Marinette Boat Forum

Mine has it too, but is engraved into the aluminum door frame of the engine compartment. I have seen many boats with this type of number printed or tacked on somewhere in the engine bay, someplace. Not just M's but plastic and steel vessels as well. A Coast Guard registration number perhaps, Bill might know.

It is a plaque for a documented vessel. The number stays with the vessel if you plan to keep it documented. But I don't know the process that needs to be done to have it transferred to you. A google search sounds in order.

TinLizzy is correct. Rather than rehash here, do the research on "documented yacht" or vessel and you'll see the reason for the number board. It's an old and probably outdated process (for pleasure boats). In MD, it meant I didn't need state numbers (and never, ever got checked or stopped in almost 20 years of ownership). But state registration fees were required, along with a sticker. The process is fairly well spelled out online. It's administered by a very small staff in W VA that answers the phone unenthusiastically but the info they give is accurate. Their web site, last I checked, was rather uninformative.