Vessel Name And Port Of Registry: Fill & Download for Free

All vessels bigger than you can carry on the roof of your car have to be registered somewhere. In most US states, even if the boat is tiny, if it has a motor (even outboard) it has to be registered.Barges too, Go to http://marinetraffic.com and look for barges - you’ll see that they all have names (maybe the name is just a number) and ports/countries of registry.

Ships can be registered almost anywhere, and all registration means is that's where the company has decided to pay taxes and registration fees.The Port of Registry and corresponding Flag also determine what specific regulations to which a vessel must adhere, including the specific regulations of that country as well as any international regulations and treaties to which the country is a party.Most countries require some sort of physical presence in the city and country where a vessel is registered, but this can often be satisfied with a simple Post Office Box.If a country allows the port to be changed to another city in that Country, then there is no need to change the flag. For instance, you change your vessel's registration from Miami to New York and still keep the US flag. Other countries specify which port a vessel will be registered in. In this case, and if the company desires to register in a port in another country, then changing the port will require a change of flag.A ship must be registered somewhere otherwise it is considered a stateless vessel. Stateless vessels are treated in a manner similar to vessels engaged in piracy or smuggling contraband.The country and home port where a ship is registered (not owned) is purely the decision of either the company that owns the vessel, the company that operates the vessel, or the company that charters the vessel. These could be three separate companies, and the various contracts they all sign with each other will determine who picks the home port and country for registration.Sometimes companies pick their home country simply because that's where they are based. It can be a matter of pride, tax reasons, or simply they don't want to figure out the rules somewhere else.Sometimes its based on political reasons. Some countries prohibit vessels registered in certain countries so it's better to register your vessel in a country whose vessels are accepted in whatever ports you would like to trade with.A country owning a vessel and a vessel being registered in that country are very different things. A registered vessel just means that's where the company pays the taxes and fees for their vessel. When a country owns the vessel, it is part of that country's fleet, whether a Navy, Coast Guard, or other government service vessel. The United States, for example, owns ships under multiple federal agencies, including the Navy, Coast Guard, Maritime Administration (supply ships), National Science Foundation (research vessels), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (research and surveying vessels (just to name a few, there are more). They are crewed by military members, government employees, contractors, or a combination of one or more of these.All that's required for a land-locked country (no way for the vessel to sail up a river and dock in its home country) to own a vessel is for the government to purchase one and make arrangements with another country for it to berth there or for it to use a foreign base. This happens all the time, such as the US homeporting ships in Japan, Italy, Bahrain, or even Cuba. Many countries have or share naval bases in other countries as part of treaties or war prizes.Many land-locked countries also allow commercial vessels to be registered there. Again, this just means the company registering the vessel has some sort of presence (as little as a post office box), they pay the registration fees and any taxes in that country and city, and they agree to abide by the specific regulations of that country as well as any international regulations and treaties to which the country agreed.With the rise of the International Maritime Organization, which is part of the United Nations, the various Conventions regulating shipping, and the International Association of Classification Societies, the idea of a "Flag of Convenience" no longer exists, but the organization guarantees the rights of any nation, regardless of whether or not they have a coast, to be able to register vessels.All vessels, regardless of where they are flagged, must comply with all of the regulations in the various IMO Conventions and codes: Safety of Life at Sea, Safety Management, Ship Security, Firefighting, Lifesaving, Marine Pollution, Load lines, Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping, Maritime Labour, and Ballast Water. These conventions cover every aspect of how a ship is built, crewed, and operated. Ships registered in Panama, Liberia or the Marshall Islands must adhere to the laws and pay taxes in that country, but they all must comply with the regulations laid out by the IMO. Ships are examined by inspectors called Port State Control Officers in every port they visit to ensure compliance with the regulations, and they must also have annual inspections by inspectors from their Flag State and Class Society. These reports are entered into databases that are viewed by the Port State Control Officers around the world and any problems found are also reported to the IMO.Further, a vessel that visits a port in another country other than where it is registered must adhere to any additional rules required by that port or the country. So even if a vessel is flagged by Panama, if there is a US regulation that requires more stringent standards than those required by the international regulation, or its not covered by the international regulations, the vessel will be held to the standards of the port and country it is currently in.It's a very thorough process and any ship that does not comply or is not up to the required standards is required to fix any problems prior to coming in or they are simply kept out.

There is an old tradition, rarely adhered to, that boat names should have seven letters and two vowels.Do with that whatever you wish.To me, the golden rule is, please think of what you will sound like on the radio:“Coast Guard Seattle, this is “The Maiden of the Fair Winds.”Or, a conversation that happened when I was running a boat named “Nuthatch” (a small bird in the North-West) across to Vancouver, and a Phallic 30 kind of powerboat named “The Stud” (I am not making this up) got into trouble, and I offered to help, the Coast Guard radio operator, barely able to contain her laughter, came back with:“The Stud,” the “Nuthatch” is able to assist you. Do you want assistance from the “Nuthatch?”And, don’t forget, you may be asked to spell it phonetically, and inability to do this is a sure sign that you are no real sailor. Try, as I have had to, without hesitation, reporting phonetically the “Western Aleutian,” and her port of registry, “Pascagoula, Mississippi.”Then there was the sailing vessel “Lgnaf,” which everybody thought was Welsh, or something. It was actually, so the lady lawyer who owned it told me, an acronym for “Lets Get Naked And Fuck.”Charmed, I’m sure!But seriously, how can you beat the clipper ship names:“Lord of the Isles,”“Flying Cloud,”“Cutty Sark,”“Staghound,”“Ariel,”“Belted Will,”“Lightning,”“Dreadnaught,”And on and on.Of course, putting a name like that on an otherwise unpretentious little run about would be the worst sort of pretentiousness, but they were glorious ships, with legendary names.