In order to change the name of a US Coast Guard Documented Vessel, you must first complete the appropriate forms required to update the National Vessel Documentation Center's database with the new vessel name (CG-1258). Once filed and returned, you may remove the previous name and add the new name.
There is no proper etiquette to re-naming a boat or vessel that l've ever known. Usually when a boat is purchased most owners will choose a name for it. The vessel must be registered with the Coast Guard and all proper documentation will need the be completed and registered under a country's flag.
Proper names of ships and other vessels should be italicized just as titles are. Keep in mind that although ship (or vessel) names should appear in italics, prefixes such as U.S.S. or H.M.S. should not.
Traditionally, boats were named after women, and the naming ceremony took place before a ship's inaugural launch. While there's more freedom nowadays in what you can name your boat, many avid sailors still conduct a naming ceremony in keeping with age-old customs.
The Wet Method Apply two pieces of masking tape to the edges of the graphic. Once the graphic is in the location you want, mark the corners in masking tape. After you have marked the area, remove the graphic from the boat and spread the graphic on a smooth, clean surface with the paper side up.
The name and hailing port of your vessel must be marked together on a spot of your exterior hull that is clearly visible. Many recreational boat owners place this information on the stern and then place the boat name on both sides of the bow in the same way that it is required for commercial vessels.
The U.S. Coast Guard, for instance, has few documentation regulations for the naming of vessels. Boat names must not be more than 33 characters. The name of the boat must not be identical, either literally or phonetically, to any word or words used to solicit assistance at sea (that rules out MayDay or similar names).