Are you in the process of applying for your initial USCG documentation and plan on using your vessel in a commercial capacity? Do you want to get a mortgage for your vessel? These are just some of the reasons that folks have been documenting their vessels for decades and longer. However, to be fully in compliance with the authorities when you do this, you need to select the right endorsement for your vessel. As with just about everything else related to documentation, we make this process easier (as well as the process for changing your endorsement, too).
Coastwise and Fishery Endorsements
Two of the most common endorsements are ?Coastwise? and ?Fishery.? If you?re going to be engaged in commercial fishing on the navigable waters of the United States or in the ?Exclusive Economic Zone,? then ?Fishery? is the endorsement for you. The ?Exclusive Economic Zone? is defined as, more or less, the waters within two hundred miles off of the U.S. coast. So, if you?re commercially fishing in them, then you probably want the ?Fishery? endorsement. ?Coastwise? refers to transporting people or goods in those same areas.
Registry and Recreational
?Since my documentation is ?registering? my vessel with the authorities, isn?t the ?Registry? endorsement somewhat redundant?? We?ve heard some of this question many times over the years. The truth is that, in this context, ?Registry? is the endorsement for people who are going to be using their vessel in overseas commerce. ?Recreational,? on the other hand, is an endorsement that?s exactly what it sounds like. If you plan on using your vessel to go out on the water for fun, with family members and friends, then ?Recreational? is right for you.
Why Many Get USCG Documentation for Their Vessels Even If They Don?t Have to
?Why would I get the ?Recreational? endorsement?? That?s another question we?ve been asked often. The truth is that many get this so that they can get a mortgage on their vessel. A strong majority of banks and lenders will only offer financing if your vessel has been documented. Some, on the other hand, do it so that they can register the name of their vessel, and for other reasons. Remember: not every vessel has to be documented. The ones that are five net tons in volume are eligible (which is most any vessel that?s 25 feet long or more).
Endorsement Changes and More
While we all do our best plan for the future, we can?t predict it with 100% accuracy. Perhaps you document your vessel with plans of a commercial fishing operation, but then found that transporting people was a better (and more profitable) use of your time as well as your vessel. Should that be the case, you can change your endorsement at our site. In fact, you can find just about any kind of documentation you might need throughout the course of your vessel right here at our site. If you have any questions, you can call our staff, too.
