by A boat’s documentation can provide a wealth of information for buyers and sellers, marine lenders, yacht brokers, and marine surveyors. This article provides an overview of the most important vessel documentation records and how to find them with ease.
All vessels that weigh more than 5 net tons must be registered with the US Coast Guard. This level of documentation offers additional protection for boaters traveling abroad.
1. Hull Identification Number (HIN)
If you want to find out more about the history of your vessel, you can use the Hull Identification Number (HIN) to locate information. This is a number that has been attached to all boats manufactured in the United States since 1972.
This is similar to a vehicle ID number in that it’s a permanent 14-digit alphanumeric identifier that’s assigned to each boat. The HIN is affixed on the hull of most newer vessels, or in a plate permanently attached on the right (upper starboard) side of the transom, so you can see it above the waterline.
This HIN is used to register your boat and to track its history, which helps prevent fraud. It is also used to identify defects in the hull that might affect your ability to operate it safely. Some states require that the boat’s HIN be etched or traced with a pencil before registration can take place.
2. Documentation Number
The vessel documentation search is a nifty little bit of technology that allows you to search your boat’s records with ease. The document number consists of a year prefix and a sequential number. The year prefix gets reset every January 1st, while the sequential number is assigned by the Recorder’s Office as documents are taken in and processed.
The sequential number increments by one for each new document recorded. This is the simplest way to see how many documents are in the system, and it’s also a good way to identify the most important ones.
Aside from the document number, the other’mirror’ or ‘twilight’ item is the hull identification number (HIN). You can find this number on your vessel’s exterior. It consists of letters and numbers in BLOCK characters and must not exceed 33 characters. It’s usually in a color that contrasts with the background. It should be placed on both sides of the forward half of the vessel in such a position as to provide easy identification.
3. State Registration Number (SRN)
Whether you are a boat buyer, marine lender, yacht broker, marine attorney or a vessel surveyor, you will need to access a database that contains the hull number, documentation number and State Registration Number. This is where our boat search tool comes into play!
The State Registration Number (SRN) is a 12-character number that is used to identify your boat. This is a unique number that will remain with your boat even when you change ownership within the same state.
To ensure your SRN is accurate, you must be sure to follow the correct instructions. This includes making sure it is at least three inches high, in a block style font and in a color that contrasts with the hull color.
If you are in the process of registering your boat with the state, you will need to attach the registration stickers 18 inches from the bow on both sides. You will also need to provide receipts for building materials indicating taxes paid at the time of inspection.
4. Ownership Information
If you have ever sold a boat, you know that it is necessary to obtain paperwork. Whether it is a simple runabout or a luxury bass boat, there are a lot of details that must be taken care of to ensure the transaction goes smoothly.
The Coast Guard’s National Vessel Documentation Center grants Certificates of Documentation (CODs) to eligible vessels. Owners can choose to apply for documentation at any time.
A COD provides protection under the U.S. flag for a vessel that measures at least 5 net tons and is owned entirely by a U.S. citizen and used for coastwise trade or fishing activities on the navigable waters of the United States or in the Exclusive Economic Zone fisheries.
NVDC officials said that in recent years, their vessel documentation system was not able to meet workload demands for timely processing of commercial and recreational vessel documentation. It averaged 57 days for recreational documentation from January 2015 through September 2019, about 4 times longer than the Coast Guard’s informal target of 15 days (see fig.).
