Documentation

[WHOOSH]

Chris, it''s good to hear that you found the discussion helpful. Good luck with the registration...and with cruising.

One last comment: When going foreign in a boat, there can be quite a variance between theory and reality, between the letter of the law back home and how the world works ''out there''. I don''t envy you the first time you are flying a (e.g.) Canadian flag and (e.g.) French authorities arrive on your boat for a drug search, look at your papers and discover you are (e.g.) British registered. The flag you fly is often what officials in distant ports key off of and, in any event, will instantly want to understand why you fly a flag that is deceiving to them. I wonder what you''d say? If it''s the observation that you get to fly whichever flag you wish, independent of your vessel''s registration, you''ll be in for a bit of an education.

Jack

[Thermal]

i recently renewed my registration with a PO Box as an address, and it was rejected. Hed to put down the address of the marina where I was at, but fortunately you can keep the PO Box as a mailing address. Here in Hawaii, you don''t have to have a Hawaii state registration if your boat is USCG registered, but some states require a state registration if it''s the boat is there for anu length of time.

[castan]

LOL.... thanks Jack, we certainly don''t intend to flaunt customs with blatent disrespect. We''ll fly the British Ensign when we''re ''foreign''.... why? because I''m British! anyway, we''ll document in either the US or the UK so there''ll be no ''deceit as such.
Thanks again ~ Chris

[capttb]

Was advised that physical address required by documentation service, I have one but the Post Office doesn''t deliver in my village so PO is my normal address. Also state registration not required in California on Documented Vessel, one or the other.

[WHOOSH]

Then you can...
1. Contract with a mail forwarding service and give that address to the USCG if documenting, or
2. Do something similar with a reliable friend of family member (who isn''t going to move on you...) if documenting, or
3. Do state registration after talking with your county Tax Collector, since CA is notorious for encumbering boat owners with annual tax bills even tho'' the boat is outside the country...but you''ll still need to get our occasional registration renewal using one of the two methods above

I suggest you ask around to learn how Mexico feels about foreign yachts with only State registration, since Mexico is your (first) likely foreign destination. Some countries have a problem with that form of ownership proof.

Jack

[jfulf]

Applied for documentation in August 2003, just received back in early March. Was handled by documentation company and was told when I inquired in October the delay was due to new procedures and computer systems at USCG. Problems had caused significant backlog, so would suggest you file for US documentation well in advance of when you expect to be leaving.

[capttb]

Final Note: Applied for transfer in mid-December, just got call from document service saying they tried to mail to me & was returned, can''t seem to make people understand that PO box is my address, post office can''t get to my house to deliver. Also found FAQ page for CG doc. center should any more questions arise.
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/vdoc/faq.htm#11