Understanding the Preferred Ship Mortgage So what is a preferred ship mortgage? It is a type of mortgage that protects you as the lender. Maritime liens other than preferred Maritime Liens do not prioritize First Preferred Ship’s Mortgages, which are lodged against vessels registered with the United States Coast Guard. A First Preferred Ship’s Mortgage is a mortgage recorded against a vessel documented with the United States Coast Guard, safeguarded under the Ship’s Mortgage Act of 1920, and takes precedence over all liens other than preferred Maritime Liens. A preferred ship’s mortgage secures the first note and any future extension or advances. As mortgagee, you may withhold disbursements until documentation on the ship is complete and correct and acceptable inspection documents are filed with the Coast Guard. It provides you with priority over all other liens against the vessel. A mention of a security interest on the title of a smaller boat should be adequate to safeguard the lender. As you would expect from the preceding phrase, there are many moving parts to these mortgages. We’ll go through how our mortgage form works on our site and why you may want to file one in this article. An Overview of the Information on a Loan Application This form includes a signature from each party’s owners and their respective addresses as a starting point. Ensure to keep in mind that the mortgage must be for the boat’s total value. No component of it may be excluded, and the vessel cannot be excluded from coverage if it is solely operating in a particular region or performing a specific function. According to flsenate.gov, the vessel’s name, hull number, or official number must be displayed prominently. A critical component commonly neglected is that a mortgage cannot be approved unless the vessel has a valid certificate of documentation or an Application for Initial, Exchange, or Replacement, CG-1258, on file with the lender. Of course, all of those identical files are available elsewhere on our website. Preferred Ship Mortgage Considerations A preferred mortgage is a mortgage with a maritime lien status for boats. Besides the remark provided, this agreement protects the vessel against any future expansions or advancements.