Documentation question

[Tom]

I've never seen a documented PLEASURE boat that showed the tonnage with the number. It's on the certificate of documentation, of course, but I don't show it on my boat and I've been inspected by the Coast Guard, San Diego Harbor Patrol (notorious Nazis), and Immigration and have never had a problem with not having it posted.

I think Ken is correct on this one, unless youse guys nose something we don't. Cite your authorities...

Tom
Channel Islands, Calif.

From the USCG FAQs on Documentation:

"HOW DO I MARK MY VESSEL?

The official number assigned to documented vessels, preceded of the abbreviation "NO." must be marked in block-type Arabic numerals at least three inches high on some clearly visible interior structural part of the hull. The number must be permanently affixed so that alteration, removal, or replacement would be obvious and cause some scarring or damage to the surrounding hull area."

"The name and hailing port of a recreational vessel must be marked together on some clearly visible exterior part of the hull. The vessel name of a commercial vessel must also be marked on the port and starboard bow and the vessel name and the hailing port must also be marked on the stern. All markings may be made by any means and materials that result in durable markings and must be at least four inches in height, made in clearly legible letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numerals. The "hailing port" must include both a place and a State, Territory, or possession of in the United States. The state may be abbreviated."

Note the "clearly visible" part. Note that tonnage is not mentioned, but that you must identify the number as a number (!) by preceeding it with "No." And by the way, don't forget to ask your mortgagee if it is OK for you to change the hailing port of your vessel:

"HOW DO I CHANGE THE NAME OR HAILING PORT OF MY VESSEL?

The name and/or hailing port may be changed by filing an application for change on form CG-1258 with the appropriate fees. If your vessel is subject to a mortgage of record, you must obtain permission from the mortgagee on form CG-4593."

Where do all these dockside legends come from?

Keep on sailing,

Ken Coit
CD/36 Parfait
Hailing Port: Raleigh, NC
Sailing from Beaufort, NC

Yup. The documentation papers will tell you what has to be put on the number board. As I recall it, you put your 7 digit number on as well as the weight as shown on the applicatiom. For some reason, I do not think that this is the actual weight, but rather another measurement expressed in tons. Maybe someone else out there knows the purpose of the weight figure, and it's significance.
So you got a 3 ft. board? hee..mine is probably 18in. long, 3 1/2 tall. What with the no dumping garbage and no dumping oil plaques, all the open spots get taken.

Larry DeMers

Larry,
Re: Documented weight??? I thought just the 6-digit document number was required. Does the weight also have to be carved in 3 inch letters? This is going to require more than a board, it will require LUMBER!

Thanks to all for the ideas.

TomCambria@mindspring.com

[Larry DeMers]

Ken,

I am not sure what "Dockside Legends" you are refering to. The topic of my messages related to the interior markings required by the CG. I stated that the interior markings (apparently) have or at one time had a requirement to state Net Tonnage at the end of the Documentation number, as my boat came with that feature.."NOxxxxxxNET8" is on my documentation number board. I think I have read that this is the form it is to take also, but cannot back that up with sources at this time. I will call the CG later today and verify which way it should be however.

I was also correct in that this tonnage figure does not refer to weight of the boat but rather to volume of the boat, expressed in tons.

Could you show me where there is a "Dockside Legend" involved?

Thanks,

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30
Sailing the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior

From the USCG FAQs on Documentation:

"HOW DO I MARK MY VESSEL?

The official number assigned to documented vessels, preceded of the abbreviation "NO." must be marked in block-type Arabic numerals at least three inches high on some clearly visible interior structural part of the hull. The number must be permanently affixed so that alteration, removal, or replacement would be obvious and cause some scarring or damage to the surrounding hull area."

"The name and hailing port of a recreational vessel must be marked together on some clearly visible exterior part of the hull. The vessel name of a commercial vessel must also be marked on the port and starboard bow and the vessel name and the hailing port must also be marked on the stern. All markings may be made by any means and materials that result in durable markings and must be at least four inches in height, made in clearly legible letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numerals. The "hailing port" must include both a place and a State, Territory, or possession of in the United States. The state may be abbreviated."

Note the "clearly visible" part. Note that tonnage is not mentioned, but that you must identify the number as a number (!) by preceeding it with "No." And by the way, don't forget to ask your mortgagee if it is OK for you to change the hailing port of your vessel:

"HOW DO I CHANGE THE NAME OR HAILING PORT OF MY VESSEL?

The name and/or hailing port may be changed by filing an application for change on form CG-1258 with the appropriate fees. If your vessel is subject to a mortgage of record, you must obtain permission from the mortgagee on form CG-4593."

Where do all these dockside legends come from?

Keep on sailing,

Ken Coit
CD/36 Parfait
Hailing Port: Raleigh, NC
Sailing from Beaufort, NC

Yup. The documentation papers will tell you what has to be put on the number board. As I recall it, you put your 7 digit number on as well as the weight as shown on the applicatiom. For some reason, I do not think that this is the actual weight, but rather another measurement expressed in tons. Maybe someone else out there knows the purpose of the weight figure, and it's significance.
So you got a 3 ft. board? hee..mine is probably 18in. long, 3 1/2 tall. What with the no dumping garbage and no dumping oil plaques, all the open spots get taken.

Larry DeMers

Larry,
Re: Documented weight??? I thought just the 6-digit document number was required. Does the weight also have to be carved in 3 inch letters? This is going to require more than a board, it will require LUMBER!

Thanks to all for the ideas.

demers@sgi.com

[len]

jerry

interesting thread - i've been boarded twice, once at about 4 AM after an all night trip from wellfleet to hingham, the local coast guard may have thought i was a drug runner - i had two kids on board asleep - i was 15 minutes from my mooring and refused to stop! - looking back, i was wrong and foolish to insist they follow me to my mooring, but they did and were nice about it - they didn't even look at the ship's papers - the second time was about 5 AM at the east end of cape cod canal, i'd been up all night from hingham and was alone - the coast guard came up in a fast inflatable and gave me a thorough inspection, i think they were practicing - they gave me a written warning for failing to have the original documentation papers aboard, a deficiency i have since corrected, but took no notice of the absence of permanent documentation markings on the boat

len



md.frel@nwh.org

[Ken Coit]

Larry,

I apologize if you felt taken to task by that comment. I just wanted to put a term around the various documentation challenges we have been discussing that don't seem to be easily found in any USCG pub we have yet to see. They may be there somewhere and I look forward to seeing them.

I am somewhat of a stickler for documented evidence of a need, especially when it involves effort and other resources on my part. I really don't want to hear that I need to change my documentation, re-letter the transom, and make a larger number board to include tonnage before I dare venture out past the USCG station at Ft. Macon.

I don't suppose they sit there logging the traffic in and out of the Morehead City channel, but, damn, if they do, I am an easy target for $500 a day fines if Parfait is in violation of the rules.

We were boarded once on my Grady White 204C; they were very pleasant and a bit surprised at my excessive (obsessive?) attention to meeting the rules. I do not want to trip on documentation rules, they ought to be easy to meet.

I don't see anything in the USCG info re: documentation about net tonnage being required on the boards, but I can certainly remember seeing it on some. Maybe they were commercial vessels?

Keep on Sailing!

Ken Coit
CD/36 Parfait
Hailing Port: Raleigh, NC
Sailing from: Beaufort, NC

Ken,

I am not sure what "Dockside Legends" you are refering to. The topic of my messages related to the interior markings required by the CG. I stated that the interior markings (apparently) have or at one time had a requirement to state Net Tonnage at the end of the Documentation number, as my boat came with that feature.."NOxxxxxxNET8" is on my documentation number board. I think I have read that this is the form it is to take also, but cannot back that up with sources at this time. I will call the CG later today and verify which way it should be however.

I was also correct in that this tonnage figure does not refer to weight of the boat but rather to volume of the boat, expressed in tons.

Could you show me where there is a "Dockside Legend" involved?

Thanks,

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
Cape Dory 30
Sailing the Apostle Islands of Lake Superior

From the USCG FAQs on Documentation:

"HOW DO I MARK MY VESSEL?

The official number assigned to documented vessels, preceded of the abbreviation "NO." must be marked in block-type Arabic numerals at least three inches high on some clearly visible interior structural part of the hull. The number must be permanently affixed so that alteration, removal, or replacement would be obvious and cause some scarring or damage to the surrounding hull area."

"The name and hailing port of a recreational vessel must be marked together on some clearly visible exterior part of the hull. The vessel name of a commercial vessel must also be marked on the port and starboard bow and the vessel name and the hailing port must also be marked on the stern. All markings may be made by any means and materials that result in durable markings and must be at least four inches in height, made in clearly legible letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numerals. The "hailing port" must include both a place and a State, Territory, or possession of in the United States. The state may be abbreviated."

Note the "clearly visible" part. Note that tonnage is not mentioned, but that you must identify the number as a number (!) by preceeding it with "No." And by the way, don't forget to ask your mortgagee if it is OK for you to change the hailing port of your vessel:

"HOW DO I CHANGE THE NAME OR HAILING PORT OF MY VESSEL?

The name and/or hailing port may be changed by filing an application for change on form CG-1258 with the appropriate fees. If your vessel is subject to a mortgage of record, you must obtain permission from the mortgagee on form CG-4593."

Where do all these dockside legends come from?

Keep on sailing,

Ken Coit
CD/36 Parfait
Hailing Port: Raleigh, NC
Sailing from Beaufort, NC

Yup. The documentation papers will tell you what has to be put on the number board. As I recall it, you put your 7 digit number on as well as the weight as shown on the applicatiom. For some reason, I do not think that this is the actual weight, but rather another measurement expressed in tons. Maybe someone else out there knows the purpose of the weight figure, and it's significance.
So you got a 3 ft. board? hee..mine is probably 18in. long, 3 1/2 tall. What with the no dumping garbage and no dumping oil plaques, all the open spots get taken.

Larry DeMers

parfaitNOSPAM@nc.rr.com

[J. Chamberlain]

For what it's worth, we bought our 1981 CD 33 four years ago. It was already documented, so we just transferred to us with new boat name and home port. The doc numbers stayed the same. The numbers had been carved in a board mounted on the port bulkhead just inside the V berth. Numbers only, no tonnage. FYI, CD 33 docs at 12 tons.



jchamber@kaballero.com

[Neil Gordon]

>>Note that tonnage is not mentioned, ...<<

Note that engraging the letters isn't mentioned, either.

I used stick on letters, on the inside of the hull under the port side settee. They're epoxied over, and no question that grinding off the epoxy and removing the letters would leave scarring.


Regards, Neil
s/v LIQUIDITY, Boston
CD28 #167



cdory28@aol.com

[Ken Coit]

I'm sure that was a typo, but what a wonderful typo! Thanks.

Ken

>>Note that tonnage is not mentioned, ...<<

Note that engraging the letters isn't mentioned, either.

I used stick on letters, on the inside of the hull under the port side settee. They're epoxied over, and no question that grinding off the epoxy and removing the letters would leave scarring.


Regards, Neil
s/v LIQUIDITY, Boston
CD28 #167

parfaitNOSPAM@nc.rr.com

[Ed Haley]

Larry:
I'm not sure where you got that little tidbit regarding the weight of a vessel but only the US Documentation number needs to be afixed to the vessel. Maybe you saw the number character "#" in the engraving and thought it meant "weight." Heh...heh. Or else it is a requirement of a commercial vessel ... but I couldn't find a reference.

Ed Haley
S/V Mokita
CD330 #1
Mystic CT (temporary)



eghaleyNOSPAM@twcny.rr.com