Our Owner page contains Coast Guard vessel documentation and state level
boat registration information, articles, and other items of special
interest for boat owners. It also serves as a gateway to our complete
selection of owner services, vessel forms, boating databases, and
ownership guides.
Please
contact us for
additional information on how you can benefit from this exclusive
gathering of vessel documentation and boat registration resources. You
may also wish to bookmark
this page to stay current on frequent updates and revisions.
●
Free Advisory Service
- A free online service for owners seeking information about Coast Guard
vessel documentation or state level boat registration.
● Owner Services - Check out our complete array of low cost
self-service packages for Coast Guard
vessel documentation, preferred mortgages, and state
level boat titling or registration.
● Vessel Forms
- An extensive gathering of Coast Guard vessel documentation, state
level boat registration, and boat trailer forms with instructions and
examples.
● Boat Owner FAQs -
Answers to frequently asked questions we receive
from boat owners and sellers about our services, vessel documentation, boat titling, and vessel
transactions.
●
Boat Registration Information
- Our state page contains information for registering and titling
boats, trailers, and outboard motors on the state level.
● Coast Guard Documentation
- Visit our federal page for information, guidelines, and
resources pertaining to U.S. Coast Guard vessel documentation.
● Lien Releases -
Issues that can arise when paying off an underlying loan and the lien holder's responsibility to file a timely
release.
●
Coast
Guard Documentation Renewal - Information and resources
for renewing a certificate of documentation on Coast Guard documented
vessels.
● Charter & Timeshare
Programs - Insights into the pros and cons of placing
your vessel into a bareboat charter or timeshare program.
● Owner Guides - A
listing of Coast Guard documentation and boat registration guides and
handbooks. Includes a complete glossary of terms related to vessel titling
and boat transactions.
● Reporting The Sale - Avoid
hassles, penalties, and liabilities by reporting the sale of your vessel to the
appropriate state, federal, or foreign recording agency.
● Sale By Owner - An article about
the growing trend for direct seller to buyer boat sales and how our services
can help to facilitate these kinds of transactions.
● Vessel Markings
- A short primer on affixing the appropriate names, hailing port,
and registration numbers to new or re-documented vessels.
●
State Titling vs. Vessel Documentation - Things for new boat buyers to
consider when deciding upon the method of titling.
Time share and bareboat charter programs remain quite popular with vessel
owners, even though some of the earlier IRS tax advantages have vanished.
A well managed
program can not only help defray the financial burden of ownership, but
also qualify the vessel for state level tax reductions in certain
jurisdictions.
Unfortunately, these advantages are balanced by the fact that you may end
up sharing your vessel with some unsavory individuals. In some states, you
must also turn over management of the vessel to an independent
third party for tax purposes.
In regard to vessel
titling and registration, there are some additional factors to consider.
The Coast Guard classifies bareboat charter and timeshare operations as recreational usage,
therefore, documentation is not required. However, it is required were the
owner or owner's representative will be skippering or operating the
vessel. Documentation is also necessary in certain states before the
vessel can become eligible for tax relief. In any event, most owners who place vessels into
these programs will opt for documentation in order to strengthen the
title.
The "report of sale" is an important item often overlooked by
vessel owners during the commotion of
finalizing a sales transaction. Almost all
state and federal titling agencies require some type of notification when
a vessel owner transfers an interest in the vessel to another party. Most
regulations require the seller to file a "report of sale" form
within at least 10 to 15 days. If the vessel is documented with the U.S.
Coast Guard, the owner is required by law to immediately surrender the
Certificate of Documentation to the documentation office. A formal request
for removal from documentation must also accompany the document.
A prudent owner should
ensure these steps are taken even when relying on a broker or some other
party to handle the transfer. Failure to
report the sale could not only involve penalties, but the state or federal
agency will assume the seller still owns the vessel until it is re-titled
by the new owner. A new owner may refrain from recording the transfer of
ownership for certain reasons, or may pass on the ownership without ever
filing at all. This could prove troublesome if the vessel is subsequently
involved in some type of entanglement.
There are many good reasons for
enlisting the services of a yacht broker, especially for sellers who lack
the time or inclination to undertake such effort on their own. However,
the "for sale by owner" option is becoming ever more popular due to the
advent of online shopping via the internet. In fact, most vessel
transactions now originate from web listings which are posted by both
brokers and private sellers alike. This has resulted in an enormous market
place for vessel owners who wish to advertise and sell directly to the
boating public. Internet service providers can be located by simply entering the
search terms "boats for sale by owner" or "yachts for sale by owner" in
your favorite web browser. You will find numerous high quality sites which
are dedicated solely to private sellers. The listing fees are quite
reasonable and most web pages include additional guidelines to assist in
your endeavor. We also provide a listing of such companies
on our Directory page.
Our web site provides
numerous services, forms, databases, guidelines, record search tools,
and other valuable resources which are designed specifically for seller
to buyer transactions. You can save hundreds of dollars in titling,
closing, and brokerage fees by utilizing our complete array of easy to
use self-service kits and individual forms which can be found on our
Services page and Forms page.
The importance of an accurate and complete vessel description
can not be understated with respect ownership documents such as titles,
registrations, and loan security documents. The crucial link between the
vessel itself and its ships papers becomes paramount in the event of a
legal dispute or a boarding inspection. The manner in which vessels can be
represented are, however, varied and
can be subject to interpretations. Take for instance vessel hull identification numbers. The Coast
Guard considers its self-assigned official number as the vessels primary
identifier, whereas state titling agencies are more interested in the
manufacturers hull identification number. In fact, the Coast Guard has shown
only a recent interest in reconciling such numbers within its own database. In addition, vessels built prior to 1972 and those which are
not initially built for U.S. consumption may only have
three or four digit hull numbers, which are something less than
unique. With physical descriptions, we again have some
variations of interpretation between the Coast Guard and state
titling agencies. In regard to year designations, the Coast Guard focuses
solely on the year in which the vessels construction was completed. State
titling agencies are more often interested in the factory
designated model year which is often different. Furthermore, the
Coast Guard is far more concerned about precise length measurements than
model length designations set forth by the builder.
If there is any question
about a vessel's description or identification numbers, it is best to
overstate what is known when dealing with titling agencies.
Please send us a
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web site.
Your comments are important because they provide us with direction in
fulfilling your expectations.
It is our mission to provide the absolute best in professional maritime
services and we are constantly striving
to improve our awareness of your vessel documentation, vessel titling,
and vessel transaction needs.
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