Part 1 registry - is the name always on the transom?

[Graham376]

Officialdom in the UK doesn't bother about technicalities with leisure boats but foreign officials do. Our boat name on SSR certificate is Nutcracker of Conwy but the transom just has Nutcracker with Conwy underneath. As long as you have the name and what they think is the port of registry on display, then no problem.

 

[Resolution]

If you go to Belgium, you could end up with a fine for not having the boat name on the transom. If you have a canoe stern, the name still has to be visible from aft.

Another good reason NOT to go to Belgium?

 

[Daydream believer]

Another good reason NOT to go to Belgium?

"Another"??
It is a great place to go.

 

[macd]

I just know that on one particular visit to Ostend, I was told that I should have the name of the boat on the transom.

I was [later] told...that the name has to be visible from aft.

I suspect the first piece of advice was simply the official's shorthand interpretation as it applied to your boat, which presumably had a transom. The second, I imagine, is what the rules actually require. As you've probably read above, MCA guidance doesn't once mention "transom", just "stern". On many modern yachts, putting name and port anywhere but the transom would make it quite invisible from astern, but I doubt the rule-makers anticipated such wide-arsed designs.

The port of registry is purely that, where it is registered.

It used to be, in big old dusty books. Now they're all registered in Cardiff, but to a notional designated port.

 

[rogerthebodger]

It used to be, in big old dusty books. Now they're all registered in Cardiff, but to a notional designated port.

Because it used to be "big old dusty books" located at each designated port there was not way to ensure a unique name across al ports so the port of registration made the name unique for each port.

 

[prv]

Also, Iris was taken, so I got "Iris of Ipswich". Does that have to be marked as "Iris of Ipswich, Ipswich"?

It's supposed to be. The first "Ipswich" is part of the vessel's name, and has no connection to the "Port of choice" except that it happens to be the same word. You could equally have called her Iris of Southampton, Iris of Milton Keynes, or Iris of Outer Mongolia. The port should then appear separately, normally below the name.

The square rigger generally known as "Pelican" obeys the rule:

As others have said, there are probably variations that aren't strictly legal but are unlikely to cause trouble. I wouldn't know first-hand since we're on the SSR and don't visit places with officious officialdom like Croatia, Greece, Portugal, or Belgium.

Pete

 

[JumbleDuck]

There can be no requirement to have the name/home port on the transom, since not all craft have one.

I don't have my carving and marking note to hand, but my boat has no transom (double ended) and I am pretty sure it said "On the transom if you have one, otherwise as near the back as possible."

 

[JumbleDuck]

The formula "name of place" stems from the Part 1 requirement for vessels' names not to be duplicated.

And for completeness, fishing boat names can be duplicated (Part 2?) because just about everywhere has a "Stella Maris", "My Girl", "Dawn Rose" and so on. However, only one of each per fishing port.