Under U.S. law all waterborne craft must be registered, and this comes under the remit of the Coast Guard portal. It is basically a matter of filing out the correct forms. If you are a first time owner with a new boat it is a fairly simple affair because just about all the details requested…
Have you been trying to find the best way to research a potential vessel? Did you ever find yourself saying “just what is an abstract of title?” Does it seem like everywhere you go online, you can’t quite find a source of information you can trust? The internet is vast. There are more opportunities to…
Buying a boat is a big deal for you as the prospective owner, but it also a big deal for the institution that is helping you finance the purchase. When you are buying a boat that is larger than twenty-six feet, a pleasure vessel this large is a significant purchase. It is only natural that…
Are you researching your next vessel purchase? Does it feel like the information you’re finding is almost “too good to be true?” Do you harbor concerns that you won’t know the whole truth about a vessel before you buy it, thus having a great chance that you’ll buy a “lemon?” Those are entirely human worries,…
If you are wondering how the boat documentation law can be violated, this article is right for you. The legislation governing vessels’ documentation is an essential component of the marine rules. When rules are broken, there is the potential for severe repercussions, including seizing one’s vessel. It is essential to have a good understanding of…
Understanding Coast Guard Registration versus Documentation Do you want to make sure that your vessel is fully protected in the water? You may be uncertain whether registration or documentation is the best way to go forward, and depending upon the type of ship that you have, you may not know which the right option to…
The Coast Guard and yacht brokers recommend that all vessel owners have up-to-date documentation. However, the annual renewal boat documentation cost might be prohibitive for some boat owners. You’ll learn in this article how much documentation will cost you based on your income and the approach you choose to document your vessel. The Coast Guard…
Does it sometimes feel like US Coast Guard documentation is intentionally hard to understand? Have you looked at the available forms of vessel documentation and thought: “I know what I want, but I’m not sure which of these forms is right for me?” That happens to just about every vessel owner at one time or…
It can seem like vessel documentation is specifically made just to be confusing. Some of the terms can be hard to parse at best. One we get quite a few questions about is “MARAD Waiver” This isn’t a form of documentation that every single vessel owner will have to be concerned with. However, if you…
Are you researching a vessel for potential purchase and want to know the real, definitive truth? Do you have a USCG documentation number and not a whole lot else? It may seem that you don’t have much to go on. But, the truth is, you have everything you need at your disposal, right now, to…