"Courtney Thomas" wrote in message
...
I am told that the U.S. can commandeer your boat at will if USCG
documented.

Would this be true if she was out of U.S. waters ?

Would this ever be true if not USCG documented or if of foreign registry ?

I should add that fear of U.S. gov. seizure is not a significant motive
here, just an example of a potential disadvantage of USCG documentation,
and
a weighing of pros & cons of USCG documentation is the sole consideration.
Another disadvantage, in certain waters, might be... flying the U.S. flag,
at all. On the other hand, registering as a foreign vessel would require
importation & licensing fees, which
is a not inconsiderable cost and would be a good reason to maintain USCG
documentation.

I guess under the 'right' circumstances any government can legally do the
same, but in that I'm considering hailing from a non-U.S. port, and maybe
registering it as a non-U.S. vessel, I was wondering what information
should
be factored into such a decision.

The bottom line: if said boat is operating out of the U.S., or hails from
a
port other than U.S., what [dis]advantages are there in having USCG
documentation ? Or is hailing from a U.S. port required for USCG
documentation ?

Sorry for not being initially more clear,

Courtney


Any government at any time for any reason can "sieze" your vessel, and there
won't be much you can do about it at the time of siezure. You can, of
course, then launch a legal battle to have your rightful property returned
to you, but governments, being evil by nature, don't much care whether or
not your rights are being violated. And it won't matter whether your boat is
federally documented or state registered.

In reality, does this happen often? Only if you make yourself a target.