As a vessel owner, some of the best days you’ll experience are when you sell your vessel or get a new one. There is a lot of paperwork and filing of forms involved when one owns a vessel.
If you happen to sell your boat or want to transfer it to another person, then you may be wondering what paperwork you will need to complete the transfer. This all depends on whether your vessel is documented with the Coast Guard, or registered by the state.
Vessel Documentation Online is a US Coast Guard online processing firm that will allow you to upload the required documents directly from your computer, and can help you with a transfer exchange of USCG documentation. E-mail or fax them if you do not have them handy.
USCG Documented Vessels
For U.S. flagged vessels, you will need a copy of both sides of the Certificate of Documentation. The reverse side should be signed by all owners listed on the front side, notarized by a notary public, and clearly state the name and address of the new owner(s) in the two blank lines above the signature block.
If you do not have the Certificate of Documentation, do now worry. Vessel Documentation online will quickly generate a Coast Guard bill of sale for the owner to notarize either manually or electronically using online notaries.
Non-USCG Documented Vessels
For vessels not currently USCG documented, you will need the following paperwork: a copy of the current state of registration and a Coast Guard bill of sale executed by the seller.
It is important to note that if you do not have a USCG Bill of Sale, you can be issued with one for the seller to notarize.
Vessel Documentation Online will process your application and file it with the Coast Guard once you upload the required documents and fill out the web forms. You must include all the necessary filing fees during your application.
Selling or Transferring Your Vessel
Once you have decided to sell your boat or transfer ownership, you will have to wait for the transfer to go through. For instance, in case of joint ownership between spouses after marriage, or removal of a spouse after a separation or death, you will need to fill a transfer form.
In case you have sold your boat, you must finalize the sale then finish the process with a bill of sale. Doing this you will have transferred ownership of the vessel to the purchaser.
Other-Transfer Circumstances
Some circumstances may complicate the transfer of your boat’s documentation. Such situations may arise when a vessel owner wishes to perform an action that affects the ownership of the boat.
For example, a vessel with a mortgage will require that the owner repays the mortgage first before they are allowed to complete the transfer.
Getting Help with Your Transfer
Vessel Documentation Online can help you with a transfer exchange of USCG documentation. We can help you with complicated paperwork and transfers while ensuring that your filled out forms are correct before submission.
To ensure you have a successful vessel documentation transfer call us at (866) 981-8783 to talk to one of our staff.