New Certificate of Documentation fee

[Jim Walsh]

The mail arrived this morning with my Vessel Renewal Notification. There is now a $26.00 fee associated with renewal. Apparently the Federal bureaucracy intends to waste a few more of my hard earned dollars

[JWSutcliffe]

Jim:

Just be glad you have a September renewal - the new charge went into effect last November. I got hit with it when I renewed in December. I try to look at it as the price to pay for not having to look at state registration numbers that I would undoubtedly have installed imperfectly.

[Sea Hunt Video]

Jim and Skip:

I got "nicked" for it last October. I am pretty sure it goes to USCG accounting so probably a good thing.

[Steve Laume]

Let's put this in perspective; you own a boat and are taking about a $26.00 annual documentation fee?

Complaining about the price of bottom paint, electronics or mooring fees I could understand. But 26 bucks? Really!?

I would just like to get my boat documentation squared away and would be happy to pay that price, Steve.

[Skeep]

Less than a buck a foot for several of you all LOL...!

[Neil Gordon]

Less than a buck a foot for several of you all LOL...!

Yup... and one of the advantages of a bigger boat is that fixed costs amortize over a longer denominator.

[Skeep]

Amen!!

[Joe Myerson]

Not much of a price to pay, especially if you live in a state like Massachusetts, where you don't need registration. And just think, if you sail in foreigh waters, you get to fly Old Glory as an official United States vessel. Don't try that off Somalia, though.

--Joe

[joemerchant]

The fee was supposed to help offset costs of converting to a new system and more efficient documentation. We bought a new boat back in July and still have not even received the letter to say the documentation is in process. Can check the site and they say they have it, just have done nothing with it. When we bought the Cape Dory in 2010, it took over 3 months to get the documentation.

You can order a ship and operator license from the FCC and have it in 24 hours, but takes months to document your boat.

[Sea Hunt Video]

JoeMerchant:

You may want to try calling them to determine why the delay. (304) 271-2400

I guess fortunately, I have never had a problem with USCG documentation office. The times I have called them either to obtain an initial certificate or to replace a renewal certificate that the Postal Service apparently "lost" in mail delivery USCG has always been very responsive and very helpful.

[Neil Gordon]

And just think, if you sail in foreigh waters, you get to fly Old Glory as an official United States vessel. Don't try that off Somalia, though.

On the other hand, you do get all the protection that comes with being a US flagged vessel.

[joemerchant]

JoeMerchant:

You may want to try calling them to determine why the delay. (304) 271-2400

I guess fortunately, I have never had a problem with USCG documentation office. The times I have called them either to obtain an initial certificate or to replace a renewal certificate that the Postal Service apparently "lost" in mail delivery USCG has always been very responsive and very helpful.

They now have a place on the website to show the progress of the "work packet" http://cgmix.uscg.mil/VDS/Default.aspx Shows it was received and the date they received it, and how until they are processed. Since the cutbacks in 2009, Recreational is at the bottom of the heap and they seem to get backlogged more and more each year. They will send a letter to say they received it, but heard of 6 months wait in the last couple years, which is supported by the work dates from their website below. It also shows the priority. You can get lucky and send yours in just prior to them working recreational and only take a few days, or be waiting 6 months. The scary thing I am seeing below is the mortgage and lien. You could buy a boat and not know a lien was placed on it during the prior year as they CG has yet to file it, so the abstract would come back clean...

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc/nvdcprocessdate.asp

•Fish Initial Application: 09/04/15
•Fish Exchange, Reinstatement, and Replacement of COD: 09/02/15
•Commercial Initial Application: 09/02/15
•Commercial Exchange, Reinstatement, and Replacement of COD: 09/02/15
•Recreational Initial Application: 05/12/15
•Recreational Exchange, Reinstatement, and Replacement of COD: 04/22/15
•Mortgage: 10/27/14
•Notices of Claim of Lien: 11/25/14
•Satisfactions: 04/14/14
•Deletion with fees: 09/03/15
•Certificates of Ownership: 09/04/15
•Research (Including Complex): 09/03/15
•Abstract Processing (Including Abstract Pending Review): 09/03/15

[Tom Keevil]

Call them and ask. We needed ours sent to our home in Oregon before heading up to the boat in Alaska last April. It seemed to be taking a lot longer than expected, and the online status check was not very illuminating. A short phone conversation with a helpful and polite bureaucrat resulted in it being put in the mail the next morning.

The power of the late Harry Byrd is obvious, as the fellow I talked with was in West Virginia - not too many documented boats there I bet.

As for the fee, I have little patience with folks who want government services but don't want to pay any taxes. But that's not an appropriate topic for this forum.

[Jim Walsh]

As for the fee, I have little patience with folks who want government services but don't want to pay any taxes. But that's not an appropriate topic for this forum.

I started this discussion because I was caught off guard by the renewal fee. This is a service which had been provided gratis since I documented my first boat in 1978. I made a lighthearted comment about the Federal bureaucracy. Did you notice the "smiley"?
Don't presume to include me in those who "want government services but don't want to pay any taxes".
I can assure one and all that I had no intention of igniting a political debate or a personal attack.
I agree fully with Ben Franklin when he stated " In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes".

[jen1722terry]

We had a difficult time getting our boat documented. It took about a year of letters, phone calls and waiting to finally complete the procedure. The USCG folks were patient and polite, but it seemed their computer system was not doing what it was supposed to do, and the result was the long wait.

We have no issue with the renewal fee. Like many US govt. agencies, the USCG has had budget cuts. Someone has to pay the bills and who else should do that but the folks who most benefit from the services?

In another vein, last summer our engine alarm went off in a very busy, deep and narrow channel in central Maine. At about the same time a fog bank engulfed us and then the wind died. Not wanting to drop anchor is this deep and busy thoroughfare in thick fog, we called TowBoat US for a tow, only to be told it would be 90 minutes before help would arrive. We started sounding the fog horn and called the nearby USCG base for advice. They offered much more than advice: they had a patrol boat alongside us in exactly 7 minutes (we noted the times) and stood by us like a mother hen until the tow arrived. All it cost us was our copious thanks. They even threw in a free safety inspection of our CD31 before departing.

$26/year for documentation? A bargain in our opinion.

Happy Fall Sailing, CDers!