Do you have to have your boat name on your boat?

[Mark-1]

When I bought my boat, the name either side of the bow was completely different from the one on the stern. Luckily the ones on the bow could be peeled off using gentle heat from a hot air gun.

Yeah, I've changed the name on my boat in all the easy places but left the old name on one spot where it's hard to remove.

Pride of ownership? Not so much. ?

 

[Mark-1]

If unregistered (as is legal for most small yachts) no name or number needed, but stay in UK waters. You're breaking international law by not having registration if you go foreign.

Although nobody ever seems to be able to identify the specific law that's being broken.

 

[Mark-1]

It is really frustrating for the emergency services when called to a medical emergency on a yacht in a marina when they are given a berth number and a boat name. All too often the berth number can only be seen when approaching from the water and the boat name is not visible. Its not so bad if the Coastguard get there as they are used to boats and marinas but ambulance paramedics may have no experience of boats or marinas. Many minutes are wasted. It's the same with ambulance and fire brigade who can't see your house number or name from the street.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

See the W3W thread. ?

 

[Lucky Duck]

Although nobody ever seems to be able to identify the specific law that's being broken.

Where is Tim Bartlett when you need him?

 

[lustyd]

Although nobody ever seems to be able to identify the specific law that's being broken.

I believe when sailing internationally the convention is that if you're registered you get treated as a UK vessel and have the backing of the navy etc. but if unregistered you don't. I don't think you'd be specifically breaking a law but it's a good idea. The UK merchant shipping act does include something about the boat name, but not the SSR number and I can't find any reference to displaying the SSR number that points to an actual source. I have read that the SSR registration used to include this, but it certainly doesn't as of 2020.

 

[Gary Fox]

Although nobody ever seems to be able to identify the specific law that's being broken.

Last time I was sent a new SSR card, the envelope contained a piece of paper showing an example of the size and font of the numbers I'm meant to paint on my transom. They are large and hideous. Luckily, the boat doesn't have a transom, so bad luck, bureaucrats

 

[lustyd]

When was the last time you did that? As I said, in 2020 this did not happen

 

[Black Sheep]

The UK merchant shipping act does include something about the boat name, but not the SSR number and I can't find any reference to displaying the SSR number that points to an actual source. I have read that the SSR registration used to include this, but it certainly doesn't as of 2020.

I've just checked my own October 2020 SSR registration. It says (rather vaguely!)

It is an offence for any person to:
...fail to ensure the requirements of ship’s marking is met;

I dug up the requirements. They're not in the Merchant Shipping Act, but in The Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Regulations 1993:

95. The person registered as owner of the ship shall ensure that:—

(a)within one month of the date on which the registration of the ship takes effect there is clearly painted on or affixed to a visible external surface of the ship the number of its registration preceded by the letters SSR, and

(b)such marking is effectively maintained and renewed when necessary during the period of the registration of the ship.
​

 

[Mark-1]

I've just checked my own October 2020 SSR registration. It says (rather vaguely!)


I dug up the requirements. They're not in the Merchant Shipping Act, but in The Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) Regulations 1993:

Thanks Black Sheep.

 

[Gary Fox]

When was the last time you did that? As I said, in 2020 this did not happen

2015 ish

 

[scottie]

Thread drift
you could have very large list of things that did not happen in 2020

 

[Stemar]

My boat's name is on the dodgers. SSR number carved on a piece of teak on the stern. If you don't want to do that, and a pinstripe's in the way, could you do something artistic to incorporate the name in the pinstripe?

 

[Caraway]

I have little room to put a name on mine due to a pin stripe and very low freeboard. Those that do have names on their IF Boats don,t look right to me as they are either squeezed in and too small (to read anyway) or overlap the stripe, although not many have names on them abroad. Some put the name on the coachroof instead. My boat name is on horrible dodgers which I don,t think looks right on a svelte little boat. I am also not keen on the name 'Elpenor' (something about a drunk falling off a building!) so I may just not put a name on. It is probably the only yacht with an orange hull in the Solent so not hard to identify in an emergency. Is a Boat name displayed a must?

I have a friend who has his name on the coachroof/coaming. You can hardly see it.

Or do it small and in script on the transom (Boat names are really cheap on vinyl from a sign maker)

You could always be subtle and use a shade of grey rather than a contrasting colour.

 

[lustyd]

Brilliant, thanks Black Sheep. That seems to suggest all the talk about specific lettering sizes and positions is at the very least no longer the case but confirms it's needed. Hopefully this will be the first thread people find in the future as I've read a lot of them on this forum and never found such concise info

 

[Lucy52]

In 2019 I was given details of font, size and location required for the SSSR No. to be put on my yacht.

 

[Caraway]

Same here, but no name required.

 

[scottie]

My boat's name is on the dodgers. SSR number carved on a piece of teak on the stern. If you don't want to do that, and a pinstripe's in the way, could you do something artistic to incorporate the name in the pinstripe?

Pinstripe whatever suits?

 

[lustyd]

In 2019 I was given details of font, size and location required for the SSSR No. to be put on my yacht.

Interesting, in 2020 I literally just got the certificate so either they dropped the requirement, or the new (terrible) digital system doesn't include the required details. It was a real challenge to even register on the portal so I'm guessing the latter.

 

[Daydream believer]

Circa 2008 my wife & I were asked to help a film crew in Ostend make a TV film about a joint drugs initiative. Having spent 2.5 hours doing so the police then informed me that I was liable to a 2000 euro fine for not having the boat name on the transom. We had to wait for the film to be shown in the news clip that evening . If it had shown enough of the transom we would be fined. Fortunately the director cut that bit of the film out for us & we were let off with a warning.
Lettering has to be easily readable at 50 metres

 

[UK-WOOZY]

my boat came with its name "Solar Eclipse" on the dodgers, it also has the name on the back but i need to redo that as its worn off a bit