Coast Guard Documentation Interior Display

[brianontheroad]

We're (finally) about to leave to go for a cruise before trying to find work after an extensive 4 month refit.....got my coast guard documentation in (wooooohoooo) but am a bit confused about displaying it inside the boat -- from the USCG website it says it needs to be permanently affixed and 3" high! that's big! we were planning on carving it into a bulkhead but that's huge....any tips or "we did this" would be much appreciated.....I want it to be displayed correctly but don't want an eyesore -- how do I make it permanent? carve it into wood and epoxy that to the hull somewhere?

Thanks!
Brian

[Randyonr3]

I had mine ingraved into a piece of plastic, like that of a name tag, or the name on the door of an office.. then afixed it to the inside of the hull in the rear quarter storage area and glassed over it...
Its permanent and can be sean easily by opening the rear hatch..

[forsailbyowner]

Ours. Is simply vinyl letters inside anchor locker with a coat of resin over. Done by PO

[markpj23]

Ours is stencil letters / numbers painted on the hull underneath the salon seat. Just got boarded for USCG inspection the other day and passed w/no issues.

[Misiu]

Same thing. Vinyl letters with coat of resin (permanent) on the hull underneath the seat. I talked to them and was told that it should be readily available for inspection. Doesn't have to be in front of your eyes.

[hellosailor]

Brian, AFAIK "clearly visible" means a place that you can get a light and eyeball onto without a lot of fuss. For instance, IN THE BILGE where it can be clearly seen when you lift a bilge board. Or on the fuel tank, or underside of the cockpit, where you could see it by sticking your head in the lazerette or engine space.

Since anything you can see or do can easily be painted over, filled in, or ground out, most folks would also put a copy of the number in some rather INaccessible place, where it was unlikely to be found except if you wre searhing for it to prove the boat was yours. That could be the back of a cabinet screwed into the bulkhead, or under a tank, etc.


From the USCG VDC web site:
<<The official number assigned to documented vessels, preceded by 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. >>

Doesn't mean it has to be visible all the time! Save that space for your Monet or Picasso. :-)

[Microship]

The USCG rules say it must be tamper-evident, so I removed the vinyl letters inside the engine compartment hatch and used a sign-making template kit to engrave the numbers with a router onto a wood surface in the pilothouse. Looks great.

(If you're in Puget Sound, you're welcome to borrow the kit if that approach would work for your boat.)

[osirissail]

Or you can use the router to engrave the numbers into the FRG in the bilge - obvious in an area of thick FRG. It does not have to be deep, just readable and permanent.

[delmarrey]

Glassed over vinyl letters behind the electrical panel on the hull for this one.

[HHNTR111]

Glassed over under the V-berth.

[colo.sail]

I'm currently building and now would be a good time to attach these VIN numbers somewhere.
How are the numbers assigned?

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by colo.sail

I'm currently building and now would be a good time to attach these VIN numbers somewhere.
How are the numbers assigned?

This should get you the info you need.
New Boatbuilders Home Page - Hull Identification Numbers
Hull ID Numbers - BoatSafe.com

[Sluce]

There are several places on the internet that will engrave the documentation numbers on a piece of wood. We had ours done last year. I don't remember who did it but it was fast and inexpensive. I installed it with 5200 sealant and screws in the aft cabin. One of the easier jobs last spring.