Documentation Papers

[Ex-Calif]

We keep the originals on the boat, several copies on the boat, a copy at home and a copy of the insurance policy on board as well as several copies of the insurance cover on board - As others have said, Why not?

The rules here are the same as many places, "Original Documents shall be on-board." Pretty clear to me. We laminated ours after asking about it from the authorities here.

We travel between Singapore and Malaysia a lot and we are always handing out a copy of our documents.

What paranoid stupid silliness is written here.

If you are driving your car, are you not required to have you ORIGINAL registration with you? OF COURSE!

Why should your boat be different?

[JiffyLube]

Originally Posted by GreatKetch

What paranoid stupid silliness is written here.

I remember my mother twlling me "If you don't have anything good to say, then don't say anything. What did your mother tell you?

Originally Posted by JiffyLube

I remember my mother twlling me "If you don't have anything good to say, then don't say anything. What did your mother tell you?

To be honest.

[Holding Pattern]

It's easy for us...with no other home than the boat. Originals are kept in the ditch bags, color copies are kept with family. HP is never unattended for more than a few hours and really, what is someone going to do with Doc papers? They would be more interested in money, prescriptions, radios, etc. And I would think that the State Registration papers would be easier to falsify than USCG doc.

[hellosailor]

"Why should your boat be different?"
Because the motor vehicle registration card is intentionally sized to fit in your wallet and be carried by the registrant. And as any cop will tell you, it should NEVER be left in the car, as they are commonly used by car thieves as "proof" that "my friend lent me the car". If there's a licensed driver and the papers are in the car--the cops have to let it go. No papers? A whole new world of suspicion begins.
Documentation papers are sized to be kept with "ships papers" in the purser's or captain's safe. There's no handy provision to keep them in the BOAT owner's wallet.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Because the motor vehicle registration card is intentionally sized to fit in your wallet and be carried by the registrant.

Not Florida.
But then we are usually behind the times.
Mine are in the car..........but hidden.

[scotte]

Nor California, where registration is on 1/2 sheet of paper...

[David M]

Lets see, is a criminal more likely to break into your boat and steal the Certificate of Documentation or is a law enforcement official more likely to give you a big hassle and potentially issue a fine for not having your original on board? There is your answer.

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"Why should your boat be different?"
Because the motor vehicle registration card is intentionally sized to fit in your wallet and be carried by the registrant. And as any cop will tell you, it should NEVER be left in the car, as they are commonly used by car thieves as "proof" that "my friend lent me the car". If there's a licensed driver and the papers are in the car--the cops have to let it go. No papers? A whole new world of suspicion begins.
Documentation papers are sized to be kept with "ships papers" in the purser's or captain's safe. There's no handy provision to keep them in the BOAT owner's wallet.

"Sized to fit in the captain's safe"? Give me a break! It is a piece of PAPER. I can see the scene now:

"Officer I don't have my documentation papers onboard because they don't fit in my wallet. No officer, these here papers are COPIES. Copies are different than forgeries. Surely you can understand that? These copies surely don't LOOK like forgeries to you? Do they????"

The fact remains, when driving your car you have to have the registration with you, when driving your boat you have to have the documentation papers with you. This isn't rocket science, and it isn't hard to do.

There are very good reasons for a law enforcement officer to insist on seeing the original paperwork Without the originals he can't be sure the documentation you are showing him is valid and upto date without calling it in. Do you really want to make a boarding officer go through extra hassle just because you can't carry a piece of paper around?

[lannen]

I've never had anyone ask for my Doc Cert. (Customs excluded)

The great state of Florida only cares about me having paid my yearly registration dues for fun in the sun. I have a state registration decal on the port bow, no numbers (FL 1234 AB) The Doc Cert number is on the registration paperwork. I have the original Doc Cert buried on board with other valuable scraps of paper I only look at once a year.

If some sort of skulduggery is suspected, all the cops I've ever seen have a radio. A simple call will confirm the certificate or registration.

With all the different state registration certificates and odd looking forms.... most officers don't know what they are looking at anyway when it's from someplace else. That's why they simply make a radio call and the magic voice tells him it's okay and he sends you on your way.

[ssullivan]

Originally Posted by lannen

I've never had anyone ask for my Doc Cert. (Customs excluded)

The great state of Florida only cares about me having paid my yearly registration dues for fun in the sun.aa

Strange... when I was stopped in FL (they are pretty stop happy - first stop of my 20 years boating)...

When I was stopped there, they nearly went into a hissy fit because I had "running papers" which are copies of your papers you get when you initially buy your boat, since the USCG takes about a month to issue the new Cert of Doc.

I had to explain to them that this is how it works. But... they sure as heck wanted to see my original documentation papers.

This was in New Smyrnia Beach.

[Charlie]

Originally Posted by GreatKetch

What paranoid stupid silliness is written here.

If you are driving your car, are you not required to have you ORIGINAL registration with you? OF COURSE!

Why should your boat be different?

In California you are not. You can have a copy. In fact as long as you have your annual tag most cops don't really care. They just call in on the radio and verify. The police are going to call in anyway to see if you have outstanding warrants.

"THIS VALIDATED REGISTRATION CARD OR A FACSIMILE COPY IS TO BE KEPT WITH VEHICLE FOR WHICH IT IS ISSUED" taken from a California DMV registration card.

When I got boarded by the Coastguard last month they had a handy little PDA where they could verify everything wirelessly(sp).

I don't know why this question got so many peoples nickers in a twist.

I misunderstood the document -- When you look at the Cert of Doc the back has a place to release ownership. I thought that this made the Cert of Doc the equivalent of a pink slip. As Sulli pointed out the Cert is not the equivlane of a pink slip in fact as I posted earlier this statement is on the back of the Cert of Doc

"the certificate on the face of this document is not conclusive evidence of title in any proceeding where ownership is in issue. Complete records are on file at the NVDC. The sale or transfer section below is provided for convenenice only."

In terms of forgery I think one of those self inking stamps that says "Copy" on it would cure any problems.

Now what about laminating the original. Does anyone know if that is acceptable?

And honestly if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all.

Laminating the original is not a good idea, it disables the security inks used in the original paper.

A plastic sleeve from which the document can be removed is the best solution.

[Charlie]

GreatKetch:

Thank you.