sail numbers : WTF ?

[bobgosling]

What are sail numbers used for ? Are they just for racing ? I can see how they might be useful to SAR services to identify your boat from a distance and I know the details can be added to a CG66.

Who issues sail numbers ? Does it depend on Club or Class etc ?

Are they becoming obsolete ? I now have an SSR number and an MMSI number and a Radio Call-sign and a Builder's Hull Number for my boat and I'm not sure I really need more ID for it !

 

[Aardee]

In the UK, sail numbers are allocated by the RYA.

See Here

 

[VicS]

But thats the GBR numbers for yachts and numbers for certain classes of dinghies.

Other than those most are issued by the builder/supplier although some may be issued by class associations.

 

[Aja]

Or Here even. Sure there are lots more...

Donald

Sail Number 3346C

 

[oldsaltoz]

In Oz, the Australian Yachting Association (AYF) issue yacht clubs with a letter/s that must be in front of the number/s the club allocates to it's racing members.

The letter/s most often are the first letter/s on the town or port the club is located in.

Avagoodweekend......

 

[Guest]

You can display any number / letters / logo's you wish as long as a) they are not offensive, b) not in conflict with another boat, c) not subject of copyright / ownership.

There are two ways in UK generally - issued by Builder of boat and usually indicates Builders and Model by Logo / letters and number may be build sequence number.
Other is by RYA for racing .... GBR / K etc.

The third way is uncommon and is basically - you make up your own.

(Out here in Latvia ... we have Town initials and sequence # as per Registration doc ... all boats out here have "MOT" annually ... so no personal stuff !!)

 

[oldharry]

[ QUOTE ]
Y.... as long as a) they are not offensive, b) not in conflict with another boat, ....


[/ QUOTE ]

Who says?..... AFAIK I can be as offensive as I like and there is nothing to actually stop me except e.g. general laws of obscenity. Local harbour regs may be dredged up and 'interpreted' ifs carried it too far, though.

As far as 'conflict with another boat' goes - so what? Again, its my boat, I put what I like on it. End of argument. I know of somebody who called his boat "Harbour master" - but not for very long after he had a letter from the local HM!

Of course if you are racing etc, it makes sense to ensure your boat can be identified clearly - might lose the cup otherwise!

Also there are radio regulations abouit not using names that could be mistaken for urgency or distress signals. HMCG would soon object if you decided to call our boat 'Mayday' for example, and the RRD would refuse to issue any radio licence to you in such a name.

I suspect too that HMCG would not be too happy about having to call "Hoof Hearted, Hoof Hearted, Hoof hearted, this is Solent Coastguard...." /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Otherwise your boats your own, you do what you like with it. Likewise sail numbers - put your girlfriends phone number up there if you like..... /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[gandy]

Fourth way is you buy second-hand sails and don't change the sail number.

 

[ColinHuggins]

Try tracking down someone off cruising when a good friend has died - and the funeral's on Tuesday.

If you don't appreciate that a unique sail number with name and port of registration/mooring can be very useful on occasion then you've little imagination and even less experience.

Get real.

 

[Ships_Cat]

Here in NZ the NZYF maintains a voluntary register which issues sail numbers (mandatory for race boats so hence the likes of well known NZL1 for IACC boat, etc which come off that register) but not of much help to you, however the background fits one of your questions.

For cruising boats the main reason is for identification during SAR, or other surveillance - there was at one stage here, many moons ago now, some talk of all boats having to be licenced and issued with a number - the voluntary register that was set up was accepted as being an alternative agreeable to all and it is very widely taken up - there is only a nominal one time charge. The information in the register is publicly available only insofar as the boat name, the number and the owner(s).

We also carry a rescue orange sailcloth square with sail number on as well for SAR reasons.

John

 

[gandy]

[ QUOTE ]
... If you don't appreciate that a unique sail number with name and port of registration/mooring can be very useful on occasion then you've little imagination and even less experience.

Get real.

[/ QUOTE ] I think we've already established that most sail numbers aren't unique anyway, only unique within that boat's exact class. Plenty of boats don't show any at all.

As a matter of fact I have no idea whether my sail number is correct or not. Only one sail has a number, and it doesn't match the hull number - but then many Westerlies don't. I was planning a new mailsail, and I'm swithering over whether to use the same sail number and assume its correct, or to leave it off.

Maybe those with more experience and imagination can tell me whether it's better to have a possibly incorrect number, or none.