Ladies and Gentlemen, While not as experienced as most of you on the list I did take my boat from Maine to Lake Superior via the Hudson/Eirie/Oswego/Trent Severn and onwards and had proudly provided 3 trumpet Kahlenberg horns I found the following on my trip in 2010. 1-Most people I wanted to overtake answered the radio and when asked could I overtake at current speeds or if they wanted a slow pass they advised goahead and overtake as suggested by me on whatever side I suggested.  My boat is a catamaran and its wake is less than most monohulls at the same speed. 2-Most of these passes happened at 10-16 mph (yes-not knots since it was inland waterways) 3-Once or twice I was asked to execute a slow pass. 4-When I couldn't contact the boat a couple toots of the horn either yielded a radio call or a hand signal from the flybridge to come on around. 5-The most frustrating situations were, indeed, boats with the dinghy covering the name or a boat's name I wasn't sure how to pronounce and therefore couldn't hail clearly.  I recommend studying enough French to be able to credibly pronounce French words before entering Canada--I will do much better on this next time!  6-I'll never forget the guidance of a boat broker showing a boat called Pleasure Provider and it went something like this-- 1-Don't give your boat a name you are embarrassed to say(eg-pleasure provider) over the radio.  I hate very time I have to take this boat on a trial and use the radio! 2-Don't give your boat a complex/clever name that needs spelling or explanation. 3-Remember you will be using the name as a call sign on a daily basis to hail marinas or other boats and even more important, if everythign is going haywire and you are calling for help spending time discussing/clarifying the name of the bot is wasted time. 4-For me it helped me settle upon Crackerjack instead of the more esoteric Nepenthe.   All the best and get te most out of the end of the season!  Gary Hagstrom CRACKEFJACK-a Maine Cat P-47

      The Name of Vessel and Hailing Port, to include City and State, must be located TOGETHER on some clearly visible exterior part of the hull.  The letters and numbers can be made by the use of any means and materials which result in durable markings.  They must be made in clearly legible letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numbers, all of which are NOT LESS THAN FOUR (4) INCHES IN HEIGHT (all characters).  This can be either on the Transom or on either side of the vessel.  There is no requirement for Block letters or any other restrictions to type or font; or color on Documented Vessels.  Abbreviations of both the place (city) and state are acceptable as long as they are recognized by the U.S. Post Office (i.e.  NY, NY  --  Phila., PA  --  Wilm., DE  --  Pgh., PA  --  Balt., MD  -- Jax. Bch., FL).  This is a Federal issue and is not open to enforcement or interpretation by the states.
       
      When dinghys are stored on the swim platform or transom causing the Vessel’s name and hailing port to be obscured from view, there is no Federal requirement to place the name and hailing port elsewhere.  That is a Law Enforcement issue only.  However, the requirement to be CLEARLY VISIBLE may necessitate duplicating the name and hailing port on either side of the hull.  Stenciling on the bottom of the dinghy is not considered a permanent marking.

Gary and List, I couldn't help making a comment regarding Gary's frustration regarding the covering the boat name and hailing port with a dinghy. Everyone who has a "documented" vessel is required, by law, to have their boat name and hailing port permanently displayed on at least one spot on their hull. The requirements are given below: FEDERALLY DOCUMENTED VESSELS -- The Requirements Are: The Name of Vessel and Hailing Port, to include City and State, must be located TOGETHER on some clearly visible exterior part of the hull. The letters and numbers can be made by the use of any means and materials which result in durable markings. They must be made in clearly legible letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numbers, all of which are NOT LESS THAN FOUR (4) INCHES IN HEIGHT (all characters). This can be either on the Transom or on either side of the vessel. There is no requirement for Block letters or any other restrictions to type or font; or color on Documented Vessels. Abbreviations of both the place (city) and state are acceptable as long as they are recognized by the U.S. Post Office (i.e. NY, NY -- Phila., PA -- Wilm., DE -- Pgh., PA -- Balt., MD -- Jax. Bch., FL). This is a Federal issue and is not open to enforcement or interpretation by the states. When dinghys are stored on the swim platform or transom causing the Vessel’s name and hailing port to be obscured from view, there is no Federal requirement to place the name and hailing port elsewhere. That is a Law Enforcement issue only. However, the requirement to be CLEARLY VISIBLE may necessitate duplicating the name and hailing port on either side of the hull. Stenciling on the bottom of the dinghy is not considered a permanent marking. The penalties for not conforming to the Federal Rules for FEDERALLY DOCUMENTED VESSELS are: Improper Marking of Hull on Documented Vessels (46CFR67.15-3) $100 to $500 per day incorrect marking is displayed. On Sep 20, 2012, at 12:15 AM, Gary Hagstrom wrote: (SNIP): To make sure your boat is in compliance with all Federal and State requirements, may I recommend that you have a USCGAux or USPS Vessel Safety Check performed on your boat yearly -- To arrange for a VSC, log onto the following URL: < http://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=V-DEPT&category=i-want-a-vsc > and fill out the form and send it. You will be contacted by a certified examiner near your boat. John and Judy Gill Delaware River Sail & Power Squadron, D/5 USPS Life Members & CPS-ECP Members USPS Certified Vessel Safety Check examiners Two J’s V, a 36 ft. Carver Mariner Slip E-26, Sassafras Harbor Marina, Georgetown, MD AGLCA Life Members, Gold Flag Loopers AGLCA Harbor Hosts for the Northern Chesapeake Bay eMail: < jjgill@twojscom.com > Website: <http://www.twojscom.com/GreatLoop/> ================================================== > > 5-The most frustrating situations were, indeed, boats with the dinghy covering the name or a boat's name I wasn't sure how to pronounce and therefore couldn't hail clearly. I recommend studying enough French to be able to credibly pronounce French words before entering Canada--I will do much better on this next time! >