When you look at the name of your boat or hear someone say it, have you started to feel some regret? Have you been considering changing the name of your boat? If so, we can help. We offer an easier way to change the name of the boat and plenty of other services through our site. There are some guidelines you’re going to want to keep in mind when you choose a new name.
How to Change the Name of the Boat
All you have to do is click on “Change of Vessel Name or Hailing Port” at our site, then fill the form out. We’ve optimized these for mobile devices, so you can fill these out from basically anywhere and at any time, too. Keep in mind: just completing the application to change your vessel’s name doesn’t qualify you for vessel documentation or anything of that nature. Additionally, your “hailing port” doesn’t have to be the port your vessel is currently in but can be essentially just any port in the United States.
Rules for Changing Your Boat’s Name
Your vessel’s name has to be composed of Latin alphabet letters or Arabic or Roman numerals. No matter what name you choose, the maximum number of characters to change the name of a boat can’t exceed 33. Remember: your vessel’s name can’t contain or be phonetically identical to any words that are indecent, obscene, or profane, are racial/ethnic epithets, or anything of that nature. Additionally, the name can’t be identical, whether in actuality or phonetically, to any word/words used to solicit assistance at sea, either. When it comes to these rules, common sense is king. This vessel name is going to be associated with you, so choose something you’ll want to have associated with you.
Marking Requirements and More
The requirements for marking your vessel’s name are actually different depending on your vessel’s endorsement. A vessel used only for recreation should have the name and hailing port marked on some clearly visible exterior parts of the hull. A vessel used for commercial purposes also has to have the name marked on the port and starboard bow while the name and hailing port have to be marked on the stern. Again, when it comes to “clearly visible exterior,” you are best served by using your common sense.
Changing More Than Just the Name of Your Boat Easily
With that, you’ll be able to change your vessel’s name to something you like more. Of course, should you choose to change your vessel’s name again, you can go through the process again at our site. That said, changing your vessel’s name is just one of the documentation changes that we make that much easier through our site. For example, you can also change your address here, change your vessel’s endorsement (if you decide to use a recreational vessel for commercial purposes, and so forth) as well as many others. You can even apply for a Preferred Ship’s Mortgage here. To see all of the forms that we offer, we invite you to explore our site.