Do you know you need national vessel documentation center forms, but you aren’t sure which ones? Did you get the feeling, in the back of your head, that you should get some information from a National Vessel Documentation Center, yet you aren’t exactly sure what? This is more common than you might realize. Many of the conversations our experienced professionals have with vessel owners are about utilizing the right form at the right time. There are certain times in your life when you can really use one form or another.
National Vessel Documentation Center Forms
This is a more critical time than a potential vessel owner might realize. It can be so exciting to look at one vessel or another, dreaming of what it might be like to be at the helm. However, you have to be careful. You don’t want to buy a “nautical lemon,” so to speak. To know what’s true and what’s a fantasy about a vessel, an Abstract of Title form can work wonders. With it, you’ll know if there are any mortgages or liens on the vessel, if they were satisfied, as well as how old the vessel is, who all owned it, and so much more.
Once You’ve Purchased a Vessel
After you buy your vessel, a kind of “honeymoon” feeling can set in. That’s fine. That’s wonderful, actually.” All told though, you’re going to want to take care of your documentation sooner rather than later. To that end, you want to determine whether or not your vessel requires registration. If so, then you need to pick an endorsement, determined by how you plan to use your vessel. Should you decide to use it to fish, to transport goods/people, for foreign trade, or just to have a good time, there’s an endorsement just for that.
When You Move (Yourself or Your Vessel)
Some vessel documentation is necessary when you take actions that have nothing to do with the water. For example, if you move, then you need to file a “Change of Address” form. That’s one more way that you can stay in compliance. The same goes for if you decide to dock your vessel in a new hailing port. When life changes take place outside of the vessel, they often need to be documented, too.
What Our National Vessel Documentation Center Offers
The above are just a few of the life events that could necessitate vessel documentation. We didn’t even mention if you decide to get a mortgage for your vessel, or bring in new owners on your vessel, or even if some co-owners decide to leave. If your Certificate of Registration gets lost, for example, you need to get a new, physical copy. Just as the wind and waves can change at any moment, so too can life. When yours changes, you’ll find all of the forms you need to stay in compliance right here at our U. S. Vessel Documentation Online site.