by Captain Robert Beringer[spacer height=”10px”]
Boat owners who document their vessels with the USCG enjoy the benefits of conclusive evidence of nationality and ownership outside US waters, which facilitates passage into foreign ports, and obviates the need to obtain state registration (numbers on the hull). For them, life is about to get a little easier.[spacer height=”10px”]
The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015, which finances the armed service through 2017, has passed the House of Representatives and is awaiting Presidential signature. The act will improve Coast Guard mission effectiveness, modernize its aging fleet, and reform maritime transportation laws.[spacer height=”10px”]
And deep within its text is a directive to develop a certificate of documentation that would be valid for five-years instead of the current one, which it considers to be an unnecessary administrative burden on vessel owners. Hoo-ray! Indeed, annual renewals can be onerous for mariners who travel frequently or live aboard: the forms are mailed from West Virginia and must be returned by the anniversary date to avoid a fine. Additionally Section 311 implies that the USCG will permit vessel owners to carry and present electronic forms of the document, eliminating the need to carry the original form on board.[spacer height=”10px”]
There is, however, no mention of rescinding or lowering the $26 annual fee that the USCG began charging in 2014.
