Reverse of CG-5397 (Rev. 6-04) v1.0 NOTE: This version includes updated MSC contact information, pending the next revision to this form.
OVERALL DIMENSIONS
LENGTH (L) is the horizontal distance between the outboard side of the foremost part (bow) of the hull and the
outboard side of the aftermost part (stern) of the hull. It does not include bowsprits, rudders, outboard motor
brackets, swim platforms that do not contain buoyant volume, and other similar fittings and attachments that are
not part of the buoyant hull envelope.
BREADTH (B) is the horizontal distance taken at the widest part of the hull, excluding rub rails, from the outboard
side of the skin (outside planking or plating) on one side of the hull to the outboard side of the skin on the other
side of the hull.
DEPTH (D) is the vertical distance taken at or near amidships from a line drawn horizontally through
the uppermost edges of the skin (outside planking or plating) at the sides of the hull (excluding the
cap rail, trunks, cabins and deckhouses, and deck caps) to the outboard face of the bottom skin of
the hull, excluding the keel. If your vessel is designed for sailing and the interface between the
"keel" and the "bottom skin of the hull" is not at a clearly defined location (as is the case with an
"integral" or "faired" keel), include the keel in the depth measurement.
SIMPLIFIED MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES
1. Under Simplified measurement, a vessel must be 5 net tons or greater to be eligible for documentation (issued a
Certificate of Documentation). Gross and net tonnages are measures of volume, and should not be confused with
the vessel’s weight, which may also be expressed in tons.
2. Gross and net tonnages are calculated by the Coast Guard using the information you provide on the front of
this form. The formulas for these calculations are described in Title 46, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part
69, Subpart E, and on the Coast Guard's Homeport web site ( http://homeport.uscg.mil; search on "Tonnage
Measurement"). Monohull vessels that are less than 25 feet in length are often less than 5 net tons.
3. If your vessel is eligible for documentation using Simplified measurement, complete the front side of this form
by printing or typing all required information. Provide dimensions in terms of feet and inches (to the nearest inch).
After signing the form, send it to the USCG National Vessel Documentation Center (NVDC) along with application
form CG-1258. Only the front side of this form need be submitted to the NVDC. Please notify the NVDC if your
vessel will also be measured under the Convention system (as for vessels 79 feet or over in convention length
engaged on foreign voyages).
4. If all applicable requirements are met for documentation, the NVDC will issue a Certificate of Documentation
with the gross and net tonnage indicated on the certificate.
5. Other U.S. tonnage measurement systems, known as "formal" measurement systems, may yield different
tonnages and may be used in lieu of Simplified measurement. Formal measurement requires the employment of a
USCG authorized measurement organization and a physical inspection of the vessel by that organization’s
surveyor. Information on how to contact these organizations is available on the Homeport web site.
MULTI-HULL VESSELS
For the purposes of Simplified measurement, twin hull and tri-hull vessels are defined as only those with no
buoyant volume in the structure that connects the hulls together. In other words, the cross-structure, bridging,
platform or “trampoline” connecting the hulls has no measurable depth or buoyancy as shown in the illustrations
in Section II, Items 8 and 9 of this form. Cathedral hull forms and other similar configurations with no distinct
separation of hulls are not considered multi-hulls in this context.
NOVEL/UNIQUE CRAFT
Certain novel or unique craft cannot be identified or categorized in the types described on the front of this form. If
your vessel is in this category, you should complete Section II, Items 1-4, and Section III of this form and send the
form, along with sketches, drawings and/or photographs showing the vessel geometry and overall dimensions, to
the USCG Marine Safety Center (MSC) at the address listed below. Send Form CG-1258 and all other information
required for vessel documentation to the NVDC, notifying them of your tonnage data submission to the MSC.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid
OMB control number.
The Coast Guard estimates that the average burden for this form is 2 hours. You may submit any comments concerning the accuracy of
this burden estimate or any suggestions for reducing the burden to: Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Center, 2100
2
nd
Street S.W., Washington, DC 20593, or Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (1625-0022), Washington,
DC 20503.
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