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.