Renewing CG Documentation
 

I have a documented boat and have a question about renewing it. Looking at the website all I need to do is fill out and email/fax in the paperwork. They really do not have instructions on the site, so I figure someone on here would have done, or attempted this on their own.

Any hope would be appreciated

Thanks

Mike

Yep....just fill it out, and you have to send money too.

I just renewed mine. Each year about 2 months before expiration they mail a renewal form. Sign-it, put a stamp on it and mail it back. A couple weeks later I receive the official certificate. Doesn't cost anything other than postage here in Missouri.

No money needed unless you renew late and then I think it is $5.

The only time you have to pay is when you have someone else do for a fee what you can do for free. It is the U.S. Coast Guard.

You should recieve a simple one page renewal form in the mail from the National Vessel Documentation Center.

Thanks for all your help!

Actually in the last hour someone from the Coast Gaurd had returned my phone call, and they confirmed what was expressed here. They will send out a notification, or you can download the form and submit it in PDF form via email and renew it this way as well. She also confirmed that there were no fees associtated with a renewal.

Mike

I know I am going to sound stupid but I have never documented a boat with the uscg
What are the advantages to doing it?

It will depend were you operate your boat. In certain states there are some tax advantages. In addition many true marine lenders prefer documentation over a state issued title.

For me it was a matter of two things,

1. Since I live in Ohio and keep my boat in Kentucky and also operate it mostly there are some tax benifits

2. Again since I'm operating and storing it out of State there are some benifits relating to an annual DNR registration

3. Then the biggest thing is it allows me to not have numbers on the side of the bow.

What if the CG document is expired and you want to renew it for a new owner? Anyone have any thoughts

Everything you need to know and all the forms are right here http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc/nvdcinstr.asp
I just documented my Powerplay. It was previously undocumented with a Florida title. Cost to document was $170. Including Missouri's In-Leu tax it will cost me approximately $1525 to then register in MO.

If I would have just to registered in MO and paid salestax I would have paid over $7000.

So going the documentation route and then registering saved me about $5300.

looks like my 30' Scarab might be too small to document but might be close

Yeah......that sounds about right!!! I was late!

I have seen some documented 272 Baja's. So, you should be ok.

Sounds good ,, Thank You

The CG has a special formula but I've seen boats as small as 26' documented.

For a world traveling boat, there are many advantages of documenting a boat for clearing customs. Typically for performance boats it is not really a necessity for ease of clearing customs etc.. Banks like to require owners to document boats because then you have what is called a preferred mortgage and that keeps the bank in 1st place as far as ownership goes. Plus if you don't pay the mortgage and take the boat out of country it is easier for the bank to get the boat back.
One needs to look closely at the state laws for which they live and will primarily operate the boat. The state laws will take preference when it comes to taxes to include state sales tax and annual licensing taxes sometimes called excise tax. The stories abound on this issue but bottom line research the laws in detail. For every state has different laws and they really want your money in this economy.

P.S. You can document a boat yourself for about $200 or have a marine title company do it for you for about $500.