Ok guys & gals. For you with documented vessels:

1. Where is your main beam number located?

2. How is it marked? ie. engraved, plaque, welded, other?

3. If it is a plaque, what material is the plaque and how is it "permanently affixed" in such a way that its removal or alteration would be obvious?

4. Has your main beam number been "eyeballed" during a CG inspection and cited for non compliance?




§ 67.121 Official number marking requirement.

The official number of the vessel, preceded by the abbreviation “NO.” must be marked in block-type Arabic numerals not less than three inches in height on some clearly visible interior structural part of the hull. The number must be permanently affixed to the vessel so that alteration, removal, or replacement would be obvious. If the official number is on a separate plate, the plate must be fastened in such a manner that its removal would normally cause some scarring of or damage to the surrounding hull area.

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations:

My official number was in the engine room on my last boat, on one of the stringers. Some PO had used standard dinghy numbers, then put a coat of urethane or 10 over it, making it a permanent part of the hull.

My current one is located in a stateroom, affixed to the inside of the hull, using the same type of letters (maybe these are mailbox type numbers from a hardware store) and they are also well urethaned over to make them a permanent part of the hull.

Never been boarded before (knocking on all the wood I can find) by the CG. Only water cops. They only wanted to see my driver's license.

Hi BA:

I have my numbers inside the main lazaret. I got some of those plastic house numbers and after checking them five times stuck them to the fiberglass. From there I took a small batch of epoxy resin and put three coats of clear resin. They are easy to see since all you need to do is lift the lazaret hatch and there they are. cheap and easy. Just like me.

My numbers are in the Vee birth on a bulkhead. They are stick on black numbers which have been laminated over. They are behind a seat back which can be let down to make a step. While a step they can be seen from the main companion way very easily.
I have never been borded so do not know the outcome of that. However this boat was built in 1981 so they probably have been inspected at one time or another.
Will deal with it as needed.

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What the hell did I just do

The PO of my boat engraved/woodburned the numbers deeply in a board, coated the board with varnish/poly/something and then attached the board to the stringer in the engine room. I can't tell how it is attached. No fasteners visible. Looks like it is glued on. Hopefully it is epoxy or something strong.

I have had no one inspect it except 2 surveyors. They just wrote down the number and said nothing about it.

I want to do something a little more obviously hard to remove. I don't see anyplace where it says I can't have it on there more than once. So, I think I'll woodburn it deeply into the forward bulkhead of the engine room, as well.

-dan

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My programs don't have bugs, they just develop random features.

You can pretty much put them where ever you want as long as they are easily visible for inspection and affixed so that it would take a destructive measure to remove them.

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A friend made up a copper plate with my USCG documentation number on it. The plate is bolted and epoxied to a bulkhead section inside the boat. Removing it would require destroying the bulkhead.

HIN 101 - USCG Boating Safety Circular 70 says that the duplicate HIN must be:
- affixed in an unexposed location on the interior of the boat or beneath a fitting or item of hardware (where they wont normally be seen)
- fastened in such a manner that its removal would normally cause some scarring of or damage to the surrounding hull area. (when the number is on a separate plate)(they mention epoxy)
- affixed to a part of the boat that cannot be removed

HIN is the Hull Identification number found on the stern of the boat embedded in the fiberglass by the manufacturer. The documentation number is the number assigned by the Coast Guard and can be pretty much any place you want to put it as I stated and is pretty much what you said. I don't believe the Coast Guard requirements specify that they should be where they won't normally be seen.

__________________
http://www.waterwayguide.com/
To boldly go!!
Read about our past and current
cruises, the boat, some projects
and a whole lot more a

http://sea-trek.blogspot.com/

And Now Visit The New Boats Site At

http://trawler-beach-house.blogspot.com/

Sorry Chuck
I forgot that the question was about Documentation numbers - which should be readily visible as you say.

Only the interior -secondary- HIN number should be normally hidden.
www.uscgboating.org/recalls/pdfs/BSC70.pdf