Documentation?

[dhmeissner]

I have owned The Promise since 2012. Bought in The Bay Area and now registered in WA. I think there may be value in getting her CG documented but the horror stories are scary. Is there an agent that could handle this for me locally in the PNW?

I've searched and could not find evidence she was ever documented.

 

[Larry M]

Here’s one the area. These guys helped us out when bought Hobo. I’ll give them high marks.

Marine Documentation Service, Inc.

We also used these guys but it was 20 years ago.

Pacific Maritime Title

 

[dhmeissner]

Thanks Larry!

 

[FootballFan]

Documentation is easy.


Get an agent to help, go for it.

 

[markpierce]

Recently received a snail-mail-notice that my USCG documentation was expiring soon (Dec. 31). Noticed their website asked for nearly $80 to renew, but I elected to go to the official USCG website to just as easily to renew at under $30.

 

[foggysail]

YOu should not be frightened by the thought of doing the documentation yourself. We documented our Silverton 40. Did take not long and certainly not challenging enough to pay someone to do it for you. But it's up to you

 

[dhmeissner]

I went to the website, but couldn't find a link to any forms that worked at all. Several dead links, and it all just seemed like double-speak.

 

[markpierce]

try this

National Vessel Documentation Center - Instructions and Forms

 

[Bob Cofer]

Dave,

National Vessel Documentation Center - Instructions and Forms

The necessary forms are at the bottom of the page. Look for the Initial Issue CG-1258.

Bob

 

[Bob Cofer]

Dave,

This is the site to search and see if there has ever been documentation of your boat.

http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st1/CoastGuard/VesselByName.html

Bob

 

[kthoennes]

Oh, there's a lot of discussion in this and other boating forums about boat documentation and processing delays, and cleverly disguised third party documentation "facilitators" ripping people off with higher fees but all that aside, it's not a big deal. I'm not sure there's much useful purpose to it unless you're boating beyond the US/Canada/Mexico trio, but we still keep our documentation current just for kicks (and we're 1,500 miles from saltwater). We just do it for the cool nautical cache' really.

 

[markpierce]

Documentation keeps those ugly registration numbers off the hull and requires one to post the boat's name on the hull. Every boat deserves a name.

 

[dhmeissner]

Thanks Bob, Mark, & all. I must have been blind. Yes our boat has never been documented. I will give this a go.

 

[csugg]

I re-doumented a boat just purchased. I just called the USCG doc. center and they were amazingly helpful. Walked me thru the whole process and didn't make me feel stupid. Only problem was that it took 3 months to receive my doc.papers. I believe that's par for the course.

Ches
Fales Navigator
New Bern, NC

 

[South of Heaven]

I bought my new to me boat in August and had the documentation transferred (new name too). The documentation service told me it would take 3-6 months for an official "hard" copy.

Why the hell does it take that long??

 

[kthoennes]

...The documentation service told me it would take 3-6 months for an official "hard" copy. Why the hell does it take that long??

That's actually much faster than it's been in the past. Took us about 8 months to get ours around 2015. The Nat'l Doc Center posts processing times on their website, but from my own case the processing times they self-report are nonsense. I did forget that nice benefit of not cluttering my hull with state registration numbers, that is another good reason to do federal documentation, if the look of a clean hull is important to you, even if it's just aesthetic. I did try to correct the tonnage of our boat twice, they show 21 gross tons, but it's actually 26,000 lbs, or 13 tons. After two letters to them with manufacturer's specs attached I gave up because it's doesn't really matter, I'm just being fussy for no good reason. It is a relatively easy process overall though. The FCC station licensing for the VHF radio was much more complex and mind-bending.

 

[Jay N]

Others will probably weigh in, but gross tons is a measurement of interior space, not the weight of the boat. There has been a lot of discussion of this issue in past threads.

 

[Comodave]

100 cubic feet is a ton. Going back to frontier days cargo was shipped by volume apparently. So a ton of cargo typically took up 100 cubic feet. It is not a weight measurement.

 

[wwestman]

We used Pacific Maritime Title in Seattle

Pacific Maritime Title

Painless.

 

[Maerin]

You don't necessarily have to have an agent, you can do it yourself. If you do choose to use an agent, steer clear of these folks: https://uscgdocumentation.us/
They're shady. Lots of posts regarding their deceptive website and tactics. They overcharge and are unprofessional.

Unless there's an issue with obtaining clear title, you should be able to do the process yourself. The OFFICIAL USCG site is found here:
National Vessel Documentation Center

 

[dhmeissner]

Thanks for the heads up Maerin, I will give it a go myself.

 

[boathealer]

I did it all myself through the USCG web site. A couple of forms, and check, and they emailed all along with the progress....

 

[Bacchus]

Keep copies of the application form as proof you have applied for documentation.
I believe that technically you should not operate until dpcumentation is received and all name port #s have been applied.

 

[boathealer]

Keep copies of the application form as proof you have applied for documentation.
I believe that technically you should not operate until dpcumentation is received and all name port #s have been applied.

They emailed me a confirmation of application and said that that would serve as documentation until they sent the official copies.

 

[OldDan1943]

One benefit of a documented boat, you don't have to put on those hull numbers.
No annual taxes on the boat..... IF IF you declare your home port other than where you keep the boat. My boat is in Florida but the home port is Atlanta, Georgia. Shhhh, don't stirrup the mud.
Disadvantage, the government can 'borrow' your boat in time of war.' They must return it in at least the same condition as when they borrowed it.

 

[Montenido]

Filing for the documentation is easy, I just did it. I used the priority option and received the cert in about a week.

Cheers, Bill

 

[OldDan1943]

I did it all myself through the USCG web site. A couple of forms, and check, and they emailed all along with the progress....

When you put the documentation on an obvious place, a stringer, don't forget the period. I am told, the USCG will gig you for no period.

 

[AKDoug]

Marine Documentation Service, Inc did mine, and it was anything but easy. A clear trail of previous ownership and registration is the key, and the certificate of origin. My vessel had the PO lose the certificate of origin, and the boat had never been registered or documented. It sat on a dock in Virginia (not in the water) and was never registered.

Luckily Willard Marine was able (still being in business) to certify the build, and eventually I was able to get Documentation. It IS nice not having those big ugly numbers on the hull