Coast Guard to charge $26 annual fee to boaters

[newsman]

The Coast Guard will charge an separate annual fee of $26 to boaters for vessel documentation renewal. Details at http://www.examiner.com/article/coas...to-boat-owners

[Capt. Debbie]

That's for Documented boats. I guess many commericial guys and corporations will feel the sting?

I would guess most recreational vessels are not documented, only State registered.

[Gerry Zagorski]

I think you are correct Captain Frank, for Coast Guard Federal documented vessels only.... Not sure what the benefits are to being documented though. If you are documented you don't have to be regsiterted in the state and have registration numbers on your boat. If however you have no registration numbers on your boat you are more likley to get stopped on the water since you have no registration numbers so most people do both.

[Capt. Lou]

My 34' vessal had been documented since I bought it which if I kept it would have been 15yrs now! Stopped by marine ploice & was told that even though I was out of state boater I was required by law to register boat if in out of state waters longer than 90days!
So I just registered vessal in NJ to side step any future occurences. Only stopped once for this issue in spite of having been stopped in SR & offshre by coasties for fish checks etc. never once did they ever mention my non registration in lieu of documentation.

[Capt. Debbie]

I think you only have to have the NJ registration stickers if documented.

Are you commercial? That's another change for recreational boaters and commerical vessels.

I was commercial when I ran charters. But my bank said I had to Document besides NJ registration as commericial.

[Capt. Lou]

No not commercial , quit charter business etc several ears prior !