Placement of Documentation Number

[Tom Lanzilli]

I have to place my documentation number on by boat.  The instructions say must be on some clearly visable interior structural part of the hull.  I have been reading through old posts and understand the options sailors have used to mount the number.  What I am not clear on is this, most have placed the number in a non visable area like storage compartment.  In this case a door might have to be opened or cushion removed to actually see the number.  Personally I do not want the number to be seen and would prefer mounting in a sail locker or or in a hatch somewhere, however, I am not sure it will meet the coast guard instruction of "clearly visable".  Can someone help me with this My inspection is due next week.

Thanks in advance.

[Mike Smith]

Mine is on a 12" teak board fiberglassed to the hull in the main salon forward port settee storage compartment.

Mike

[tommyt]

Mine is stenciled in permanent marker in the port storage area behind the back cushion. It is clearly visible as soon as I take the cushion back off. The last, and only, time I was boarded they looked at the paperwork, saw the lettering, and went away happy.

[David Arnold]

Tom,
The term clearly visable means that one must be able to see it when looking for it.  Should the boat be stolen the Coast Guard wants to be able to find the documentation number permanently applied to some part of the hull or structural material that would be difficult if not impossible to remove.  At the advise of someone in the CG auxiliary I applied mine with vinyl letters to the hull inside the aft storage locker and I put a coat of fiberglass resin over it to lock the lettering in place.  The documentation number is in plain view ONLY when the locker door is open.

[Ron Hill]

Tom : What the USCG wants is what David mentioned.  The number should be "firmly affixed to the hull".  I have mine on a teak board that is glassed to the hull.  The flat spot on the hull that I found was under the small cut out (under the aft cabin cushions). 
I've been boarded and inspected - the USCG was happy with my numbers and their placement!!   

[mrousseau]

Hi Tom,

Our registration plates in Canada are the size of the ones on our cars.  We decided to put ours behind the stairs so it's visible and not used as a  decoration.

Zoulu