1. law, govt and politics
2. law enforcement
3. coast guard

A BOATER’S GUIDE TO THE
FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS
FOR RECREATIONAL BOATS
AND SAFETY TIPS
New in this Edition:
NavigationLocks
TrailerSafety
DigitalSelectiveCalling
Rescue21
NavalVesselProtection
Zones
America’sWaterway
Watch
I
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WELCOME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
ConversionTable(U .S ./Metric) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
REGISTRATIONANDDOCUMENTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
EQUIPMENTREQUIREMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
LifeJackets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
VisualDistressSignals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
FireExtinguishers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
BackfireFlameControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
SoundProducingDevices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
NavigationLights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
PollutionRegulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
MarineSanitationDevices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
OPERATINGPROCEDURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
NavigationRules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
AidstoNavigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
QUICKREFERENCECHART:RequiredEquipment . . . . . . . . .42
NauticalCharts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
DamsandNavigationLocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
LAWENFORCEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
NegligentOperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
BoatingUndertheInfluence(BUI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
TerminationofUse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
ReportingBoatingAccidents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
RenderingAssistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
RequestingAssistance(Non-Distress) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
U .S .CoastGuardBoardingPolicy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
VESSELSAFETYCHECK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
II
1
SAFETYANDSURVIVALTIPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
SafeBoatingEducation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Operator’sResponsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
CarbonMonoxideHazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Overloading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Anchoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
VesselsOperatingOffShore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
SmallBoats,Hunters,Anglers,andPaddlers . . . . . . . . . .62
StayingAfloat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
ColdWaterSurvival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Trailering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
FuelingPrecautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
PropellerBladeWarning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
FloatPlans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
BOATER’SPRE-DEPARTURECHECKLIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
SAMPLEFLOATPLANFORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
WELCOME
Asaboatoperator,youareexpectedtomakesurethatyourvessel
carriestherequiredsafetyequipment(carriagerequirement)andisin
compliancewithfederal
andstateregulations
forsuchthingsasnumberingandoperation .
AQuickReference
Chartonpage42will
helpyoudeterminethe
minimumfederalsafety
equipmentrequirementsforyourvessel .
Thispublicationcontainsinformationaboutfederallawsandequipment
carriagerequirementsforrecreationalvesselsoftheUnitedStates .It
isimportantthatyouunderstandthatfederalequipmentrequirements
areminimumrequirementsanddo not guaranteethesafetyofyour
EMERGENCYNOTIFICATION/COMMUNICATION . . . . . . . . .75
vesseloritspassengers .Inthefollowingsections,wehavealsopro-
SatelliteEPIRBs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
videdrecommendationsforadditionalsafetyequipmentyoumaywish
RadioRegulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
VHFMarineRadioChannels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
DigitalSelectiveCalling(DSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Rescue21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
SOS:ShipsinDistress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
tohaveonboard .
Inadditiontotherequirementsstatedinthispamphlet,theowner/
operatormayberequiredtocomplywithadditionalregulationsand/or
lawsspecifictothestateinwhichthevesselisregisteredoroperated .
Toensurecompliancewithstateboatinglaws,youshouldcontactthe
OTHERRESPONSIBILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
appropriateboatingagencyinyourarea .Avesselincompliancewith
RegulatedNavigationAreas/LimitedAccessAreas . . . . . .81
thelawsofthestateofregistrationmaynotmeettherequirementsof
NavalVesselProtectionZones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
CommercialShippingSafetyZones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
BridgesandShippingChannels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
America’sWaterwayWatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
anotherstatewherethevesselisbeingoperated .
USCGINFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-III
RECREATIONALBOATINGSAFETYSPECIALISTS . . . . . C-III
BOATINGSAFETYPARTNERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-IV
2
3
Otherequipmentrecommendedforyoursafetyandthesafetyofyour
passengersisnotedinthesectiononVesselSafetyChecksonpage
REGISTRATION (33 CFR 173) AND
DOCUMENTATION (46 CFR 67)
52andintheBoater’sPre-DepartureChecklistonpage70 .
TherearetwomethodsofregistrationforU .S .recreationalvessels .
Remember,drowningistheNumberOnecauseofboatingfatalities
andthemostpreventable .TheU .S .CoastGuardrecommendsthat
youalwayswearalifejacketandrequireyourpassengerstodothe
same .
• VesselRegistration:state-issuedCertificateofNumber .
• VesselDocumentation:federallydocumentedwiththe
U .S .CoastGuard .
VesselRegistration:Allundocumentedvesselsequippedwithpropulsionmachinerymustberegisteredinthestateofprincipaluse .A
CertificateofNumberwillbeissueduponregistrationandthenumber
Conversion of Metric to U.S. Units
mustbedisplayedonyourvessel .Theowner/operatorofavesselmust
Metric Measure
Feet in Decimals
Feet and Inches
50 .0m
164 .0ft .
164'1/2"
20 .0m
65 .6ft .
65'71/2"
12 .0m
39 .4ft .
39'41/2"
10 .0m
32 .8ft .
32'93/4"
8 .0m
26 .3ft .
26'3”
7 .0m
23 .0ft .
22'111/2"
6 .0m
19 .7ft .
19'81/4"
5 .0m
16 .4ft .
16'43/4"
4 .0m
13 .1ft .
13'11/2"
2 .5m
8 .2ft .
8'21/2"
1 .0m
3 .3ft .
3'31/3"
alsocarrythevalidCertificateofNumberwheneverthevesselisinuse .
Whenavesselismovedtoanewstateofprincipaluse,theCertificate
remainsvalidfor60days .Checkwithyourstateboatingauthorityfor
registrationrequirements .Somestatesrequireallvesselstoberegistered,includingvesselsthataremanuallypropelledandthosethatare
CoastGuarddocumented .
Display of Numbers
Numbersmustbepaintedorpermanentlyattachedtoeachsideof
theforwardhalfofthevessel .Thenumbersmustbereadfromleftto
right,andofacolorthatiscontrastingwiththebackgroundcolor;for
example,blacknumbersonawhitehull .Thevalidationsticker(s)must
beaffixedwithinsixinchesoftheregistrationnumber .Nootherletters
ornumbersmaybedisplayednearby .
State Validation Sticker
PlacebeforeORafterthenumbers,
accordingtoyourstaterequirements .
FL 1234 AB
FL 1234 AB
3"
FL 1234 AB
FL 1234 AB
FL 1234 AB
Letteringmustbeinplain,verticalblockcharactersofnotlessthan3
inchesinheight .Spacesorhyphensbetweenletterandnumbergroupingsmustbeequaltothewidthofaletterotherthan“I”oranumber
otherthan“1” .
4
5
Notification of Changes to a Numbered Vessel
TheownerofavesselmustnotifytheagencythatissuedtheCertificate
ofNumberwithin15daysif:
• Thevesselistransferred,destroyed,abandoned,lost,stolen,
orrecovered .
• TheCertificateofNumberislost,destroyed,ortheowner’s
addresschanges .
IftheCertificateofNumberbecomesinvalidforanyreason,itmustbe
surrenderedtotheissuingauthoritywithin15days .
Adocumentedvesselmayalsoberequiredtopayaregistrationfee
anddisplayavalidationstickerfromthestateofprincipaluse .
Boatersshouldcheckwiththeirstateboatingagency .
Tobeincompliancewithfederaldocumentationrequirements,a
CertificateofDocumentationmustbe:
•
•
•
•
Theoriginaldocument(photocopynotacceptable) .
Onboardthevessel .
Current(notexpired) .
SignedbytheDirectoroftheNationalVesselDocumentation
Center .
Documented Vessel Marking Requirements
Hull Display
Adocumentedrecreationalvesselhulldisplaymust:
• Havethenameandhailingportofthevesseltogetherinone
placeonthehull(usuallyonthestern) .
• Beinlettersnotlessthan4inchesinheight .
• Beclearlyreadable .
Vessel Documentation
TheU .S .CoastGuardCertificateofDocumentationisanationalform
ofregistrationdatingbacktothe11thActoftheFirstCongress .It
MISTER JOHN
FRANKLIN, TN
servesasevidenceofavessel’snationalityforinternationalpurposes,
providesforunhinderedcommercebetweenthestates,andadmits
vesselstocertainrestrictedtrades,suchascoastwisetradeandthe
fisheries .Since1920,vesselfinancinghasbeenenhancedthroughthe
availabilityofpreferredmortgagesondocumentedvessels .
Recreationalvesselsareeligibletobedocumentediftheyarewholly
MISTER JOHN
ownedbyacitizenorcitizensoftheUnitedStatesandmeasureatleast
fivenettons .Nettonnageisameasureofavessel’svolume .Most
vesselsmorethan25feetinlengthwillmeasurefivenettonsormore .
Adocumentedvesselisnotexemptfrom:
• Applicablestateorfederaltaxes .
• Compliancewithstateorfederalequipmentcarriage
requirements .
6
MISTER JOHN
FRANKLIN, TN
4"
4"
Letters not less than 4 inches high
7
Themarkingrequirementsforadocumentedrecreationalvesselstate
EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS
“togetherinoneplaceonthehull .”Manyrecreationalvesselswillplace
thevesselnameandhailingportonthestern,andvesselnameonboth
TheUnitedStatesCoastGuardsetsminimumstandardsfor
sidesofthebow,whichisrequiredforacommercialvessel .Although
recreationalvesselsandassociatedsafetyequipment .Tomeetthese
notrequiredforarecreationalvessel,thisisanacceptableoption .
standards,requiredequipmentmustbeU .S .CoastGuard“approved”
or“certified .”ThismeansthatitmeetsU .S .CoastGuardspecifications,
Interior Display (Recreational and Commercial)
standards,andregulationsforperformance,construction,ormaterials .
Inaddition,thevesselmusthavetheofficialnumberpermanently
affixedinblock-typeArabicnumeralsofnotlessthan3inchesin
height,precededbytheletters“NO .”onsomeclearlyvisibleinterior
integralstructuralpartofthevessel .
Life Jackets (33 CFR 175)
You may have heard reference to Type I, II, III, IV, and V “Personal
Flotation Devices” (PFDs). The term PFD is used in a strictly regulatory
Arabic numerals are the most common symbolic representation of
sense. For greater clarity, this publication will use the term “wearable
numbers in the world. Permanently affixed means that the numbers
life jacket” and “throwable device.” Understand that Type and Number
must be affixed to the vessel so that alteration, removal, or replacement
refer to the same equipment, whether called a PFD or life jacket, and
would be obvious. Numbers can be painted, carved, or welded.
that any PFD is approved for use anywhere.
NO.1234567
Allrecreationalvesselsmustcarry
3"
Interior display (recreational and commercial).
Numbers must be no less than 3 inches high.
onewearablelifejacketforeach
persononboard .Anyboat16
feetandlonger(exceptcanoes
andkayaks)mustalsocarry
onethrowable(TypeIV)device .
Lifejacketsshouldbewornat
For more information on documented vessels, contact the U.S. Coast
alltimeswhenthevesselisunder-
Guard National Vessel Documentation Center at (800) 799-8362 or
way .A life jacket can save your
online at www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc.
life, but only if you wear it.
Alwayscheckandreadthemanufacturer’sinformationbookletand
labelprovidedwithalllifejackets .Theywillprovidevaluableinformation,includingsize,type,intendeduse,andCoastGuardapproval
information .
Lifejacketsmustbe:
• U .S .CoastGuard-approved(checkthelabel) .
• Ingoodandserviceablecondition .
• Appropriatesizeandtypefortheintendeduser .
• Properlystowed .
Someitemsthatarenotrequiredbutareagoodideatohavewithyour
lifejacketareawhistleandanemergencylight .
8
9
Stowage
Life Jacket Requirements for Specific Activities
• Wearablelifejacketsmustbereadilyaccessible .
TheU .S .CoastGuardrecommends–andmanystatesrequire–
• Youshouldbeabletoputthemoninareasonableamountof
wearinglifejacketswhenengagedinthefollowingactivities:
timeinanemergency(vesselsinking,onfire,etc .)
• Theyshouldnotbestowedinplasticbags,inlockedorclosed
compartments,orhaveothergearstowedontopofthem .
• Throwabledevicesmustbeimmediatelyavailableforuse .They
shouldbeonthemaindeckwithinarm’sreach,hangingona
lifeline,orothereasilyreachedlocation .
Inflatable Life Jackets
• Waterskiingandothertowedactivities(useatypedesignedfor
waterskiing .)
• OperatingaPersonalWatercraft,orPWC(useatypedesigned
forwaterskiingorPWCuse .)
• Whitewaterboatingactivities .
• Sailboarding .
Checkwithyourstateboatingagencyforthelawsthatapply .
• U .S .CoastGuard-approvedinflatablelifejacketsareauthorized
forusebypersons16yearsofageandolder(checkthelabel) .
Federallawdoesnotrequirelifejacketuseonracingshells,rowing
• Inflatablelifejacketsrequireregularmaintenanceandattentionto
sculls,racingcanoes,andracingkayaks;statelawsvary,however .
theconditionoftheinflator .
• Theymusthaveafullcylinderandallstatusindicatorsonthe
inflatormustbegreenorthedeviceisnotserviceableanddoes
notsatisfythelegalrequirementforthewearablelifejacket
carriagerequirement .
• Inflatablelifejacketsaremorecomfortable,encouragingregular
use .Thebestlifejacketsareonestheuserwillwear .
Child Life Jacket Requirements
Onavesselthatisunderway,childrenunder13yearsofagemust
wearanappropriateU .S .CoastGuard-approvedlifejacketunlessthey
are1)belowdeck,or2)withinanenclosed
cabin .Ifastatehasestablishedachildlife
jacketwearrequirementthatdiffersfrom
theCoastGuardrequirement,thestate
requirementwillbeapplicableonwaters
subjecttothatstate’sjurisdiction .
Checkwithyourstateboatingagency .
NotethatifyouareboatinginanareaunderthejurisdictionoftheU .S .
ArmyCorpsofEngineers,orafederal,state,orlocalparkauthority,
otherrulesmayalsoapply .
The U.S. Coast Guard recommends that you always wear a life jacket
while underway on a boat and require passengers to do the same.
Life Jacket Flotation
Thefivetypesoflifejacketsarebasedonthreekindsofflotationand
canbecharacterizedasfollows:
Inherently Buoyant (Primarily Foam)
• Themostreliable .
• ComeinAdult,Youth,Child,andInfantsizes .
• Designedforswimmersandnon-swimmers .
• Comeinwearableandthrowablestyles .
• Specialdesignsavailableforwatersports .
Children’slifejacketsareapprovedfor
specificweightcategories .Checkthe“User
Weight”onthelabelandforanapproval
statementthatwillreadsomethinglike:
Approved for use on recreational boats and uninspected commercial
vessels not carrying passengers for hire by persons weighing “less
than 30, lbs.,” “30 to 50 lbs.,” “less than 50 lbs.,” or “50 to 90 lbs.”
Inflatable
• Themostcompact .
• Lightweightandcomfortable .
• Sizedonlyforadults .
• Onlyrecommendedforswimmers .
• Wearablestylesonly .
• Somehavethebestin-waterperformance .
10
11
Hybrid (Foam and Inflation)
Types of Life Jackets
• Reliable .
A Type I, Off-Shore Life Jacket providesthemostbuoyancy .Itis
• ProvidesInherentandInflatableBuoyancy .
effectiveforallwaters,especiallyopen,rough,orremotewaters
• Adult,Youth,andChildsizes .
whererescuemaybedelayed .Itisdesignedtoturnanunconscious
• Forswimmersandnon-swimmers .
wearertoaface-uppositioninthewater .
• Wearablestylesonly .
• Somedesignedforwatersports .
BUOyANCy RATING: FOAM
Wearable Size
Type
Inherent Buoyancy
Adult
I
II&III
V
22lbs .
15 .5lbs .
15 .5to22lbs .
Youth
II&III
V
11lbs .
11to15 .5lbs .
ChildandInfant
II
7lbs .
Uninflated
Inflated
Throwable:
Cushion
RingBuoy
IV
20lbs .
16 .58 .32lb .
A Type II, Near-Shore Buoyancy Vest isintendedforcalm,inland
watersorwherethereisagoodchanceofquickrescue .Inherently
buoyantlifejacketsofthistypewillturnsomeunconsciouswearersto
aface-uppositioninthewater,butthe
BUOyANCy RATING: INFLATABLE
Wearable Size
Type
Adult
turningisnotaspronouncedaswitha
Inflatable Buoyancy
I&II
III
V
34lbs .
22 .5lbs .
22 .5to34lbs .
TypeI .Thistypeofinflatableturnsas
wellasaTypeIfoamjacket .
BUOyANCy RATING: HyBRID
Wearable
Size
Type
Inherent
Buoyancy
Inflated
Total Buoyancy
Adult
II&III
V
10lbs .
7 .5lbs .
22lbs .
22lbs .
Youth
II&III
V
9lbs .
7 .5lbs .
15lbs .
15lbs .
Child
II
7lbs .
12lbs .
12
13
A Type III, Flotation Aidisgoodforusersincalm,inlandwaters,or
A Type V, Special-Use Deviceisintended
anywherethereisagoodchanceofquickrescue .Thewearermay
forspecificactivitiesandmaybecarried
havetotilttheirheadbacktoremaininaface-uppositioninthewater .
insteadofanotherlifejacketonlyifused
TheTypeIIIfoamvesthasthesameminimumbuoyancyasaTypeII .
accordingtothecondition(s)forwhichitis
Itcomesinmanystyles,colors,andsizesandisgenerallythemost
approved,asshownonitslabel .ATypeV
comfortabletypeforcontinuouswear .Floatcoats,fishingvests,and
providestheperformanceofaTypeI,II,
vestsdesignedwithfeaturessuitableforvarioussportsactivitiesare
orIII(asmarkedonitslabel) .Ifthelabel
examplesofthistype .ThistypeofinflatableturnsaswellasaTypeII
saysthelifejacketis“approvedonlywhen
foamvest .
worn,”thelifejacketmustbeworn(except
bypersonsinenclosedspaces)andused
inaccordancewiththeapprovallabelto
meetcarriagerequirements .SomeType
Vdevicesprovidesignificanthypothermia
protection .Varietiesincludedecksuits,work
vests,sailboardingvests,andsailingvests
withasafetyharness .
An Inflatable with Safety Harness isapprovedonlyasaTypeV,
Special-UseDevicebecauseitsusetopreventfallsoverboardpresents
severalrisks .TheU .S .CoastGuardhasnotassesseditspotentialfor
injuryfromsuddenlystoppingafalland,incaseofcapsizingorsinking,
theboatmaytakethewearerdown,resultingindeath . Do not attach
theharnesstotheboatunlessitisbeingwornwithatetheroflessthan
6 .5feetinlengthwithquick-release-under-loadhardware .Read the
safety harness section of the owner’s manual for intended use. Under
no circumstances should the safety harness be used for any climbing
A Type IV, Throwable Device isintendedforuseanywhere .Itisde-
activity. U.S. Coast Guard approval does not apply to this harness used
signedtobethrowntoapersoninthewaterandgraspedandheldby
under those circumstances.
theuseruntilrescued .Itisnotdesignedorintendedtobeworn .Type
IVdevicesincludebuoyantcushions,ringbuoys,andhorseshoebuoys .
TherearenoCoastGuard-approvedinflatableTypeIVdevices .
Finding the Right Life Jacket for you
Lifejacketscomeinmanydesigns,colors,styles,andmaterials .Some
aremadetostanduptoruggedwatersports,otherstoprotectthe
wearerfromcold-watertemperatures .Besuretochooseonethatis
appropriateforyourbodysize,plannedactivities,andthewater
conditionsyouexpecttoencounter .
14
15
Test the Fit
Visual Distress Signals (33 CFR 175.101)
StartwithalifejacketthatisU .S .CoastGuard-approved .Tryiton .
Itshouldfitcomfortablysnug .Thengiveitthistest:withallstraps,
VesselsoperatingonU .S .coastalwaters,theGreatLakes,and
zippers,andtiessecurelyfastened,raiseyourarmsoveryourhead .
territorialseas,aswellasthosewatersconnecteddirectly,uptoa
Thejacketshouldstayinplaceandnotrideup .Next,havesomeone
pointwherethewaterwayislessthantwonauticalmileswide,must
liftyourlifejacketstraightupattheshoulders .Again,thejacketshould
beequippedwithU .S .CoastGuard-approvedvisualdistresssignals
stayinplace .Ifthezippertouchesyournoseorthejacketalmost
(VDS) .VesselsownedintheUnitedStatesandoperatingonthehigh
comesoff,itistooloose .
seasmustalsobeequippedwithU .S .CoastGuard-approvedvisual
distresssignals .
Test the Buoyancy of your Life Jacket
Inshallowwateroraswimmingpool,undersupervisionandwithall
straps,zippers,andtiesfastened,seehowthelifejacketfloatsyou .
Relaxyourbodyandletyourheadtiltback .Yourchinshouldremain
abovewatersothatyoucanbreatheeasily .Ifnot,youmayneeda
River
Bay
differentsizeormodel,onethatprovidesmorebuoyancy .
VDS
NOT REQUIRED
Choosing a Child’s Life Jacket
VDS
REQUIRED
Lessthan
2miles
OpenWater
Besuretochooseachild’slifejacketthatisU .S .CoastGuardapproved .Checktomakesureyourchild’sweightfallswithintherange
shownonthelabel .Whilesomechildreninthe30-50poundweight
rangewhocanswimmayaskfortheextrafreedomofmovement
Thefollowingvesselsarenotrequiredtocarrydaysignals,butmust
thataTypeIIIprovides,notethatmostchildreninthisweightrange,
carrynightsignalswhenoperatingfromsunsettosunrise:
especiallythosewhocannotswim,shouldwearaTypeII .Tocheckfor
agoodfit,pickthechildupbytheshouldersofthelifejacket .Ifitfits
correctly,thechild’schinandearswillnotslipthrough .
Achild’slifejacketshouldbetestedinthewaterimmediatelyafter
purchase .Childrenmaypanicwhentheyfallintothewatersuddenly .
Floattestingnotonlychecksthefitandbuoyancybutalsoprovidesan
• Recreationalboatslessthan16feetinlength .
• Boatsparticipatinginorganizedevents,suchasraces,regattas,
ormarineparades .
• Opensailboatslessthan26feetinlengththatarenotequipped
withpropulsionmachinery .
• Manuallypropelledboats .
importantopportunitytoteachthemtorelaxinthewater .
Remember: The carriage requirement is only applicable in areas
Be Safe. Wear your Life Jacket.
where VDS are required.
Mostdeathsfromdrowningoccurnearshoreincalmweather,notout
atseaduringastorm;9outof10drowningfatalitiesoccurininland
Pyrotechnic Devices
waters,mostwithinafewfeetofsafety .Worsestill,manyofthese
PyrotechnicvisualdistresssignalsmustbeU .S .Coast
victimsownedlifejacketsandmayhavesurvivedhadtheybeenworn .
Guard-approved,inserviceablecondition,andreadilyaccessible .
Wear your life jacket.
When you don’t, you’re risking your life.
16
Checktheexpirationdate .Expiredsignalsmaybecarriedasextra
equipment,butcannotbecountedtowardmeetingthevisualdistress
signalrequirement .
17
LaunchersmanufacturedbeforeJanuary1,1981,andintendedfor
Electric Distress Light
usewithapprovedsignals,arenotrequiredtobeU .S .CoastGuard-
• Acceptablefornightuseonly .
approvedaslongastheyremaininserviceablecondition .
• Automaticallyflashesthe
Ifpyrotechnicdevicesareselected,aminimumofthreesignalsare
requiredfordayuseandthreesignalsfornightuse .Somepyrotechnic
signalsmeetbothdayandnightuserequirements(combinationflares) .
Pyrotechnicdevicesshouldbestoredinacool,dryplace,ifpossible .
Awatertightcontainerpaintedredororangeandprominentlymarked
internationalSOSdistresssignal
(•••–––•••) .
• Mustbemarkedwithanindica-
Electric Distress Signals
(night only)
tionthatitmeetsU .S .CoastGuardrequirementsin
46CFR161 .013 .
“DISTRESSSIGNALS”or“FLARES”isrecommended .
UnderInlandNavigationRules,ahigh-intensitywhitelightflashingat
U .S .CoastGuard-approvedpyrotechnicvisualdistresssignalsand
signal .Suchdevices,however,do not meettheVisualDistressSignal
associateddevicesinclude:
carriagerequirement .
regularintervalsfrom50-70timesperminuteisconsideredadistress
• Pyrotechnicredflares,hand-heldoraerial(day/nightuse .)
Regulationsprohibitdisplayofvisualdistresssignalsonthewater
• Pyrotechnicorangesmoke,hand-heldorfloating(dayuse .)
underanycircumstances,exceptwhereassistanceisneededbecause
• Launchersforaerialredmeteorsorparachuteflares .
ofimmediateorpotentialdangertopersonsonboardavessel .
Eachofthesedeviceshasadifferentoperating/burningtime .Checkthe
Alldistresssignalshavedistinctadvantagesanddisadvantages .No
labeltoseehowlongeachpyrotechnicdevicewillremainilluminated .
singledeviceisidealunderallconditionsorsuitableforallpurposes .
Chooseadevicebestsuitedtotheconditionsintheareawhereyour
vesselistypicallyused .
Pyrotechnicsareuniversallyrecognizedasexcellentdistresssignals,
butthereispotentialforinjuryandpropertydamageifnothandled
Non-Pyrotechnic Devices
properly .Thesedevicesproduceaveryhotflamewiththepotentialto
Non-pyrotechnicvisualdistresssignalsmustbeinserviceablecondi-
causeburnsandigniteflammablematerials .
tion,readilyaccessible,andcertifiedbythemanufacturerascomplying
withU .S .CoastGuardrequirements .Thesesignalsinclude:
Orange Distress Flag
Pistol-launchedandhand-heldparachuteflaresandmeteorshavemany
characteristicsofafirearmandmustbehandledwithextremecaution .
InsomestatesandCanadatheymaybeconsideredafirearmand
• Usedasadaysignalonly .
prohibitedfromuse .Besuretocheckwithyourstateboatingagency .
• Mustbeatleast3x3feetwith
ablacksquareandballonan
orangebackground .
• Mustbemarkedwithanindication
thatitmeetsU .S .CoastGuard
requirementsin46CFR160 .072 .
• Mostvisiblewhenattachedand
Orange Flag (day only)
photo
wavedonapaddleorboathook,orflownfromamast .
• Maybeincorporatedintodevicesdesignedtoattractattentionin
anemergency,suchasballoons,kites,orfloatingstreamer .
18
19
Thefollowingarejustafewofthemanycombinationsofdevicesthat
Fire Extinguishers (46 CFR 25)
willmeettherequirements:
U .S .CoastGuard-approved,marine-typefireextinguishersarerequired
• 3hand-heldredflaresthatareapprovedforday/nightuse .
onboatswhereafirehazardcouldbeexpectedfromtheenginesor
• 1hand-heldredflareand2parachuteflaresforday/nightuse .
fuelsystem .Extinguishersareclassifiedbyaletterandnumbersymbol .
• 1hand-heldorangesmokesignaland2floatingorangesmoke
Theletterindicatesthetypeoffiretheunitisdesignedtoextinguish .
signalsforday,and1electricdistresslightfornight .
TypeB,forexample,isdesignedtoextinguishflamingliquids,suchas
gasoline,oil,andgrease .Thenumberindicatestheamountoftheex-
Pyrotechnic Devices:
tinguishingagentcontainedintheextinguisher;thehigherthenumber,
thegreatertheamountofagentinthe
extinguisher .
U .S .CoastGuard-approvedextinguishersrequiredforboatsare
Red Meteor
(day and night)
Orange Smoke Signal
(hand-held/day only)
hand-portable,haveeitherB-IorB-II
classification,andmustbeprovidedwith
amountingbracket .Whilenotrequired,
itisrecommendedthattheextinguishersbemountedinareadilyaccessible
Parachute Flare
(day and night)
location .Considerlocationswherethe
Fire Extinguishers
extinguishercanbereachedeasily;forexample,atornearthesteering
Red Flare
(hand-held
day and night)
Floating Orange
Smoke Signal
(day only)
stationorinthegalleyorengineroom,butawayfromlocationswherea
firemaylikelystart .
Extinguishermarkingscanbeconfusingbecauseoneextinguisher
Non-Pyrotechnic Devices:
canbeapprovedforseveraldifferenttypesoffires(A,B,orC) .For
example,anextinguishermarked“TypeA,SizeII;TypeB;C,SizeI”is
acceptableasaTypeB-Iextinguisher .
Lookforthesectionofthelabelthatstates“MarineTypeUSCG,Type
A,SizeII;TypeB;CSizeI .”(ItwillalsocontainaUSCGapproval
Orange Flag
(day only)
Electric Distress Signals
(night only)
number .)MakesureTypeBisindicated .Hand-portableextinguishers
willbeeitheraSizeIorII .
SizeIIIandlargeraretoobigforuseonmostrecreationalboats .
Allboatersshouldbeabletosignalforhelp .Boatersmusthave
U .S .CoastGuard-approveddayandnightsignalsforvesselswhen
required .Signalingdevicesarerecommendedwhenoperatingonall
openbodiesofwater .
20
Foam
(gals)
CO2
(lbs)
Dry Chemical
(lbs)
B-I(TypeB,SizeI)
1 .75
4
2
B-II(TypeB,SizeII)
2 .5
15
10
Classes
21
Fireextinguishersarerequiredonboatswhenanyofthefollowing
Minimum Number of Hand-Portable Fire Extinguishers Required
conditionsexist:
• Thereareclosedcompartmentsandcompartmentsunderseats
whereportablefueltanksmaybestored .
• Therearedoublebottomsnotsealedtothehullorthatarenot
completelyfilledwithflotationmaterials .
• Thereareclosedlivingspaces .
• Thereareclosedstowagecompartments,inwhichcombustibleor
flammablematerialsarestored .
• Therearepermanentlyinstalledfueltanks .(Fueltankssecured
sotheycannotbemovedincaseofafireorotheremergency
areconsideredpermanentlyinstalled .Also,iftheweightofafuel
tankissuchthatpersonsonboardcannotmoveit,theU .S .Coast
Vessel length
No
Fixed System
With approved
Fixed Systems
Lessthan26’
1B-I
0
26’tolessthan40’
2B-lor1B-II
1B-I
40’to65’
3B-Ior1B-IIand1B-I
2B-lor1B-II
Ventilation (33 CFR 175/183, 46 CFR 25)
Boatsthatusegasolineforelectricalgeneration,mechanicalpower,or
propulsionarerequiredtobeequippedwithaventilationsystem .
Anaturalventilationsystemisrequiredforeachcompartmentinaboatthat:
Guardmayconsideritpermanentlyinstalled .)
• Containsapermanentlyinstalledgasolineengine .
Fire Extinguisher Maintenance
Inspectextinguishersmonthlytomakesurethat:
• Sealsandtamperindicatorsarenotbrokenormissing .
• Pressuregaugesorotherindicators,ifsoequipped,readin
theoperablerangeasdescribedontheextinguisher .
• Thereisnoobviousphysicaldamage,rust,corrosion,
leakage,orcloggednozzles .
Iftheminimumweightisstatedontheextinguisherlabel,weighextin-
• Hasopeningsbetweenitandacompartmentthatrequires
ventilation .
• Containsapermanentlyinstalledfueltankandanelectrical
componentthatisnotignition-protected .
• Containsafueltankthatventsintothatcompartment
(includingaportabletank .)
• Containsanon-metallicfueltank .
Anaturalventilationsystemconsistsof:
guishersannuallytocheck .
• Asupplyopening(duct/cowl)fromtheoutsideair(locatedonthe
Fireextinguishersthatdonotsatisfytheaboverequirementsorthat
exteriorsurfaceoftheboat),orfromaventilatedcompartment,or
havebeenpartiallyemptiedmustbereplacedortakentoaqualifiedfire
fromacompartmentthatisopentotheoutsideair .
extinguisherservicingcompanyforrecharge .
Required Number of Fire Extinguishers
• Anexhaustopeningintoanotherventilatedcompartmentoran
exhaustducttotheatmosphere .
Thefollowingchartliststhenumberoffireextinguishersthatare
requiredonrecreationalvessels .IfaU .S .CoastGuard-approvedfixed
fireextinguishingsystemisinstalledfortheprotectionoftheengine
compartment,therequirednumberofextinguishersmaybereducedin
accordancewiththechart .
AIR FLOW
BOAT
UNDER
POWER
EXHAUST
COWL
INTAKE
COWL
COLLECTOR
BOX
DUCT
ENGINE
COLLECTOR
BOX
BILGE AREA
Itisrecommendedthathandportableextinguishersbemountedina
readilyaccessiblelocation .
22
All blower motors installed in exhaust ducts must be in working
condition regardless of date of manufacture.
23
Eachexhaustopeningorexhaustductmustoriginateintheloweronethirdofthecompartment .Eachsupplyopeningorsupplyductandeach
exhaustopeningorductinacompartmentmustbeabovethenormal
accumulationofbilgewater .
Backfire Flame Control (46 CFR 25/58)
Gasolineenginesinstalledinamotorboatormotorvesselafter
April25,1940,exceptoutboardmotors,mustbeequippedwithan
Apoweredventilationsystemisrequiredforeachcompartmentina
boatthathasapermanentlyinstalledgasolineenginewithacranking
motorforremotestarting .
acceptablemeansofbackfireflamecontrol .Thebackfireflamearrestor(BFA)mustbesuitablysecuredtotheairintakewithaflame-tight
connection,andisrequiredtobeeitherU .S .CoastGuard-approvedor
complywithSAEJ-1928orUL1111standardsandmarkedaccordingly .
Apoweredventilationsystemconsistsofoneormoreexhaustblowers .
Eachintakeductforanexhaustblowermustbeinthelowerone-third
Carburetor
ofthecompartmentandabovethenormalaccumulationofbilgewater .
Forboatsbuiltpriorto1980,therewasnorequirementforapowered
Mesh BFA
Intake Manifold
ventilationsystem;however,someboatswereequippedwithablower .
TheU .S .CoastGuardVentilationStandard,amanufacturerrequirement,appliestoallboatsbuiltonorafterAugust1,1980 .Some
Intake Valve
(Open)
buildersbeganmanufacturingboatsincompliancewiththeVentilation
StandardasearlyasAugust1978 .Ifyourboatwasbuiltonorafter
August1,1978itmighthavebeenequippedwitheither(1)anatural
ventilationsystem,or(2)bothanaturalventilationsystemanda
poweredventilationsystem .Ifyourboatbearsalabelcontainingthe
words“ThisboatcomplieswithU .S .CoastGuardsafetystandards,”
youcanassumethatthedesignofyourboat’sventilationsystemmeets
Not Equipped with BFA
Equipped with BFA
applicableregulations .
Otheracceptablemeansofbackfireflamecontrolinclude:airandfuel
Boatsbuiltafter1980withremotestartersarerequiredtodisplaya
inductionsystemsusuallyfoundonpersonalwatercraft,velocitystacks
labelthatcontainsatleastthefollowinginformation:
(attachmentstocarburetors),andreed-type(foundinoutboards .)
Warning
Gasoline vapors can explode. Before starting engine,
operate blower at least four minutes and check the engine
compartment bilge for gasoline vapors.
Sound Producing Devices (33 CFR 83)
NavigationRulesrequiresoundsignalstobemadeundercertain
circumstances .Meeting,crossing,andovertakingsituations,described
intheNavigationRulesbeginningwithRule32,areexamplesof
Allboatownersareresponsibleforkeepingtheirvessel’sventilation
systemsinoperatingcondition .Thismeansmakingsureopeningsare
freeofobstructions,ductsandductingarenotblockedortorn,blowers
circumstancesinwhichsoundsignalsarerequired .Recreational
vesselsarealsorequiredtousesoundsignalsduringperiodsof
reducedvisibilityandwhileatanchor .
operateproperly,andworncomponentsarereplacedwithequivalent
marine-typeequipment .
24
25
Thefollowingmatrixprovidesthesoundproducingdevicesrequiredfor
Navigation Lights (33 CFR 83)
vessels:
Recreationalvesselsarerequiredtodisplaynavigationlightsbetween
International Waters
VesselLength
Whistle
12metersormore
(39 .4ft .)
X
20metersormore
(65 .6ft .)
X
100metersormore
(328 .1ft .)
X
sunsetandsunriseandduringperiodsofrestrictedvisibility(fog,rain,
Bell
Gong
land,specifieslightingrequirementsforeverydescriptionofwatercraft .
Theinformationprovidedbelowisforpower-drivenandsailingvessels
lessthan65 .5feet(20meters)inlength .
X
X
Power-Driven Vessels
X
VesselLength
Whistle
itmustdisplaynavigationlightsasshowninFigure1 .
Bell
12metersormore
(39 .4ft)
X
20metersormore
(65 .6ft .)
X
X
100metersormore
(328 .1ft .)
X
X
Note that a sail vessel under machine propulsion is considered a
power-driven vessel.
Ifyourpower-drivenvesselislessthan164feet(50meters)inlength,
Inland Waters*
haze,etc .)TheU .S .CoastGuardNavigationRules,International-In-
Gong
Ifyourpower-drivenvesselislessthan39 .4feet(12meters)inlength,
thenitmaydisplaynavigationlightsasshowninFigure2 .
X
*There have been changes to the Collision Regulations (COLREGS)
and a regulatory change is forthcoming that will align the Inland
Navigation Rules with the COLREGS. The Coast Guard is exercising
its discretion not to enforce the provisions of the inland rules until the
regulatory change is enacted.
Figure 1
Signaling Devices
26
Figure 2
27
Ifyourpower-drivenvesselislessthan23feet(7meters)inlength
Asailingvesseloflessthan23feet
anditsmaximumspeeddoesnotexceed7knots,thenitmaydisplay
(7meters)inlengthshall,ifpracticable,
anall-roundwhitelightand,ifpossible,sidelights,insteadofthelights
exhibitlightsasshown .(Figures3or
prescribedpreviously .(InternationalRulesonly .)
4 .)Ifitdoesnot,itshallhavereadyat
handanelectrictorchorlightedlantern
Forpower-drivenvesselslessthan39 .4feet(12meters)inlength,the
(flashlight)showingwhitelightthatshall
mastheadorall-roundwhitelightmustbeatleast3 .3feet(1meter)
beexhibitedinsufficienttimetoprevent
abovethesidelights .
collision .(SeeFigure6 .)
Inavesseloflessthan65 .6feet(20meters)inlength,sidelightsmay
bedisplayedinacombinationlightasshowninFigure2 .
Figure 6
Vessel Under Oars
Sailing Vessels
Ifyoursailingvesselislessthan65 .6feet(20meters)inlength,thenit
mustdisplaynavigationlightsasshowninFigures3,4,or5 .
Avesselunderoarsmayexhibitthe
lightsforasailboat .Ifitdoesnot,itshall
havereadyathandanelectrictorch
(flashlight)orlightedlanternshowing
awhitelightthatshallbeexhibitedin
sufficienttimetopreventcollision .(See
Figure7 .)
Figure 7
Lights and Shapes
Toalertothervesselsofconditionsthatmaybehazardous,thereare
requirementstodisplaylightsatnightandshapesduringtheday .
Anchored Vessels
At night:Allvesselsatanchormustdisplayanchorlights .Ifyour
Figure 3
Figure 4
vesselislessthan164feet(50meters)inlength,thenitsanchorlight
isanall-roundwhitelightvisiblewhereitcanbestbeseenfromall
directions .(SeeFigure8 .)
Figure 5
Figure 8
28
29
During the day: Allvesselsatanchormustdisplayforward,whereit
Vessels Restricted in their Ability to Maneuver
canbebestseen,ablackballshape .(SeeFigure9 .)
NavigationRulesrequirevesselsrestrictedintheirabilitytomaneuver
todisplayappropriatedayshapes(ball/diamond/ball)orlights .Ifthe
sizeofthevesselengagedindivingactivitiesduringthedaymakeit
impracticaltodisplaythedayshapes,thenitmustexhibitarigidreplica
oftheinternationalcodeflag“Alpha”notlessthan3 .3feet(1meter)in
heighttomeetthisrequirement .Ifthedivingactivitiesareatnight,then
yourvesselmustdisplaythenavigationlightsshowninFigure11 .This
requirementdoesnotaffecttheuseofaredandwhiteDiversFlag,
whichmayberequiredbystateorlocallawtomarkadiver’slocation .
The“A”flagisanavigationsignalindicatingyourvessel’srestricted
maneuverabilityanddoesnotpertaintothelocationofthediver .
Figure 9
ExcEPTIONS: Ifyourvesselislessthan23feet(7meters)inlength,it
isnotrequiredtodisplayananchorlightorshapeunlessitisanchored
inornearanarrowchannel,fairway,oranchorage,orwhereother
vesselsnormallynavigate .
Ifyourvesselislessthan65 .6feet(20meters)inlength,itisnot
requiredtodisplayananchorlightifitisanchoredininlandwatersina
specialanchoragedesignatedbytheSecretaryunderwhichtheCoast
Guardisoperating .
Sailing Vessels Under Power
Figure 11
Duringtheday,vesselsundersailthat
arealsobeingpropelledbymachinery,
mustexhibitforward,whereitcanbest
beseen,ablackconicalshapewiththe
apexpointingdown .(SeeFigure10 .)
ExcEPTION:Ifyourvesselisless
than39 .4feet(12meters)inlength,
thenitisnotrequiredtodisplaythe
shapeininlandwaters .
Figure 10
Reminder: If you are operating your sailing vessel at night using machinery, or sail and machinery, then your vessel must display the lights
required for a power-driven vessel. (See Figures 3, 4, and 5.)
30
31
Pollution Regulations (33 CFR 151/155)
Reportthefollowinginformation:
AnnexVofMARPOL73/78prohibitsthrowing,discharging,ordeposit-
• Locationoftheincident .
inganyrefusematterofanykind(includingtrash,garbage,oil,and
• Size/quantity(estimatedamountofmaterialreleased) .
otherliquidpollutants)intothewatersoftheUnitedStates .
• Description,color,consistency,odor .
TheFederalWaterPollutionControlActprohibitsthedischargeofoilor
hazardoussubstancesthatmaybeharmfulintoU .S .navigablewaters .
Vessels26feetandgreaterinlength,withmachineryspaces,must
displayaplacardatleast5by8inches,madeofdurablematerial,fixed
inaconspicuousplaceinthemachineryspaces,oratthebilgepump
controlstation,statingthefollowing:
• Dateandtimeobserved .
• Sourceandcauseoftherelease,ifknown .
• Substance,ifknown .
• Weatherandanyotherinformationthatmayhelpemergency
personnelrespondtotheincident .
Discharge of Garbage
TheActtoPreventPollutionfromShips(MARPOLANNEXV)places
limitationsonthedischargeofgarbagefromvessels .Itisillegalto
Discharge of Oil Prohibited
TheFederalWaterPollutionControlActprohibitsthedischarge
ofoiloroilywasteuponorintoanynavigablewatersofthe
UnitedStates .Thisprohibitionincludesanydischargethat
causesafilmordiscolorationofthesurfaceofthewater,or
causesasludgeoremulsionbeneaththesurfaceofthewater .
dumpplastictrashanywhereintheoceanornavigablewatersofthe
UnitedStates .Itisalsoillegaltodischargegarbageinthenavigable
watersoftheUnitedStates,includingtheinlandwatersandanywhere
intheGreatLakes .Thedischargeofothertypesofgarbageispermittedoutsideofspecificdistancesoffshoreasdeterminedbythenature
ofthatgarbage .(Seechartnextpage .)
Violatorsaresubjecttosubstantialciviland/orcriminalsanctions,includingfinesandimprisonment .
.
RegulationsissuedundertheFederalWaterPollutionControlActrequireallvesselswithpropulsionmachinerytohaveacapacitytoretain
oilymixturesonboardandbeequippedwithafixedorportablemeans
todischargetheseoilymixturestoareceptionfacility .Onrecreational
vessels,abucket,oilabsorbentpads,andheavy-dutyplasticbag,
bailer,orportablepumparesomeofthesuitablemeansthatmeetthe
requirementforretentiononboarduntiltransferringtheoilymixtureto
areceptionfacility .Nopersonmayintentionallydrainoiloroilywaste
fromanysourceintothebilgeofanyvessel .Youmustimmediately
notifytheU .S .CoastGuardifyourvesseldischargesoilorhazardous
substancesinthewater .CalltheCoastGuardNationalResponse
Centertoll-free(800)424-8802,or(202)267-2675 .
32
33
Note:stateandlocallawsmayplacefurtherrestrictionsonthedisposal
Marine Sanitation Devices (33 CFR 159)
ofgarbage .
Allrecreationalboatswithinstalledtoiletfacilitiesmusthaveanoperablemarinesanitationdevice(MSD)onboard .Vessels65feetand
Garbage Type
Discharge
Plastics–includessyntheticropes,
fishingnets,andplasticbags
Prohibitedinallareas
through”devices,whileaholdingtankisaTypeIIIdevice .Vesselsover
Prohibitedlessthan3miles
fromnearestland
65feetmustinstallaTypeIIorIIIMSD .AllinstalledMSDsmustbe
Comminutedorgroundfoodwaste,
paper,rags,glass,etc .
undermayuseaTypeI,II,orIIIMSD .TypeIandTypeIIare“flow-
U .S .CoastGuard-certified .U .S .CoastGuard-certifieddevicesareso
labeled,exceptforsomeholdingtanks,whicharecertifiedbydefinition
Foodwaste,paper,rags,glass,metal, Prohibitedlessthan12miles
fromnearestland
bottles,crockery,andsimilarrefuse
undertheregulations .
Floatingdunnage,lining,andpacking Prohibitedlessthan25miles
fromnearestland
materials
shoreexceptindesignated“NoDischargeZone”areas .(Untreated
UnitedStatesvesselsof26feetorlongermustdisplayinaprominent
location,adurableplacardatleast4by9inchesnotifyingthecrewand
passengersofthedischargerestrictions .
Thedischargeoftreatedsewageisallowedwithin3nauticalmilesof
sewagemaybedischargedbeyond3nauticalmiles .)
A “No Discharge Zone” is a body of water where the discharge of
treated or untreated sewage is prohibited. When operating a vessel
in a No Discharge Zone, the operator must secure the device in a
manner that prevents any discharge. Some acceptable methods are:
padlocking overboard discharge valves in the closed position, using
a non-releasable wire tie to hold overboard discharge valves in the
closed position, closing overboard discharge valves and removing
the handle, and locking the door to the space enclosing the toilets.
Note: these methods for preventing the overboard discharge are only
required when operating in a No Discharge Zone. State and local laws
may place further restrictions on overboard discharges.
UnitedStatesocean-goingvesselsof40feetorlongerthatareengagedincommerceorequippedwithagalleyandberthingmusthave
awrittenwastemanagementplandescribingtheproceduresforcollecting,processing,storing,anddischarginggarbage,andmustdesignate
thepersoninchargeofcarryingouttheplan .
34
35
OPERATING PROCEDURES
Navigation Rules
Boaterscallnavigationrules–thebasiclawsgoverningthesteering
orsailingofaboat–“TheRulesoftheRoad .”TheseRulesdefinethe
rolesandresponsibilitiesofvesseloperators .Ifalloperatorsfollowed
theserules,mostaccidentscouldbeavoided .
TheRulesaredividedintotwoparts,InlandandInternational .Inland
Rulesapplytovesselsoperatinginsidethelineofdemarcation,while
boatdesignatedasthe“give-way”vesselisrequiredtoyieldtothe
otherboat,whiletheboatdesignatedasthe“stand-on”vesselshould
maintainitscourseandspeed .
Thefollowingdiagramsdescribethewhistlesignalsandactionstobe
takenbyvesselsinacrossing,meeting,orovertakingsituationwhile
operatingininlandwaters .Thesearebasicexamples;foradditional
information,consulttheNavigationRules .
Crossing Situations
InternationalRulesapplyoutsidethatline .Demarcationlinesare
printedonmostnavigationalchartsandarelistedintheNavigation
Rules .
PrintcopiesoftherulescanbeobtainedfromtheSuperintendentof
Documents,U .S .GovernmentPrintingOffice,P .O .Box979050,St .
Louis,MO63197-9000 .Tel .(202)512-1800,oryoucandownloada
copyfromtheU .S .CoastGuard,BoatingSafetyDivisionwebsiteat
www .uscgboating .org .
Give-Way Vessel
shouldaltercoursetopass
astern(behind)
1shortblast(1sec .)
Stand-On Vessel
shouldmaintainitscourse
andspeed
1shortblast(1sec .)
Theoperatorofavessel39 .4feet(12meters)orgreaterisresponsible
forhavingandmaintainingacopyoftheNavigationRulesonboard
whileoperatingonU .S .inlandwaters .
Overtaking Situation
TheRulesvaryslightlydependingonwhetheryouareboatingon
inlandoroninternationalwaters .Asanexample,whenoperatingon
inlandwaters,soundsignalsaresignalsofintent;whenoperatingon
internationalwaters,theyaresignalsofaction .
2shortblasts
(1sec .each)
Post a lookout.Designatesomeonetowatchfordangersthatmay
1shortblast
(1sec .)
Stand-On Vessel
Overtaken
comefromanydirection .
Maintain a safe speed.Exceptwherespeedisrestrictedbyregulation,
orthewaterwayismarkedasa“NoWake”or“SlowSpeed”area,you
mustjudgesafespeedforyourself,takingintoaccountvisibility,vessel
traffic,yourboat’sabilitytomaneuver,andtheweatherconditions .
Avoid a collision. TheRulesoftheRoadincludetheactionstotake
2shortblasts
(1sec .each)
Give-Way Vessel
Overtaking
(keepclear)
1shortblast
(1sec .)
whenencounteringanothervesselonthewater .Someofthemost
commonsituationsyoumayencounterare:overtaking,meeting
head-on,andcrossingthebowofanothervessel .Ineachcase,the
36
37
Aids to Navigation
Meeting Head-On
Port-to-PortPassing(preferred)
Navigationbuoysandbeaconsareplacedalongcoastalandnavigable
watersasguidestomarksafewaterandhiddendangers,aswellas
toassistboatoperatorsindeterminingtheirpositioninrelationtoland .
Eachaidtonavigationprovidesspecificinformation .
1shortblast(1sec .)
1shortblast(1sec .)
SeveralAidsareusuallyusedtogethertoformalocalsystemthathelps
theboatoperatorfollownaturalandimprovedchannels .SuchAidsalso
provideacontinuoussystemofchartedmarkersforcoastalpiloting .
IndividualAidsareusedtomarklandfallfromseaward,andtomark
isolateddangers .
Lateralmarkersarebuoysorbeaconsthatindicatetheportand
starboardsidesofaroutetobefollowed .VirtuallyallU .S .lateralmarks
Starboard-to-StarboardPassing
followthetraditional3-Rprincipleof“Red,Right,Returning .”This
meansthatwhenreturningfromseaward,keeptheredmarkersonthe
right-hand(starboard)sideofthevessel .
2shortblasts(1sec .each)
2shortblasts(1sec .each)
Boatoperatorsshould not relyonAidstoNavigationalonefordeterminingtheirposition .Stormsandwaveactioncanmovebuoysoutof
place .
38
39
Lateral Aids
Information and Regulatory Markers
Lateralaidsmarkingthesidesofchannels,asseenwhenenteringfrom
Theseorange-and-whiteAidsareusedtoalertvesseloperators
seaward .
tovariouswarningsandregulations .
. Symbol
Meaning
Examples
Danger
Adiamond
shapealerts
boatersto
hazards
ROCK
DANGER
Restricted
Operations
Markswitha
circleindicate
areaswith
regulated
operations
NO WAKE
5
mph
IDLE SPEED
Exclusion
Adiamond
shapewitha
crossmeans
boatsare
prohibited
fromthearea
BOATS
KEEP OUT
SWIM AREA
GAS
DOCK
BOAT
RAMP
Information
Markswith
asquare
providehelpful
information
suchas
directions,
distances,and
locations
Do nottieupyourboattoAidstoNavigation;itisdangerousand
illegal .
40
characteristics
• Whitewithanorangehorizontalbandatbothtopandbottom .
• Blacktextwithinoraroundanorangesquare,circle,ordiamond;
orblacktextoutsideadiamondwithanorangecross .
• Maybebuoysorbeacons .
• Iflit,thelightwillbewhiteandmayhaveanylightrhythmexcept
quickflashing,flashing(2),orMorsecode“A .”
• Thechartsymbolforthistypeofbuoyis:
WOr
41
X
Appliesonlyto“Documented”vessels:
(a) Originalandcurrentcertificatemustbeonboard .
(b) Vesselname/hailingportmustbemarkedonexteriorpartofhullinlettersnotlessthan4inchesinheight .
(c) OfficialNumbermustbepermanentlyaffixedoninteriorstructureinnumbersnotlessthan3inchesinheight .
(a) OneTypeI,II,III,orVwearablelifejacketforeachpersononboard .MustbeU .S .CoastGuard-approved .
(b) Inaddition,mustcarryoneTypeIVthrowabledevice .
(a) Oneelectricdistresslight,orthreecombinationday/nightredflares .Note:onlyrequiredtobecarriedon
boardwhenthevesselisoperatingbetweensunsetandsunrise .
(b) Threecombinationday/nightredflares–hand-held,meteor,orparachute-type,oroneorangedistressflag,or
oneelectricdistresslight,orthreehand-heldorfloatingorangesmokesignalsandoneelectricdistresslight .
Certificate of
Documentation
Ventilation
Fire Extinguishers
Visual Distress Signals
(VDS)
Life Jackets
X
X
Requiredtobedisplayedfromsunsettosunriseandinareasofrestrictedvisibility .
(a) Placardmustbeatleast5by8inchesandmadeofdurablematerial .
(b) Placardmustbepostedineachmachineryspaceoratthebilgecontrolstation .
(a) Placardmustbeatleast4by9inchesandmadeofdurablematerial .
(b) Displayedinaconspicuousplacenotifyingallonboardofthedischargerestrictions .
Ifthereisaninstalledtoilet,thevesselmusthaveanoperableMSDTypeI,II,orIII .
Theoperatorofavessel39 .4feet(12meters)orgreaterwhileoperatingonU .S .inlandwatersmusthave
onboardacopyoftheserules .
Navigational Lights
Oil Pollution Placard
(Inland Only)
Navigation Rules
Marine Sanitation Devices
Garbage Placard
X
RequiredongasolineenginesinstalledafterApril25,1940,exceptoutboardmotors .
Backfire Flame Arrestor
X
X
(a) Avesseloflessthan39 .4feet(12meters)must,ataminimum,havesomemeansofmakinganefficient
soundsignal–i .e .,handheldairhorn,athleticwhistle .Ahumanvoice/soundisnotacceptable .
(b) Avessel39 .4feet(12meters)orgreater,musthaveasound-signalingappliancecapableofproducing
anefficientsoundsignal,audiblefor1/2mile,witha4-to6-secondduration .
X
X
X
X
X
(a) AllvesselsbuiltafterApril25,1940thataregasoline-fueledwithenclosedengineand/orfueltank
compartmentsmusthavenaturalventilation(atleasttwoductsfittedwithcowls) .
(b) Inaddition,avesselbuiltafterJuly31,1980musthavearatedpowerexhaustblower .
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
(a) OneB-I(whenenclosedcompartment) .
(b) OneB-IIortwoB-I .Note:fixedsystemequalsoneB-I .
(c) OneB-IIandoneB-I,orthreeB-I .Note:fixedsystemequalsoneB-I .
X
X
X
(a) Plainblockletters/numbers,notlessthan3inchesinheight,mustbeaffixedoneachsideoftheforwardhalf
ofthevessel,inacontrastingcolortothebackground,andreadfromlefttoright .
(b) Statevalidationsticker(s)mustbeaffixedwithin6inchesoftheregistrationnumber .Note:checkwithyour
localboatingagencyforspecificstaterequirements .
Certificate of Number
(State Registration)
16<26
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
26<40
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
40<65
Vessel Length (in feet)
<16
State Numbering
QUICK REFERENCE CHART
X
Requirement
Allundocumentedvesselsequippedwithpropulsionmachinerymustbestateregistered .Certificateof
Numbermustbeonboardwhenthevesselisinuse .Notethatsomestatesrequireallvesselstobe
registered .
Equipment
Sound Producing Devices
42
43
36
35
34
32
27
25
25
23
21
17
9
6
5
5
Page
Nautical Charts
Safe Water Markers
TheseAidsareusedtomarkfairways,mid-channels,andoffshore
approachpoints .Theyhaveunobstructedwateronallsides .Abuoy,
lightedorunlighted,mayshowaredtopmark .Anappropriatenautical
chartmustbeconsultedtodetermineexactposition
N
N
Unlighted
N
withorw/o
sound
G
NNN
RW“N”
A
RW“N”
Mo(A)
Lighted
withorw/o
sound
G
RW“N”
RW“A”
AAA
MR
SP“G”
G
GG
Spherical
Characteristics
• Whiteandredverticalstripes .
• Avarietyofshapes .
• Maybelettered .
• Buoymayhaveredtopmark .
• Iflit:
(MorseCode“A”)
NN
Can
N
Oneofthemostimportanttoolsforsafelynavigatingwaterwaysisa
NauticalChart .Today,manyrecreationalboatersuseGPSreceivers
andperformelectronicwaypointnavigation .AlthoughaGPScantellyou
whereyouareintermsoflatitudeandlongitude,itcannotshowwhatis
aroundorbeneaththeboat,orwhatobstaclesmaybeintheway .
Nauticalchartsshowthenatureandshapeofthecoast,includingwater
depths,marinehazards,generalconfigurationandcharacterofthe
N
bottom,andAidstoNavigation,aswellasprominentlandmarks,port
facilities,andotherrelevantinformation .Changesbroughtaboutby
N
peopleandnaturerequirethatnauticalchartsbeconstantlymaintained
andupdatedtoaidsafenavigation .
Tomeettheneedsoftheboatingpublic,theNationalOceanicand
AtmosphericAdministration’sNationalOceanService(NOS)producesa
NN
N varietyofnauticalchartsandrelatedproducts .Nauticalchartscanvaryin
scaleandformat .Chartscalereferstoameasurementofanarea,notthe
distance .Achartcoveringarelativelylargeareaiscalleda“smallscale”
chart;a“largescale”chartwillcoverarelativelysmallareaandshow
muchgreaterdetail .Havingthemostcurrentchartisimportant .Thatis
whythepublicationdateiscritical .Stormsandwaveactioncanalterthe
coastline,soonlyup-to-datechartsshouldbeusedfornavigation .For
allnavigation,boatoperatorsshouldalsousethechartthatprovidesthe
levelofdetailneeded .
NOSnauticalchartsmaybepurchaseddirectlybymailfromtheNOS
DistributionBranchorthroughanauthorizedagent .Therearemore
than1,700nauticalchartagentsthatsellNOScharts .Usetheaddress
andcontactnumbersbelowtoobtainalistofagentsnearyouorto
requestafreecatalog:
FAA, National Aeronautical Charting Office
DistributionDivision,AJW-3550
10201GoodLuckRoad
Glendale,MD20769-9700
Tel:(301)436-8301or(800)638-8972
Fax:(301)436-6829
E-mail:9-AMC-chartsales@faa .gov
Website:www .naco .faa .gov/ecomp
Updatedchartinformationcanbeobtainedfrom“LocalNoticeto
Mariners,”updatedweeklybytheU .S .CoastGuardandavailable
onlineatwww .navcen .uscg .gov/lnm/default .htm .
44
45
Dams and Navigation Locks
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Low-head Dams
AvesselunderwaywhenhailedbyaCoastGuardvesselisrequired
Thoseboatingonriversneed
tobeawareoftheirlocationin
regardtodamsintheirboating
Backwash
Boil
tocomeaboard .(See“U .S .CoastGuardBoardingPolicy:Whatto
Expect”page50 .)
area .Low-head,or“fixedcrest,”
damscanbedifficulttoseefrom
smallvesselsmovingdown-
toheavetoormaneuverasdirectedsoastopermitaboardingteam
Escape Route
Low-head Dam
river .Theycanbeextremely
dangeroustosmallboatsandswimmers;somuchsotheyhavebeen
nicknamed“drowningmachines .”Beawarethatbuoysarenotinthe
riveryearroundandevenwhentheyaretheycanbemovedoffstation
bythecurrent .Keepalookoutfor“DangerDam”signs .Itisstrongly
recommendedthatboatersuse navigation charts,whichprovidevaluableinformationonthelocationofdamsandotherhazardsintheriver .
Otherfederal,state,andlocalmaritimelawenforcementofficialsmay
alsoboardandexamineyourvessel,whetheritisnumbered,unnumbered,ordocumented .U .S .CoastGuardlawenforcementpersonnel
workwithandmayalsobefoundaboardotheragencies’enforcement
vessels .
TheU .S .CoastGuardmayimposeacivilpenaltyforfailureto:
• Complywithequipmentrequirements .
• Reportaboatingaccident .
Navigation Locks
• Complywithotherfederalregulations .
Alockisanengineeredstructurethatenablesvesselstomove
• ComplywithNavigationRules .
betweenwaterwaysofdifferingheights .Therearespecificprocedures
inplacefornavigatingthroughlocks .Specificsmayvaryincertain
Negligent Operation (46 USC 2302 (a) (b))
regions,butingeneral:
Federallawprohibitsthenegligentorgrosslynegligentoperationofa
• Staybetweentheredandgreenbuoysthatmarktheriver’snavigablechannel .
• Requestanopeningusingyourmarineradio,cellphone,orwith
asoundsignalconsistingofoneprolongedblast(4-6seconds)
andoneshortblast(1second)withinonemileofthelock .Sound
vesseland/orinterferencewiththesafeoperationofavesselsoasto
endangerlivesand/orproperty .TheU .S .CoastGuardmayimposea
civilpenaltyfornegligentoperation .Grosslynegligentoperationisa
criminaloffenseandanoperatormaybefinedupto$5,000,imprisoned
foroneyear,orboth .
signalscanbemadebyusingthelock’spull-cordoryourwhistle,
Someactionsthatmayconstitutenegligentorgrosslynegligent
horn,megaphone,orhailer .
operationare:
• Waitforthelockoperatortosignalyouwithhornblasts;additional
signalsmayincludetrafficlightsorflashinglights .
• Enterthelockatreducedspeed .
• Makesureallpassengersremainseatedandweartheirlifejackets .
• Tieyourcrafttothemooringdevicesafterentering;aminimumof
50feetoflineisrecommended .
• Usefenderstoavoiddamagetoyourvesselandthelockwalls .
• Operatingaboatinadesignatedswimmingarea .
• Excessivespeedinthevicinityofotherboatsorinregulated
waters .
• Hazardouswaterskiingorotherwatersportspractices .
• Bowriding,orridingonseatback,gunwale,ortransom .
• Operatingaboatwhileundertheinfluenceofalcoholordrugs .
• Whenthrough,waitforthelockoperator’ssignal(hornand/or
lights),thenleavethelockatidlespeed .
Thereisaspecificorderoflockagepriorityamongvessels .Military
andmostcommercialvesselshavepriorityoverrecreationalvessels .
46
47
Boating Under the Influence (BUI) (46 USC 2302 (c)/33 CFR 95)
Reporting Boating Accidents (33 CFR 173.55)
Operatingavesselwhileintoxicatedisdangerousandafederalof-
Theoperatororownerofanyrecreationalboatisrequiredtofilea
fense .Ifanoperatorofarecreationalboathasabloodalcoholcontent
BoatingAccidentReportiftheboatisinvolvedinanaccidentthat
of .08( .10insomestates)orgreater,theoperatorissubjecttoacivil
resultsinanyofthefollowing:
penaltynottoexceed$1,000acriminalpenaltynottoexceed$5,000,
oraone-yearimprisonment,orboth .Intoxicatedoperatorswhoare
citedbytheCoastGuardmayalsobecitedbyotherstateorlocallaw
enforcementofficials .Statecriminalpenaltiesmayvaryandcould
includearrest,fines,and/orlossofmotorvehicledrivingprivileges .
Termination of Use (46 USC 4308/33 CFR 177.05)
AU .S .CoastGuardBoardingOfficerwhoobservesavesselbeing
operatedinanunsafecondition,specificallydefinedbylaworregulation,anddeterminesthatanespeciallyhazardousconditionexiststhat
cannotbecorrectedonthespot,mayterminatethevessel’svoyage
anddirecttheoperatortoreturntoport .
Terminationforunsafeusemaybeimposedfor:
• Insufficientlife-savingdevices .
• Insufficientfireextinguishers .
• Anoverloadedvessel .
• Improperdisplayofnavigationlights .
• Improperventilationoffueltanksandenginespaces .
• Fuelleakoraccumulationoffuelinthebilges .
• Inadequatebackfireflamecontrol .
• Operatinginregulatedboatingareasduringpredetermined
• Lossoflife .
• Apersondisappearsfromthevesselundercircumstances
thatindicatedeathorinjury .
• Personalinjurythatrequiresmedicaltreatmentbeyond
basicfirstaid .
• Damagetotheboatandotherpropertydamageof$2,000or
more .
• Completelossoftheboat .
Boatoperatorsarerequiredtoreporttheiraccidenttolocalauthorities
inthestatewheretheaccidentoccurred .
Fatal Accidents
Immediatenotificationisrequiredforfatalaccidents .Ifapersondiesor
goesmissingasaresultofarecreationalboatingaccident,thenearest
stateboatingauthoritymustbenotifiedwithoutdelay .Thefollowing
informationmustbeprovided:
• Date,time,andexactlocationoftheaccident .
• Nameofeachpersonwhodiedorwentmissing .
• Numberandnameofthevessel .
• Nameandaddressoftheownerandoperator .
adverseconditions(appliesonlytoThirteenthUSCGDistrict:
Reporting Timelines
Idaho,Montana,Oregon,Washington) .
Ifapersondies,goesmissingfromtheboat,orreceivesinjuriesrequir-
• Amanifestlyunsafevoyage .
AnoperatorwhorefusestocomplywiththedirectionsofaU .S .Coast
ingmedicaltreatmentbeyondbasicfirstaid,aformalreportmustbe
filedwithin48hoursoftheaccident .
GuardBoardingOfficertoterminatetheunsafeuseofarecreational
Foraccidentsinvolvingpropertydamageof$2,000ormore,orthe
vesselcanbecitedforfailuretocomplywiththeBoardingOfficer’s
completelossofavessel,aformalreportmustbemadewithin10days .
instruction,aswellasforthespecificviolationthatwasthebasisforthe
terminationorder .Violatorsmaybefinedupto$1,000,orimprisoned
foruptooneyear,orboth .
Notethatstaterequirementsforreportingboatingaccidentsmaybe
morestringentthanfederalrequirements .Somestates,forexample,
mayrequirethatallboatingaccidentsbereportedimmediately .Check
withthelocalmarinepatrolortheBoatingLawAdministratorinthe
statewheretheaccidentoccurredforthereportingproceduresthat
48
49
apply .TodownloadaReferenceGuidetoStateBoatingLawsand
ger,cargo,and/orcommercialfishing)andtocheckforcompliance
findmoreinformationregardingaccidentreporting,visittheU .S .Coast
withallapplicablefederallawsandregulations .
GuardBoatingSafetyDivisionwebsiteatwww .uscgboating .org .
Thedecisiontoboardmaybebasedonavessel’sactivity,location,
Rendering Assistance (46 USC 2304)
and,insomecircumstances,obviousviolations,suchasoperating
Themasterorpersoninchargeofavesselisobligatedbylawto
atnightwithoutnavigationlights,orimproperdisplayofregistration
provideassistancethatcanbesafelyprovidedtoanyindividualin
dangeratsea .Themasterorpersoninchargeissubjecttoafineand/
numbers .TheCoastGuardvesselwillusuallyradioaseriesofpreboardingquestions,suchas:Whatwasthevessel’slastportofcall
orimprisonmentforfailuretodoso .
andwhatisitsnextportof
Requesting Assistance (Non-Distress Call)
areonboard?Whatisthe
IfaboatercontactstheU .S .CoastGuardonChannel16VHF-FMor
purposeofyourvoyage?
Channel70DSCandthesituationisdeterminedtobenon-distress,the
CoastGuardwilloffertocontactanyassistanceprovider(commercialor
friend)theboaterrequests .Iftheboaterhasnopreference,theCoast
GuardwillissueaMarineAssistanceRequestBroadcast(MARB) .The
boatermaythenbecontacteddirectlybyanotherboater“GoodSamaritan”orbyacommercialassistanceproviderwithanofferofhelp .
U.S. Coast Guard Boarding Policy
Title 14, Section 89, of the United States Code authorizes the U. S.
Coast Guard to board vessels subject to the jurisdiction of the United
States, anytime upon the high seas and upon waters over which the
United States has jurisdiction, to make inquiries, examinations, inspections, searches, seizures, and arrests.
What to Expect
TheU .S .CoastGuardisamulti-missionagency .Althoughitslegacy
missionofsavinglivesatsearemainsapriority,enforcementofmaritimelawsandhomelandsecurityhasbecometheU .S .CoastGuard’s
–andthenation’s–focus .TheU .S .CoastGuardconductsnearly
70,000boardingsayearinitsmultipleroles:enforcingthelaw,providingsearchandrescueservices,promotingboatingsafety,preventing
damagetomarineenvironments,andhelpingtosecurethenation’s
call?Howmanypersons
IftheCoastGuard
decidestoboard,consider
itanimportantopportunitytolearnsomething
newaboutsafetyequipmentandsafeboatingpractices .Typically,a
uniformedU .S .CoastGuardBoardingTeamoftwotofourofficers
willcomeaboard,introducethemselves,andstatethereasonforthe
boarding .Likealllawenforcementofficers,theywillbearmed .The
officerinchargewillaskifyouhaveanyweaponsaboard;ifso,they
willusuallysecureallweaponsforthedurationoftheboarding .They
willconductaninitialsafetyinspectiontoidentifyanyobvioussafety
hazardsandtoverifythegeneralseaworthinessofyourvessel .
Theofficerwillthenasktoseethevessel’sregistrationorotherdocumentationandproceedtoamoredetailedinspectionofyourrequired
safetyequipment:lifejackets,fireextinguishers,flares,etc .Youshould
knowthattheBoardingOfficerwillcheckeveryaspectofeachitem
onthelist .Forexample,withlifejackets–theitemmostfrequently
citedforviolations–theofficerwillchecktoseeifyouhaveU .S .Coast
Guard-approvedlifejacketsonboard,ingoodandserviceablecondition,properlystowed,andthecorrectsizefortheintendedwearers .
borders .Themoretimeaboaterspendsonthewater,themorelikely
Whentheboardingiscomplete,theofficerwillprovideyouwithareport
heorshewillexperienceaU .S .CoastGuardboarding .
oftheboarding,notingtheresultsoftheinspectionofyourvessel .In
Duringlawenforcementboardings,thescopeofthevesselinspection
istodeterminethevessel’sstatus(commercial,recreational,passen-
theeventofaviolation,theBoardingOfficerwillexplaintheresultsand
theproceduresyouwillneedtofollowtobringyourvesselintocompliance .Ifyouhaveanyquestions,asktheBoardingOfficerbeforethe
teamdeparts .
50
51
VESSEL SAFETy CHECK
TheU .S .CoastGuardwouldliketoseeall
vesselsincompliancewithequipmentcarriage
requirementsandsafelyoperated .Ifyouare
uncertainaboutthesafetyrequirementsfor
yourvessel,onewaytomakesureyouarein
complianceistoscheduleaVesselSafetyCheck(VSC),offeredas
afreepublicservicebytheUnitedStatesCoastGuardAuxiliaryand
UnitedStatesPowerSquadrons®,volunteerorganizationsdedicated
toassistingtheU .S .CoastGuardinpromotingboatingsafety .Other
federalandstateagenciesmayalsoconducttheseVesselSafety
Checks .(Findoutmoreatwww .safetyseal .net .)
AVSCisnotalawenforcementaction;however,insomestates
qualifiedmarinelawenforcementpersonnelmayconductVesselSafety
Checks .Qualifiedexaminerswillcometoyourvesselandconduct
acourtesyexaminationofsafetyequipmentcarriedorinstalledand
certainaspectsofthevessel’soverallcondition .VSCrequirements
parallelfederalandstaterequirementswithregardtoequipmentand
vesselcondition .ThosevesselsthatpasswillbeawardedaVSCdecal
indicatingasuccessfulcheck .
TheitemscheckedduringaVSCare:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Navigationlights .
Soundproducingdevices/bell .
Voicecommunications .
Lifejacketsandthrowableflotationdevices .
Fireextinguishers .
Visualdistresssignals .
Backfireflamecontrol .
Overallvesselcondition,includingelectric-fuelsystems,
galley-heatingsystems,deckfreeofhazards/cleanbilge .
Ventilation .
Properdisplayofnumbers .
Pollutionplacard(oilywastedischarge) .
MARPOLtrashplacards(garbagedumpingrestriction) .
Marinesanitationdevice .
Registration/documentation .
• NavigationRulesbook .
• Stateand/orlocalrequirements .
52
Other recommended equipment
Whilenotrequired,thefollowingarealsostronglyrecommended:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
VHF-FMMarineRadiowithDigitalSelectiveCallingSystem .
DewateringDeviceandBackup .
MountedFireExtinguishers .
AnchorandLine .
FirstAidKit .
Person-in-Water(PIW)Kit .
CapacityPlates .
DuringtheVesselSafety
Check,thevesselexaminer
willdiscusswiththerecreationalboaterthepurposeof
specificmarinesafetyequipment,willclarifyfederaland
stateregulations,willdiscuss
certainsafetyprocedures,and
willansweranyboating-related
questions .Someofthetopicsdiscussedare:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Accidentreporting/ownerresponsibility .
ChartsandAidstoNavigation .
Offshoreoperation .
Inflatableliferafts .
Immersionsuits .
Survivaltips .
Firstaid .
Floatplans .
Weatherandseaconditions .
Insuranceconsiderations .
Fuelingandfuelmanagement .
Boatingchecklist .
Availabilityofboatingsafetyclasses .
America’sWaterwayWatch .
For More Information
ToscheduleaVesselSafetyCheck,orformoreinformationonthe
VesselSafetyCheckProgram,contactyourlocalU .S .CoastGuard
AuxiliaryorUnitedStatesPowerSquadrons,stateboatingagency,or
visittheVesselSafetyCheckwebsiteatwww .safetyseal .net .
53
SAFETy AND SURVIVAL TIPS
Operator’s Responsibilities
Yourdegreeofenjoymentonthewaterdependsonyou,your
Safe Boating Education
equipment,andotherpeoplewho,likeyourself,boatresponsibly .
Trainingisimportantforboatersofallexperiencelevels,butespecially
Asaboatoperator,youshould:
forthebeginningboater .Inatypicalyear,approximately70percentof
accidentsinvolvingfatalitiesoccuronboatswheretheboatoperator
hashadnoformalinstructionon
• MakesurethateveryoneonboardiswearingaU .S .Coast
Guard-approvedlifejacketatalltimeswhileonthewater .
howtooperatethevessel .Asa
• Takeaboatingsafetycourse .
result,morethanhalfofallstates
• Neveroperateavesselwhileundertheinfluenceofalcoholor
haveenactedlegislationmandatingboatersafetyeducationasa
requirementforboatoperators .
dangerousdrugs .
• Makesureyourboatisintopoperatingcondition .Itshouldbe
freeoftrippinghazardsandfirehazards,andhavecleanbilges .
• Makesuretherequiredsafetyequipmentisonboard,maintainedin
Boatingsafetyisnoaccident .
• Alwaysfileafloatplanwitharelativeorfriend .
knowledge,proficiency,and
• Haveacompleteunderstandingoftheoperationandhandling
confidence,takeaboatingsafety
course .
Tolocatelocalcourseofferings,orformoreinformationonrecreational
boatingandboatingsafety,contactyourstateboatingagency,U .S .
CoastGuardDistrictoffice,oroneoftheorganizationslistedbelow:
United States Coast Guard
Auxiliary
NationalHeadquarters
www .cgaux .org
United States Power
Squadrons®
NationalHeadquarters
(888)367-8777
www .usps .org
goodworkingorder,andthatyouknowhowtousethesedevices .
Tofurtherdevelopyourboating
National Safe Boating Council
(703)361-4294
www .safeboatingcouncil .org
BoatU.S. Foundation
(800)245-2628
www .boatus .com/foundation
U .S .CoastGuardDistrictOffices
arelistedontheinsideback
cover .
National Association
of State Boating Law
Administrators
(859)225-9487
www .nasbla .org
characteristicsofyourboat .
• Knowyourlocation,whereyouaregoing,andhowtoreturn .
• Maintainasafespeedatalltimestoavoidcollision .
• Keepaneyeoutforchangingweatherconditions,andact
accordingly .
• Knowandfollowthe“RulesoftheRoad”(NavigationRules .)
• Knowandobeyfederalandstateregulationsandwaterway
markers .
• Besuretomaintainaproperlookout .Scanthewaterbackand
forth .Stayalert .Mostboatingaccidentsarecausedbyoperator
inattention .
Remember, you are the key to safe boating!
Carbon Monoxide Hazards
CarbonMonoxide(CO)canbeasilentkilleronhouseboatsandother
recreationalvessels .Eachyear,boatersareinjuredorkilledbycarbon
monoxide .Virtuallyallsuchpoisoningsarepreventable .
Carbonmonoxideisaby-productofthecombustionofcarbon-based
material,suchasgasoline,propane,charcoal,orwood .Common
sourcesaboardboatsincludemainandauxiliaryengines,generators,
Take Time to Reflect on Safety
Safe Boating Begins Here ... with You!
cookingranges,spaceheaters,andwaterheaters .Notethatcold
andpoorlytunedenginesproducemorecarbonmonoxidethanwarm,
properlytunedengines .
54
55
COcancollectwithinaboatinavarietyofways .Exhaustleaks–the
Installacarbonmonoxidedetectorineachaccommodationspaceon
leadingcauseofcarbonmonoxidefatalities–canallowCOtomigrate
yourboat .Checkthedetectorsperiodicallytobesuretheyare
throughouttheboatandintoenclosedareas .Evenproperlyventedex-
functioningproperly .
haustcanre-enteraboatifitismooredtooclosetoadockoranother
boat,oriftheexhaustispushedbackbyprevailingwinds .Exhaustcan
alsore-enterboatswhencruisingundercertainconditions,especially
withcanvasinplace,whichproducesthe“stationwagon”effect .Exhaustcanalsocollectinenclosedspacesnearthesternswimplatform .
What To Do
Scheduleregularengineandexhaustsystemmaintenanceinspections
byexperiencedandtrainedmechanics .
BeawarethatdangerousconcentrationsofCOcanaccumulatewhen
aboat,generator,orotherfueleddeviceisoperatedwhiletheboatisat
apier,nearaseawall,oralongsideanotherboat .Donotrunenginesor
equipmentforextendedperiodsoftimeundertheseconditionswithout
continuousmonitoring .
Keepforward-facinghatchesopentoallowfreshairtocirculateinaccommodationspaces,evenininclementweather .
Keeppeopleclearofthereardeckareaandswimplatformoftheboat
whilethegeneratororenginesarerunning .Alwaysmonitortheswimmingarea .
Anotherdangerouspracticetoavoidisthetowedwatersportof“teak”
surfing(alsoreferredtoas“drag”or“platform”surfing) .Teaksurfingis
anactivitywhereparticipantshangontotheboat’sswimplatformwhile
theboatmovesforwardslowlythroughthewaterandtheparticipants
surfinitswake .Thisisdangerousontwolevels:itplacesindividualsincloseproximitytothevessel’spropeller,anditexposesthemto
dangerouslyhighlevelsofcarbonmonoxidecreatedbythevessel’s
Carbon Monoxide Checklist
EachTrip:
• Makesureallexhaustclampsareinplaceandsecure .
• Lookforexhaustleakingfromtheexhaustsystemcomponents,
asevidencedbyrustand/orblackstreaking,waterleaks,orcorrodedorcrackedfittings .
• Inspectrubberexhausthosesforburnedorcrackedsections .All
rubberhosesshouldbepliableandfreeofkinks .
• Confirmthatcoolingwaterflowsfromtheexhaustoutletwhenthe
enginesandgeneratorarestarted .
• Listenforanychangeinexhaustsoundthatcouldindicatea
failureofanexhaustcomponent .
• Testtheoperationofeachcarbonmonoxidedetector .
• Do not operatethevesselifanyoftheseproblemsexist .
AnnualMaintenancetobePerformedbyaQualifiedMarineTechnician:
• Replaceexhausthosesifanyevidenceofcracking,charring,or
deteriorationisfound .
• Inspecteachwaterpumpimpellerandinspecttheconditionof
thewaterpumphousing .Replaceifwornorcracked(refertothe
engineandgeneratormanualsforfurtherinformation) .
• Inspecteachofthemetallicexhaustcomponentsforcracking,
rusting,leaking,orlooseness .Payparticularattentiontothe
cylinderhead,exhaustmanifold,andwaterinjectionelbow .
• Clean,inspect,andconfirmtheproperoperationofthegenerator
coolingwateranti-siphonvalve(ifsoequipped) .
exhaust .Individualscanloseconsciousnessinseconds .Teaksurfing
Regularmaintenanceandproperoperationoftheboatarethebest
isadangerouspracticethathasbeenprohibitedbylawinmanystates .
defensesagainstpoisoningfromcarbonmonoxide .Tofindoutmore
Donotconfusecarbonmonoxidepoisoningwithseasicknessorintoxication .lfsomeoneonboardcomplainsofirritatedeyes,headaches,
nausea,weakness,ordizziness,immediatelymovethepersontofresh
abouthowyoucanpreventcarbonmonoxidepoisoningonrecreational
boats,visittheU .S .CoastGuardBoatingSafetyDivisionwebsiteat
www .uscgboating .org/command/co .htm .
air,investigatethecause,andtakecorrectiveaction .Ifnecessary,seek
medicalattention .
56
57
Overloading
Anchoring
Neverloadyourboatwithpassengersandcargobeyonditssafe
Anchoringisdonefortwoprincipalreasons:1)tostopforfishing,
carryingcapacity .Toomanypeopleand/ortoomuchgearcancause
swimming,lunch,oranovernightstay,and2)tokeeptheboatfrom
theboattobecomeunstable .Alwaysbalancetheloadsothattheboat
runningagroundinbadweatherorasaresultofenginefailure .
maintainspropertrim .Whenloadingyourboat:
Anchoringcanbeasimpletaskifyoufollowtheseguidelines:
• Distributetheloadevenlyforeandaftandfromsidetoside .
• Makesureyouhavethepropertypeofanchor(Danforth/Plow/
• Keeptheloadlowintheboat .
Mushroom) .
• Keeppassengersseated;avoidstandinginsmallboats .
• Attacha3-6footlengthofgalvanizedchaintotheanchor .A
• Securegeartopreventshifting .
chainwillwithstandabrasionbysand,rock,ormudonthebottom
• DonotexceedtheloadspecifiedintheU .S .CoastGuardMaxi-
muchbetterthanafiberline .
mumCapacitiesinformationlabel,commonlycalledthe“capacity
• Attachalengthofnylonanchorlinetotheendofthechainusing
plate,”requiredbyfederallawonmotorizedmono-hullboatsless
ananchorswivel,acombinationcalledthe“Rode .”Thenylon
than20feetinlength .
willstretchunderthe
impactofheavywaves
orwind,cushioningthe
U.S. COAST GUARD CAPACITY INFORMATION
strainontheboatand
MAXIMUM HORSE POWER
• Selectanareathat
MAXIMUM WEIGHT CAPACITY
PERSONS MOTOR & GEAR (POUNDS)
offersmaximumprotec-
4
tionfromwind,current,
THIS BOAT COMPLIES WITH U.S. COAST GUARD SAFETY
STANDARDS IN EFFECT ON THE DATE OF CERTIFICATION
MODEL NO.
1
theanchor .
MAXIMUM PERSONS CAPACITY (POUNDS)
3
2
1 .SCREWPINSHACKLE
2 .SWIVEL
3 .THIMBLE
4 .CHAFINGCHAIN
5 .ANCHORSHANK
andboattraffic .
SERIAL NO.
• Determinethewater
MFO. BY
5
depthandtypeofbotIfthereisnocapacityplate,usethefollowingformulaasaguidetode-
tom(preferablysandormud) .
terminethemaximumnumberofpersonsyoucansafelycarryincalm
• Calculatetheamountofanchorlineyouwillneedtoletout .The
weather .Theformulaisapplicableonlytomono-hullboatslessthan
generalruleisfivetoseventimesasmuchlineasthedepthof
20feet(12meters)inlength .Amono-hullisaboatthatmakesasingle
waterplusthedistancefromthesurfaceofthewatertowherethe
“footprint”inthewaterwhenloadedtoitsratedcapacity;catamarans,
anchorwillattachtothebow .Forexample,ifthewateriseight
trimarans,andpontoonboatsarenotmono-hullboats .
feetdeepanditistwofeetfromthesurfaceofthewatertoyour
bowcleat,youwouldmultiply10feetby5or7togettheamount
Boat Width (in feet)
Boat Length
(in feet)
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
6
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
8
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
10
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
12
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
14
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
16
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
ofanchorlinetoputout .(Seediagrambelow .)
Scope above
waterline: 2 feet
SCOPE 7:1
LEN
GTH
DEPTH
OF WATER
8 FEET
OF A
NCH
OR
LINE
: 50
-70
FEET
BoatLengthXBoatWidth
MaximumNumberofPersons=
15
58
59
• Securetheanchorlinetothebowcleatatthepointyouwantitto
stop .
Improperuseofaradio-telephoneisacriminaloffense .Theuseof
obscene,indecent,orprofanelanguageduringradiocommunications
• Bringthebowofthevesselintothewindorcurrent .
isafederaloffence .Penaltiesexistformisuseofaradio,suchas
• Whenyougettothespotyouwanttoanchor,placetheenginein
issuingafalsedistresscall .
neutral .
• Whentheboatcomestoastop,slowlylowertheanchor .Donot
throwtheanchorover,asthrowingtendstofoultheanchorline .
• Whenallofthelinehasbeenletout,backdownontheanchor
withtheengineinidlereversetohelpsettheanchorfirmlyonthe
bottom .
• Whentheanchorisset,takenoteofreferencepoints(landmarks)
inrelationtotheboat .Checkthesepointsfrequentlytomake
sureyouarenotdrifting .
Do notanchorfromthestern!!
Anchoringbythesternhascausedmanyboats–smallboatsespecially–tocapsizeandsink .Thereasonisthatthetransomisusually
squaredoffandhaslessfreeboardthanthebow .Inaddition,thestern
maybecarryingtheaddedweightofamotor,fueltank,orgearbrought
onboard .Inastrongcurrent,theforceofthewatercanpullthe
sternunder .Anchoringatthesternalsomakestheboatvulnerableto
Channel16istheprimaryVHF-FMmarineradiocallinganddistress
channel .Itisnottobeusedforgeneralconversationorradiochecks .
Suchtrafficshouldbeconductedonanotherauthorizedworkingchannel .
Inflatable Life Rafts
Aninflatableliferaftcan
provideasurvivalplatform
foranextendedperiodof
time .Makesurethelife
raftislargeenoughfor
everyoneonboardwhen
theboatoperatesoffshore .
Life Raft
Itshouldhavetheappropri-
ateemergencyequipmentpack,andshouldbeprofessionallyserviced
periodically,accordingtothemanufacturer’sinstructions .U .S .Coast
Guard-approvedliferaftsmustmeetanumberofstringentmaterialand
performancestandards .
swampingbywaveaction .
Satellite EPIRBs
Vessels Operating Offshore
406MHzSatelliteEmergencyPositionIndicatingRadioBeacons
Ifyouoperateyourvesseloffshore,youshouldconsidercarryingadditionalsafetyequipmentbeyondtheminimumfederalrequirements .
Thisequipmentshouldincludeappropriatecommunicationsgear,an
(EPIRBs)aredesignedtoquicklyandreliablyalertrescuepersonnel,
position,
indicateanaccuratedistressposition,andguiderescueunitstothedisother communications
tressscene,evenwhenallothercommunicationsfail .(Seepage75 .)
inflatableliferaft,anEmergencyPositionIndicatingRadioBeacon
(EPIRB),andameansofaccuratelydeterminingyourlocation .Incold
SATELLITEE
SA
SATELLIT
waters,youshouldalsocarryanimmersionsuitforeveryoneonboard .
Donotunderestimatethedangerofhypothermia .
EPRIBs
GROUND
STATION
Communications
Carrycommunicationsgear–amarineVHF-FMand/orHFtransceiver(s)
–appropriatetoyouroperatingarea .Cellularphonecoverageisavail-
SARSAT
MISSION CONTROL
ableinmanycoastalareas,butshould not beconsideredasubstitute
RESCUE
COORDINATION CENTER
forVHF-FMmarinebandradiosforemergencypurposes .
60
VESSEL IN TROUBLE
SEARCH & RESCUE
61
Immersion Suits
Immersionsuitswilldelaytheeffectsofhypothermiaincoldwater .
(Seepage63 .)Theyshouldbeproperlystowedandmaintainedinaccordancewiththemanufacturer’sinstructions .
Determining your Location
Itisadvisabletocarryonboardadevicetodetermineyourposition,
suchasaGlobalPositionalSystem(GPS) .Thesedevicescanbe
mountedorhand-heldandwillprovidetheboaterwithanaccurate
locationtoaidrescueagenciesintheeventofanemergency .
Small Boats, Hunters, Anglers, and Paddlers
Manyhunters,anglers,andpaddlersdonotthinkofthemselvesas
boaters,yettheyusesemi-Vhullvessels,flat-bottomjonboats,orcanoesandkayaksinpursuitoftheirsport .Theseboatstendtobeless
stableandcaneasilycapsize .Capsizings,sinkings,orfallsoverboard
fromsmallboatsaccountfor70percentofallboatingfatalities .Operatorsneedtobefullyawareoftheirboat’slimitationsandpossessthe
skillandknowledgetoovercomethem .
Standinginasmallboatraisesthecenterofgravityandriskscapsizing
theboat .Standingforanyreason,evenchangingseatingposition,
canbedangerous,asissittingonthegunwalesorseatbacks,orona
pedestalseatwhileunderway .Araisedcenterofgravitymeansthata
wave,wake,orsuddenturncancapsizetheboatorresultinaperson
Cold-Water Survival
Suddenimmersionincoldwatercaninducerapid,uncontrolledbreathing,cardiacarrest,andotherphysicalconditionsthatcanresultin
drowning .Inanunexpectedplunge,orinsituationswhereyoumust
entercoldwater,hereareafewguidelinestofollow:
• Buttonupyourclothing .
• Coveryourheadifpossible;about50percentofbodyheatislost
fromthehead .
• Ifenteringthewatervoluntarily,enterslowly .
• Keepyourheadoutofthewaterifpossible .
• Ifyoucannotimmediatelygetoutofthewaterandrescueis
notimminent,drawyour
kneestoyourchestand
wrapyourarmsacross
yourchest,huggingyour
lifejacketintheHeat
EscapeLesseningPosture
(H .E .L .P .)Thiswillprotect
themajorareasofyour
bodyfromheatloss .
• Ifyourboathascapsized
H.E.L.P. Position
andthereareothersin
thewaterwithyou,huddletogetherwithyourarmsaroundeach
fallingoverboard .
other .Thesehuddlesaregoodformorale,keepeveryoneto-
Staying Afloat
increaseyourchancesofbeingseenandrescued .
Iftheboatcapsizes,oryoufalloverboard,followtheserulestostay
afloat:
• Remaincalm:donotthrashaboutortrytoremoveclothingor
footwear .Itisacommonbeliefthatpersonsdressedinheavy
clothingorwaderswillsinkimmediatelyiftheyfalloverboard .
Thisisnottrue .Airtrappedinclothingprovidesconsiderable
flotation,andbendingthekneeswilltrapairinwaders,providing
additionalflotation .Thrashinginthewaterleadstoexhaustion
andincreasesthelossofairthatkeepsyouafloat .
• Ifyouarewearingalifejacket,keepiton .
• Keepyourkneesbent .
gether,andmakealargertargettospotinthewater–allofwhich
Hypothermia
Immersionincoldwaterspeedsthelossofbodyheatandcanleadto
hypothermia .Hypothermiaistheabnormalloweringofinternalbody
temperature .Ifyourvesselcapsizes,itwilllikelyfloatonorjustbelow
thesurface .Outboard-poweredvessels,builtafter1978,aredesigned
tosupportyoueveniffullofwaterorcapsized .Toreducetheeffects
ofhypothermia,getinorontheboat .Trytogetasmuchofyourbody
outofthewateraspossible .Ifyoudonotgetintheboat,alifejacket
willenableyoutokeepyourheadoutofthewater .Thisisimportant
becauseabout50percentofbodyheatlossisfromthehead .
• Floatonyourbackandpaddleslowlytosafety .
62
63
Coldwatersurvivalcanbebrokendownintothreephases:
• cold Shock:aninitialdeepandsuddengaspfollowedbyhyperventilation .Coldshockwillpassinaboutoneminute .
• cold Incapacitation:inthenext10minutesyouwilllosethe
effectiveuseofyourfingers,arms,andlegsforanymeaningful
movement .Concentrateonself-rescue .
• Hypothermia: Dependingonthetemperatureofthewater,lossof
consciousnessmayoccurinaslittleasonehour .
Trailering
Legal Requirements
Besureyourboattrailerhascurrentstateregistrationandlicense
plates,andworkinglights .Also,ifyourboatismorethan8 .5feetwide,
itmayrequireaspecialpermitfromyourstateDepartmentofTransportationbeforetransportingitonthehighway .
Safety
Aboathullisdesignedforevensupportonthewater .Whentrans-
Formoreinformation,seeColdWaterBootCampat
portedonatrailer,yourboatshouldbesupportedasevenlyaspossible
www .watersafetycongress .org .
acrossthehulltoallowforevendistributionoftheweightoftheboat
Itmaybepossibletoreviveadrowningvictimwhohasbeenunder
waterforconsiderabletimeandshowsnosignsoflife .Numerous
documentedcasesexistwherevictimshavebeenresuscitatedwithno
apparentharmfuleffectsafterlongimmersions .StartCPRimmediately
Duration of Immersion (Hours)
andgetthevictimtoahospitalasquicklyaspossible .
3
lengthofthehull,butshortenoughtoallowtheboatengine–secured
andinthefull“up”position–toextendfreely .
Beforetowing:
• Besurethetowballandcouplerarethesamesizeandthatall
boltswithwashersaretightlysecured .Thecouplershouldbe
5
4
andanycontents .Yourtrailershouldbelongenoughtosupportthefull
completelyovertheballandthelatchingmechanismlocked .
• Balancetheloadevenlyfromfronttorearandside-to-side .Too
High Probability
of Death
muchweightonthehitchwillcausetherearwheelsofthetow
vehicletodragandmaymakesteeringdifficult .Toomuchweight
Danger Zone
2
Low Probability
of Death
1
30°40°50°60°70°
Water Temperature (°F)
TheDangerZoneindicatesconditionswheresafetyprecautionsand
appropriatebehavior(adoptingH .E .L .P .)canmakethedifference
betweendeathandsurvival .
ontherearofthetrailerwillcausethetrailerto“fishtail .”
• Checkthatsafetychainsareattached,trailerlightsfunctionproperly,tires(includingthespare)areadequatelyinflated,brakesare
fullyfunctional,andsidemirrorsarelargeenoughtoprovidean
unobstructedviewonbothsidesofthevehicle .
• Secureallequipmentinsidetheboat .Securetheboatcover,if
used,sothatitwillnotblowoffortearwhiletowing .
Pre-Launching Preparations
• Tosavetime,prepareyourboatforlaunchingawayfromthe
ramp .Removeenginesupportsandtie-downs,andmakesurethe
winchisproperlyattachedtotheboweyeandlockedinposition .
Disconnectthetrailerlightstopreventshortingoftheelectrical
systemorburningoutabulb .
• Installthedrainplug .Makereadydocklines,fenders,andboat
hooks .Attachalinetothebowandthesternoftheboatsothe
64
65
boatcannotdriftawayafterlaunchingandcanbeeasilymaneuveredtothedockingarea .
• Visuallyinspectthelaunchrampforhazards,suchasasteep
dropoff,slipperyarea,andsharpobjects .Proceedslowlytothe
Fueling Precautions
Mostfiresandexplosionshappenduringorshortlyafterfueling .To
avoidanaccident,followthesesafetyguidelines .
ramp,rememberingthatyourboatisjustrestingonthetrailerand
• Refuelanyportabletanksashore .
attachedonlyatthebow .Haveonepersonintheboatandoneat
• Closeallhatchesandotheropeningsbeforerefueling .Extinguish
thewater’sedgetohelpguidethedriverofthetowvehicle .
• Double-checkthatyouhaveinstalledthedrainplug .
allsmokingmaterials .Turnoffengines,allelectricalequipment,
radios,stoves,andotherappliances .Removeallpassengers .
• Keepthefillnozzleincontactwiththetankandwipeupany
Launching
• Keepthetrailer’srearwheels(andtheboat’sexhaustpipes)out
spilledfuel .
• Afterfueling,openallports,hatches,anddoorstoventilate .Run
ofthewater .Iftheexhaustpipesbecomeimmersedinthewater,
theblowerforatleastfourminutes .Checkthebilgesforfuel
theenginemaystall .
vaporsbeforestartingtheengine .Dothe“snifftest”tomakesure
• Settheparkingbrakeandplacetirechocksbehindrearwheels .
thereisnoodorofgasolineanywhereintheboat .
Checkboatsystems,blower,bilge,pumps,andlights .Lower
themotor .Starttheboatengineandmakesurewaterispassing
throughtheenginecoolingsystem .
• Makesuresomeoneonshoreisholdingthelinesattachedtothe
boat .Releasethewinchanddisconnectthewinchlinefromthe
bowwhentheboatoperatorisready .Launchwithalightshove
orbybackingoffthetrailerunderpower .
Retrieval
• Asyouapproachthetakeoutramp,noteanychangesinthe
current,tide,winddirectionand/orvelocity,andanyincreasesin
boatingtrafficthatcouldmakeretrievalmoredifficult .Maneuver
Do not start the engine until all traces of fuel vapors are eliminated!
theboatcarefullytothesubmergedtrailerandraisethelowerunit
oftheengine .
Fuel Management
• Winchtheboatontothetrailerandsecureit .Drivethetrailerwith
Practicethe“One-ThirdRule”byusing:
boataboardcarefullyoutoftheramptoadesignatedparking
• One-thirdofthefueltogoout .
areaforcleanup,reloading,andanequipmentsafetycheck .
• One-thirdtogetback .
• Removethedrainplug .Washthetrailerandboat,andflush
• One-thirdheldinreserve .
theenginewithfreshwater .Thiswillhelppreventthetransfer
orspreadofinvasivespecies .Insomeareasspecialwashing
Propeller Blade Warning
stationsareprovidedandmustbeused .Checkwithyourlocal
Neverforgetthedangertopersonsinthewaterandinjuriesthatboat
marinepatrolagencies .
propellerscaninflict .Mostpropellerinjuriesandfatalitiesinvolveopen
motorboatsfrom16to25feetinlengthandresultfromoperatorinattention,inexperience,andcarelessness .
66
67
WARNING
EXPOSED PROPELLER BLADES
What to Do in Severe Weather
• Reducespeed,keepingjustenoughpowertomaintainheadway .
• Makesureeveryoneonboardiswearingtheirlifejacket .
• Turnonyourrunninglights .
• Ifpossible,headforthenearestshorethatissafetoapproach .
• Headtheboatintothewavesata45degreeangle .
• Keepthebilgesfreeofwater .
People in the water can be severely injured or killed!
Bealert!Remembertoshutoffyourengineswhenapproaching
swimmersorotherpersonsinthewater .Keepthoseinthewateron
• Seatanypassengersonthebottomoftheboat,nearthecenter
line .
• Iftheenginefails,trailaseaanchorfromthebowoftheboat
tokeepitheadedintothewaves(Abucketcanworkasasea
theoperator’ssideoftheboat,alwaysinview .Propellerguardsare
anchorinanemergency .)
helpfulbutarenotsuitableforalltypesofboats .Thebestandsafest
• Anchortheboat,ifnecessary .
actionwhenpeopleareinthewaternearyourboatistoshut off your
engines .
Weather
Youshouldneverleavethedockwithoutfirstcheckingthelocal
weatherforecast .YoucangettheweatherinformationfromtheTV,
radio,localnewspaper,online,orfromoneoftheweatherchannelson
yourVHF-FMradio .
Atcertaintimesoftheyear,weathercanchangerapidlyandyou
shouldcontinuallykeepa“weathereye”out .Whileyouareoutina
boat,hereareafewsignsyoucanlookforthatindicateanapproaching
weatherchange:
Float Plans
Playitsafe;keepastackofFloatPlanformsonhand .Leaveacopy
withafriend,relative,orthelocalmarinabeforeheadingoutonthewater .Incaseofanemergency,pertinentinformationwillberightattheir
fingertipstoenablethemtocontactthelocalmarinepoliceorCoast
Guardwithnecessarydetails .Aworldofcaution:ifyouaredelayed
anditisnotanemergency,informthosewithyourFloatPlan,andbe
suretonotifythemwhenyoureturnsotheFloatPlancanbe“closed
out”andanunnecessaryandcostlysearchavoided .AsampleFloat
PlanFormisprovidedonpage73 .TheCoastGuardalsomakesFloat
PlanFormsavailableonlineatwww .uscgboating .org .
• Flatcloudsgettinglowerandthicker .
• Puffy,verticallyrisingcloudsgettinghigher .
• Dark,threateningclouds,especiallytothewest/southwest
• Asuddendropintemperature .
• Ahaloaroundthesunormoon .
• Increasingwindorasuddenchangeinwinddirection .
• Flashesonthehorizon .
• Seasbecomingheavy .
• HeavyAMradiostatic,whichcanindicatenearbythunderstorm
activity .
Ifyouhaveabarometeronboard,checkiteverytwotothreehours .
Arisingbarometerindicatesfairweatherandariseinwindvelocity;a
fallingbarometerindicatesrainapproaching .
68
69
BOATER’S PRE-DEPARTURE CHECKLIST
Recommended Equipment and Supplies
Knowyourvessel .Beforedeparture,alwaysbesureyourvesselis
VHF-FMMarineRadio
ingoodworkingorderandproperlyequippedforemergencies .Avoid
inconvenienceandpotentialdangerbytakingafewminutestocheck
yes
No
N/A
EPIRB/PLB
AnchorandLine
thefollowing:
Page
StateRegistration(CertificateofNumber)
5
MagneticCompass
StateNumberingDisplay
5
FendersandBoatHook
CertificateofDocumentation
6
MooringLinesandHeavingLine
LifeJackets:oneforeachpersononboard
9
ThrowableTypeIVDevice
14
VisualDistressSignals
17
FireExtinguisher(FullyCharged)
21
ProperVentilation
23
BackfireFlameControl
25
SoundProducingDevice
25
NavigationLights
27
OilPollutionPlacard
32
GarbagePlacard
34
MarineSanitationDevice
35
CopyofNavigationRules(InlandWaters)
36
yes
No
Chart(s)oftheAreaandNavigationTools
Minimum Federal Required Equipment
ManualBilgePumporBailingDevice
ToolKit
SpareParts(Fuses,SparkPlugs,Belts,etc .)
SpareBattery(FullyCharged)
SparePropeller/ShearorCotterPins
ExtraFuelandOil
AlternatePropulsion(Paddles/Oar)
FlashlightandBatteries
AnyAdditionalStateRequirements
SearchLight
FirstAidKit
Sunscreen(SPF30+)
Mirror
FoodandWater
ExtraClothing/FoulWeatherGear
AM-FMRadio
Besidesmeetingthefederalrequirements,prudentboaterscarryaddi-
CellularPhone
tionalsafetyequipmentandsupplies .Thefollowingadditionalitemsare
suggesteddependingonthesize,location,anduseofyourboat:
70
Binoculars
71
Safety Checks and Tests
yes
No
N/A
TestVHFMarineRadio(VoiceCall)
TestNavigationandAnchorLights
TestSteering(FreeMovement)
SAMPLE FLOAT PLAN
TheCoastGuardmakesFloatPlanformsavailableonlineat
www .uscgboating .org .CompleteaFloatPlanbeforeboatingandleave
itwithapersonwhocanbedependedupontonotifytheU .S .Coast
Guardorothermarinerescueorganization,shouldyounotreturnas
scheduled .
TestTilt/Trim
Remember: Do not file this plan with the U.S. coast Guard.
TestBilgePump
Contactyourfriendincaseofadelay,andalwayswhenyoureturn .
CheckforExcessiveWaterinBilges
CheckFuelSystemforLeaks
1. Person Reporting Vessel Overdue
Name
CheckEngineFluids
Address
EnsureBoatPlugisProperlyInstalled
2. Description of Boat
Phone
Name
CheckElectricalSystem
CheckGalley/HeatingSystems
Registration/DocumentationNo .
Make
Type
Length
HullColor
TrimColor
CheckGauges(i .e .,Battery)
FuelCapacity
EngineType
CheckFuelAmount
DistinguishingFeatures
EnsureAnchorisReadyforUse
3. Operator of Boat
Age
CheckLoadofVesselandSecureGear
No .ofEngines
Name
Health
Phone
EnsurePassengersKnowEmergencyProcedures
Address
andEquipmentLocation
Operator’sExperience
CheckthatallLifeJacketsFitProperly
4. Survival Equipment (Check as Appropriate)
ChecktheWeatherForecast
FileaFloatPlanwithRelativeorFriend
#___LifeJackets
Flares
Mirror
SmokeSignals
Paddles
RaftorDinghy
Flashlight
Water
Food
Anchor
EPIRB
Others
YoucanalsodownloadaPre-DepartureChecklistfromtheU .S .Coast
Guardwebsiteatwww .uscgboating .org .
72
73
5. Marine Radio:
yes
Type
EMERGENCy NOTIFICATION/COMMUNICATION
No
Freqs .
Satellite EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons)
DigitalSelectiveCalling(DSC):YesNo
Emergencydistressbeaconsareessentiallyspecializedradiotransmit-
6. Trip Expectations
tersthataredesignedforuseinsituationsofgraveorimminentdanger
Departfrom
DepartureDate
Time
orwhenlivesareatrisk .
Goingto
How the System Works
ArrivalDate
Time
Ifoperatorhasnotarrived/returnedby:Date
Time
calltheCoastGuardorlocalauthorityatthefollowingnumber:
7. Vehicle Description
LicenseNo .
Make
ModelColor
Whereisvehicleparked?
8. Persons on Board
Name
Age
Phone
MedicalConditions
EPIRBsoperateaspartofaworldwidedistresssystem .Aninternationalsatelliteconstellationmaintainsavigilant,global“listening”watchfor
satelliteEPIRBdistresssignals .TheNationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministration(NOAA)operatessatellites,groundstations,andan
alert-distributionsystemservingtheUnitedStatesandalargesegment
oftheinternationalcommunity .
9. Additional Information
Whenactivated,thesatelliteEPIRBtransmitsadistresssignalwith
abeacon-uniqueidentifyingcode .Thesystemdetectsthesignal,
calculatesanaccuratedistressposition,checkstheuniqueidentifyingcodeagainsttheEPIRBregistrationdatabase(vesselandpointof
contactinformationsuppliedbytheowner)androutesthedistressalert
withregistrationinformationtotheresponsibleU .S .CoastGuard(or
international)RescueCoordinationCenter(RCC) .
406MHzEPIRBswithGPScapability–eitherinternallyorexternally
suppliedpositionalinformation–alsoprovideanimmediateGPSpositionintheinformationpassedtotheRCCandgeostationarysatellites
makedetectionalmostimmediate .IftheEPIRBdoesnothavetheabilitytoprovideaGPSposition,theprocesstodetermineapositiontakes
aboutonehouronaverageandalmostalwayslessthantwohours .
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SatelliteEPIRBsalsoincludeahomingbeaconandstrobetohelp
rescueforcesquicklylocatethedistressscene .Satellitebeaconshave
significantcoverage,withalertingtimeliness,positionaccuracy,and
signalingadvantagesoverotherdevices .Beforepurchasingorusing
other-thana406MHzEPIRB,besureyouunderstanditscapabilities
andlimitations .
MounttheEPIRBtofloatfree,accordingtothemanufacturer’sinstructions,ifpossible .Otherwise,makesureitisreadilyaccessible .Register
VHF Marine Radio Channels
Thechartbelowcontainsapartiallistingofchannelsrecreational
boatersshouldbefamiliarwith .ForacompletelistingofVHF
channelsandfrequenciesvisittheU .S .CoastGuardNavigation
Centerwebsiteatwww .navcen .uscg .gov .
Channel
Type of Message and Use
06
Inter-ship Safety:Usedforship-to-shipsafetymessages
andsearchmessagesandforshipsandaircraftofthe
CoastGuard .
09
Boater Calling: theFCChasestablishedthischannelas
asupplementarycallingchannelforrecreationalboaters
inordertorelievecongestiononVHFChannel16 .
13,67
Navigation Safety (also known as the Bridge-toBridge Channel): Shipsgreaterthan20metersinlength
maintainalisteningwatchonthischannelinU .S .waters .
Thischannelisavailable,toallships .Messagesmust
beaboutshipnavigation–i .e .,passingormeetingother
ships .Youmustkeepyourmessagesshort .Yourpower
outputmustnotbemorethanonewatt .Thisisalsothe
mainworkingchannelatmostlocksanddrawbridges .
Channel67isforthelowerMississippiRiveronly .
16
International Distress, Safety, and Calling: Usethis
channeltogettheattentionofanotherstation(calling)or
inemergencies .Shipsrequiredtocarryaradiomaintain
alisteningwatchonthischannel .TheU .S .CoastGuard
andmostcoaststationsalsomaintainalisteningwatchon
thischannel .
theEPIRBwithNOAA,accordingtotheinstructionsprovidedwiththe
beaconorattheNOAAwebsite:www .sarsat .noaa .gov .Registrationis
mandatory,improvesresponsetime,andreducesfalsealarms .
Radio Regulations
Mostrecreationalvesselslessthan65 .6feet(20meters)inlengthare
notrequiredtocarryamarineradio .Anyvesselthatcarriesamarine
radiomustfollowtherulesoftheFederalCommunicationsCommission
(FCC) .
Licensing
TheFCCdoesnotrequiremostoperatorsofrecreationalvesselsto
carryaradioortohaveanindividuallicensetooperateVHF-FMmarine
radios,EPIRBs,oranytypeofradar .Operatorsmusthoweverfollow
theproceduresandcourtesiesthatarerequiredoflicensedoperatorsspecifiedintheFCCrules .Youmayusethenameorregistration
numberofyourvesseltoidentifyyourshipstation .
RecreationalVesselsthatmayberequiredtobelicensed:
• Power-drivendrivenvesselsmorethan65feet(20meters)in
length .
21A,23A, U.S. Coast Guard only .
83A
22A
U.S. Coast Guard liaison and Maritime Safety Information Broadcasts: Announcementsofurgentmarine
informationbroadcastsandstormwarningsonChannel16 .
24,25,
26,27
28,84
85,86
Public Correspondence (Marine Operator): Usethese
channelstocallthemarineoperatoratapublicstation .By
contactingapubliccoaststation,youcanmakeand
receivecallsfromtelephonesonshore .Exceptfordistresscalls,publicstationsusuallychargeforthisservice .
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Digital Selective Calling: Usethischannelfordistress
andsafetycallingandforgeneralpurposecalling,using
• Anyvessel,includingarecreationalvessel,onaninternational
voyage .
Radio Listening Watch
Vesselsnotrequiredtocarryamarineradio–forexample,recreational
vesselslessthan65 .6feet(20meters)inlength,butwhichvoluntarily
carryaradio–mustmaintainawatchonChannel16(156 .800MHz)or
VHFChannel9(156 .450MHz),theboater-callingchannel,whenever
theradioisoperatingandnotbeingusedtocommunicate .
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onlydigitalselectivecalling(DSC)techniques .
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Digital Selective Calling (DSC)
DigitalSelectiveCalling(DSC),allowsboaterstoinstantlysendan
automaticallyformatteddistressalerttotheCoastGuardorother
rescueauthorityanywhereintheworld .DigitalSelectiveCallingalsoallowsboaterstoinitiateorreceivedistress,urgency,safety,androutine
radiotelephonecallstoorfromanysimilarlyequippedvesselorshore
station,withoutrequiringeitherpartytobeneararadioloudspeaker .
DSCactslikethedialandbellofatelephone,allowingyouto“direct
dial”and“ring”otherradios,orallowingothersto“ring”you,without
havingtolistentoaspeaker .NewVHFandHFradiotelephoneshave
DSCcapability .
AllDSC-equippedradios,andmostGPSreceivers,haveadata
interfaceconnector .TheinterfaceallowsmostmodelsofGPStobe
successfullyinterconnectedtoDSC-capableradios,regardlessof
manufacture .TheCoastGuardrecommendsthatyouinterconnect
yourGPSandDSC-equippedradio .Doingsomaysaveyourlifeinan
emergencysituation .
UsersofaVHF-FMmarineradioequippedwithDigitalSelectiveCalling
willalsoneedtoobtainaMaritimeMobileServiceIdentity(MMSI)
number .TheseareavailablefromBoatU .S .,SeaTow,theFCCandthe
UnitedStatesPowerSquadrons® .MoreinformationonDigitalSelectiveCallingisavailableonlineatwww .navcen .uscg .gov/MARCOMMS/
gmdss/dsc .htm .
WhenproperlyregisteredwithanMMSInumberandinterfacedwith
GPS,theDSCradiosignaltransmitsvitalvesselinformationinan
emergency .Withonepushofabutton,yourDSCradiosendsanautomateddigitaldistressalertcontainingyourMMSInumber,position,and
thenatureofthedistress(ifentered)tootherDSC-equippedvessels
andrescuefacilities .
Rescue 21
Rescue21istheadvancedcommand,control,andcommunications
systemcreatedtoimprovesearchandrescuewithstrongerVHF-FM
marineradiosignals,direction-findingcapabilities,trackingofships
andaircraft,andbettercommunicationswithstateandlocalfirstresponders .Thesystemiscurrentlybeinginstalledinstagesacross
thecontiguous48states,Alaska,Hawaii,Guam,PuertoRico,andthe
GreatLakes .Whenfullydeployed,itwillformthebackboneoftheU .S .
CoastGuard’sshort-rangecommunicationssystem .
78
Withincreasedcommunicationscoverage,advanceddirectionfinding
capabilities,andDigitalSelectiveCalling,Rescue21helpstakethe
“search”outofsearchandrescue .
Capabilities:
• Incorporatesdirection-findingequipmenttoimprovelocatingvesselsindistress .
• Enhancestheclarityofdistresscalls .
• Upgradesplaybackandrecordingfeatureofdistresscalls
• Allowssimultaneouschannelmonitoring .
• Providesfullcoverageoutto20nauticalmilesfromthecoastline
• Reducescoveragegapsforcoastalcommunicationsandalong
navigableriversandwaterways .
• SupportsDigitalSelectiveCalling .
• Portabletowersforrestorationofcommunicationsduringemergenciesornaturaldisasters .
• Improvesinteroperabilityamongfederal,state,andlocalagencies .
TotakefulladvantageofRescue21,boatoperatorsshouldupgradeto
aDSC-capableVHF-FMmarineradio,obtainaMaritimeMobileService
Identity(MMSI)number,enterthenumberintotheirradio,andconnect
theradiotoaGPSreceiver .
For Vessels Equipped with DSC-Capable Radios
IfyourvesselisequippedwithaDSC-capableradio,andyouhave
obtainedandregisteredanMMSInumberanditisproperlyconnected
toaGPSreceiver,youneedonlypresstheredDSCEmergency
CallButtonfor5seconds .Yourvesselinformationandpositionwill
automaticallybetransmitted,includingthenatureofthedistress(if
entered),andaDSCreplyshouldbereceived .Uponreceiptofthis
acknowledgement,yourradioshouldautomaticallyshifttoChannel16
tocontinuevoicecommunicationswithrescueassets .Ifnoreplyis
received,switchtheChannel16andusetheproceduresbelow .
SOS: Ships in Distress
Channel16istheprimaryradiochannelforshipsindistress .Tomake
adistresscallonmarineVHF-FMChannel16:
1 .Makesureradioison .
2 .SelectChannel16forstandardmarineVHF .
3 .Press/holdthetransmitbutton .
4 .Clearlysay:MAYDAY,MAYDAY,MAYDAY .
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5 .Alsogive:
•Vesselname,numberand/ordescription .
OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
•Positionand/orlocation .
Regulated Navigation Areas/Limited Access Areas (33 CFR 165)
•Natureofemergency .
IntheaftermathoftheSeptember11,2001,terroristattacksonthe
WorldTradeCenterandthePentagon,andtheearlierattackonthe
USSColeinAdenHarbor,Yemen,theUnitedStatesCoastGuard
establishedSafetyandSecurityZonestopreventfurtherattackson
U .S .Navalvessels,cruiseshipsandcommercialvessels,andcritical
infrastructure–suchaspetroleumfacilitiesandnuclearpowerplants
situatedonornearthewater .Asaboater,notknowinghowtoactin
certainareasorsituationsmayputyouinlegaljeopardyor,worse,at
riskofpersonalinjury .
•Numberofpeopleonboard .
6 .Releasetransmitbutton .
7 .Waitfor10seconds .Ifnoresponse,repeat“MAYDAY”callas
above .
***Make sure all persons are wearing their life jackets***
Maritime Search and Rescue
ToreportMaritimeSearchandRescueEmergencies,callthefollowing
numbers:
Helpprotectourcountrybylearningthenewrules:
FortheGreatLakes,GulfandEastCoasts:
AtlanticAreaCommandCenter:
(757)398-6700
FortheHawaiian,AlaskanandPacificCoasts:
PacificAreaCommandCenter:
(510)437-3701
Naval Vessel Protection Zones
Donotapproachwithin100yards,andslowtominimumspeedwithin
500yards,ofanyU .S .Navalvessel .Ifyouneedtoapproachwithin100
yardsinordertoensureasafepassageinaccordancewiththeNavigationRules,youmustcontacttheU .S .NavalvesselortheU .S .Coast
GuardescortvesselonyourVHFradio(Channel16)forauthorization .
DS
False Distress Alerts
50
0Y
AR
Itisunlawfultointentionallytransmitafalsedistressalert,ortounin-
AR
KEEP
OUT
KEEPOUT
10
immediatelycancelthealert .
0Y
thatalert .Boaterswhotransmitafalsedistressalertarerequiredto
DS
tentionallytransmitafalsedistressalertwithouttakingstepstocancel
IfyouinadvertentlytransmitafalseDSCalert:
OPERATE AT MINIMUM SPEED
1 .Resettheequipmentimmediately .
2 .Tuneforradiotelephonyontheassociateddistressandsafety
frequencyineachbandinwhichafalsedistressalertwastransmitted .
3 .Transmitabroadcastmessageto“AllStations”givingtheship’s
name,callsign,timethealertwastransmittedandMMSI,and
cancelthefalsealertonthedistressandsafetyfrequencyineach
IfaNavalvesselispassingnearwhereyouareoperatingyourboat,
youmaybeaskedtomoveyourvesseltomaintainthe100-yard
distance .TheU .S .CoastGuardwillmakeanannouncementaheadof
timetoalertboatersinthearea .
ViolationsoftheNavalVesselProtectionZoneareafelonyoffense,
punishablebyupto6yearsinprisonand/orupto$250,000infines .
bandinwhichthefalsedistressalertwastransmitted .
Please post these guidelines near your radio.
80
BeawarethatboththeU .S .NavyandtheU .S .CoastGuardareauthorizedtousedeadlyforcetoprotectthemselves .
81
Commercial Shipping Safety Zones
America’s Waterway Watch
InadditiontotheNavalVesselProtectionZonerequirements,youmust
alsoavoidoperatingyourvesselnearallmilitaryvessels,cruiseliners,
andcertaincommercialvessels .
Ifyouoperateatowboat,marina,recreationalvessel,fishingvessel,or
otherwiselive,work,orengageinrecreationalactivitiesonornearthe
nation’swaterways,theUnitedStatesCoastGuardwouldlikeyourhelp
inkeepingtheseareassafeandsecure .YoucandothisbyparticipatinginAmerica’sWaterwayWatch(AWW),anationwideinitiativesimilar
tothewell-knownandsuccessfulNeighborhoodWatchprogramthat
askscommunitymemberstoreportsuspiciousactivitiestolocallaw
enforcementagencies .
Observeandavoidallsecurityzonesandcommercialportoperations .
Areasthathavelargemarinefacilities–includingmilitary,commercial/
cruise,orpetroleumfacilities–shouldbeavoided .Therearealso
restrictionsnearmostdams,powerplants,andotherfacilitieslocated
nearwater .
Bridges and Shipping Channels
Donotstoporanchorbeneathbridgesorinshippingchannels .Ifyou
do,youcanexpecttobeaskedtomoveand/orbeboardedbylaw
enforcementofficials .
Weaskboaterstocall877-24WATCHiftheynoticesuspiciousactivity
orbehavioronornearthewater .Thingstoreportinclude:
• Someonetakingpictures,video,ormakingsketchesoffacilities
likebridges,tunnels,ferrytransportsystems,fueldocks,orpower
plants .
• Someoneaskingquestionsaboutaccesstooneofthesefacilities .
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83
• Someoneanchoring,fishing,ordivinginanareanottypically
usedforthatactivity .
• Unattendedvesselsinunusuallocations .
• Unusualtransferofpersonnelorcargowhileunderway .
• Seeingaholeinasecurityfencearoundanindustrialfacility .
USCG INFORMATION
United States Coast Guard
Boating Safety Division (CG-5422)
2100 2nd Street SW, STOP 7581
Washington, D.C. 20593-7581
(202) 372-1062
www.uscgboating.org
District Recreational Boating Safety Specialists:
First District:Connecticut,Maine,Massachusetts,
NewHampshire,NewYork,RhodeIsland,Vermont
(617)223-8464
Fifth District:Delaware,Maryland,NewJersey,
NorthCarolina,Pennsylvania,Virginia,
DistrictofColumbia
(757)398-6204
Seventh District:Florida,Georgia,SouthCarolina,
PuertoRico,U .S .VirginIslands
(305)415-7057
Do not takemattersintoyourownhands .Call877-24WATCH .In
casesofimmediatedangertolifeorproperty,calltheCoastGuardon
Channel16VHF-FM,ordial911foremergencies .
America’scoasts,rivers,bridges,tunnels,ports,ships,militarybases,
andwatersideindustriesmaybetargetsforterroristactivity .Although
waterwaysecurityisbetterthanever,withmorethan95,000milesof
shorelineandmorethan290,000squaremilesofwater,theU .S .Coast
Guardandlocalfirstresponderscannotdothejobalone .
Tofindouthowyoucanbecomeinvolved,visittheAmerica’sWaterway
Watchwebsiteatwww .americaswaterwaywatch .org .
Eighth District:NorthDakota,SouthDakota,Wyoming,
Nebraska,Minnesota,Iowa,Illinois,Indiana,Ohio(shared
withNinthDistrict),Pennsylvania,WestVirginia,Kentucky,
Tennessee,Mississippi,Alabama,Georgia,Florida(shared
withSeventhDistrict)Louisiana,Arkansas,Missouri,
Oklahoma,Kansas,NewMexico,Colorado,Texas .
(504)671-2157
Ninth District:Michigan,Minnesota,Ohio,Wisconsin
(216)902-6094
Eleventh District:Arizona,California,Nevada,Utah
(510)437-5364
Thirteenth District:Idaho,Montana,Oregon,Washington
(206)220-7257
Fourteenth District:Hawaii,Guam,AmericanSamoa,
NorthernMarianas
(808)535-3424
Seventeenth District:Alaska
(907)463-2297
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III
TheU .S .CoastGuardthanks
thefollowingpartnersfortheirsupport:
U .S .CoastGuardAuxiliary
www .cgaux .org
UnitedStatesPowerSquadrons®
(888)367-8777
www .usps .org
NationalAssociationof
StateBoatingLawAdministrators
(859)225-9487
www .nasbla .org
NationalSafeBoatingCouncil
(703)361-4294
www .safeboatingcouncil .org
NationalWaterSafetyCongress
(440)209-9805
www .watersafetycongress .org
Formoreinformation,pleasecontact:
IV