On Sailsform, supported legal and transactional documents can be signed digitally during the deal process.
Sailsform uses Docusign to send documents for electronic signature, track signing status, and return the completed signed document back to the deal. This allows deal parties to review and sign documents without printing, scanning, or manually exchanging signed copies.
In this article, “digital signing” refers to the Sailsform workflow for sending documents through Docusign for electronic signature. Depending on the legal context, the terms “electronic signature” and “digital signature” may have different technical meanings, but both are commonly used to describe signing documents electronically.
How digital signing works on Sailsform
1. Start the signing process
As the deal progresses, Sailsform opens the relevant deal steps for the broker. Some of these steps include documents that can be sent for signature.
When digital signing is available for a document, click Sign digitally. Sailsform will create a Docusign signing request and send it to the required deal parties, such as the Buyer and Seller.
Each signer will receive an email from Docusign with an invitation to review and sign the document.
For step-by-step signing guidance, signers can refer to Docusign’s official guide:
How do I sign a Docusign document?
If you do not want to use digital signing, or if a wet-ink signature is required, you can choose Upload signed instead and upload a manually signed document.
2. Track signature status
After the signing request is sent, Sailsform will show the document as pending until all required parties have signed it.
You can track the signing status directly inside the deal.
For example, the document may show:
Pending Buyer signature
Pending Seller signature
While the document is still waiting for signatures, the broker can cancel the signing process if needed.
3. Review the completed signed document
Each required signer receives an email from Docusign with an invitation to review and sign the document.
Once all required parties have signed, Docusign completes the signing process and Sailsform updates the document status inside the deal.
The signed PDF becomes available for the broker to open, download & review.
The completed document will show that the required parties have signed, for example:
Buyer signed
Seller signed
Docusign may also provide a signing record, such as a Certificate of Completion or audit trail, depending on the document package and account configuration. This record can include signing-related information such as the envelope ID, signer details, signing events, timestamps, and other completion data.
Why digital signing is useful
Digital signing helps parties complete deal documents faster while reducing the need for paper, printing, scanning, couriering, and physical storage. It is a simpler, cleaner way to complete transaction documents — designed for speed, clarity, and a lighter operational footprint.
It may also help support:
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signer authentication;
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document integrity;
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signing accountability;
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auditability of the signing process;
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faster completion of transaction documents.
After a document is signed, any later change to the signed file may affect the validity or reliability of the signing record. For this reason, the signed PDF returned from Docusign should be treated as the completed signed version of the document.
Do yacht registries accept digital signatures?
Some flag-state registries and maritime authorities accept electronic or digital signatures for certain documents. However, acceptance depends on the registry, jurisdiction, document type, filing method, transaction structure, and any additional requirements that may apply.
Users should confirm the applicable signing and filing requirements with the relevant flag-state registry, maritime authority, escrow or title company, lender, owner trustee, transaction counsel, or other responsible party before relying on digital signatures for a particular filing.
Requirements can differ significantly between flag states — some registries accept digitally signed transfer documents such as the Bill of Sale, while others require wet-ink originals, notarization, legalization, or apostille for registration filings. Always verify the current requirements of the specific registry before submitting documents.
Important responsibility notice
Sailsform provides the workflow for preparing, sending, tracking, and storing signed documents inside the deal. Docusign provides the electronic signature service used to collect signatures.
However, Sailsform does not determine whether a particular registry, authority, court, lender, escrow agent, title company, counterparty, or other third party will accept a digitally signed document for a specific transaction or filing.
The parties using the document remain responsible for confirming:
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that the correct document is being signed;
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that all required parties are included as signers;
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that each signer has the necessary authority and capacity to sign;
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that the document format is acceptable for the intended filing or transaction;
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whether wet-ink signatures, notarization, legalization, apostille, witnesses, originals, certified copies, or additional supporting documents are required;
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whether the digital signature method is acceptable in the relevant jurisdiction and by the relevant registry or authority.
Sailsform does not provide legal advice. If there is any uncertainty, users should consult the relevant flag-state registry, maritime authority, transaction counsel, or other qualified advisor before submitting signed documents.
What if a registry does not accept digital signatures?
If a registry, authority, counterparty, lender, escrow agent, or other party requires wet-ink signatures, users can complete the process manually.
In this case, choose Upload signed, prepare or download the document, collect the required physical signatures, and upload the signed PDF back to Sailsform.
This allows the deal to continue even when digital signing is not accepted or is not appropriate for a specific document, registry, jurisdiction, or transaction.