Vessel name designation.

(a) The owner of a vessel must designate a name for the vessel on the Application for Initial Issue, Exchange, or Replacement of Certificate of Documentation; or Redocumentation (form CG-1258) submitted to the Director, National Vessel Documentation Center: (1) Upon application for initial documentation of the vessel; or (2) When the owner elects to change the name of the vessel. (b) The name designated: (1) Must be composed of letters of the Latin alphabet or Arabic or Roman numerals; (2) May not be identical, actually or phonetically, to any word or words used to solicit assistance at sea; and (3) May not contain nor be phonetically identical to obscene, indecent, or profane language, or to racial or ethnic epithets. (c) The name of a documented vessel may not be changed without the prior approval of the Director, National Vessel Documentation Center. (d) Until such time as the owner of a vessel elects to change the name of a vessel, the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section do not apply to vessels validly documented before January 1, 1994. [CGD 89-007, CGD 89-007a, 58 FR 60266, Nov. 15, 1993; 58 FR 65131, Dec. 13, 1993, as amended by CGD 95-014, 60 FR 31604, June 15, 1995; USCG-1998-4442, 63 FR 52191, Sept. 30, 1998]