23 replies to this topic

[kdh]

We were picking on boat names and I noticed the hail "Virginia Beach, VA."

There probably isn't more than one Virginia Beach, and it's most likely in Virginia. I think the rules say the state should be on the transom, but many don't do this.

My attitude is if the place is unique without the state, then including the state just mucks up the transom needlessly. "Newport" needs a state, but "Nantucket," others don't.

Another question, should a hail port be on the water, necessarily?

[MoeAlfa]

Yes, on the water and preferably where the boat is, most of the time. Ours has the state, but there's only one Annapolis and the original owner stuck it there.. Used to race against a J/105 called Inigo whose hailing port was "Cliffs of Insanity". No state provided.

[dinghydoc]

I don't think it has to be on the water. Below is a link to the rules on hailing ports. It matters if the boat is documented or not.

http://www.ecfr.gov/...3.8.1.4&idno=46

[Mud sailor]

Not on the water,

Race boats from about 20 years ago

Amazing Potato, Boise, ID

High Noon, Tombstone, AZ. (Sail number USA 1200)

[MoeAlfa]

Maybe we should change ours, then.

[Innocent Bystander]

If not CG documented, no hailing port required (or name for that matter). If you use a hailing port, it is usually where you are berthed.

Flagged vessels (Documented) require a hailing port but no requirement that it actually be a port.

[boomer]

Not on the water,

Race boats from about 20 years ago

Amazing Potato, Boise, ID

High Noon, Tombstone, AZ. (Sail number USA 1200)

That always brought a smile....

[kdh]

I believe the coast guard rules allow any "federally recognized place," and there is a list. This allows using a village like "Padanaram" instead of a town. We have many villages in New England. The place can bear any relationship to the boat owner, including none. The state is supposed to be included.

[Innocent Bystander]

I believe the coast guard rules allow any "federally recognized place," and there is a list. This allows using a village like "Padanaram" instead of a town. We have many villages in New England. The place can bear any relationship to the boat owner, including none. The state is supposed to be included.

Correct. CFR section 67.119

§ 67.119 Hailing port designation.

(a) Upon application for any Certificate of Documentation in accordance with subpart K of this part, the owner of a vessel must designate a hailing port to be marked upon the vessel.
( The hailing port must be a place in the United States included in the U.S. Department of Commerce's Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 55DC.
© The hailing port must include the State, territory, or possession in which it is located.
(d) The Director, National Vessel Documentation Center has final authority to settle disputes as to the propriety of the hailing port designated.
(e) Until such time as the vessel owner elects to designate a new hailing port, the provisions of paragraph © of this section do not apply to vessels which were issued a Certificate of Documentation before July 1, 1982.
[CGD 89-007, CGD 89-007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993, as amended by CGD 95-014, 60 FR 31604, June 15, 1995; USCG-1998-4442, 63 FR 52191, Sept. 30, 1998]

[Tucky]

My boat is documented, so the port is what it must be.

If I could it would be "Lake of the Coheeries"

[svgreatwhite]

When I bought my current boat and had the documentation changed, I was told that I could use any place with a Post Office as a hailing port. No brainer, I used the city where I live. The marina uses the same city and zip code as where I live as there mailing address. But it is a small, unincorporated community and acording to the documents listed above, it is recognized and can be used as a hailing port. Interesting. I noticed some newer documented boats in the marina using the community name as their hailing port.

[SailAR]

Not on the water,

Race boats from about 20 years ago

Amazing Potato, Boise, ID

High Noon, Tombstone, AZ. (Sail number USA 1200)

That always brought a smile....

High Noon's sistership later in life was After Midnight, USA 2400. I don't recall the hailing port.

[bmiller]

This topic made me think of an old boat and dinghy we had, the hailing port went on both.

[sculpin]

Canadian regs just require the port, no requirement to mark province. So mine is just "Halifax".

[SailAR]

We had Montana on one of the boats for a while. Flathead Lake is big enough for the boat, even if it never left CT.

I believe the reg is also that the hailing port be at least in 4 inch high letters... not that anyone conforms to that.

[Innocent Bystander]

We had Montana on one of the boats for a while. Flathead Lake is big enough for the boat, even if it never left CT.

I believe the reg is also that the hailing port be at least in 4 inch high letters... not that anyone conforms to that.

Correct - for a documented vessel. Non documented can be any size or font.

And you are right. Few sailboats comply.

[kimbottles]

We had Montana on one of the boats for a while. Flathead Lake is big enough for the boat, even if it never left CT.

I believe the reg is also that the hailing port be at least in 4 inch high letters... not that anyone conforms to that.

Some of us didn't have the room!!

Attached Files

•  119-1998_IMG.JPG   135.74K   9 downloads

[GnarlyItWas]

I always get Sinatra in my head when I see New York NY

[Kirwan]

There was a Lightning at a regatta once, and the transom looked like this:


KILLER BEE

San Diego
Ensenada
Cabo San Lucas
Mazatlan

[Catalina 36]

We decided to go with our hometown which isn't exactly waterfront, though I'm only about 500 yards from the Potomac as I type this in my living room. Only thing is I'm above Great Falls so not really sailboat accessible.

When we bought our boat, we were sailing out of Stingray Point which I think makes for a great, salty hailing port. However, the requirement for 4" letters and the limited transom space helped us decide to use our hometown which was shorter but we still had to cheat on letter size.

[P_Wop]

I worked on a charter boat years ago in Antigua which hailed from Tulsa, OK. Lots of double-takes on the dock.

I believe Larry Ellison's boats are mostly registered in Woodside CA.

[Py26129]

Canadian regs just require the port, no requirement to mark province. So mine is just "Halifax".

Our's is "Lunenburg"

[Salazar]

Canadian regs just require the port, no requirement to mark province. So mine is just "Halifax".

In Canada there are designated "Ports of Registry". You have to use one of those as your hailing port if your boat is registered (same thing as documented in the USA).

The accepted Ports of Registry are (by Province):


Newfoundland-
and-Labrador

• St. John's

Prince Edward Island

• Charlottetown

Nova Scotia

• Digby
• Halifax
• Liverpool
• Lunenburg
• Port Hawkesbury
• Shelburne
• Sydney
• Weymouth
• Yarmouth

New Brunswick

• Bathurst
• Caraquet
• Grand Manan
• Moncton
• St. Andrews
• Saint John

Quebec

• Montreal
• Sorel
• Cap-aux-Meules
• Chicoutimi
• Gaspé
• Québec
• Trois-Rivières

Ontario

• Toronto
• Belleville
• Brockville
• Chatham
• Cornwall
• Goderich
• Hamilton
• Kenora
• Kingston
• Midland
• Nanticoke (Port Dover)
• Ottawa
• Owen Sound
• Peterborough
• Port Colborne
• Prescott
• St.Catharines
• Sarnia
• Sault Ste-Marie
• Thunder Bay
• Wallaceburg
• Windsor

Manitoba

• Winnipeg

British Columbia

• Vancouver
• New Westminster
• Victoria
• Nanaimo
• Port Alberni
• Prince Rupert

Alberta

• Edmonton

Saskatchewan

• Prince Albert

Yukon Territory

• Dawson

Nunavut

• Iqaluit

Northwest Territories

• Hay River
• Yellowknife

Yukon Territory

• Whitehorse

['No.6]

Not on the water,

Race boats from about 20 years ago

Amazing Potato, Boise, ID

High Noon, Tombstone, AZ. (Sail number USA 1200)

Ted Turner for a while used "Earth" as his hail port while and IIRC Bill Zeigler's boat(s) Gem hailed from "Wyoming" just Wyoming.