How to Document Your Boat with the United States Coast Guard

[@sailnsurfthurman9263]

Here we are 4 years later and your videos are still helping us out. Cheers James!

[@CamsWoodcrafting]

So I've been trying to document my vessel, and after a lot of digging your video has been the best instructional one out there, private or Coast Guard, thank you

[@TheBowen747]

i go tomorrow to see a boat document specialist i let them do the paperwork. to me its worth a grand to know its done right the first time, my boat is a 1977 and has never been documented.. wtf man.. anyways im working on getting it done soon. then passport, then boat haul out bottom job bla bla bla..

[@Frankenstompbox]

This is one of the most helpful sailing videos I've seen on youtube. Thanks!

[@SailorJames]

Hope it makes things easier for people !

[@markph0204]

Appreciate it James -- something I was researching for the upcoming boat purchase. Thank you again!

[@southerntexashomestead5028]

Great job of walking thru the US COASTGUARD documentation process. ☺️

[@SailingStarFire]

Thank you for doing this! I just bought a boat that needs documentation. This is extremely helpful! Hope to see you out there one day!

[@Hindukushsailing]

Thanks for posting this video. I have 65 Pearson Triton and it's titled and wanted to get USCG Docs. Your careful explanation really helped out and took the mystery out of it. Just saying thanks for doing all the headache work for us.

[@SailorJames]

Awesome ! That’s exactly why I took the time to do it !! It was so confusing when I did it, stoked this helped you 👍🏻

[@Hindukushsailing]

@@SailorJames I enjoy watching Emerald Steel and I agree they are a cool couple.

[@lisahanlin5317]

Thank you for the GREAT tips on documentation

[@pepsiholic]

great video, i plan on buying my first sailboat in on October of 2024 and this information with help a great deal, thank you.

[@SeabreezeRJ]

Just did this yesterday... great video!

[@SailorJames]

I was so stoked when mine finally came in !

[@sakm44]

Great tutorial. Very thoughtful gift to us.

[@treasurecoastgypsy]

Hey James ! As a fellow documented owner, i have heard, that a documented vessel is considered US territory in some form, expanding your protection as a vessel and owner when outside our territory .Have you heard this also? .

[@SailorJames]

I haven’t heard that specifically but it wouldn’t surprise me, I know it comes with far more legal protections than non-documented vessels

[@dwkmk3]

Thank you for taking the time to do this.

[@jameseaton905]

Great video. I have an Alberg 35, I am thinking about documenting it (mine was built in 1965 also). I was following along, stopping and starting the video, and I went to sailboatdata.com as you said to check on draft. What's shown there is how deep the keel is on the term DRAFT. So people should be careful about measuring draft. I know mine is about 5' of topsides plus 5.5 feet of depth for a total of about 10 feet, not the 5 feet shown.

[@SailorJames]

Exactly, like I mentioned in the video people can find out their draft on sailboatdata then measure their own freeboard

[@robstrex]

Good stuff... thanks for the clarity...doing this now

[@SailorJames]

happy to help!

[@leandrewwilliams554]

Thank you.

[@johndibiase882]

Great Job I really appreciate it

[@jamesdaniel4207]

What about CG-1261 (Builder's Certificate) did you not have to submit one of those also? 46CFR67.99 Evidence of Build...I thought that was required also...?

[@SailorJames]

those are only required if you have built you boat yourself I assume. For a production boat all you need is what I listed in the video.

[@VagabondEpicurean]

very helpful 🍷

[@waterloggedimaging]

Pretty sure you still need to display the state reg tab on your boat. You do in Washington state anyways.

[@SailorJames]

Not in California

[@cr9211]

Thank you so much for this! I have a broker wanting to charge 675! I knew this looked easy! I'm doing this myself!

[@SailorJames]

Happy to help, it is not different at all

[@richardadams3164]

Thanks! Great information.

[@SailorJames]

Happy to Help!

[@sealifeadventures757]

I bought a boat with a cost guard title please help

[@moki999]

Thanks a lot 😁

[@rsjenterprises7726]

What do you use while waiting for documentation?

[@SailorJames]

Your state registration is valid until the USCG doc arrives

[@dougobermann686]

Awesome content!

[@offtherichter7]

When you sent in the scanned docs...did you have to combine all the docs into one pdf? Or seperate pdfs for say; title and reg, initial doc ap, cc auth, simplied measurements..?

[@SailorJames]

I think I sent them as individual documents all saved as PDFs

[@offtherichter7]

@@SailorJames awesome that’s what I did and I got that email saying they received it so I hope it works! Thanks for the video! From sv Chrysalis up in Santa Cruz

[@SailorJames]

One of my files was the wrong format and I INSTANTLY got a reply telling me I needed to resend them so I am sure yours works perfect 👌🏻 now the waiting game begins for you

[@piraterockNrollradio]

So after making PDFs of all the documents and the credit card authorization form, who the hell do you send it to I can't find it anywhere?

[@SailorJames]

www.dco.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Prevention-Policy-CG-5P/Inspections-Compliance-CG-5PC-/National-Vessel-Documentation-Center/National-Vessel-Documentation-Center-Contact-Info/ Submit Applications via E-Mail E-Mail address is [e-mail] IMPORTANT: All attachments must be sent in .pdf format

[@pepurple]

I have a 23’ sea sprite named Rocinante. She weighs 4500 lbs, well under 5 tons. I wonder if you or anyone know if i have other options. Very helpful and well made video thanks

[@SailorJames]

You mean other options of not having to pay yearly registration? You might look into what states don’t have yearly registration fees and get your boat registered there , I know nothing about this process or if it’s even possible but it’s the only solution that I can think of if the boat isn’t large enough for coast guard docs

[@pepurple]

Sailor James I am registered in Texas was mostly into the idea of the most legitimate ass papers for foreign ports. I should be fine with Texas just making sure I can’t get cg or equivalent on my smaller boat. thank you for the reply. be well

[@jimmysalsa111]

The net 5 ton requirement is not the boats displacement/weight but the entire boats volume as if filled with water. A 23 ft sailboat may meet the requirement if it has enough volume. Make sure to use outside measurements.😉

[@markosulic4855]

@@pepurple Did you find a solution my boat is like 3000lb 21.5ft Monterey 218ss small boat but I will send it to international waters like Croatia or Italy for summer and will always be close to the shore, just want to make sure to have legitimate paperwork if they bother me, I have Illinois title.

[@markshaw9010]

My boat's port is in Guatemala. How does this affect me if I document my boat with the USCG. I am a US citizen who also lives in Vermont.

[@SailorJames]

You will have to choose a port in the USA

[@markshaw9010]

@@SailorJames Could it be anywhere? Or should I just say Vermont? Then do I have to also register in vermont if I do not keep it there? sorry for all the questions.

[@markshaw9010]

I have been told if the boat does not live in Vermont I do not have to register it unless it is here for more than 6 months. Thanks for your input it is very helpful to a confusing process.

[@SailorJames]

USCG doesn’t care where it is vs where the boat is. Just has to have a port name. And no you never have to state register it again anywhere

[@markshaw9010]

@@SailorJames Thanks so much for your fast response. I am starting to do this now and have gotten many different answers. I have heard this answer many more times. Thanks.

[@TheBowen747]

so if the boat is not registered with a state but rather the us coastguard.. does that mean the sheriff on the water/ state police can not fuck with documented vessels if a crime is not seen committed. ??? can they just run up on you and say we are doing a safety check and literally ram sack your boat .. .. im not on the water yet .... so what am i to expect out on the waters, as a liveaboard sailboat????

[@SailorJames]

How your boat is registered doesn’t change law enforcement’s ability to do their job.

[@redwood1957]

If a person purchases a documented vessel and does not a thing with it I assume it's just not documented. If he sells the boat a new owner could document as new.

[@SailorJames]

There is a process to transfer the name from one owner to the next with a boat that is documented. I do not believe it is possible to document one boat twice. When you document the vessel you must supply a CF number or the previous documentation number, if the boat is already documented you wouldn’t have a CF number and even if you found it on old paper work the USCG would see that the boat was already a documented vessel

[@redwood1957]

@@SailorJames I'm thinking that after the expired document or when the boat was sold and for sure after 5 yrs it's no longer documented. It's that the new owner as of 5 yrs ago never transfered the title or what was needed he days he has no title. So now he needs to apply for a abstract title. Thru Coast Guard he has the notorized signitures on the documentation papers it's just 5 years. So now he needs a title to sell.. funny in EU no registration needed unless traveling out of eu. The registration number on the boat stays with it for the life of the boat. I'll let you know what I find.with covid it gives a free pass to all government agencies to not answer the phone. Be save thank you Mike

[@SailorJames]

Cool yeah please let me know what you discover about that part of the process concerning delinquent documentation

[@sadidiker]

🖒🖒🙌🙌

[@melee401]

I am registering my next boat in WV. Poorest state in the union. My home. And we have already seen how states like SC run around trying to get TRIPLE tax boat owners. I will be paying paying double taxation as it is because WV does not grant exemptions to point of sale state issues. I will pay my FAIR SHARE of taxation and NO MORE!

[@SailorJames]

I was stoked to find out from one of our patrons that in California we never have to pay state registration again since we got it documented