Question on hailing port

S

spurdog

New Member
Mar 28, 2011
88
Ct River
Boat Info
2001 410 Sundancer
3126 cats
wester genny
Engines
3126 Cats
My boat is documented with Deep River as the hailing port but when we bought the boat the marina put Middletown on it.
Could i be fined by the CG for the wrong hailing port?
 
I'm not sure... it is on the documentation. But I'm not sure how important it is... I listed my hometown where there is no possible port. I have a friend that shows "Port of No Return".
 
what I mean is does the boat have to say the same as the document? Which in my case the document says Deepriver
 
Your name and hailing port must match your documentation or you are in violation. Both the name and hailing port are part of the "registration".

The hailing port can be any location in the US that has a zip code, and does not have to be an actual port.

I don't know what the fine is for having the wrong hailing port on your transom, but the USCG regulations do state a $10,000 fine for violation. I would hate to chance getting fined that amount for a few bucks in lettering costs. I would get it fixed if I were you. Either re paint the name (easy) or go back to the CG and fill out the paperwork to have the hailing port changed.

If someone put "port of no return", that better be an actual town with a zip code, or they don't have a true documented boat.
 
I am getting lettered in 2 weeks so for clarification.... I do not see anything on my registration designated as hailing port. It has my name and address. From what I am hearing, I should use my city of residence as the hailing port / lettering? ... even though my marina is in another city/state?
 
sswall1969 said:
I am getting lettered in 2 weeks so for clarification.... I do not see anything on my registration designated as hailing port. It has my name and address. From what I am hearing, I should use my city of residence as the hailing port / lettering? ... even though my marina is in another city/state?
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I may be wrong but I think the OP was talking about a Coast Guard Documented vessel. If it is only state registered I don't believe it matters as much.
 
sswall1969 said:
I am getting lettered in 2 weeks so for clarification.... I do not see anything on my registration designated as hailing port. It has my name and address. From what I am hearing, I should use my city of residence as the hailing port / lettering? ... even though my marina is in another city/state?
Click to expand...

your registration is totaly seperate from vessel Documentation , when your vessel is Documented by the USCG it must have the Hailing Port under your boat name and also Doc numbers stenciled in your ER, most boats under 30 feet do not need documentation, just your registration is needed but you can put a hailing port under the boat name even if your not documented and only registered ,
 
I presumed the OP was talking Coast Guard documented, through the use of the word "documented". In which case, CG paperwork has a slot for both boat name and hailing port and I think they need to match the transom to make sure you are not in violation.

I like the fact that my boat is CG documented so I don't have to deal with the stupid CA DMV or put ugly registration numbers on my hull.

Either way, what you put for hailing port is up to personal preference as long as it is a legitimate city and it matches whats on your paperwork. We elected to go with the harbor we moor at, Long Beach, CA and not where we live, Lakewood, CA. I see boats in my harbor all the time with Las Vegas, NV, people use them as waterfront condos who live in Vegas and the boat will never go to Vegas in its lifetime.
 
Dsybok said:
I like the fact that my boat is CG documented so I don't have to deal with the stupid CA DMV or put ugly registration numbers on my hull.
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Don't you still have to deal with the DMV even if you do not put on the visible numbers? For anyone who has a trailered vessel, I recommend having state registration numbers (ugly as they are) as many law enforcement types on inland lakes are not accustomed to seeing boats without them and you will get checked out so I prefer to just put them on.

MM
 
MonacoMike said:
Don't you still have to deal with the DMV even if you do not put on the visible numbers? For anyone who has a trailered vessel, I recommend having state registration numbers (ugly as they are) as many law enforcement types on inland lakes are not accustomed to seeing boats without them and you will get checked out so I prefer to just put them on.

MM
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It depends on the the state. In Mass. all Documented Vessels are exempt from the boat registration process. From reading our regulations it almost seems that the registration process and documentation process are mutually exclusive because of the titling aspect.

Henry
 
Henry Boyd said:
It depends on the the state. In Mass. all Documented Vessels are exempt from the boat registration process. From reading our regulations it almost seems that the registration process and documentation process are mutually exclusive because of the titling aspect.

Henry
Click to expand...

That's about the same here in MN. We had a loan for a short time when we bought the boat and I never recalled getting the title when it was paid off. I contacted the bank but they didn't have it so I contacted the DMV. The DMV didn't have the title and were clueless about vessel documentation...they said it was "a DNR thing". OK, then. I didn't know that the USCG reported to our state DNR...government workers at their finest. I contacted the USCG and also did some research on our state regulations and found out that USCG documentation takes the place of state registration so there is no title in my case. If I had a trailer I would need to have it registered and titled with the state but the boat is federally registered. This is my first documented vessel so it was an education for me.

If you ever need the USCG just remember they are a branch of the Minnesota DNR :smt001
 
In WI a boat title is issued to the owner at the time of purchase with a notation of lien status on it. If you USCG document your boat, then they will not issue a title, but will use a copy of Certificate of Documentation from the USCG as proof that it is documented. In either case the boat needs to be registered in the state but number doesn't have to be displayed on outside of the hull if it is a documented boat. You get a sticker for your window instead.
 
Another thing to think about, If you document your boat in a state other than where you keep it, you will get a letter from that state asking why it's not registered. Every year I get a letter asking why my boat isn't registered and every year I have to make copies of marina contracts, winter layup contracts and registration copies from the state it's registered in. Pain in the butt. If you keep your documented boat in a state that is different from your hailing port, they'll also come knocking on your door. The states are desperate for money and they are walking the docks and combing through USCG documentation looking for boats with hailing ports in their state and looking for boats in their state with an out of state hailing port.
 
Woody said:
In WI a boat title is issued to the owner at the time of purchase with a notation of lien status on it. If you USCG document your boat, then they will not issue a title, but will use a copy of Certificate of Documentation from the USCG as proof that it is documented. In either case the boat needs to be registered in the state but number doesn't have to be displayed on outside of the hull if it is a documented boat. You get a sticker for your window instead.
Click to expand...

PA now puts your PA registration number on the registration sticker. Not sure why but if your boat is documented by the CG.....you still have a PA registration number on your annual registration sticker......go figure, Mike.
 
If it's like CT, the registration number is the same as the documentation number.
 
Not sure about ALL states. But I did quite a bit of research before buying my 450 in Nov. The PO indicated that he did not have a title and that the boat was CG documented. The novice that I was, I was suspicious of title/lein information. So I stated the fact finding mission with the CG and the the State of TX. After talking with CG I learned that you can order a document history from the for a fee (good to do) they will fax it to you within 24hrs. and them snail it to you. It will tell from the beginning of time everything about the ownership, BOS information and lein status of the vessel. Now for my particulat vessel I learned that the PO was an Idiot and didn't realize that when he got his loan a couple of years ago (from a local credit union) that they also didn't know anything about CG documentation or how to perfect a lein with the CG. They seemingly either titled it in TX for him or he did it and "forgot". Now all was well with the TX title as TX is a title holding state. In other words not only does the leinholder perfect a lein via title lein or UCC form when they do file the DMV lein the state sends the title to the lender for them to keep until such colateral is paid off. OK... I live in OK and keep my vessel in AR. AR, as I suspect all states do (correct me gently if I am wrong), require that if a vessel is slipped within the border of their state then you must register with the AR dmv. Hmm I don't want to do that because then I must pay personal property tax in the state of Arkansas to get a tag/registration from the state. Already paid it once to OK. So now we investigate the option of CG documentation. AR is required to recognize the CG documentation, as someone else mentioned it is a federal documentation. Again I beleive this it true of all state however please, please research it yourself (correct me gently!). Problems can arise. Most all local lenders will have NO idea about CG documention. And will probably not be willing to rely on the CG for lein perfection. The lender can also file the UCC form with the local court house, just as you would for real estate. You do not have to have a state registration if your vessel is CG documented. You will need a name for the CG to register as well as a hailing port. The CG website has all of the proper forms for transfer of ownership, lein filings,e tc on their website for download. http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc/
 
Simply put, as long as the City & State that you show as your hailing port in your documentation papers is on your transom in 4" lettering you are fine. You can make your hailing port any town you like. Mine is San Francisco but I have never lived there or berthed my boat there except for a week as a guest. If your hailing port on your transom does not equal what is in your documentation papers....change them soon in case you get boarded.
 
I think the only time to Document your boat is if your boating on the Great Lakes or Oceans , I have several friends that are documented here on the chain o lakes and all they do is get harrassed from the local Sherriffs for no numbers , My opinion is really worth the hassel and agrivation of being stopped every weekend ?No Thanks
 
Agreed... Almost none of the law enforcement local registration authorities will know anything about CG documentation.
 
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