Buying something like a boat is akin to purchasing a home or a car. You likely are going to look at a lot of different options along the way, checking and comparing what you have seen, looking at price tags, and performing your due diligence so you can be sure you make the best decision based on your wants and needs. An investment of this size requires you to do just that, and there are tools available out there that can help you cover some of your bases and gather information. The Coast Guard does maintain a database of registered vessels in the United States, but you might ask: do you need to perform a U.S. vessel documentation search?
The Upside of a Vessel Search
You may wonder if there is an upside to a vessel search, and the answer is yes. While not all recreational ships must register with the Coast Guard, many of them do anyway for various reasons. Performing a search can give you some background material that you may find useful as you do your research regarding a boat. Every detail you find out can help you form an opinion one way or the other, so learning about the age of the boat, what it has been used for, what size the ship is, what type of engine it has, and more may seem like small things to learn, but the truth is they can make a big difference to you when you make your final decision.
How to do a Documentation Search
The other great thing about doing a U.S. vessel documentation search is that it is quick and easy to do. You just need to locate a website that offers the search function, something you can find by doing an Internet search on any browser you may use. Once you have found a site to use, all you need is either the documentation number of the ship or the ship’s name, and you can conduct the search. Enter the information in the search box, press search, and you can have results right away. You can then spend some time looking at the data to see if the vessel you saw is worth pursuing further.
Owning a Vessel Yourself
After doing a U.S. vessel documentation search and purchasing a boat yourself, it may be time for you to register your ship in your name. The Vessel Documentation Online is just the business to assist you. We are a company that handles document processing to the Coast Guard so that you can find all the applications you may need online at our site. Fill out the proper forms, upload your supporting paperwork, and send it all to us. From there, we take care
