Getting started with boating is a two-way street. On one hand, if you are giving your first steps in the area, you will need to learn how to properly sail the boat. On the other hand, once those of you who have finished with that will soon have to acknowledge all of the different responsibilities that having your own vessel involves.
Boat ownership, for instance, mandates you to have your paperwork in order and to make sure things are going in an appropriate legal manner. You will soon notice, after you begin, that your vessel can either be registered with the state or with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and in some cases, even both. If you decide to get USCG-documentation, you will need to display the appropriate hailing port. What exactly are we talking about? Find out in this article!
What is a Hailing Port?
Let us cut right to the chase. A hailing port is defined as “the name of the port from which a vessel hails, required by law to to be painted on the stern of all documented vessels in the United States; the port in which the managing owner of the vessel lives, or which is nearest to his place of residence; the home port of a vessel”. In other words, “the hailing port must include the State, territory, or possession in which it is located”.
Keep in mind that this only applies to vessels that are registered with the US Coast Guard. If that is your case, you are allowed to display your boat name and hailing port, and you may be identified by them. If you are only licensed at a state level, you will have to paint your state registration numbers instead.
Change of Hailing Port Form
It is important to know what a hailing port is, because at some point of your USCG registration you may need to change it. This is because US Coast Guard licenses last 5 years for recreational vessels, and 1 year for commercial boats. In that period, your situation can vary and if that is your case, you may need to submit a change of hailing port form: it is your responsibility to inform the USCG of any changes in your circumstances while you are licensed with the governmental agency.
When might you need to change it exactly? There are a few different scenarios: If you just bought a previously documented boat, you will probably need to change it. If you move from your previous home to a new location or even a state, you may also need to switch it.
All of Your Forms in One Place
At Vessel Documentation Online, we take care of any type of boating paperwork on your behalf. You only need to complete the form you are looking for, whether it is a change of hailing port or any other form, completely online, and we will then process it to the USCG. Additionally, we will overlook the application so no mistakes will be made, in order to prevent you from suffering any delays on getting your documents. Contact us today for anything else we may assist you with!