A Tip on Researching Documented Vessels

On Monday we shared a story about the Formosa 51 Fair Seas. While the boat is now enjoying life as a centerpiece bar in The Kraken, a restaurant in Tonga, its owner is interested in learning more about its history. Reader and regular Latitude contributor John “Woody” Skoriak sent us his tip on how to find the information.

“When all else fails, one of the most effective ways to gather information is through a US Coast Guard vessel documentation search.

“As you know, every documented vessel has a unique documentation number (referred to as the ‘Official Number’ by the Coast Guard). This number is required to be permanently affixed inside the hull — usually chiseled, carved, or mounted onto a structural member of the boat. Common locations include a bulkhead, crossbeam, engine room, or sometimes even on the risers of a wooden stairway — as we found on one of our recent boats.”

“If the owner or someone inspecting the boat can locate that number, it becomes relatively easy to run it through the Coast Guard database to retrieve key vessel details such as year built, length, beam, and depth.

“Once you have the documentation number, you can request an Abstract of Title from the US Coast Guard’s National Vessel Documentation Center. It’s a straightforward process that can be done online and costs only $25.

“The Abstract won’t reveal the vessel’s current location or cruising history, but it will list all past and present owners, along with any recorded mortgages (listed as ‘First Preferred Mortgages’ in Coast Guard terms). It functions much like a deed for a house, providing a verified chain of ownership and any encumbrances.

“In some cases, if a vessel has a very unusual or distinctive name, you can search by name and identify it by process of elimination using the build year and dimensions. However, in the case of Fair Seas — the only one I could find by a process of elimination was #056774 but records are out of service [documentation has expired].

“So, in short: If the reader or owner can locate that number somewhere in the hull structure, we might be able to solve part of the mystery. I’d be happy to help and even get an Abstract of Title. Like most procedures related to Coast Guard documentation, by the time I explain it to someone, I can do it myself much more quickly and easily …”

Is this a challenge?

We’ll be forwarding Woody’s suggestion to Jim Yares of the Catana 472 Roam, who, together with his wife, discovered Fair Seas when visiting Tonga. In the meantime, can anyone tell us which boat the number in the image belongs to?