U.S. Documented vessel discussion

[s/v Faith]

I have heard that the Contessa 26 has also been documented. Is that only under the old rules? BTW- I just got the Documentation papers back on my Valiant- Yeah! I'm legal!!!

I am not sure there was a rule change. 

I had researched this, and the web site, and accounts of prior small boat documentation... The only time I recall hearing anyone talk about a rule change is when Lynx just posted it.

  Lynx, do you have a reference that says there was a rule change?

 

[Lynx]

I got the Flicka data from the Flicka forum about 4 years ago. All of the Flicka owners say the same. The new rules will not allow the Flicka to be documented. To small
    The forums was the Yahoo forum.

[Bill NH]

There are many misconceptions about documenting smaller vessels out there (and floating around on SailFar here).  There was a rule change affecting smaller boats right around the 5 net ton mark, generally 26 ft or so in length and with full keels.  I initially posted this on the Cape Dory board but will repost it here - hopefully it will clear up the confusion.



This dilemma was discussed on the Contessa 26 board, in which a member was trying to document his boat but the online calculator was coming up with 4 net tons (5 is the minimum for documentation). However, other Contessa26s had been documented, so he knew it was possible.

You can follow the thread here at http://www.co26.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=223

Here's a scan of the final USCG letter explaining what he needed to do to document the boat is below:



I've been through the documentation process for grandfathered boats several times, and would be happy to help anyone with questions, just send me an email off-list.

[s/v Faith]

Bill,

  Thank  you for the reply, it is much appreciated.  I will move this post into the thread on documentation so it will be available to all for future reference.

  Grog to you sir!  ;D

[Tim]

Thanks Bill, another grog for you and you will probably get an email from me in the near future.
Tim

[j d]

from the cape dory board

Hi all,

I just sent in my paperwork to document Saga Blue. I spent a lot of time researching the issue on this board. The critical document is the Coast Guard letter posted sometime ago, re: Contessa 26 Sailboat (ON 1190689). I intend to keep a copy of that letter in my file.

When I used the automated CG-5397 form (measurement form), the boat did not qualify. However, after carefully reading the letter and talking to the people at the Coast Guard Documentation Center, I realized that on question 5 we should check "sailboat distinct keel" rather than "sailboat integral keel." Both the Contessa and the Cape Dory have what I would call an intergal keel, but the letter said to use distinct keel--so did the nice folks at the documentation center. With that change, it measured out at 6 grt and 5 nrt. It was very easy.

I sent in the following documents: CG 1258 (application)
CG 5397 (simplified measurement), copy of my state title and credit card authorization form ($133). Everything but my state title is on their website.

http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc/nvdcforms.asp

I also put all documents in a pdf file and emailed. It could not have been any easier. I'll keep the board posted on the process. I anticipate approximately 2 month processing time.

[sharkbait]

Yeah, it took about 7 weeks to get the paperwork back on  my E-27.

[tomwatt]

To drag up this topic from the dusty corners, I have a (probably dumb) question...
given the size of my boat (Bristol Corsair 24) is it unlikely that it could qualify for U.S. Documentation? It's a pretty stodgy boat, so even if it is shorter than the 'norm' for documentation, if it's possible to do, I'd like to do that. Any thoughts? Lashes? Laughter?
???

[s/v Faith]

Welcome aboard.

  If it were me, and I were in you position I would run the numbers through the USCG form (for simplified measurement).

See if you can make it work, and read the rule amendment mentioned above in this thread.  See what you come up with.

  THere are documented Flicka's so LOA is not the limiting factor.

Good luck!

[tomwatt]

Hmmm. Well, I guess I need to be beaten with the 'obvious' stick. I'll have to play with this a little to see if it comes out. Was even pondering adding some freeboard (in conjunction with rubrail repair) by giving it a few inches of toerail (because I find it a little intimidating to have only the lifelines there).

edit: woohoo! Without any fudging, I'm getting 5 tons, and with the adjustments made as discussed in the Contessa letter, it hits 7 tons. That makes life a lot better... the thought of hitting port someplace offshore and not being U.S. flagged gives me concern. So I'm going to go that route and get this baby 'doc'd'.
Now, if I could only get her home-ported at Toad Suck, Arkansas, things would be wonderful! (A 'suck' in Mark Twain-type river parlance is a small whirlpool or eddy).

[newt]

Home port can be anywhere you want it to be. "Toad Suck Arkansas is going to get alot of pictures :)
It took me a few months to get documented. Stay with it. It is worth it.

[tomwatt]

Home port can be anywhere you want it to be. "Toad Suck Arkansas is going to get alot of pictures :)
It took me a few months to get documented. Stay with it. It is worth it.

I guess, having reached the 'executive age' where reading for detail seems more difficult, as that little detail escaped me.
In which case, Toad Suck will be the place since it is officially listed as a named place in the Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 55DC as required... it used to be the site of a ferry crossing the Arkansas River (once upon a time much more of an adventure than it is now), but the ferry went away with the building of a bridge.
It seems I have lots of time to get this thing prepped and ready, so I can be patient on the response time.

[kendall]

Digging back a bit, but has any registered an Ariel recently? and if so, what data did you use?

  Have been considering it, and frankly I've had too many people with conflicting information and just keep going in circles.

Been told to use the integral keel/hull form, the separate keel, even been told to exaggerate the numbers to obtain suitable results. I've also been told that an Ariel is nowhere near large enough to document (which conflicts with the many I have seen!)

Any advice welcome!

Thanks
Ken

[tomwatt]

kendall, did you try plugging your numbers into the form to see what came up? That should tell you in a hurry. I think I'd try doing the numbers "straight" before I decided to do anything fancy with it. It might just come out... my Bristol gets through the window okay... surely your Ariel would.

[s/v Faith]

I would suggest reading this thread, especially post #42... getting your paperwork together and submitting it.

  You will ALWAYS find someone to tell you why it will never work.... much better to go ahead and do it before they
get a chance to convince you not to try....

  ... Good luck.  :)

[Captain Smollett]

  You will ALWAYS find someone to tell you why it will never work.... much better to go ahead and do it before they get a chance to convince you not to try....

Grog for that.

[Oldrig]

Double that Grog!

My Cape Dory 25D was documented when I bought her, and I've been renewing the documentation ever since.

It's possible that she was originally documented before the formula changed (the documentation predates the previous owner, who had her for 10 years before I bought her 7 years ago), but the USCG continues to accept the renewal, and IMHO that's all that counts.

Fill out the form and submit it.

Good luck!

[kendall]

 I've tried filling out the form on the website, which I was told would produce the tonnage figures, but for some reason I can't get it to work correctly. No browser or pdf reader combination I've tried works out.  Adobe simply states that the form uses features that won't work with the updated version, so they have been disabled. (May be due to running W7-64bit, don't want to reinstall XP simply to check!)

However a spreadsheet using the calculations on the USCG site shows that it does meet the requirements with a little room to spare, So I will give it a run.

Thanks for the replies!

Ken

[s/v Faith]

I've tried filling out the form on the website, which I was told would produce the tonnage figures, but for some reason I can't get it to work correctly. No browser or pdf reader combination I've tried works out.  Adobe simply states that the form uses features that won't work with the updated version, so they have been disabled. (May be due to running W7-64bit, don't want to reinstall XP simply to check!)

However a spreadsheet using the calculations on the USCG site shows that it does meet the requirements with a little room to spare, So I will give it a run.

Thanks for the replies!

Ken

Good luck Ken,

  Let us know how it turns out.  I gave you a grog to enjoy while you are waiting.  ;D

[AdriftAtSea]

I'd point out that if a Flicka, which is essentially a 20' boat, can be documented, most heavily built pocket cruisers, like the Cape Dory 25D and such, should be capable of being documented as well.