To State Register or US document

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therobesons's picture
therobesons
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To State Register or US document

We just bought our boat.

I am thinking of US documenting it instead of a Calif Registration.

Has anyone documented their Boat.

Did you do it yourself or use a service?

If you used a service, who?

Thanks

Bob

Bob, LaRainne and McKenzie Robeson

1985 Std Rig C-36, Hull #374

San Pedro, Cal

Sailing the So Cal Islands and coastal ports from San Pedro south to San Diego.

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wfahey
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Posts: 157

In Texas you can't get around state registration, it must be done. You do not have to display the state registration numbers but you are required to display the state decal and have the hailing port on the stern of a CG documented boat.

As for the paperwork, our broker filled it all out when we bought the boat and sent it to us to file.

Bill
s/v Lucky
1984 MK I Hull #266
San Antonio, Texas

hilbre
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Posts: 218

Hilbre is documented but was already that way when I bought her. I simply had the documentation updated. I am registered in Nevada even though I am in Cabrillo. If you register you will also have to permanently add the CG registration number to the boat. Mine is about 3 inches high which was then covered with a heavy coating of what looks like clear varnish or polyurethane. It is on the hull inside of the port lazarette and is clealy visible when the locker is opened.
John Meyer-2135

John Meyer
Hilbre
C36 MKll, Hull 2135

Cabrillo Marina, San Pedro, CA

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mutualfun
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I am not sure that you can only document a boat and not state register it. You may not need to display the state numbers as others have mentioned. What the state wants is the sales tax. We have ours documented as we are planing on taking it out of the US. Also it was something we had to do went we got a loan for it.

Randy

Randy Sherwood
Mutualfun 1990 # 1057
T/R W/K M35a
Home. Charlotte, Mi.
Boat. St Augustine,Fl.

pierview (not verified)

New Jersey is the same way... you can document but you have to register it with the state too.

To document all you have to do is fill out the forms and send them to the CG. I forget the place but its in some wierd (for boating) place like West Virignia.

Solla Sollew
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Solla Sollew’s PO was a Brit and, short of foreign registration, he had no choice but to opt for state registration – California in this case.

When I bought her, my lender required US Documentation so they could record a preferred mortgage lien against the boat – a normal procedure in my case.

I carved my #’s into the bulkhead, right next to the nav station desk with a dermal tool w/ router attachment. It’s right out there for every one to see and I kind’ a like its “official” look.

The main advantage of US Documentation, for me - in California any way, is that there’s no biannual state registration fee. With US documentation, the USCG certificate is issued annually (it’s free) and it’s an almost automatic process. A documentation service - (Mary Conlin Co., [url]http://vesseldocumentation.com[/url]) was used as part of original transaction to set things up.

My dinghy is required to be state registered. That costs me about $27 every other year. I have no idea what I’d pay for the big boat. Federal documentation did not relieve me from paying state “use” tax or local property taxes.

To my mind, the biggest disadvantage of US documentation has to do with the loss of privacy. There’s one public US Govt. website I know of where anyone can type-in the name of your boat and get your name and address, as well as the particulars of your boat. At the very least, you will receive some impressive looking junk mail. If you document your boat, my advice would be to use a business address – anything other then your home.

Maybe there’s another disadvantage – perhaps a big one. I read somewhere that a documented boat can be requisitioned by the Feds during a national emergency and you’ll get a $1 for your trouble. Now that just sounds too crazy to be true.:eek:

Marc & Susan Garcia
"Solla Sollew" #1473, Mk.II
 San Buenaventura, Ca.

hilbre
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Posts: 218

Bob:
Marc makes a point, CA will assess you annually for personal property (value) tax for the boat regardless of how or where it is registered. As you are in Cabrillo, it is probably only time before you decide to make the trip to Ensenada, MX. It is better to have CG documentation for out of country trips.
Hilbre 2135

John Meyer
Hilbre
C36 MKll, Hull 2135

Cabrillo Marina, San Pedro, CA

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benethridge
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[QUOTE=pierview;1928]
To document all you have to do is fill out the forms and send them to the CG. I forget the place but its in some wierd (for boating) place like West Virignia.[/QUOTE]

It's here:

[url]http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc/default.asp[/url]

Has all the forms and everything.

Ben Ethridge
Miami, FL
1984 MK1 Hull# 263

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LCBrandt
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There are really only two significant reasons for USCG Documentation versus state registry: 1. If it is required by the Lender to gain extra security for the loan; and 2. If you intend to travel internationally where you absolutely positively want to prove your ownership of the vessel.

Re Reason 1...you'll know when this is necessary because you won't get the money otherwise.

Re Reason 2...Our boat is Oregon registered and we feel no risk with travel to Canada. But if we were traveling, say, from California to Mexico and points south, or from Florida to points southeast and south, well, there might be good reason to use this service. Others on this Forum experienced in travel south can better comment than I.

Part of the documentation process requires you to properly mark your boat. This includes marking the documentation number somewhere that it is difficult to remove (hypothetically, in case the boat is stolen, obscuring the documentation number is supposed to leave behind some evidence of removal), showing the name and hailing port on the stern in the required size letters AND flying the flag of the state (ie country) of registry from the stern of the vessel.

We chose to un-document High Flight a few years ago, but the documentation number is still visible in the cabinet of the aft cabin. In addition to always carrying Oregon state registration, we also carry a copy of the un-documentation acknowledgement from the Coast Guard.

You won't be able to dodge state registration by documenting. You typically won't show the state registration numbers if you are documented, but you will need to affix the current year stickers. States are smart enough to know this revenue stream is available, and they aren't playing dumb about documented vessels. I think that Washington State even pays a bounty to the tipper-offer when they are informed of a visiting vessel that stays too long in their waters without a WA sticker.

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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therobesons
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I am an Oregon Resident, took delivery of the boat about 10 miles off shore, want to Document then reg. the boat in Oregon and NOT pay Cal property or Sales tax. We are moving the boat to Oregon soon.

Oregon is a non sales tax state.

This is why I was asking the questions about documentation.

Bob

Bob, LaRainne and McKenzie Robeson

1985 Std Rig C-36, Hull #374

San Pedro, Cal

Sailing the So Cal Islands and coastal ports from San Pedro south to San Diego.

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LCBrandt
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Well, Bob, if you're moving the boat to Oregon, I presume your future cruising will be primarily local and northward. If you're not forced by a lender to document, why document??? Documented or not, you STILL have to register in Oregon if you're based in Oregon. Same sticker. Same amount of money. The best bargain in boating is the Oregon state registration...one (relatively) low fee and you get two years registration. It's much much simpler than documenting.

Of course, in Oregon there is no sales tax, so that is a major savings for you.

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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LCBrandt
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What are your plans for bringing the boat to Oregon? Where in Oregon? And importantly, if sailing instead of trucking, WHEN are you coming north? That California thermal Low makes the trip hellish unless you find the right weather window in the fall or spring.

Larry Brandt
S/V High Flight #2109
Pacific Northwest, PDX-based
2002 C-36 mkII SR/FK M35B
 

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stu jackson c34
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[QUOTE=LCBrandt;1950]What are your plans for bringing the boat to Oregon? Where in Oregon? And importantly, if sailing instead of trucking, WHEN are you coming north? That California thermal Low makes the trip hellish unless you find the right weather window in the fall or spring.[/QUOTE]

You may be interested in this: [url]http://www.georgebenson.us/[/url] scroll down to the lower right, Teal's Cruise Narratives. George's concept is to harbor hop up the coast, good reading.

Stu Jackson, C34IA Secretary, C34 #224, 1986, SR/FK, M25 engine, Rocna 10 (22#)

Solla Sollew
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[QUOTE]We are moving the boat to Oregon soon.

Oregon is a non sales tax state.[/QUOTE]

Lucky you!

California IS a sales/use tax state and last I heard we're STILL bankrupt.:confused:

Which ever way you go, have a safe enjoyable trip north. Who knows, after year, you can move it back down here tax free!

Marc & Susan Garcia
"Solla Sollew" #1473, Mk.II
 San Buenaventura, Ca.

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Steve Frost
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Marc,

Mexico too is a no sales tax state. Many folks used the Ensenada Yacht Club for tax shelter reasons, it is closer to you, you do not need to beat your brains out up the coast and you can use butter navagation. (go south until the butter melts and drop anchor).

Stu, interesting link to George Benson's site. I have heard about it from a long time customer of mine who is Georges brother inlaw but, had not seen the site until you linked me to it.

Cepheus dream
C36 MK I # 825
MK I Tech Editor No Mas

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therobesons
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Our last 36 we had in Hayden bay on tamahack Island. Loved it there.

But our next home maybe in Klamith Falls, so we may be looking at Coos bay or so.

My last boat we bought in san diego, had it trucked up, will NOT do that again.

We will sell her here or sail her there, knowing full well that the weather window is narrow. I will be Marina hopping.

May be looking for a crew to help!

Interested?

Bob

Bob, LaRainne and McKenzie Robeson

1985 Std Rig C-36, Hull #374

San Pedro, Cal

Sailing the So Cal Islands and coastal ports from San Pedro south to San Diego.

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