Are you worried that your vessel is in its best shape possible? Do you have an inspection for a Certificate of Inspection coming up and want to be sure that your vessel passes? Here at the National Documentation Portal, our primary concern is vessel documentation. We help vessel owners to acquire and maintain USCG vessel documentation. That said, we understand that some vessel owners also have concerns about the USCG COI inspection checklist. Below: what you can expect and how we can be of assistance.
What’s to Keep in Mind About USCG Inspection
Overall, the main point to keep in mind about this inspection is that it’s designed to make sure that the vessel is safe. That’s what the Coast Guard is looking for here. So, it’s natural to be concerned about this, but when in doubt, err on the side of safety. By that same token, there are some differences between which vessels have to be inspected and which is determined by how the vessel is used. For example, passenger vessels, nautical school vessels, and the like have to be inspected annually at minimum after the first inspection, other vessels can go longer between inspections.
What’s on the USCG COI Inspection Checklist
To get this certification, you have to make sure that your vessel really is suitable for service, and that it’s in a safe condition in regards to property as well as life. Again, these inspections tend to focus on safety. So, you want to be sure that your vessel has all of the necessary equipment for fighting fires, preventing them, saving lives (personal flotation devices), and so forth. On that same topic, your vessel has to be able to accommodate crew, passengers, students/instructors, and the like.
Vessel Documentation Through Our Site
You can’t get this particular certificate through our site. What you can do is apply for your Certificate of Documentation. If your vessel measures at least five net tons and is owned by an American citizen, you can document your vessel. Of course, if it meets those standards and is going to be used for commercial fishing operations, transporting people and/or merchandise on American waters (or the Exclusive Economic Zone) then you have to get it documented. You can choose to document it if you’re going to use your five-net-ton vessel for recreation.
Renewal and More from the National Documentation Portal
We understand how complicated all of this can get rather quickly. For many vessel owners, the last thing they want to have to do is to worry about their documentation or to spend a lot of time filling it out. To that end, you’ll find that you can complete your forms through the National Documentation Portal in a matter of minutes and from an internet-connected device of your choosing. To see all of the ways that we can help vessel owners such as yourself with the documentation process, check out our site.