Do you have a vessel that you want to use in a commercial capacity that isn’t documented? Did you recently receive a foreign-built vessel and want to see exactly how you can use it on American waters? These and similar scenarios are more common than many vessel owners realize. It’s true that there are stringent…
Are you interested in getting financing on your vessel? Does a “Preferred Ship’s Mortgage” sound appealing? A mortgage can make it possible for you to have the vessel you’ve always dreamed of. Yes, a mortgage is a commitment, but it’s one that may get you out on the water in your perfect boat. Over the…
Are you in the process of determining whether or not getting your certificate of documentation is the right course of action? Does everything surrounding vessel documentation seem a bit opaque or even confusing? If you feel that way, you aren’t alone. Before we started our site, we were just vessel owners like you. Whenever we…
Have you run into a problem with your vessel documentation? Did you miss the renewal deadline, or has something else gone not exactly as you had hoped? Vessel documentation, even if you’ve spent much of your life on the water, can be delicate and tricky. One of the major reasons we started our site was…
Has the weather gotten so nice in your area that you feel like you just have to take your vessel out on the water? More and more places all over America are feeling that spring has finally sprung and summer is soon to follow. If your vessel has spent all winter in storage, now may…
Are you debating whether or not it’s time to register your boat with the Coast Guard? Does it seem like that might be the right course of action, but you want to know more before deciding to do so? If you have decided to do it, are you looking for the easiest possible way to…
Have you been meaning to send in your Coast Guard application for documentation, but it feels like you can’t find the time? Do you find yourself procrastinating, and even when you do schedule out time to complete this form, you just check your phone or find some other distraction until you quit? You aren’t alone…
Do you find it to be a chore to fill out your vessel documentation? If you’re like so many other vessel owners, “completing your vessel documentation” is something you have to block out time for. Then, when the time comes, well, you procrastinate. Nothing wrong with that, it’s human nature. Who actually wants to take…
Safe boating almost always includes a “float plan.” By letting someone on land know where you and the vessel will be at all times, they’ll be in a better position to help more quickly should something go wrong. Before you take your vessel out on the water, you do everything in your power to make…
Of all the US vessel documentation forms, “Initial Vessel Documentation” might be the most easily understood. At our site, you can file for your initial documentation and then renew your documentation, too. However, we offer far more forms at our site than just these. Essentially wherever you are in terms of owning your vessel, you…