Blair, see Reply #14: [url]http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=935609&highli...

In reality unless you plan to leave the country not much. In many cases a financial institution may require if you are financing.

WHAT IS VESSEL DOCUMENTATION?
Vessel documentation is a national form of registration. It is one of the oldest functions of Government, dating back to the 11th Act of the First Congress. Documentation provides conclusive evidence of nationality for international purposes, provides for unhindered commerce between the states, and admits vessels to certain restricted trades, such as coastwise trade and the fisheries. Since 1920, vessel financing has been enhanced through the availability of preferred mortgages on documented vessels.

[URL="http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc/nvdcfaq.asp#01"]http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc/nvdcfaq.asp#01[/URL]

Since it's documented already, seems he has the choice of switching it or going "local.":)

Good info summary, thanks.

Since states don't communicate well about boat registrations, being documented gives you some advantage in retrieving your boat if it's stolen as police can check the federal registration. The major advantage is you don't have to put the state registration numbers on the boat (you should put the colored decal you get from the state - at least in NJ) on the boat.

Don't think you don't have to register the boat with your state because its documented... you do (a friend had a very interesting conversation about that with our state marine police once).

When I bought my boat, the broker was promoting a documenting service, I think that it was his girlfriend. For $400 she would handle the paperwork to get the boat documented. After a quick call to Coast Guard documentation office I learned I could easily complete the paperwork myself and the cost was less than $100 to have it documented. The people I talked with were quite pleasant and helpful. If the boat has ever been previously documented then you will be renewing the documentation. if it has not then it will be a new documentation.
The documentation needs to be renewed each year, there is no cost. You simply sign the form that the Coast Guard sends out and return it.
In California, if a vessel is documented it does not have to be registered with the DMV, no yearly fee. When you buy your boat and if you register it with the DMV you will need to pay your sales tax at the same time. If on the other hand you document the vessel, you have a year from the sales date to pay the tax, and it is payed to the office that collects property tax, not to the DMV. The Coast Guard will notify them of the sale and they will bill you.
No state id #is required on a documented vessel, but you are required to have the documentation number clearly displayed in the boat. If for no other reason, I enjoy having one less reason for dealing with the DMV.

Paul - I read your post on paying the sales tax on boats.
1) The sales tax is due to State Sales Tax Fracnchise board within 30 days after you buy the boat or when you take title. If not paid in time there are late fees that are added on. My broker told me that it would not be due for at least 6 months and I found out that it was not correct.
2) The property tax is an other tax that is paid to the county where the boat is berthed at. You also pay property tax for the area of the land the boad sits on - even if it on the water.

Haro,
You're right that I misstated the office to which I paid the sales tax; it was the state sales tax franchise board. Property tax is paid yearly to the local county where the boat is berthed. However, I did not pay the sales tax for just short of a year following instructions from the sale tax franchise board. I was careful about the date because the penalties are high for being late. Perhaps things have changed since finances in the state are so poor and the state wants its money as soon as they can get it.
It took many months before I got my documentation from the Coast Guard and they are the entity that informs the state of the sale and trigger the tax bill. In any case that's just the way it worked for me...

In 2003 when I bought Caprice from my neighbor with no broker I picked up a sales tax form and State registration form, paid the Sales tax to the State of Florida and was given a Sticker for the hull, no hull numbers necessary. The sailboat had been Documented by the previous owner. I got Coast Guard Registration forms from a broker buddy of mine, filled them out and mailed them in with a check for $16 and got my CG Documentation Certificate in the mail a few months later. Meanwhile I was told by my buddy to just carry a copy of my CG application and the PO documents which would suffice until I recieved my own documentation certificate.

Every year I have to pay a Florida State registration fee.