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Author Topic:   Home Port

Jazman posted 04-25-2011 05:28 PM ET (US)
What is correct protocol on the location people put on their boat, like boat name “Whaler Jennings” with “Nashville” below as the home port? Would the person have to live in Nashville? Just launch from there a lot? Never get within a thousand miles of Nashville? Does anyone really care? Are there any legal ramifications?
Taylor posted 04-25-2011 05:57 PM ET (US)
I think the only legal requirement is for documented vessels, which are boats that have been officially registered with the coast guard, and these must be 5 net tons or more, so I suspect there are not many whalers that are documented. The home port and the boat name combine as describing the boat on the national registration list. In this chase there is a legal requirement to list to home port in the form "CITY, ST" where State is abbreviated to two letters and this must be listed in block caps of a certain size.
After that its a anyone's guess.
I see boats in Seattle that are registered in Wenatchee, WA that clearly never have been in Wenatchee, which is somewhat land locked. A boat in Seattle with a home port of 'Scottsdale, AZ' sort of screams snowbird to me, so I would avoid that.
I think you do what pleases you. My thought was always that the the bigger the boat, or the further from home it may travel, the larger the home port. So a small boat can be from some little local harbor, while a larger boat should be registered to a place someone has heard of. So if you have a boat that stays in Washington and BC, then a Bellevue, WA home port is fine, but if you expect to go to Tahiti, avoid home port listings that are things like Hunts Point, WA.
pglein posted 04-25-2011 06:27 PM ET (US)
Documented vessels are required to declare a home port. Beyond that it is purely discretionary.
macfam posted 04-25-2011 07:47 PM ET (US)
Vessel's Name
Home port and state
contender posted 04-25-2011 08:33 PM ET (US)
Deadman Flats Arizona: Movie Wind
Waterwonderland posted 04-25-2011 08:34 PM ET (US)
I sure hope Jeff's BW Newport, Hell's Bells, isn't referring to a home port.
Buckda posted 04-25-2011 09:17 PM ET (US)
Hell is a nice little Michigan town that freezes over every January...
RevengeFamily posted 04-25-2011 10:04 PM ET (US)

The hailing port is normally the home town of the managing owner.
The name and hailing port of a recreational vessel must be at least four inches in height. It must be marked together on some clearly visible exterior part of the hull. Most that I have seen are marked on the transom.
On a commercial vessel, it is mandatory to be marked on the stern as well as both port and starboard bow.
The hailing port must include both a town and a state, territory or possession of the United States.
The state may be abbreviated.
My 1999 280 Conquest is a documented vessel.
"FishMagnet"
Warwick, NY
Waterwonderland posted 04-25-2011 11:58 PM ET (US)
Dave,
I have been to Hell and back and it was a cold place - land locked as well.
I forgot about it. Not so pleasant there, but still a much more comforting place than the one with a warmer climate and a denser population.
kb5xg posted 04-26-2011 06:58 AM ET (US)
I have been told that Paradise is just a short trip from Hell, both are in Michigan. I believe they are on the same highway. So you could actually be on the highway to Hell and pass momentarily through Paradise.
skinnywater posted 04-26-2011 08:36 AM ET (US)
Actually, [ironically and fiitngly enough], if you were living Detroit, you would have to go through Hell to get to Paradise.
kb5xg posted 04-26-2011 08:43 AM ET (US)
I actually googled it and it is not really that close, 212 Miles on U.S. Hwy 127. Hell has a university, Dam U. and lots of tourist traps and gags about Hell. Paradise is the same way. The Great Lakes Shipwreck museum is in Paradise, and you can see the bell of the Edmond Fitzgerald.
Buckda posted 04-26-2011 09:04 AM ET (US)
Christmas is also just down the road a stretch from Paradise. They have a Casino and the tribal elders took me for quite a bit of cash just at their gas station in the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina. Since Christmas, Michigan is almost as far North as you can go from New Orleans, I took that as a usurious affront, and no longer patronize their establishment when I travel through.
Anyway - regarding recreational vessels that are not documented, I don't think it matters much, although it is annoying to me to see a boat that is berthed in one location with a "home port" listed as another location that has dock space, when it is clear the boat is not on a voyage - the owner just commutes to it.
I've also seen documented vessels that use the "AP Dateline guidelines" in regards to including the state. For instance, according to Associated Press style, you don't have to include "Ill." with "Chicago" - so you see many boats from Chicago with the name and then "CHICAGO" on the transom. Likewise, I've seen boats with "NEW YORK" and "MIAMI" on the transom, with no state.
Of course, if you're not a documented vessel, there's no requirement that you list a home port. That's the route I take. Partly because I'm from a town that does not have a port, and partly because I trailer the boat so much, there's no real "Home port" for my boat.
Jazman posted 04-26-2011 02:16 PM ET (US)
Thanks for all the input, greatly appreciated. Just to make sure, my example in the original post is just that; didn't want you all to think my boat name was going to be Whaler Jennings!

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Author	Topic: Home Port
Jazman	posted 04-25-2011 05:28 PM ET (US) What is correct protocol on the location people put on their boat, like boat name “Whaler Jennings” with “Nashville” below as the home port? Would the person have to live in Nashville? Just launch from there a lot? Never get within a thousand miles of Nashville? Does anyone really care? Are there any legal ramifications?
Taylor	posted 04-25-2011 05:57 PM ET (US) I think the only legal requirement is for documented vessels, which are boats that have been officially registered with the coast guard, and these must be 5 net tons or more, so I suspect there are not many whalers that are documented. The home port and the boat name combine as describing the boat on the national registration list. In this chase there is a legal requirement to list to home port in the form "CITY, ST" where State is abbreviated to two letters and this must be listed in block caps of a certain size. After that its a anyone's guess. I see boats in Seattle that are registered in Wenatchee, WA that clearly never have been in Wenatchee, which is somewhat land locked. A boat in Seattle with a home port of 'Scottsdale, AZ' sort of screams snowbird to me, so I would avoid that. I think you do what pleases you. My thought was always that the the bigger the boat, or the further from home it may travel, the larger the home port. So a small boat can be from some little local harbor, while a larger boat should be registered to a place someone has heard of. So if you have a boat that stays in Washington and BC, then a Bellevue, WA home port is fine, but if you expect to go to Tahiti, avoid home port listings that are things like Hunts Point, WA.
pglein	posted 04-25-2011 06:27 PM ET (US) Documented vessels are required to declare a home port. Beyond that it is purely discretionary.
macfam	posted 04-25-2011 07:47 PM ET (US) Vessel's Name Home port and state
contender	posted 04-25-2011 08:33 PM ET (US) Deadman Flats Arizona: Movie Wind
Waterwonderland	posted 04-25-2011 08:34 PM ET (US) I sure hope Jeff's BW Newport, Hell's Bells, isn't referring to a home port.
Buckda	posted 04-25-2011 09:17 PM ET (US) Hell is a nice little Michigan town that freezes over every January...
RevengeFamily	posted 04-25-2011 10:04 PM ET (US) The hailing port is normally the home town of the managing owner. The name and hailing port of a recreational vessel must be at least four inches in height. It must be marked together on some clearly visible exterior part of the hull. Most that I have seen are marked on the transom. On a commercial vessel, it is mandatory to be marked on the stern as well as both port and starboard bow. The hailing port must include both a town and a state, territory or possession of the United States. The state may be abbreviated. My 1999 280 Conquest is a documented vessel. "FishMagnet" Warwick, NY
Waterwonderland	posted 04-25-2011 11:58 PM ET (US) Dave, I have been to Hell and back and it was a cold place - land locked as well. I forgot about it. Not so pleasant there, but still a much more comforting place than the one with a warmer climate and a denser population.
kb5xg	posted 04-26-2011 06:58 AM ET (US) I have been told that Paradise is just a short trip from Hell, both are in Michigan. I believe they are on the same highway. So you could actually be on the highway to Hell and pass momentarily through Paradise.
skinnywater	posted 04-26-2011 08:36 AM ET (US) Actually, [ironically and fiitngly enough], if you were living Detroit, you would have to go through Hell to get to Paradise.
kb5xg	posted 04-26-2011 08:43 AM ET (US) I actually googled it and it is not really that close, 212 Miles on U.S. Hwy 127. Hell has a university, Dam U. and lots of tourist traps and gags about Hell. Paradise is the same way. The Great Lakes Shipwreck museum is in Paradise, and you can see the bell of the Edmond Fitzgerald.
Buckda	posted 04-26-2011 09:04 AM ET (US) Christmas is also just down the road a stretch from Paradise. They have a Casino and the tribal elders took me for quite a bit of cash just at their gas station in the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina. Since Christmas, Michigan is almost as far North as you can go from New Orleans, I took that as a usurious affront, and no longer patronize their establishment when I travel through. Anyway - regarding recreational vessels that are not documented, I don't think it matters much, although it is annoying to me to see a boat that is berthed in one location with a "home port" listed as another location that has dock space, when it is clear the boat is not on a voyage - the owner just commutes to it. I've also seen documented vessels that use the "AP Dateline guidelines" in regards to including the state. For instance, according to Associated Press style, you don't have to include "Ill." with "Chicago" - so you see many boats from Chicago with the name and then "CHICAGO" on the transom. Likewise, I've seen boats with "NEW YORK" and "MIAMI" on the transom, with no state. Of course, if you're not a documented vessel, there's no requirement that you list a home port. That's the route I take. Partly because I'm from a town that does not have a port, and partly because I trailer the boat so much, there's no real "Home port" for my boat.
Jazman	posted 04-26-2011 02:16 PM ET (US) Thanks for all the input, greatly appreciated. Just to make sure, my example in the original post is just that; didn't want you all to think my boat name was going to be Whaler Jennings!