That boat you saw for sale online looked spectacular to you. It had everything you have been dreaming about in a pleasure craft, with all the space you want, the engine, the amenities, and more, and even the price seemed like it would fit right into what you had budgeted for a purchase. Of course, you will want to make initial contact with the owner so you can get more details and even see the boat in person for yourself if you can. Before you get too far ahead of yourself, it can be a good idea to take a step back and perform your due diligence before you spend a lot of money on a vessel. If you are wondering if you should do a Coast Guard lookup regarding the ship in question, the answer is definitely yes. You can also do a vessel search by name to see a background of a boat.
What is Coast Guard Lookup
Vessels that are registered with the Coast Guard and have documentation become part of a list maintained by the Coast Guard. This registry contains every ship that has been issued a documentation number. You may access this database so that you can find information about the boat you are considering buying. The more information you have, the more you will understand about the boat so you can determine if buying it is in your best interests. You will be able to see if the boat has active documentation or not, and what the last date was of renewal.
Performing the Lookup
Performing a Coast Guard lookup is quite simple, provided you know where you can do it. You will not find search capability on the Coast Guard’s website, or through the National Vessel Documentation Center, the office within the Coast Guard that maintains the database. Instead, you will have to go to a website that provides the search capabilities. You will need to have either the documentation number of the ship, which you can get from the current ownership, or you can use just the name of the vessel. Utilizing the name only may give you multiple results because some boats have the same or similar names, so you will have to look closely at each entry to see which is the boat you are interested in.
We Can Help with a Lookup
If you are looking for a place where you can do a Coast Guard lookup of a ship you have interest in, look no further than us here at the Maritime Documentation Center. Our website offers a vessel search engine so you can get the results you seek in just a few seconds. If you want to delve further into the background of a boat, you can request an abstract of title on the ship through our website as well. In fact, we can assist you with many of the registration and documentation services you may need from the Coast Guard, giving you smooth, fast, and secure online access to the forms you will need and use the most with your boat ownership.