🔍 Key Concepts

• Documented vessel marking requirements under 46 CFR (Certificate of Documentation) • Difference between an official number and a vessel’s name/hailing port markings • Meaning of permanently affixed/marked on the vessel’s structure

💭 Think About

• Think about what the Coast Guard needs if all paint and removable signs are gone after a casualty—how would they still identify the vessel? • Which answer choice describes something that would survive repainting or a name change? • Ask yourself: is the official number meant to be visible like a name or registration, or hidden but permanent for identification and inspection?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify in 46 CFR that the official number has a requirement to be carved, cut, or otherwise permanently marked on a structural part of the vessel • Check whether the regulations say anything about the official number being painted externally on the bow or stern • Confirm that the requirement is for the marking to be permanent and on the structure, not just on removable items or paperwork