Register it at your home port, unless you plan on sailing out of port a lot. If you register it far away, the CG and harbormasters are gonna fuck w/ you and make sure you paid all the stuff you gotta pay every year. When they see foreign port markers its just an extra reason to check you out. Renaming is a RITUAL! lol. Do the Rituals! pay attention to the rules! All the old lettering must be gone! And new one applied. Rename it before you register or its a nightmare in some states to change. Pay your environmental fees. Pay your purchase tax (carry copy of that on the boat!). Pay your harbor fees. Get used to paying. I Assume you're pulling it out of the water and have a place to store the boat.. Otherwise you've made a very expensive decision, because it costs a small fortune to own a slip, and @ 28' it's VERY expensive ESPECIALLY relative to your boat value. Good news is you can register everything online nowadays, except proof of ownership. PRINT EVERYTHING. Don't forget you need you VIN numbers off your boat: they require a pencil rubbing for this. It's usually starboard and aft on your hull. Giant learning curve. Absolutely worth it. You're on vacation everytime you get aboard. And despite all the money you spent, you still can't put a price on that.