Any sailor worth their salt will warn you against changing the name of a boat. It is said to be bad luck by seafaring individuals, an affront to Poseidon, the God of the Sea. Of course, these are mere superstitions, and in truth, there are plenty of valid reasons to change the name of a vessel. Maybe you have purchased a previously owned boat and the name it came with means little to you. Perhaps a change has occurred in your life that warrants a new moniker for your vessel. Regardless of what your reason may be, if your boat is in the Canadian Small Vessel Registry, there is a process to complete in order to rename a boat legally.
Paperwork is just a part of boat ownership. You probably became acquainted with this fact when you first purchased a boat. It was at that point that you had to complete an application for a Pleasure Craft License (PCL) or complete a vessel registration form. You may have also used that window of time to acquire your Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) if you did not already have one. While changing the name of your boat may seem like a personal decision that involves just a simple paint job, there is an official process to be carried out, and we can help you do it online.
Registered Vessels: How to Rename a Boat Legally
How you will set out to formally change the name of your vessel will depend on its current documentation. If your boat is used for commercial means or travels internationally, chances are it is in the Small Vessel Registry. As registered vessels all have individual, unique names per Transport Canada’s guidelines, there are some paperwork requirements to meet when selecting a new moniker.
You will need to complete what is called a “Form 13 – Application for Change of Name of Vessel and/or Transfer of Port of Registry.” This document will call for some basic information about yourself and your vessel, and it will need to be returned to Transport Canada for processing. This form can also be used to update your port of registry, which may be useful if you are also planning on relocating your boat.
Many who change the name of their vessel choose to celebrate the occasion with friends and family. You may even be able to offset any potential “bad luck” by appropriately christening your vessel. Why not throw a small party and raise a glass to your own new beginnings?
Complete Your Boat’s Name Change Online Today
Have you chosen a new name? Before you begin changing the paint on your vessel, make sure your paperwork is in good order. By processing your forms using a private service such as ours at the National Vessel Registry Center, you can save yourself considerable time and energy. We use streamlined, easy-to-fill online forms and a secure, SSL-encrypted web portal for processing. When working with us, you can rest easy knowing that your information is in safe hands. To learn more, contact us by email or phone today.
