Boat Name and Location

[SV Someday Came]

I am renaming my boat -- under its name, like every other sailboat, is the name of a location. In my case, the location announced is "Long Beach". Is it traditional to put the name of where the boat is currently berthed? Is this "location" announcement more about legal registration than it is tradition?

Thanks


Michael

[Vasco]

It's usually the port of registry.

[SV Someday Came]

Ok, thanks. I am ordering names and I needed to know.

[delmarrey]

The name and port of registry is required for documented boats but optional for state registered boats, then numbers & a year sticker up forward are required.

[Pblais]

The port can actually be anywhere you like though for US documented boats it should be in the US some place. It can be a city name or a place name followed by the state. There is no advantage or disadvantage to choosing the port name other than it gets put on your boat. It clearly won't help you beat local taxes.

[SV Someday Came]

Originally Posted by Pblais

The port can actually be anywhere you like though for US documented boats it should be in the US some place. It can be a city name or a place name followed by the state. There is no advantage or disadvantage to choosing the port name other than it gets put on your boat. It clearly won't help you beat local taxes.

Heavens! I was not trying to beat any local tax. Twentynine Palms, California just seemed like a lot of letters to have underneath a name -- I was hoping that I would not have to put where I actually live on the boat's sides!

Michael

If your boat is registered in California (it has a "CF" number on the bow), the name and hailing port you put on the side can be anything and anywhere...or nowhere. In that case the name is just for laughs and giggles and has no legal status whatsoever.

If your boat is documented with the USCG, the "hailing port" can be any city in the US. Somebody above used the words "should be", that is not correct the term is "must be". However the choice of place name to use is 100% up to you. You can have any kind of relationship to the city name you use, or no relationship at all. More info here (if you are documented): USCG National Vessel Documentation Center, FAQ Page

Changing the name on your boat if you are documented with the USCG will cost you $84 to update your certificate. The update process is here: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc/instr/instrex.doc Don't even think of changing the name without updating the paperwork, anymore than you would change the license plate on your car without going through the DMV.

[Pblais]

Twentynine Palms, California just seemed like a lot of letters to have underneath a name -- I was hoping that I would not have to put where I actually live on the boat's sides!

The port name can be a "place" or a "city" name. Contrary to the above there are no requirements on being a City. The county we live in has no cities but a lot of places. A place name known to you can be used and you may abbreviate the state or spell it out so long at the lettering is 4 inches inches and of a legible font. You don't have to place it on both sides though both sides when done is a popular location. Once on the transom is most popular. The name and the port need to be together in the same location. You can make one or both larger than the minimum required and in different styles or colors.

I have seen boat names with Twentynine Palms, CA often with a little palm tree in the art work too. It's popular with people that were stationed there. Around here Ark,VA is about the shortest you can get. VA has thousands of tiny places with names not on any map. If a boat already has a name and port you don't have to change it if you prefer not to.

[Popeye21]

Greetings. This might be a strange place for a newbie (to the forum, not to sailing) to weigh in but this thread touches on something that has long been a pet peeve of mine.

I've always thought the the location on a boat's stern should be the home port of the vessel, NOT where the owner lives. When I see some random city that is nowhere near water I think it's just ridiculous.

That said, I recognize that we all have the right to put whatever we want on our boats.

[nautical62]

Originally Posted by Popeye21

...I've always thought the the location on a boat's stern should be the home port of the vessel, NOT where the owner lives. ...

I've always thought the same, but that's not how it works. I'm a U.S citizen that owns a U.S. boat in Tortola BVI. I wanted to use Tortola as the home port listed on the boat (since that's the home port), but was told I had to use a U.S. location. Doesn't make any sense to me, but that's the way it is.

[JiffyLube]

Originally Posted by Pblais

The port can actually be anywhere you like though for US documented boats it should be in the US some place.

I think that with documented boats, the location should be where the boat will be kept or its home port.

Originally Posted by JiffyLube

I think that with documented boats, the location should be where the boat will be kept or its home port.

Internet advice is always worth what you pay for it.

And in this case it is 100% wrong. There is no restriction at all on where a documented boat's home port "should be", other than in the US. It has NOTHING to do with where the boat is kept.

I'll put the link here AGAIN so people who chose to answer questions without a clue can read it: USCG National Vessel Documentation Center, FAQ Page

[JiffyLube]

Originally Posted by GreatKetch

Internet advice is always worth what you pay for it.

And in this case it is 100% wrong. There is no restriction at all on where a documented boat's home port "should be", other than in the US. It has NOTHING to do with where the boat is kept.

I'll put the link here AGAIN so people who chose to answer questions without a clue can read it: USCG National Vessel Documentation Center, FAQ Page

Like I said, 'I think'. I didn't say that it was a fact. It was a meant to be taken as a supposition. Thank you for the link, I'll check it out.

[Bigjim]

Thanks for all the info. I've been thinking about this recently having bought a boat last week. I, too, thought that putting a landlocked city on the transom was a bit goofy, but I didn't own a boat then either.

The idea of putting a city where the boat is located instead of a city where I want to be berthed would be sad. Then, if I ever get a berth there, I'd have to change names again.

It's nice to know there is no requirement for non-commercial boats.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Bigjim

Thanks for all the info. I've been thinking about this recently having bought a boat last week. I, too, thought that putting a landlocked city on the transom was a bit goofy, but I didn't own a boat then either.

The idea of putting a city where the boat is located instead of a city where I want to be berthed would be sad. Then, if I ever get a berth there, I'd have to change names again.

It's nice to know there is no requirement for non-commercial boats.

Just be aware that there is a requirement if your boat is USCG documented instead of state registration. If you document you will have to declare on the forms your hailing port and put that port name on the boat.