Oregon Hailing Port Opinions

[FrankC_OR]

I have just bought a USCG documented boat and I would also like to change the hailing port, from Washington to Oregon, to reflect the boat's new home. While I understand that the hailing port can be any anywhere in the US with a postal code, I would like the port to be much closer to home. The marina where the boat will be located is in Scappoose, about fifteen minutes from Portland. I might move the boat to the coast after a few seasons, but once I have the new documentation, that will be the hailing port for as long as I own the boat.

So I would like to hear your subjective opinions. Should I list the hailing port as:

• Scappoose? Scappoose sounds pretty "yachty" to me.

• Portland? Portland is the most well-known city in Oregon, easy to pronounce, and I have always been more urban than rural.

• Another city along the coast? Astoria is close by, Coos Bay looks "coastal" and might be were I keep the boat eventually, or any other town you think I should consider.

The boat will have documentation and state registration reflecting the state where the boat will be physically located. What are your thoughts and opinions on the hailing ports I am considering? What hailing port did you choose for your vessel, and why? I thought this might be a fun thread to add, since I am new here, and none of my choices have unintended tax consideration.

[tkeithlu]

We chose a location that has (had) particular importance to our lives, although it is 300 miles away from our dock. Use your own imagination - do you identify with a particular place?

[FrankC_OR]

Thank you for the great question in your reply. I do identify with Portland more, although, I haven't lived there yet. The moorage is close to both the city and the Pacific, which is the area (PNW) I want to explore as I become a more experienced sailor. I would like to slowly transition in the area and my job works with that.

I will certainly consider "identifying with", in my decision.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by FrankC_OR

I have just bought a USCG documented boat and I would also like to change the hailing port, from Washington to Oregon, to reflect the boat's new home. While I understand that the hailing port can be any anywhere in the US with a postal code, I would like the port to be much closer to home. The marina where the boat will be located is in Scappoose, about fifteen minutes from Portland. I might move the boat to the coast after a few seasons, but once I have the new documentation, that will be the hailing port for as long as I own the boat.

So I would like to hear your subjective opinions. Should I list the hailing port as:

• Scappoose? Scappoose sounds pretty "yachty" to me.

• Portland? Portland is the most well-known city in Oregon, easy to pronounce, and I have always been more urban than rural.

• Another city along the coast? Astoria is close by, Coos Bay looks "coastal" and might be were I keep the boat eventually, or any other town you think I should consider.

The boat will have documentation and state registration reflecting the state where the boat will be physically located. What are your thoughts and opinions on the hailing ports I am considering? What hailing port did you choose for your vessel, and why? I thought this might be a fun thread to add, since I am new here, and none of my choices have unintended tax consideration.

You, of course, can choose any hailing port you like. USCG cares not a whit.

But nautical tradition calls for the hailing port to be the port where the ship (yacht) regularly departs from, (or originally departed from, in the case the ship moved away from its original homeport).

Think of the common usage in maritime books, "We closed with the bark at noon and it was Henrieta out of Boston." Or, "Out of the fog came the voice, Where do you hail from? I answered, Portland" It was meant to tell where the ship's home was.

So choose a hailing port which will be the ship's home over the long run.

Please don't select the favorite place where you grew up or where your kids live, such as Eugene, for example, if your boat has never been there. It's legal but not in good nautical tradition. There are other ways to brag about your high school alma mater than to post it as a home port even though it isn't.

Finally, if you feel you must identify the state, use the whole name, not just the state's initials. That is tacky, you might as well add the zip code.

[FrankC_OR]

Great insight on nautical tradition. Tradition is quite important, since unwritten rules govern most people's thought process. The boat will be in Scappoose for the foreseeable future, and although close to Portland, Columbia County is not Multnomah County.

Thank you also for the naming etiquette. I prefer to write out words, including street/drive/etc, so knowing that writing out Oregon is preferred is a big help for a novice such as myself.

[svpatience]

Hi Frank, if you plan to journey farther away, I'd also think about the place names non-local people will be familiar with. I'm guessing more people will be familiar with Portland than Scappoose.

Do you like the idea of getting lots of questions like "where the heck is Scappoose?" (bit of a conversation starter), or do you prefer that people just know, "he's from the pacific northwest". I'm registered out of Seattle, even though we haven't lived in Seattle proper for 25 years, and the boats been moored in different cities in the Puget Sound over the years!

[Cheechako]

Scappoose .... I like it!

I doc'd one boat with the location of an old town that no longer exists; Skagit City.

[jordanbigel]

I think tkeithlu nailed it in the first comment - go with what you feel has meaning to you. Remember, as you travel, people will assume you are "from" the hailing port. I know people who have chosen landlocked cities so that they can represent their home town. Frankly, I think odd sounding words - boat names or hailing ports - are a hassle when cruising in foreign waters. Choose something easy to pronounce and you avoid a lot of spelling and pronunciation lessons.

[Bowdrie]

Perhaps a lot has changed in the 30 years since I documented my boat.
At that time, I had a documentation agent do all the paperwork and she wanted me to choose a city that had a CG station with a documentation officer on staff.
I was told that such stations would have a copy of the document, (registered vessels within their district).
Maybe she was talking about commercial vessels? (Do they register 50,000-ton freighters in Montana?)
I don't know, I did what she wanted.
See boats all the time with "weird" hailing ports, always thought it a bit strange.
Probably doesn't matter.

[FrankC_OR]

These are all fascinating comments and raise interesting considerations.

On the one hand, I have learned through fairly-extensive travels that telling people that I am from Los Angeles is more informative than naming my city in the northernmost part of the county. I am often surprised by how many seemingly intelligent people assume that Los Angeles is a close drive to Ney York City. Very few people know where Oregon is located, but Portland says "Pacific Northwest, between San Francisco and Seattle".

On the other hand, the reality is that Eos will probably remain in Scappoose. My boat currently fits the purpose of gaining frequent sailing short-term experience and potentially transitioning to full-time liveaboard in the medium term. Although it is fun to fantasize about the possibility of upgrading one's boat and readying for extended voyages, this is my first boat. When I feel experienced and comfortable enough to travel the world, I may need to look for a better-suited purpose boat.

I am having an agent handle the USCG documentation, and I need to tell her what hailing port I want to use pretty soon. There are USCG stations in Portland and Astoria, so Scappoose or Portland will both work well.

[toddster8]

I am pretty sure the actual USCG form explicitly specifies city + 2-letter state abbreviation. I left it as it was, since I purchased my new boat from someone in my own home town. (It's possible to anchor there over night, in good weather.) What you actually paint on the boat may be a different matter. Having a unique city that can't be mistaken for any other place (Seattle, Chicago, etc.) seems a little classy. "Portland" could equally be assumed to be from Maine.

Scappoose = a long way to motor up the channel every day before you can sail, no? My old boat used to be in Scappoose Bay, which is yet another place.

Don't have my certificate yet - they are many months behind on processing. You can click the link at the bottom of the National Vessel Documentation Center to see where they are at - currently processing applications received 19 July.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by toddster8

I am pretty sure the actual USCG form explicitly specifies city + 2-letter state abbreviation. I left it as it was, since I purchased my new boat from someone in my own home town. (It's possible to anchor there over night, in good weather.) What you actually paint on the boat may be a different matter. Having a unique city that can't be mistaken for any other place (Seattle, Chicago, etc.) seems a little classy. "Portland" could equally be assumed to be from Maine.

Scappoose = a long way to motor up the channel every day before you can sail, no? My old boat used to be in Scappoose Bay, which is yet another place.

Don't have my certificate yet - they are many months behind on processing. You can click the link at the bottom of the National Vessel Documentation Center to see where they are at - currently processing applications received 19 July.

I think you are right about the requirement for a 2 letter state abbreviation but I think it is safe to say they will never hassle you about that. (They also want it on the transom, but they don't hassle you if it is on the side either.)

Because I'm a bit sentimental about nautical traditions, I've taken the risk and used just the city name, on the sides, and even when I've been boarded or stopped by USCG they never mentioned those violations.

[FrankC_OR]

Yes, Scappoose is far from the Pacific; I think about half-a-day. I am very inexperienced right now, so I think that gaining experience sailing on the Columbia will be beneficial until I am more capable for coastal sailing.

When I say that I am inexperienced, I mean incredibly inexperienced; six, three and a half hour sailing sessions to complete my ASA 101 certificate, a few days of lake sailing, and a BSA summer camp thirty years ago. Very inexperienced. Although, I don't doubt my potential, I am quite aware of my limitations — with the acknowledgment that I know so little, I don't know what I don't know. That's why I am here on this forum.

Every piece of advice I have heard about getting into sailing has the same theme — time on the water. Medford, where I live, is too far from anything to be able to practice routine skills, network with other sailors to crew for, etc. Many people have suggested moving to the coast, but I cannot quite do that yet. What can/did do, is to purchase a boat. It may not be the ideal situation, but now I can get to the marina on the weekends, and I will be able to spend more time on the water and meeting people. Hopefully, this works.

[Phyrcooler]

Originally Posted by toddster8

I am pretty sure the actual USCG form explicitly specifies city + 2-letter state abbreviation. I left it as it was, since I purchased my new boat from someone in my own home town. (It's possible to anchor there over night, in good weather.) What you actually paint on the boat may be a different matter. Having a unique city that can't be mistaken for any other place (Seattle, Chicago, etc.) seems a little classy. "Portland" could equally be assumed to be from Maine.

Yes… I was surprised at the statement to use the “whole name” - referring to the State. I don’t think I’ve ever even seen a spelled out state name on a transom. Probably because spelling “CALIFORNIA” across the stern is so long?! But, we have many boats from other states at my marina (including AK, AZ, TX and HI just on my dock!) - and none of them spell it out. All use two letter abbreviations. I’ve also never seen the hailing port on a boats side. IF they have anything in addition to what’s on the stern, it’s just the boat name. But I’m sure there are some out there that have spelled the whole name. I haven’t seen everything!

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Phyrcooler

Yes… I was surprised at the statement to use the “whole name” - referring to the State. I don’t think I’ve ever even seen a spelled out state name on a transom. Probably because spelling “CALIFORNIA” across the stern is so long?! But, we have many boats from other states at my marina (including AK, AZ, TX and HI just on my dock!) - and none of them spell it out. All use two letter abbreviations. I’ve also never seen the hailing port on a boats side. IF they have anything in addition to what’s on the stern, it’s just the boat name. But I’m sure there are some out there that have spelled the whole name. I haven’t seen everything!

Yes, the state name would be long, but the abbrv is so tacky to me that I would never use it. Just leave off the state all together. (but Portland, Oregon wouldn't be bad)

As far as the state being on the side, our boat has had it since 1979.