As the owner of a new boat, you will have a lot of paperwork to complete in order to make sure that you are fully registered and able to make use of your new boat. It may not always be clear to you exactly what type of forms you need to fill in so that…
When you are buying a boat from a broker or personal owner, you want to do all you can to make sure the transaction goes smoothly and that you have all the information you need regarding the boat so you know you are making a sound purchase. A large vessel is a significant investment for…
Commercial vessels and recreational boats that plan to engage in commercial activities are required to obtain Coast Guard documentation. It’s optional (though often beneficial) for non-commercial recreational vessels to also seek USCG documentation. This legal documentation keeps track of certain important information about maritime vessels, including ownership and financial history. Another facet of a vessel’s…
Did you recently come into possession of a foreign-built vessel and you aren’t sure how you can use it? Do you have designs on using your vessel to make a few bucks but want to be certain you comply with the powers that be? This exact kind of situation is more common than you may…
As of this writing, it’s late November. That means Thanksgiving dinner, the leaves completely off the trees, and snow falling all across North America. Sure, there are many hardy souls who take their vessels out on the waterways in the winter, but for many of us, it’s more of an off-season until the world warms…
USCG Documentation Forms If you are using your boat for recreational purposes only, you do not need to register it federally. The United Coast Guard does not mandate owners of a recreational boat to document their vessel. But they do encourage it. Why? USCG documentation offers plenty of benefits, especially if you like to travel…
Did you recently go through some kind of massive life change and you aren’t sure how it applies to the Coast Guard vessel registry? Does it seem like you should do… something to update your status on the registry, yet you aren’t sure exactly what that might be? As a documented vessel owner, there are…
If you’re like so many other vessel owners, then you probably have a procedure for when you start your vessel up. You may have a checklist you go through in order to make sure that everything is in working order before you set out on the water. Your vessel documentation works in a similar fashion.…
Do you want to get on a boat registry without a lot of hassle? Have you tried filling out these vessel documentation forms online in the past only to find that it was far more difficult than you were told? We share your frustrations. Indeed, those are some of the most significant reasons that we…
Do you have a nagging suspicion in the back of your mind that it’s time to renew your vessel registration? Does it feel like it’s time for boat registration renewal but you aren’t entirely sure? At our site, we understand how much of a chore vessel documentation can be. After all, we’re vessel owners ourselves.…
Being out on a boat is special. Whether it’s your first time on the water, or you’ve been on yachts your entire life, there’s nothing quite like it. The rush of the wind in your hair, the sun warm on your face, the waves beside your boat – it’s a genuinely unique experience. You can…
Are you finally ready to take your vessel out on the water this spring, but want to make sure that everything is safe? Has the weather gotten warm enough to the point where it’s time to get your vessel out of storage? There is nothing, nothing like taking your boat out after it’s been locked…
The Preferred Ship Mortgage provides a lender or financier of a vessel competitive status among competing claims that might arise against a vessel. The U.S. Coast Guard acts principally as a recording agency in regard to mortgages and related instruments. It’s important to learn about it if you happen to finance someone’s ship after he/she…
The NVDC requires all vessel owners, whether they’re commercial or recreational, to obtain vessel documentation and keep it up-to-date. The entity hasn’t had any trouble processing commercial vessel documents in time. However, since late last year, the entity had experienced an unprecedented backlog with recreational vessels documentation. This makes sense if we think that…
As wonderful it would be to go through life without having to deal with a mountain of paperwork, things just are not that easy. It seems like everything you do today comes along with pages you must fill out and submit. Everything from applying for a new driver’s license to a gym membership to even…