Bow Number Trivia

[Phantom]

As a holder here in Mass of a single digit bow number, I am always mindful of other crafts with similar "vanity plate registrations". Having spent the last 20+ years boating Winni I have noticed a couple of such registrations around the big lake on various sized boats. Most notably the Mount (NH 0001MT).

The trivia question is (and I don't have the answer) --

The Mount's bow number is 0001 MT,
I noticed this week-end that the Sophie is 003 MT and Doris is 0004 MT
Where (on what) is 0002 MT ??


Inquiring minds need to know
.
.
.

[KBoater]

The last letters of a bow number usually represents the state. What state is MT Montana?? I think the lake was moved.

[Senter Cove Guy]

I think this has been reserved for the Little Mount although NH 0002 BG I think is/was used by the Mailboat Blue Ghost.
Here's a picture originally posted by RG:

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by FLboater

The last letters of a bow number usually represents the state. What state is MT Montana?? I think the lake was moved.

It's the first 2 letters that relate to the state, not the last 2.

[Phantom]

Dayum Senter Cove Guy !! ding ding ding -- you hit it

Looked at some old photo's I had of the Minni mount and sure enough -- NH 0002 MT

Thanks!

and FLboater needs a boaters course refresher --

[Airwaves]

It's the first 2 letters that relate to the state, not the last 2.

However, the first 2 letters that indicate the state are not always the same two letters used by the postal service to designate a state.

MA is Massachusetts when you mail or ship something, but on a boat the Massachusetts designation is MS (Mississippi if you are going to ship something) On the water Mississippi is MI

Just for chuckles I followed the MS vs MA for Massachusetts bow numbers to see how many state’s it screwed up.

Massachusetts: MS should be MA
Mississippi: MI should be MS
Michigan: MC should be MI

The others I found are

California, CF instead of CA
Washington, WN instead of WA
NB can be either Nebraska or New Brunswick

[fpartri497]

Originally Posted by Phantom

As a holder here in Mass of a single digit bow number, I am always mindful of other crafts with similar "vanity plate registrations". Having spent the last 20+ years boating Winni I have noticed a couple of such registrations around the big lake on various sized boats. Most notably the Mount (NH 0001MT).

The trivia question is (and I don't have the answer) --

The Mount's bow number is 0001 MT,
I noticed this week-end that the Sophie is 003 MT and Doris is 0004 MT
Where (on what) is 0002 MT ??


Inquiring minds need to know
.
.
.

002 Is on the Minni Mt. washington

[Seeker]

I had a number in Mass of MS 738 N on my '64 Lyman Islander before I documented. Back then we didn't have to use 4 digits like today. A number I had as a kid was MS 5277 B which was also my bicycle license plate number (5277) and our phone number. Should have played that in the lottery.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by Airwaves

However, the first 2 letters that indicate the state are not always the same two letters used by the postal service to designate a state.

MA is Massachusetts when you mail or ship something, but on a boat the Massachusetts designation is MS (Mississippi if you are going to ship something) On the water Mississippi is MI

Just for chuckles I followed the MS vs MA for Massachusetts bow numbers to see how many state’s it screwed up.

Massachusetts: MS should be MA
Mississippi: MI should be MS
Michigan: MC should be MI

The others I found are

California, CF instead of CA
Washington, WN instead of WA
NB can be either Nebraska or New Brunswick

I believe this is because the boat registration abbreviations pre-date the postal service official state abbreviations.

Since when in New Brunswick a state? LOL. Canadian numbers are in the format 12 E 45678, IIRC. It's been a long time since I've seen any Canadian boat though (they were prevalent on the Great Lakes).

[Arubaman]

SS stands for Steam Ship

MV stands for Motor Vessel

MT stands for Motor Transport

[Island Girl]

Originally Posted by Arubaman

SS stands for Steam Ship

MV stands for Motor Vessel

MT stands for Motor Transport

Which refers to the name of the boat such as M/S Mount Washington or M/V Doris E. and not the last two letters of a registration. The last two letters of my boat and jetski are neither of these.

IG

[trfour]

As an Icon out here, you have a very strong case to very proudly display;

IG M/S IG #### on on and on!!!!

Terry
___________________

[KBoater]

I realize my mistake when I looked at the side of my boat yesterday before I got into it to go out. (FL has boating now).
I’m glad I started folks thinking on an interstate non political topic.

[Arubaman]

This may help
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_prefix

[Smith Point]

Has anyone noticed the large cabin curser in silver sands marina with no hull numbers? Question, do you need to register a boat if you don’t take it out of port?

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by Smith Point

Has anyone noticed the large cabin curser in silver sands marina with no hull numbers? Question, do you need to register a boat if you don’t take it out of port?

It might be documented, does it have the name on the bow?

[tis]

I believe if a boat is is 40 feet or over you don't need to display the bow numbers.

[Smith Point]

No name, no markings of any kind. It’s a big cruiser but I don’t think that it’s a 40 footer. Just tied up to the dock. 3 or 4 boats in from the gas dock.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by tis

I believe if a boat is is 40 feet or over you don't need to display the bow numbers.

Not saying that I doubt you, but that makes no sense, what would be the logic behind such a regulation?

[NoBozo]

A Coast Guard Documented vessel is not required to have either Name or Registration numbers displayed on the bow. However it must have a Name and Hail Port on the transom, or near the stern on a double ender. The Hail Port is "supposed" to be a legal "U.S. Port of Entry", such as Boston, Portsmouth, etc...although many people do not adhere to the hail port rule.

A Documented vessel is required to have its Documentation Numbers and registered Tonnage permanently engraved or attached to a major frame or bulkhead inside the vessel. NB

[Misty Blue]

There is a limit to which boats can be documented. I seem to remember that she must be minimum of 5 tons. (That is a calculation not pounds) I could be wrong, don't have my stuff with me today. It is done through the US Coast Guard and is a major pain in the paperwork.

Documentation can have advantages. First when you are documemted the boat becomes a vessel of the United States. That is she can enter forign ports flying old glory and often makes coustoms, etc easier in the port.

A real big advantage is that obtaining a mortgage on a documented vessel is often easier and with a better rate than on an undocumented vesse.

Now the sticker...In NH if your vessel is documented you are not required to show hull numbers. You must, however, have the annual decal posted in the proper space on the bow. This may be the case with the 40'er at Silver sands. They provide a service to assist owners and prospective owners in getting documented.

Hope this helps.

Misty Blue

[NoBozo]

Originally Posted by Misty Blue

There is a limit to which boats can be documented. I seem to remember that she must be minimum of 5 tons. (That is a calculation not pounds) I could be wrong, don't have my stuff with me today. It is done through the US Coast Guard and is a major pain in the paperwork.

Documentation can have advantages. First when you are documemted the boat becomes a vessel of the United States. That is she can enter forign ports flying old glory and often makes coustoms, etc easier in the port.

A real big advantage is that obtaining a mortgage on a documented vessel is often easier and with a better rate than on an undocumented vesse.

Now the sticker...In NH if your vessel is documented you are not required to show hull numbers. You must, however, have the annual decal posted in the proper space on the bow. This may be the case with the 40'er at Silver sands. They provide a service to assist owners and prospective owners in getting documented.

Hope this helps.

Misty Blue

This is pretty much correct. I have Documented two sailing vessels....the first in 1974 and the second in 1980. The intent was to avoid State Taxes. I live in Rhode Island. In 1974 I bought a NEW sailing vessel in Conecticut and took delivery of the boat in Conecticut.... and Documented the boat with the Coast Guard.

About six weeks after I arrived home with the boat....I got a nice letter from the Tax Department in Rhode Island. They congratulated me on my New Purchase and noted that they had no record of my having paid a Sales Tax on this boat and suggested that I should comply ...or there would be penalties. So I complied.

As it turned out: The RI Tax Department was making regular trips down to the CG Documentation Office in Newport and "Taking Names" and sending out letters. OH WELL.

The second boat was also purchased New ...BUT in Rhode Island. I again Documented the New boat...this time paying the sales tax like any other purchase.. At least I was exempt from having to REGISTER the boat in Rhode Island year after year.

It's tough to EVADE BIG BROTHER. NB

[Airwaves]

Originally posted by Misty Blue

Now the sticker...In NH if your vessel is documented you are not required to show hull numbers. You must, however, have the annual decal posted in the proper space on the bow.

This is correct. A number of years ago I was part of a US Coast Guard Auxiliary group conducting vessel examinatons (safety inspections) in Meredith and a beauty of a boat pulled into the docks. She had no bow numbers but she did have a NH decal located on the bow. Yes, she was a USCG documented vessel.


http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc/nvdcfaq.asp#02

Vessels of five net tons or more used in fishing activities on navigable waters of the U.S. or in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), or used in coastwise trade must be documented unless the vessel is exempt from documentation.

Net tonnage is a measure of a vessel's volume. It should not be confused with the vessel's weight, which may also be expressed in tons. Most vessels more than 25 feet in length will measure five net tons or more.

[Smith Point]

Documentation can have advantages. First when you are documemted the boat becomes a vessel of the United States. That is she can enter forign ports flying old glory and often makes coustoms, etc easier in the port.


Very interesting, so if your boat becomes a vessel of the united states can it be “seized” in times of war for service in that war?

[NoBozo]

Originally Posted by Smith Point

Documentation can have advantages. First when you are documemted the boat becomes a vessel of the United States. That is she can enter forign ports flying old glory and often makes coustoms, etc easier in the port.


Very interesting, so if your boat becomes a vessel of the united states can it be “seized” in times of war for service in that war?

YES: That's the agreement. It's been done many times before. You get it back after the war but you probably have to scrape off the Haze Gray paint. NB

[tis]

I don't think the fact that we didn't need bow numbers displayed on the side of the boat had anything to do with anything other than the state of NH. We had no dealings with the Coast Guard. I just can't remember the details, it was ten years ago. We did decide to put numbers on the bow anyway as we felt if they were missing we might be stopped by some unknowing MP. Maybe someone out there from MP know the details.