The Maritime Administration of the United States (Marad) grants waivers of the existing regulations only when your intended purpose doesn’t cause “undue adverse effect” on other operators or shipbuilders. A Marad waiver exempts provisions that may occur under one particular set of circumstances. Primarily, it depends on the use to which you intend to use…
Do you keep up with Coast Guard safety alerts? Do you check them every now and then before you go out on the water? It’s entirely likely that you don’t. That said, it can be worth it to check in with them from time to time. These alerts provide pertinent information that may not be…
If you are the owner of a large pleasure vessel like a yacht or the owner of a commercial vessel for your business, getting documentation for your boat is important to you. The documentation is required by law for all commercial vessels, and for large pleasure boats, it can be an important component for you…
Did you recently lose your Certificate of Documentation and aren’t sure what to do? Did you suffer a lost boaters license and are researching the best course of action? At the National Documentation Portal, we help vessel owners with vessel documentation. Vessels that have been documented with the USCG are our forte. That said, there…
Paperwork can feel like the bane of our existence today. Even though we live in what is called the “Electronic Age,” everywhere you turn, you get more paperwork that you need to fill out, type up, and send to someone or somewhere. Not only does all this take time and effort, but a lot of…
US maritime laws are designed to protect US waterways and coastal waters and give preferred access to US-operated vessels, particularly along trade routes. Owners of vessels not built in the USA cannot get easy access to these prime routes but the US government doesn’t want to block all external trade so there are ways for foreign…
Do you feel like someone who owns a documented vessel owes you money for work you did on or related to the vessel? Does it feel like there’s nothing you can do to get them to pay? That can be an incredibly powerless feeling. Moreover, it’s frustrating, because you did what you said you were…
When you own a boat, there are plenty of things to consider and our US vessel documentation center can be a valuable resource. It can help you properly take care of all the paperwork for your boat and be sure your vessel is registered and legal. Much the same way that you register your car…
Are you interested in selling a documented vessel and aren’t sure how to go about it the right way? Do you want to make sure that all of the paperwork is done before selling the vessel? That makes all the sense in the world. One of the most common questions we’re asked is “how do…
Once you have your craft and your certification or license the next thing to think about is safety. It is a good idea to think of your boat as a vehicle, which in fact it is. It moves like any other type of vehicle, whether powered by muscle, wind, or motor. The only difference is…