Phil Herring

Alien
Mar 25, 1997
4,918
- - Bainbridge Island
Fair enough @weekendrken, I changed the copy to cover your objections. I still think it's a reach to say it was implying anything of the sort, but clarity is good and I agree that it was not completely clear.

I was reminded by someone else here that the option with the holes was added in response to customer requests, but copy has been added to encourage proper mounting.
 
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