CG Documented Hailing Port Question

[Pete the Cat]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

You can make it anywhere you want to, but I wouldn’t one a State that is aggressive about coming after taxes, like California for instance.
Some even will use Earth Tx.

I would not worry about California. My boat is home ported in San Francisco, but has been in Maine for 10 years after I sailed it there. When I moved, I let the state know (they send you a form with each registration asking if it has been moved) and I pay my excise tax in Maine. Never had a problem. Someday the boat may find its way back to San Francisco and it costs money to change the home port with the CG. So I have just left it. I know others who have done the same.

[YANDINA]

Originally Posted by Island Time O25

Make a short name town in tax free NH your hailing port and save some $$ on the lettering costs. Rye comes to mind.

Yes WTG.

We used "ELY NV" for a number of reasons. (Boat had no fixed address plying up and down the East coast and Bahamas.)

1. No property taxes in NV.
2. No chance of sales, county property, city property etc., taxes, there is no way our 75 ton steel ketch could ever have been in Ely NV.
3. Just 5 characters to paint.
4. Great for starting conversation .

[Trawler2016]

My hailing port is Salt Lake City, UT and the boat is in charter in Washington.

[Chotu]

What if your boat is no longer federally documented and is just state registered, but it still has the hailing port on the back. Can you just change that to whatever you want?

I am a bit concerned that my hailing port might cause some friction in some of the places I will be visiting this summer. So I would like to just change it. Even if temporarily.

[Trawler2016]

Another interesting thing about US documented vessels.
They may only fly a regular US Ensign, if they hoist a flag, and not the Yachting ensign.
Lets see, US Ensign on the stern, Courtesy flag on the bow or yard, USCG Auxiliary Blue Ensign (I am a member), charter company pennant. Getting pretty colorful!

[ocean.jedi]

I live in reno, Nevada. Ocean Jedi hailing port is Reno. Its not the only boat with a hailing port in a state that doesn't have access to any ocean.

[RobPatterson]

Funniest one I've seen is Wall, SD

[CaptJPMcGuire]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

I thought RI was already tax free for recreational boats?

RI is tax free for boats.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

I'm trying to get a handle on what the implications of your hailing port are, in regards to a CG Documented vessel.

I live in Boston, but I am planning on mooring my future boat in RI, at least for the first season. Does that mean that I need to Document it with the hailing port as the town where it is moored? Or should I use Boston? After a season or two, I will probably keep the boat in MA, somewhere near Boston, for a while. Does that mean that if I had Documented it with a RI hailing port, I will have to update the Documentation with the new location?

Do you pay the taxes of the state of the hailing port? or just where the boat is kept?

Thanks.

Anywhere you want can be your hailing port. My last one was the name of a pioneer town that no longer exists!

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by Muaddib1116

Thanks for the replies guys, that's really helpful.

If I ever do decide to change the hailing port, after Documenting the vessel, I'll have to update the Documentation with the CG right?

No. You need to update your mailing address, if you move your residence, but the hailing port can be anywhere with a zip code. It doesn't even need to have water, could be Las Vegas or whatever. However, your transom letters should match your hailing port.

State registration, OTOH and state taxes are a different matter. Rhode Island is tax-free on boats (except the registration fees) and home address should reflect your true residence.

The only other issue currently with RI is that it is locked down - you might not be able to enter and use your boat without a 2-week quarantine for Covid.

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by MVDarlin

Whatever you do, don't alert a tax aggressive state like MA to your purchase. Be sure to check the sales tax requirements of your registration state. And bear in mind some states like WA have a reach back provision that allows them to apply "escaped" sales tax against current fair market value If you don't have proof you already paid the sales tax someplace else.

True that.

My first boat was purchased in MA. It was de-registered by PO upon the sale. The boat was immediately moved to NH and stayed there for 1 year while I restored it. Upon registering in MA (1 year after the purchase) the taxman wanted the penalties for 1 year delay in registering. I explained that the boat was physically in NH, no matter. Since the tax then was only 5% of the $400 purchase price, i.e. $20 the penalties amounted to $4 and some change. I paid it of course but learned a lesson.

My 4th boat was purchased from a MA resident but was registered in ME, a non-title state. State of MA wanted a title at first. So I had to ask for a supervisor who finally looked up a special LEO book where they list all the title and registration papers samples from all jurisdictions. So finally, they accepted ME registration, which my PO had to obtain again as the one he had had lapsed b/c he had not used the boat for a few seasons.

Once I had to research retitling an abandoned boat which I could have picked up real cheap if picked up ASAP. The process would have taken 3 to 6 months and would have involved publication notices, court filing and appearance, even if cursory, etc. Wasn't worth my time as it was an early 80s Hunter 33 which in best of condition would be worth no more than $10-15K and in its then condition no more than $5-8K and the yard where it was abandoned wanted $3K representing several years worth of storage.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by Chotu

What if your boat is no longer federally documented and is just state registered, but it still has the hailing port on the back. Can you just change that to whatever you want?

I am a bit concerned that my hailing port might cause some friction in some of the places I will be visiting this summer. So I would like to just change it. Even if temporarily.

Short answer: Yes.

However, I think perhaps you are being overly concerned about this. If it matches your paperwork you'll be fine.

[Ike]

National Vessel Documentation Center of the United State Coast Guard, located in West Virginia, yep go figure why the Coasties are located in West Virginia.

Senator Robert Byrd actively promoted and succeeded in moving a lot of Government offices to West Virginia. His logic was, if the office doesn't need to be in DC, why not somewhere else with a large unemployed population, low housing costs, low rental cost for office space and easy access to transportation. Falling Waters WV fits that description. It's not just the Coast Guard either. There are many other agencies in West Virginia. Back in the 90's the Coast Guard was planning to move the Office of Boating Safety to West Virginia. But cooler heads prevailed and we stayed in DC.

As for the Hailing Port it can be anything with a US Zip code. In Port Townsend WA there is a large sail boat with hailing port Bozeman MT. You would have to travel a long way from Bozeman to even find water deep enough to float it. Flathead Lake would be the closest.

[Cynara]

Not sure if this was mentioned. Our boat was in Long Beach, CA but we used Los Angeles as our hailing port. In 1985 we figured it was more recognizable in foreign ports.

[Trawler2016]

We will get some strange looks going into Canada later this year with Salt Lake City, UT as the hailing port!