USCG documented boat

D

ddurand

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I got my 27' boat documented. One of the requirements is to have "NO" followed by the documentation number on the interior hull structure in 3" numbers.

Where do people put this? Seems ugly if I have to put it on a section of the cockpit. Cannot have to open a hatch or cover to see the documentation number.
 
Who told you that you cannot have to open a hatch or cover to see the O/N? (Spoiler: they’re completely wrong)

“...permanently affixed to some structural member such that alteration or obliteration would be obvious”

Just do what most people do and pick out a stringer or bulkhead in the engine room, stick on your numbers, and roll epoxy resin right over them.
 
As NC said, I have seen them mostly in the engine room on the stringers or bulkheads. Have seen a few in the cockpit and it's not flattering.
 
A person who has a @uscg.mil email address and is involved in processing documentation requests told me you should not need to open a cover. Following is the exact response.

It should be marked on a clearly visible interior structural part of the hull. They should not need to open a cover to find it.
 
complete BS

I ve put them inside the hull in the anchor locker. Used stick on letters/numbers covered with a single layer of epoxied glass fabric. Passed boarding a few times.
 
No idea where they came up with that. Maybe they meant a smaller sub compartment like a tank space or something. But you absolutely, without question do not have to put it in your cockpit. More of an argument that it’s NOT compliant w/ 46CFR to put it there.

www.law.cornell.edu

46 CFR § 67.121 - Official number marking requirement.

www.law.cornell.edu www.law.cornell.edu

I can’t count how many times I’ve checked O/N markings, and sent others belowdecks to do it, over the course of 21 years. I have NEVER heard nor seen any reference to not having to open covers or hatches. How would you even be able to see an “interior structural” part of the hull without opening at least one cover or fitting on 95% of boats?
 
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I don’t recall ever seeing a boat with a visible doc #. Always hidden away. I’m on my 4th doc’ed boat and all had hidden numbers.
Check the doc office faq’s and no where does it say that the numbers have to be visible and not hidden by any kind of cover.
 
PascalG said:
complete BS

I ve put them inside the hull in the anchor locker. Used stick on letters/numbers covered with a single layer of epoxied glass fabric. Passed boarding a few times.
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Agreed. I was trying to be generous. My first instinct was to point out that some people have an @uscg.mil e-mail address and still wouldn’t know salt water from dog piss - and the more they specialize in processing paperwork, the more likely that’s the case.
 
7868130_0_020520210932_6.jpg

Here is one in the cockpit.
 
The basic idea is that the number is affixed to an essential component of the boat ( ie: hull rib, in a wooden hull ), on a part of the vessel that cannot be easily "swapped out", and so that the number cannot be removed or altered without clear, obvious marking that the attempt has been made.

I seem to remember a reference in The Boar Builder's Handbook ( I I think ) that suggested ( for the OCD ) a shallow rout of a rib or stringer, filled with a contrasting color epoxy, then clear coated w/ epoxy.

From within the engine room, it would be clearly visible...

The wording of the current reg differs from the BBH wording, but the intent seems to clearly be retained: You cannot mess with the number without being very obvious. And the intent is to hamper disguising stolen ( or "stealth"? ) boats.


As stated above, placing numbers on the interior exposed fiberlas/FRP hull then coating with clear epoxy should do the trick. Placing it on a "replaceable part" is clearly NOT in compliance.
 
Mine is on a stringer in the lazarette

F em if they don't like it

I'm over all this guvment bullship anyway

Now I need to start a thread about the required padlocking of onboard potties (for real) for a key west trip

RWS
 
In the same vane - Boat's with registration numbers, attached to the forward half of the vessel - 2 letters (usually state designation), 4 numbers, 2 letters; 3 inches in height, contrasting color to background color, spaces or hyphens between letter and number groupings must be equal to the witch of a letter other than "I" or a number other than "1".

I can count the number of PWCs I've seen that meet ALL those requirements to the letter on one hand. I'd be curious if NC has ever written someone for 'failure to properly space' as a stand-alone violation (without a belligerent operator!)
 
Maybe the confusion came from the wording. You can NOT have the number on a hatch or cover. That is true. So someone must have misread that as you can’t have it when you need to open a hatch or cover.
 
Good Grief said:
In the same vane - Boat's with registration numbers, attached to the forward half of the vessel - 2 letters (usually state designation), 4 numbers, 2 letters; 3 inches in height, contrasting color to background color, spaces or hyphens between letter and number groupings must be equal to the witch of a letter other than "I" or a number other than "1".

I can count the number of PWCs I've seen that meet ALL those requirements to the letter on one hand. I'd be curious if NC has ever written someone for 'failure to properly space' as a stand-alone violation (without a belligerent operator!)
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Most common violation for that is probably font. Refs specify block Arabic numerals. Next most common is spacing. I think I actually wrote for numbering maybe twice over a couple decades, and it was in conjunction with a whole laundry list of much more significant issues on boats that needed to be off the water, and stay off the water. The only kind of belligerent that ever affected my decision to write or warn something, though, was the “I’m not going to fix it, I don’t care what the law says” kind of belligerent. You let someone get you to make a decision based on your feelings, you’re already on the wrong.
 
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