Vessel Numbering in Hawaii

NUMBERING YOUR VESSEL

image: Numbering Your Boat Publication

WHY PROPER NUMBERING IS IMPORTANT

All undocumented vessels, with few exceptions, must be registered with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, which assigns a separate registration number to each vessel. This number is used for search and rescue, safety control, and theft prevention. Boat owners, therefore, affix the registration number on each side of he hull with great care to assure it is legible. Proper number display is the responsibility of both the boat owner and the boat operator.

LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

Boat registration numbers must be painted on or permanently attached to each side of the forward half of the vessel and must be read from left to right. The number shall not be placed on the obscure underside of a flared bow where the angle prevents it from being seen from another vessel or from the shore.
The four numerals appearing between letters must be separated by hyphens or spaces equal to the width of any letter except "I".
Stickers showing current registration must be placed on each side of the vessel 3 inches aft of the number and directly in line with it.
The numbers and letters must be at least 3 inches in height and of block character.
They must be of a color which will contrast with the color of the background.
The numbers must be so maintained as to be clearly visible and legible. (If your number is properly displayed it will be clearly legible at a distance of 100 feet).
No other numerals, letters, or devices may be placed near the State number.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE DISPLAY OF NUMBERS

Disregard outlining or shading in determining height or color contrast. Use letters and numbers of a solid color.
Avoid shaded numbers. Slanted or script numbers do not meet Coast Guard standards.
Use colors that furnish the greatest contrast between numbers and background. The best results are achieved by a very dark color on a light background, or vice versa.
When a backing plate of a different color than the hull is used, be certain the plate extends far enough beyond the number to provide sufficient background for contrast.

HINTS FOR STICKER MAINTENANCE

Registration stickers should always be applied to a clean, dry surface and pressed firmly in place.
To help secure the stickers, clear plastic spray may be used to cover them.
Protection of stickers may present a problem when refinishing your boat. Following are methods of addressing this problem:
Mount the sticker on a removable backing plate. The backing plate can be secured to the hull and removed as necessary.
Stickers may be removed by applying sufficient heat to loosen the adhesive, and reapplied with marine-type glue if not damaged. The chances of damaging the stickers are HIGH regardless of method of removal.
Paint around the stickers carefully. If masking tape is used to cover them, it should be removed as soon after painting as possible.
If paint gets on the sticker, care should be used in removing it. Some materials, such as carbon tetrachloride, paint remover, or paint thinner will deface the sticker, especially if applied with a hard rubbing motion.

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