Boat Cards and our Ship's Stamp

I finally got around to designing and ordering our boat cards and stamp for RoundAbout. Boat cards are a cruiser's way of staying in touch and are very handy to have on hand to pass around. Think of it in the same way people on land use business cards. I ordered these via Vistaprint and for less than $20, we had 250 cards printed. They often run promotions, so google around for those promo-codes. You can also print your own cards at home or use a local print shop.

What goes on a boat card?

This all depends on your preference, however, most boat cards we have seen include the boat's name, owner's names (or family name), contact info (email and blog url), and a photo or illustration of the vessel.

For more information, you can check out The Boat Galley's post on boat cards (she has some great info in her post on what to include, as well as what NOT to include on your cards).

A boat stamp is often recognized as the official method to signing customs paperwork. We have not yet needed one, however, we have read that it makes the customs process a bit easier, as to the agents, we are more 'official'. We have our boat's logo, name, USCG registration number, hailing port, and owner's names on our stamp. There are many variations out there, so it really is a matter of personal preference.
As quoted from Noonsite: "A ship's stamp is is greatly appreciated in many countries, where, for some strange reason, a rubber stamp has a certain authority". Other sailors we've spoken with mentioned the stamp came in handy with both receiving shipped goods and processing through customs.

It was a pretty easy and inexpensive to order a custom stamp. I used rubberstamps.net and for a little less than $25, I received our ship's stamp and an ink pad.