Why a lettering desk?

Boat numbers go on with a peel and a squeegee, and they come off with a heat gun and a long afternoon. Most mistakes are small and avoidable: the postal code instead of the federal state letters, a gap that is too narrow, a script face for the number, letters a quarter inch short. Bow and Transom puts the federal display rules in front of you while you lay out the letters, then gives you a full-size print to judge on the boat before anything sticks.

What it is not

• Not a government site. Not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Vessel Documentation Center or any state.
• Not legal advice. The checks cover the federal rules quoted in the guides; your state may add its own.
• Not a shop. No decals, plates or vinyl are sold here.
• Not a registry. A valid form does not mean a number belongs to a boat.

Who runs it

Bow and Transom is built and run by WeldonPC.com at marinamagazine.org. It is a commercial site; the .org name does not mean a charity or nonprofit. Guides were written with AI assistance (Claude) and checked against the eCFR text they cite. There is no AI in the tools: every check is a fixed rule you can read in the guides.

Fonts

Lettering faces: Oswald, Barlow, DM Serif Display and Alfa Slab One (SIL Open Font License 1.1) and Yellowtail (Apache License 2.0). Their outlines are used to make the proofs and cut files. The site is set in DM Serif Display, Oswald and Mulish (SIL Open Font License 1.1).