A BOATER’S GUIDE TO THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECREATIONAL BOATS

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A BOATER’S GUIDE TO THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECREATIONAL BOATS AND SAFETY TIPS New in this Edition: Navigation Locks Trailer Safety Digital Selective Calling Rescue 21 Naval Vessel Protection Zones America’s Waterway Watch

Transcript of A BOATER’S GUIDE TO THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECREATIONAL BOATS

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A BOATER’S GUIDE TO THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECREATIONAL BOATSAND SAFETY TIPS

New in this Edition: NavigationLocks

TrailerSafety

DigitalSelectiveCalling

Rescue21

NavalVesselProtectionZones

America’sWaterwayWatch

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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

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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

EMERGENCYNOTIFICATION/COMMUNICATION . . . . . . . . .75

SatelliteEPIRBs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

RadioRegulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76

VHFMarineRadioChannels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

DigitalSelectiveCalling(DSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

Rescue21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

SOS:ShipsinDistress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

OTHERRESPONSIBILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

RegulatedNavigationAreas/LimitedAccessAreas . . . . . .81

NavalVesselProtectionZones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

CommercialShippingSafetyZones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

BridgesandShippingChannels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

America’sWaterwayWatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

USCGINFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-III

RECREATIONALBOATINGSAFETYSPECIALISTS . . . . . C-III

BOATINGSAFETYPARTNERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-IV

WELCOME

Asaboatoperator,youareexpectedtomakesurethatyourvessel

carriestherequiredsafetyequipment(carriagerequirement)andisin

compliancewithfederal

andstateregulations

forsuchthingsasnum-

beringandoperation .

AQuickReference

Chartonpage42will

helpyoudeterminethe

minimumfederalsafety

equipmentrequire-

mentsforyourvessel .

Thispublicationcontainsinformationaboutfederallawsandequipment

carriagerequirementsforrecreationalvesselsoftheUnitedStates .It

isimportantthatyouunderstandthatfederalequipmentrequirements

areminimumrequirementsanddo not guaranteethesafetyofyour

vesseloritspassengers .Inthefollowingsections,wehavealsopro-

videdrecommendationsforadditionalsafetyequipmentyoumaywish

tohaveonboard .

Inadditiontotherequirementsstatedinthispamphlet,theowner/

operatormayberequiredtocomplywithadditionalregulationsand/or

lawsspecifictothestateinwhichthevesselisregisteredoroperated .

Toensurecompliancewithstateboatinglaws,youshouldcontactthe

appropriateboatingagencyinyourarea .Avesselincompliancewith

thelawsofthestateofregistrationmaynotmeettherequirementsof

anotherstatewherethevesselisbeingoperated .

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Otherequipmentrecommendedforyoursafetyandthesafetyofyour

passengersisnotedinthesectiononVesselSafetyChecksonpage

52andintheBoater’sPre-DepartureChecklistonpage70 .

Remember,drowningistheNumberOnecauseofboatingfatalities

andthemostpreventable .TheU .S .CoastGuardrecommendsthat

youalwayswearalifejacketandrequireyourpassengerstodothe

same .

Conversion of Metric to U.S. Units

REGISTRATION (33 CFR 173) AND DOCUMENTATION (46 CFR 67)

TherearetwomethodsofregistrationforU .S .recreationalvessels .

• VesselRegistration:state-issuedCertificateofNumber .• VesselDocumentation:federallydocumentedwiththe

U .S .CoastGuard .

VesselRegistration:Allundocumentedvesselsequippedwithpropul-

sionmachinerymustberegisteredinthestateofprincipaluse .A

CertificateofNumberwillbeissueduponregistrationandthenumber

mustbedisplayedonyourvessel .Theowner/operatorofavesselmust

alsocarrythevalidCertificateofNumberwheneverthevesselisinuse .

Whenavesselismovedtoanewstateofprincipaluse,theCertificate

remainsvalidfor60days .Checkwithyourstateboatingauthorityfor

registrationrequirements .Somestatesrequireallvesselstoberegis-

tered,includingvesselsthataremanuallypropelledandthosethatare

CoastGuarddocumented .

Display of Numbers

Numbersmustbepaintedorpermanentlyattachedtoeachsideof

theforwardhalfofthevessel .Thenumbersmustbereadfromleftto

right,andofacolorthatiscontrastingwiththebackgroundcolor;for

example,blacknumbersonawhitehull .Thevalidationsticker(s)must

beaffixedwithinsixinchesoftheregistrationnumber .Nootherletters

ornumbersmaybedisplayednearby .

Letteringmustbeinplain,verticalblockcharactersofnotlessthan3

inchesinheight .Spacesorhyphensbetweenletterandnumbergroup-

ingsmustbeequaltothewidthofaletterotherthan“I”oranumber

otherthan“1” .

Metric Measure

50 .0m

20 .0m

12 .0m

10 .0m

8 .0m

7 .0m

6 .0m

5 .0m

4 .0m

2 .5m

1 .0m

Feet in Decimals

164 .0ft .

65 .6ft .

39 .4ft .

32 .8ft .

26 .3ft .

23 .0ft .

19 .7ft .

16 .4ft .

13 .1ft .

8 .2ft .

3 .3ft .

Feet and Inches

164'1/2"

65'71/2"

39'41/2"

32'93/4"

26'3”

22'111/2"

19'81/4"

16'43/4"

13'11/2"

8'21/2"

3'31/3"

FL 1234 AB 3" FL 1234 AB

FL 1234 AB FL 1234 AB

FL 1234 AB

State Validation Sticker

PlacebeforeORafterthenumbers,accordingtoyourstaterequirements .

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Notification of Changes to a Numbered Vessel

TheownerofavesselmustnotifytheagencythatissuedtheCertificate

ofNumberwithin15daysif:

• Thevesselistransferred,destroyed,abandoned,lost,stolen,

orrecovered .

• TheCertificateofNumberislost,destroyed,ortheowner’s

addresschanges .

IftheCertificateofNumberbecomesinvalidforanyreason,itmustbe

surrenderedtotheissuingauthoritywithin15days .

Vessel Documentation

TheU .S .CoastGuardCertificateofDocumentationisanationalform

ofregistrationdatingbacktothe11thActoftheFirstCongress .It

servesasevidenceofavessel’snationalityforinternationalpurposes,

providesforunhinderedcommercebetweenthestates,andadmits

vesselstocertainrestrictedtrades,suchascoastwisetradeandthe

fisheries .Since1920,vesselfinancinghasbeenenhancedthroughthe

availabilityofpreferredmortgagesondocumentedvessels .

Recreationalvesselsareeligibletobedocumentediftheyarewholly

ownedbyacitizenorcitizensoftheUnitedStatesandmeasureatleast

fivenettons .Nettonnageisameasureofavessel’svolume .Most

vesselsmorethan25feetinlengthwillmeasurefivenettonsormore .

Adocumentedvesselisnotexemptfrom:

• Applicablestateorfederaltaxes .

• Compliancewithstateorfederalequipmentcarriage

requirements .

Adocumentedvesselmayalsoberequiredtopayaregistrationfee

anddisplayavalidationstickerfromthestateofprincipaluse .

Boatersshouldcheckwiththeirstateboatingagency .

Tobeincompliancewithfederaldocumentationrequirements,a

CertificateofDocumentationmustbe:

• Theoriginaldocument(photocopynotacceptable) .

• Onboardthevessel .

• Current(notexpired) .

• SignedbytheDirectoroftheNationalVesselDocumentation

Center .

Documented Vessel Marking Requirements

Hull DisplayAdocumentedrecreationalvesselhulldisplaymust:

• Havethenameandhailingportofthevesseltogetherinone

placeonthehull(usuallyonthestern) .

• Beinlettersnotlessthan4inchesinheight .

• Beclearlyreadable .

MISTER JOHN

MISTER JOHNFRANKLIN, TN

MISTER JOHNFRANKLIN, TN

4"

4"

Letters not less than 4 inches high

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EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

TheUnitedStatesCoastGuardsetsminimumstandardsfor

recreationalvesselsandassociatedsafetyequipment .Tomeetthese

standards,requiredequipmentmustbeU .S .CoastGuard“approved”

or“certified .”ThismeansthatitmeetsU .S .CoastGuardspecifications,

standards,andregulationsforperformance,construction,ormaterials .

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

sense. For greater clarity, this publication will use the term “wearable

life jacket” and “throwable device.” Understand that Type and Number

refer to the same equipment, whether called a PFD or life jacket, and

that any PFD is approved for use anywhere.

Allrecreationalvesselsmustcarry

onewearablelifejacketforeach

persononboard .Anyboat16

feetandlonger(exceptcanoes

andkayaks)mustalsocarry

onethrowable(TypeIV)device .

Lifejacketsshouldbewornat

alltimeswhenthevesselisunder-

way .A life jacket can save your

life, but only if you wear it.

Alwayscheckandreadthemanufacturer’sinformationbookletand

labelprovidedwithalllifejackets .Theywillprovidevaluableinforma-

tion,includingsize,type,intendeduse,andCoastGuardapproval

information .

Lifejacketsmustbe:

• U .S .CoastGuard-approved(checkthelabel) .

• Ingoodandserviceablecondition .

• Appropriatesizeandtypefortheintendeduser .

• Properlystowed .

Someitemsthatarenotrequiredbutareagoodideatohavewithyour

lifejacketareawhistleandanemergencylight .

Themarkingrequirementsforadocumentedrecreationalvesselstate

“togetherinoneplaceonthehull .”Manyrecreationalvesselswillplace

thevesselnameandhailingportonthestern,andvesselnameonboth

sidesofthebow,whichisrequiredforacommercialvessel .Although

notrequiredforarecreationalvessel,thisisanacceptableoption .

Interior Display (Recreational and Commercial)

Inaddition,thevesselmusthavetheofficialnumberpermanently

affixedinblock-typeArabicnumeralsofnotlessthan3inchesin

height,precededbytheletters“NO .”onsomeclearlyvisibleinterior

integralstructuralpartofthevessel .

Arabic numerals are the most common symbolic representation of

numbers in the world. Permanently affixed means that the numbers

must be affixed to the vessel so that alteration, removal, or replacement

would be obvious. Numbers can be painted, carved, or welded.

For more information on documented vessels, contact the U.S. Coast

Guard National Vessel Documentation Center at (800) 799-8362 or

online at www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/nvdc.

NO.1234567 3"

Interior display (recreational and commercial). Numbers must be no less than 3 inches high.

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Stowage

• Wearablelifejacketsmustbereadilyaccessible .

• Youshouldbeabletoputthemoninareasonableamountof

timeinanemergency(vesselsinking,onfire,etc .)

• Theyshouldnotbestowedinplasticbags,inlockedorclosed

compartments,orhaveothergearstowedontopofthem .

• Throwabledevicesmustbeimmediatelyavailableforuse .They

shouldbeonthemaindeckwithinarm’sreach,hangingona

lifeline,orothereasilyreachedlocation .

Inflatable Life Jackets

• U .S .CoastGuard-approvedinflatablelifejacketsareauthorized

forusebypersons16yearsofageandolder(checkthelabel) .

• Inflatablelifejacketsrequireregularmaintenanceandattentionto

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 .

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.”

Life Jacket Requirements for Specific Activities

TheU .S .CoastGuardrecommends–andmanystatesrequire–

wearinglifejacketswhenengagedinthefollowingactivities:

• Waterskiingandothertowedactivities(useatypedesignedfor

waterskiing .)

• OperatingaPersonalWatercraft,orPWC(useatypedesigned

forwaterskiingorPWCuse .)

• Whitewaterboatingactivities .

• Sailboarding .

Checkwithyourstateboatingagencyforthelawsthatapply .

Federallawdoesnotrequirelifejacketuseonracingshells,rowing

sculls,racingcanoes,andracingkayaks;statelawsvary,however .

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 .

Inflatable • Themostcompact .

• Lightweightandcomfortable .

• Sizedonlyforadults .

• Onlyrecommendedforswimmers .

• Wearablestylesonly .

• Somehavethebestin-waterperformance .

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Hybrid (Foam and Inflation)

• Reliable .

• ProvidesInherentandInflatableBuoyancy .

• Adult,Youth,andChildsizes .

• Forswimmersandnon-swimmers .

• Wearablestylesonly .

• Somedesignedforwatersports .

BUOyANCy RATING: HyBRID

Wearable Inherent Inflated Size Type Buoyancy Total Buoyancy

Adult II&III 10lbs . 22lbs . V 7 .5lbs . 22lbs .

Youth II&III 9lbs . 15lbs . V 7 .5lbs . 15lbs .

Child II 7lbs . 12lbs .

BUOyANCy RATING: INFLATABLE

Wearable Size Type Inflatable Buoyancy

Adult I&II 34lbs . III 22 .5lbs . V 22 .5to34lbs .

BUOyANCy RATING: FOAM

Wearable Size Type Inherent Buoyancy

Adult I 22lbs . II&III 15 .5lbs . V 15 .5to22lbs .

Youth II&III 11lbs . V 11to15 .5lbs .

ChildandInfant II 7lbs .

Throwable: Cushion IV 20lbs .RingBuoy 16 .58 .32lb .

Types of Life Jackets

A Type I, Off-Shore Life Jacket providesthemostbuoyancy .Itis

effectiveforallwaters,especiallyopen,rough,orremotewaters

whererescuemaybedelayed .Itisdesignedtoturnanunconscious

wearertoaface-uppositioninthewater .

A Type II, Near-Shore Buoyancy Vest isintendedforcalm,inland

watersorwherethereisagoodchanceofquickrescue .Inherently

buoyantlifejacketsofthistypewillturnsomeunconsciouswearersto

aface-uppositioninthewater,butthe

turningisnotaspronouncedaswitha

TypeI .Thistypeofinflatableturnsas

wellasaTypeIfoamjacket .

Uninflated

Inflated

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A Type III, Flotation Aidisgoodforusersincalm,inlandwaters,or

anywherethereisagoodchanceofquickrescue .Thewearermay

havetotilttheirheadbacktoremaininaface-uppositioninthewater .

TheTypeIIIfoamvesthasthesameminimumbuoyancyasaTypeII .

Itcomesinmanystyles,colors,andsizesandisgenerallythemost

comfortabletypeforcontinuouswear .Floatcoats,fishingvests,and

vestsdesignedwithfeaturessuitableforvarioussportsactivitiesare

examplesofthistype .ThistypeofinflatableturnsaswellasaTypeII

foamvest .

A Type IV, Throwable Device isintendedforuseanywhere .Itisde-

signedtobethrowntoapersoninthewaterandgraspedandheldby

theuseruntilrescued .Itisnotdesignedorintendedtobeworn .Type

IVdevicesincludebuoyantcushions,ringbuoys,andhorseshoebuoys .

TherearenoCoastGuard-approvedinflatableTypeIVdevices .

A Type V, Special-Use Deviceisintended

forspecificactivitiesandmaybecarried

insteadofanotherlifejacketonlyifused

accordingtothecondition(s)forwhichitis

approved,asshownonitslabel .ATypeV

providestheperformanceofaTypeI,II,

orIII(asmarkedonitslabel) .Ifthelabel

saysthelifejacketis“approvedonlywhen

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

activity. U.S. Coast Guard approval does not apply to this harness used

under those circumstances.

Finding the Right Life Jacket for you

Lifejacketscomeinmanydesigns,colors,styles,andmaterials .Some

aremadetostanduptoruggedwatersports,otherstoprotectthe

wearerfromcold-watertemperatures .Besuretochooseonethatis

appropriateforyourbodysize,plannedactivities,andthewater

conditionsyouexpecttoencounter .

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Test the Fit

StartwithalifejacketthatisU .S .CoastGuard-approved .Tryiton .

Itshouldfitcomfortablysnug .Thengiveitthistest:withallstraps,

zippers,andtiessecurelyfastened,raiseyourarmsoveryourhead .

Thejacketshouldstayinplaceandnotrideup .Next,havesomeone

liftyourlifejacketstraightupattheshoulders .Again,thejacketshould

stayinplace .Ifthezippertouchesyournoseorthejacketalmost

comesoff,itistooloose .

Test the Buoyancy of your Life Jacket

Inshallowwateroraswimmingpool,undersupervisionandwithall

straps,zippers,andtiesfastened,seehowthelifejacketfloatsyou .

Relaxyourbodyandletyourheadtiltback .Yourchinshouldremain

abovewatersothatyoucanbreatheeasily .Ifnot,youmayneeda

differentsizeormodel,onethatprovidesmorebuoyancy .

Choosing a Child’s Life Jacket

Besuretochooseachild’slifejacketthatisU .S .CoastGuard-

approved .Checktomakesureyourchild’sweightfallswithintherange

shownonthelabel .Whilesomechildreninthe30-50poundweight

rangewhocanswimmayaskfortheextrafreedomofmovement

thataTypeIIIprovides,notethatmostchildreninthisweightrange,

especiallythosewhocannotswim,shouldwearaTypeII .Tocheckfor

agoodfit,pickthechildupbytheshouldersofthelifejacket .Ifitfits

correctly,thechild’schinandearswillnotslipthrough .

Achild’slifejacketshouldbetestedinthewaterimmediatelyafter

purchase .Childrenmaypanicwhentheyfallintothewatersuddenly .

Floattestingnotonlychecksthefitandbuoyancybutalsoprovidesan

importantopportunitytoteachthemtorelaxinthewater .

Be Safe. Wear your Life Jacket.

Mostdeathsfromdrowningoccurnearshoreincalmweather,notout

atseaduringastorm;9outof10drowningfatalitiesoccurininland

waters,mostwithinafewfeetofsafety .Worsestill,manyofthese

victimsownedlifejacketsandmayhavesurvivedhadtheybeenworn .

Wear your life jacket. When you don’t, you’re risking your life.

Visual Distress Signals (33 CFR 175.101)

VesselsoperatingonU .S .coastalwaters,theGreatLakes,and

territorialseas,aswellasthosewatersconnecteddirectly,uptoa

pointwherethewaterwayislessthantwonauticalmileswide,must

beequippedwithU .S .CoastGuard-approvedvisualdistresssignals

(VDS) .VesselsownedintheUnitedStatesandoperatingonthehigh

seasmustalsobeequippedwithU .S .CoastGuard-approvedvisual

distresssignals .

Thefollowingvesselsarenotrequiredtocarrydaysignals,butmust

carrynightsignalswhenoperatingfromsunsettosunrise:

• Recreationalboatslessthan16feetinlength .

• Boatsparticipatinginorganizedevents,suchasraces,regattas,

ormarineparades .

• Opensailboatslessthan26feetinlengththatarenotequipped

withpropulsionmachinery .

• Manuallypropelledboats .

Remember: The carriage requirement is only applicable in areas

where VDS are required.

Pyrotechnic Devices

PyrotechnicvisualdistresssignalsmustbeU .S .Coast

Guard-approved,inserviceablecondition,andreadilyaccessible .

Checktheexpirationdate .Expiredsignalsmaybecarriedasextra

equipment,butcannotbecountedtowardmeetingthevisualdistress

signalrequirement .

Lessthan2miles

OpenWater

River

Bay

VDS REQUIRED

VDS NOT REQUIRED

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18 19

LaunchersmanufacturedbeforeJanuary1,1981,andintendedfor

usewithapprovedsignals,arenotrequiredtobeU .S .CoastGuard-

approvedaslongastheyremaininserviceablecondition .

Ifpyrotechnicdevicesareselected,aminimumofthreesignalsare

requiredfordayuseandthreesignalsfornightuse .Somepyrotechnic

signalsmeetbothdayandnightuserequirements(combinationflares) .

Pyrotechnicdevicesshouldbestoredinacool,dryplace,ifpossible .

Awatertightcontainerpaintedredororangeandprominentlymarked

“DISTRESSSIGNALS”or“FLARES”isrecommended .

U .S .CoastGuard-approvedpyrotechnicvisualdistresssignalsand

associateddevicesinclude:

• Pyrotechnicredflares,hand-heldoraerial(day/nightuse .)

• Pyrotechnicorangesmoke,hand-heldorfloating(dayuse .)

• Launchersforaerialredmeteorsorparachuteflares .

Eachofthesedeviceshasadifferentoperating/burningtime .Checkthe

labeltoseehowlongeachpyrotechnicdevicewillremainilluminated .

Chooseadevicebestsuitedtotheconditionsintheareawhereyour

vesselistypicallyused .

Non-Pyrotechnic Devices

Non-pyrotechnicvisualdistresssignalsmustbeinserviceablecondi-

tion,readilyaccessible,andcertifiedbythemanufacturerascomplying

withU .S .CoastGuardrequirements .Thesesignalsinclude:

Orange Distress Flag

• Usedasadaysignalonly .

• Mustbeatleast3x3feetwith

ablacksquareandballonan

orangebackground .

• Mustbemarkedwithanindication

thatitmeetsU .S .CoastGuard

requirementsin46CFR160 .072 .

• Mostvisiblewhenattachedand

wavedonapaddleorboathook,orflownfromamast .

• Maybeincorporatedintodevicesdesignedtoattractattentionin

anemergency,suchasballoons,kites,orfloatingstreamer .

Electric Distress Light

• Acceptablefornightuseonly .

• Automaticallyflashesthe

internationalSOSdistresssignal

(•••–––•••) .

• Mustbemarkedwithanindica-

tionthatitmeetsU .S .CoastGuardrequirementsin

46CFR161 .013 .

UnderInlandNavigationRules,ahigh-intensitywhitelightflashingat

regularintervalsfrom50-70timesperminuteisconsideredadistress

signal .Suchdevices,however,do not meettheVisualDistressSignal

carriagerequirement .

Regulationsprohibitdisplayofvisualdistresssignalsonthewater

underanycircumstances,exceptwhereassistanceisneededbecause

ofimmediateorpotentialdangertopersonsonboardavessel .

Alldistresssignalshavedistinctadvantagesanddisadvantages .No

singledeviceisidealunderallconditionsorsuitableforallpurposes .

Pyrotechnicsareuniversallyrecognizedasexcellentdistresssignals,

butthereispotentialforinjuryandpropertydamageifnothandled

properly .Thesedevicesproduceaveryhotflamewiththepotentialto

causeburnsandigniteflammablematerials .

Pistol-launchedandhand-heldparachuteflaresandmeteorshavemany

characteristicsofafirearmandmustbehandledwithextremecaution .

InsomestatesandCanadatheymaybeconsideredafirearmand

prohibitedfromuse .Besuretocheckwithyourstateboatingagency .

photoOrange Flag (day only)

Electric Distress Signals (night only)

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Thefollowingarejustafewofthemanycombinationsofdevicesthat

willmeettherequirements:

• 3hand-heldredflaresthatareapprovedforday/nightuse .

• 1hand-heldredflareand2parachuteflaresforday/nightuse .

• 1hand-heldorangesmokesignaland2floatingorangesmoke

signalsforday,and1electricdistresslightfornight .

Allboatersshouldbeabletosignalforhelp .Boatersmusthave

U .S .CoastGuard-approveddayandnightsignalsforvesselswhen

required .Signalingdevicesarerecommendedwhenoperatingonall

openbodiesofwater .

Fire Extinguishers (46 CFR 25)

U .S .CoastGuard-approved,marine-typefireextinguishersarerequired

onboatswhereafirehazardcouldbeexpectedfromtheenginesor

fuelsystem .Extinguishersareclassifiedbyaletterandnumbersymbol .

Theletterindicatesthetypeoffiretheunitisdesignedtoextinguish .

TypeB,forexample,isdesignedtoextinguishflamingliquids,suchas

gasoline,oil,andgrease .Thenumberindicatestheamountoftheex-

tinguishingagentcontainedintheextinguisher;thehigherthenumber,

thegreatertheamountofagentinthe

extinguisher .

U .S .CoastGuard-approvedex-

tinguishersrequiredforboatsare

hand-portable,haveeitherB-IorB-II

classification,andmustbeprovidedwith

amountingbracket .Whilenotrequired,

itisrecommendedthattheextinguish-

ersbemountedinareadilyaccessible

location .Considerlocationswherethe

extinguishercanbereachedeasily;forexample,atornearthesteering

stationorinthegalleyorengineroom,butawayfromlocationswherea

firemaylikelystart .

Extinguishermarkingscanbeconfusingbecauseoneextinguisher

canbeapprovedforseveraldifferenttypesoffires(A,B,orC) .For

example,anextinguishermarked“TypeA,SizeII;TypeB;C,SizeI”is

acceptableasaTypeB-Iextinguisher .

Lookforthesectionofthelabelthatstates“MarineTypeUSCG,Type

A,SizeII;TypeB;CSizeI .”(ItwillalsocontainaUSCGapproval

number .)MakesureTypeBisindicated .Hand-portableextinguishers

willbeeitheraSizeIorII .

SizeIIIandlargeraretoobigforuseonmostrecreationalboats .

Foam CO2 Dry Chemical Classes (gals) (lbs) (lbs)

B-I(TypeB,SizeI) 1 .75 4 2

B-II(TypeB,SizeII) 2 .5 15 10

Fire Extinguishers Parachute Flare (day and night)

Red Flare (hand-held

day and night)

Orange Smoke Signal (hand-held/day only)

Floating Orange Smoke Signal

(day only)

Red Meteor (day and night)

Pyrotechnic Devices:

Non-Pyrotechnic Devices:

Electric Distress Signals (night only)

Orange Flag (day only)

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Fireextinguishersarerequiredonboatswhenanyofthefollowing

conditionsexist:

• Thereareclosedcompartmentsandcompartmentsunderseats

whereportablefueltanksmaybestored .

• Therearedoublebottomsnotsealedtothehullorthatarenot

completelyfilledwithflotationmaterials .

• Thereareclosedlivingspaces .

• Thereareclosedstowagecompartments,inwhichcombustibleor

flammablematerialsarestored .

• Therearepermanentlyinstalledfueltanks .(Fueltankssecured

sotheycannotbemovedincaseofafireorotheremergency

areconsideredpermanentlyinstalled .Also,iftheweightofafuel

tankissuchthatpersonsonboardcannotmoveit,theU .S .Coast

Guardmayconsideritpermanentlyinstalled .)

Fire Extinguisher Maintenance

Inspectextinguishersmonthlytomakesurethat:

• Sealsandtamperindicatorsarenotbrokenormissing .

• Pressuregaugesorotherindicators,ifsoequipped,readin

theoperablerangeasdescribedontheextinguisher .

• Thereisnoobviousphysicaldamage,rust,corrosion,

leakage,orcloggednozzles .

Iftheminimumweightisstatedontheextinguisherlabel,weighextin-

guishersannuallytocheck .

Fireextinguishersthatdonotsatisfytheaboverequirementsorthat

havebeenpartiallyemptiedmustbereplacedortakentoaqualifiedfire

extinguisherservicingcompanyforrecharge .

Required Number of Fire Extinguishers

Thefollowingchartliststhenumberoffireextinguishersthatare

requiredonrecreationalvessels .IfaU .S .CoastGuard-approvedfixed

fireextinguishingsystemisinstalledfortheprotectionoftheengine

compartment,therequirednumberofextinguishersmaybereducedin

accordancewiththechart .

Itisrecommendedthathandportableextinguishersbemountedina

readilyaccessiblelocation .

Minimum Number of Hand-Portable Fire Extinguishers Required

No With approved Vessel length Fixed System 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:

• Containsapermanentlyinstalledgasolineengine .

• Hasopeningsbetweenitandacompartmentthatrequires

ventilation .

• Containsapermanentlyinstalledfueltankandanelectrical

componentthatisnotignition-protected .

• Containsafueltankthatventsintothatcompartment

(includingaportabletank .)

• Containsanon-metallicfueltank .

Anaturalventilationsystemconsistsof:

• Asupplyopening(duct/cowl)fromtheoutsideair(locatedonthe

exteriorsurfaceoftheboat),orfromaventilatedcompartment,or

fromacompartmentthatisopentotheoutsideair .

• Anexhaustopeningintoanotherventilatedcompartmentoran

exhaustducttotheatmosphere .

BILGE AREA

AIR FLOW

INTAKE COWL

COLLECTOR BOX BOAT

UNDER POWER

DUCT ENGINECOLLECTOR

BOX

EXHAUST COWL

All blower motors installed in exhaust ducts must be in working condition regardless of date of manufacture.

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Eachexhaustopeningorexhaustductmustoriginateinthelowerone-

thirdofthecompartment .Eachsupplyopeningorsupplyductandeach

exhaustopeningorductinacompartmentmustbeabovethenormal

accumulationofbilgewater .

Apoweredventilationsystemisrequiredforeachcompartmentina

boatthathasapermanentlyinstalledgasolineenginewithacranking

motorforremotestarting .

Apoweredventilationsystemconsistsofoneormoreexhaustblowers .

Eachintakeductforanexhaustblowermustbeinthelowerone-third

ofthecompartmentandabovethenormalaccumulationofbilgewater .

Forboatsbuiltpriorto1980,therewasnorequirementforapowered

ventilationsystem;however,someboatswereequippedwithablower .

TheU .S .CoastGuardVentilationStandard,amanufacturerrequire-

ment,appliestoallboatsbuiltonorafterAugust1,1980 .Some

buildersbeganmanufacturingboatsincompliancewiththeVentilation

StandardasearlyasAugust1978 .Ifyourboatwasbuiltonorafter

August1,1978itmighthavebeenequippedwitheither(1)anatural

ventilationsystem,or(2)bothanaturalventilationsystemanda

poweredventilationsystem .Ifyourboatbearsalabelcontainingthe

words“ThisboatcomplieswithU .S .CoastGuardsafetystandards,”

youcanassumethatthedesignofyourboat’sventilationsystemmeets

applicableregulations .

Boatsbuiltafter1980withremotestartersarerequiredtodisplaya

labelthatcontainsatleastthefollowinginformation:

Allboatownersareresponsibleforkeepingtheirvessel’sventilation

systemsinoperatingcondition .Thismeansmakingsureopeningsare

freeofobstructions,ductsandductingarenotblockedortorn,blowers

operateproperly,andworncomponentsarereplacedwithequivalent

marine-typeequipment .

Backfire Flame Control (46 CFR 25/58)

Gasolineenginesinstalledinamotorboatormotorvesselafter

April25,1940,exceptoutboardmotors,mustbeequippedwithan

acceptablemeansofbackfireflamecontrol .Thebackfireflamearres-

tor(BFA)mustbesuitablysecuredtotheairintakewithaflame-tight

connection,andisrequiredtobeeitherU .S .CoastGuard-approvedor

complywithSAEJ-1928orUL1111standardsandmarkedaccordingly .

Otheracceptablemeansofbackfireflamecontrolinclude:airandfuel

inductionsystemsusuallyfoundonpersonalwatercraft,velocitystacks

(attachmentstocarburetors),andreed-type(foundinoutboards .)

Sound Producing Devices (33 CFR 83)

NavigationRulesrequiresoundsignalstobemadeundercertain

circumstances .Meeting,crossing,andovertakingsituations,described

intheNavigationRulesbeginningwithRule32,areexamplesof

circumstancesinwhichsoundsignalsarerequired .Recreational

vesselsarealsorequiredtousesoundsignalsduringperiodsof

reducedvisibilityandwhileatanchor .

Mesh BFA

Carburetor

Intake Valve (Open)

Intake Manifold

Not Equipped with BFA Equipped with BFA

WarningGasoline vapors can explode. Before starting engine,

operate blower at least four minutes and check the engine compartment bilge for gasoline vapors.

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Thefollowingmatrixprovidesthesoundproducingdevicesrequiredfor

vessels:

International Waters

VesselLength Whistle Bell Gong

12metersormore (39 .4ft .) X

20metersormore (65 .6ft .) X X

100metersormore (328 .1ft .) X X X

Inland Waters*

VesselLength Whistle Bell Gong

12metersormore (39 .4ft) X

20metersormore (65 .6ft .) X X

100metersormore (328 .1ft .) X X 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.

Navigation Lights (33 CFR 83)

Recreationalvesselsarerequiredtodisplaynavigationlightsbetween

sunsetandsunriseandduringperiodsofrestrictedvisibility(fog,rain,

haze,etc .)TheU .S .CoastGuardNavigationRules,International-In-

land,specifieslightingrequirementsforeverydescriptionofwatercraft .

Theinformationprovidedbelowisforpower-drivenandsailingvessels

lessthan65 .5feet(20meters)inlength .

Power-Driven Vessels

Note that a sail vessel under machine propulsion is considered a power-driven vessel.

Ifyourpower-drivenvesselislessthan164feet(50meters)inlength,

itmustdisplaynavigationlightsasshowninFigure1 .

Ifyourpower-drivenvesselislessthan39 .4feet(12meters)inlength,

thenitmaydisplaynavigationlightsasshowninFigure2 .

Signaling Devices

Figure 1

Figure 2

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28 29

Ifyourpower-drivenvesselislessthan23feet(7meters)inlength

anditsmaximumspeeddoesnotexceed7knots,thenitmaydisplay

anall-roundwhitelightand,ifpossible,sidelights,insteadofthelights

prescribedpreviously .(InternationalRulesonly .)

Forpower-drivenvesselslessthan39 .4feet(12meters)inlength,the

mastheadorall-roundwhitelightmustbeatleast3 .3feet(1meter)

abovethesidelights .

Inavesseloflessthan65 .6feet(20meters)inlength,sidelightsmay

bedisplayedinacombinationlightasshowninFigure2 .

Sailing Vessels

Ifyoursailingvesselislessthan65 .6feet(20meters)inlength,thenit

mustdisplaynavigationlightsasshowninFigures3,4,or5 .

Asailingvesseloflessthan23feet

(7meters)inlengthshall,ifpracticable,

exhibitlightsasshown .(Figures3or

4 .)Ifitdoesnot,itshallhavereadyat

handanelectrictorchorlightedlantern

(flashlight)showingwhitelightthatshall

beexhibitedinsufficienttimetoprevent

collision .(SeeFigure6 .)

Vessel Under Oars

Avesselunderoarsmayexhibitthe

lightsforasailboat .Ifitdoesnot,itshall

havereadyathandanelectrictorch

(flashlight)orlightedlanternshowing

awhitelightthatshallbeexhibitedin

sufficienttimetopreventcollision .(See

Figure7 .)

Lights and Shapes

Toalertothervesselsofconditionsthatmaybehazardous,thereare

requirementstodisplaylightsatnightandshapesduringtheday .

Anchored Vessels

At night:Allvesselsatanchormustdisplayanchorlights .Ifyour

vesselislessthan164feet(50meters)inlength,thenitsanchorlight

isanall-roundwhitelightvisiblewhereitcanbestbeseenfromall

directions .(SeeFigure8 .)

Figure 3

Figure 8

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

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30 31

During the day: Allvesselsatanchormustdisplayforward,whereit

canbebestseen,ablackballshape .(SeeFigure9 .)

ExcEPTIONS: Ifyourvesselislessthan23feet(7meters)inlength,it

isnotrequiredtodisplayananchorlightorshapeunlessitisanchored

inornearanarrowchannel,fairway,oranchorage,orwhereother

vesselsnormallynavigate .

Ifyourvesselislessthan65 .6feet(20meters)inlength,itisnot

requiredtodisplayananchorlightifitisanchoredininlandwatersina

specialanchoragedesignatedbytheSecretaryunderwhichtheCoast

Guardisoperating .

Sailing Vessels Under Power

Duringtheday,vesselsundersailthat

arealsobeingpropelledbymachinery,

mustexhibitforward,whereitcanbest

beseen,ablackconicalshapewiththe

apexpointingdown .(SeeFigure10 .)

ExcEPTION:Ifyourvesselisless

than39 .4feet(12meters)inlength,

thenitisnotrequiredtodisplaythe

shapeininlandwaters .

Reminder: If you are operating your sailing vessel at night using ma-

chinery, or sail and machinery, then your vessel must display the lights

required for a power-driven vessel. (See Figures 3, 4, and 5.)

Vessels Restricted in their Ability to Maneuver

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

Figure 11

Figure 10

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32 33

Reportthefollowinginformation:

• Locationoftheincident .

• Size/quantity(estimatedamountofmaterialreleased) .

• Description,color,consistency,odor .

• Dateandtimeobserved .

• Sourceandcauseoftherelease,ifknown .

• Substance,ifknown .

• Weatherandanyotherinformationthatmayhelpemergency

personnelrespondtotheincident .

Discharge of Garbage

TheActtoPreventPollutionfromShips(MARPOLANNEXV)places

limitationsonthedischargeofgarbagefromvessels .Itisillegalto

dumpplastictrashanywhereintheoceanornavigablewatersofthe

UnitedStates .Itisalsoillegaltodischargegarbageinthenavigable

watersoftheUnitedStates,includingtheinlandwatersandanywhere

intheGreatLakes .Thedischargeofothertypesofgarbageispermit-

tedoutsideofspecificdistancesoffshoreasdeterminedbythenature

ofthatgarbage .(Seechartnextpage .)

Pollution Regulations (33 CFR 151/155)

AnnexVofMARPOL73/78prohibitsthrowing,discharging,ordeposit-

inganyrefusematterofanykind(includingtrash,garbage,oil,and

otherliquidpollutants)intothewatersoftheUnitedStates .

TheFederalWaterPollutionControlActprohibitsthedischargeofoilor

hazardoussubstancesthatmaybeharmfulintoU .S .navigablewaters .

Vessels26feetandgreaterinlength,withmachineryspaces,must

displayaplacardatleast5by8inches,madeofdurablematerial,fixed

inaconspicuousplaceinthemachineryspaces,oratthebilgepump

controlstation,statingthefollowing:

RegulationsissuedundertheFederalWaterPollutionControlActre-

quireallvesselswithpropulsionmachinerytohaveacapacitytoretain

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 .

Discharge of Oil Prohibited TheFederalWaterPollutionControlActprohibitsthedischarge

ofoiloroilywasteuponorintoanynavigablewatersofthe

UnitedStates .Thisprohibitionincludesanydischargethat

causesafilmordiscolorationofthesurfaceofthewater,or

causesasludgeoremulsionbeneaththesurfaceofthewater .

Violatorsaresubjecttosubstantialciviland/orcriminalsanc-

tions,includingfinesandimprisonment .

.

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Note:stateandlocallawsmayplacefurtherrestrictionsonthedisposal

ofgarbage .

UnitedStatesvesselsof26feetorlongermustdisplayinaprominent

location,adurableplacardatleast4by9inchesnotifyingthecrewand

passengersofthedischargerestrictions .

UnitedStatesocean-goingvesselsof40feetorlongerthatareen-

gagedincommerceorequippedwithagalleyandberthingmusthave

awrittenwastemanagementplandescribingtheproceduresforcollect-

ing,processing,storing,anddischarginggarbage,andmustdesignate

thepersoninchargeofcarryingouttheplan .

Marine Sanitation Devices (33 CFR 159)

Allrecreationalboatswithinstalledtoiletfacilitiesmusthaveanoper-

ablemarinesanitationdevice(MSD)onboard .Vessels65feetand

undermayuseaTypeI,II,orIIIMSD .TypeIandTypeIIare“flow-

through”devices,whileaholdingtankisaTypeIIIdevice .Vesselsover

65feetmustinstallaTypeIIorIIIMSD .AllinstalledMSDsmustbe

U .S .CoastGuard-certified .U .S .CoastGuard-certifieddevicesareso

labeled,exceptforsomeholdingtanks,whicharecertifiedbydefinition

undertheregulations .

Thedischargeoftreatedsewageisallowedwithin3nauticalmilesof

shoreexceptindesignated“NoDischargeZone”areas .(Untreated

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.

Garbage Type

Plastics–includessyntheticropes,fishingnets,andplasticbags

Comminutedorgroundfoodwaste,paper,rags,glass,etc .

Foodwaste,paper,rags,glass,metal,bottles,crockery,andsimilarrefuse

Floatingdunnage,lining,andpackingmaterials

Discharge

Prohibitedinallareas

Prohibitedlessthan3milesfromnearestland

Prohibitedlessthan12milesfromnearestland

Prohibitedlessthan25milesfromnearestland

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OPERATING PROCEDURES

Navigation Rules

Boaterscallnavigationrules–thebasiclawsgoverningthesteering

orsailingofaboat–“TheRulesoftheRoad .”TheseRulesdefinethe

rolesandresponsibilitiesofvesseloperators .Ifalloperatorsfollowed

theserules,mostaccidentscouldbeavoided .

TheRulesaredividedintotwoparts,InlandandInternational .Inland

Rulesapplytovesselsoperatinginsidethelineofdemarcation,while

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 .

Theoperatorofavessel39 .4feet(12meters)orgreaterisresponsible

forhavingandmaintainingacopyoftheNavigationRulesonboard

whileoperatingonU .S .inlandwaters .

TheRulesvaryslightlydependingonwhetheryouareboatingon

inlandoroninternationalwaters .Asanexample,whenoperatingon

inlandwaters,soundsignalsaresignalsofintent;whenoperatingon

internationalwaters,theyaresignalsofaction .

Post a lookout.Designatesomeonetowatchfordangersthatmay

comefromanydirection .

Maintain a safe speed.Exceptwherespeedisrestrictedbyregulation,

orthewaterwayismarkedasa“NoWake”or“SlowSpeed”area,you

mustjudgesafespeedforyourself,takingintoaccountvisibility,vessel

traffic,yourboat’sabilitytomaneuver,andtheweatherconditions .

Avoid a collision. TheRulesoftheRoadincludetheactionstotake

whenencounteringanothervesselonthewater .Someofthemost

commonsituationsyoumayencounterare:overtaking,meeting

head-on,andcrossingthebowofanothervessel .Ineachcase,the

boatdesignatedasthe“give-way”vesselisrequiredtoyieldtothe

otherboat,whiletheboatdesignatedasthe“stand-on”vesselshould

maintainitscourseandspeed .

Thefollowingdiagramsdescribethewhistlesignalsandactionstobe

takenbyvesselsinacrossing,meeting,orovertakingsituationwhile

operatingininlandwaters .Thesearebasicexamples;foradditional

information,consulttheNavigationRules .

Crossing Situations

Overtaking Situation

Give-Way Vesselshouldaltercoursetopass

astern(behind)1shortblast(1sec .)

Stand-On Vesselshouldmaintainitscourse

andspeed1shortblast(1sec .)

2shortblasts(1sec .each)

2shortblasts(1sec .each)

1shortblast(1sec .)

1shortblast(1sec .)

Stand-On VesselOvertaken

Give-Way VesselOvertaking(keepclear)

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38 39

Meeting Head-On Aids to Navigation

Navigationbuoysandbeaconsareplacedalongcoastalandnavigable

watersasguidestomarksafewaterandhiddendangers,aswellas

toassistboatoperatorsindeterminingtheirpositioninrelationtoland .

Eachaidtonavigationprovidesspecificinformation .

SeveralAidsareusuallyusedtogethertoformalocalsystemthathelps

theboatoperatorfollownaturalandimprovedchannels .SuchAidsalso

provideacontinuoussystemofchartedmarkersforcoastalpiloting .

IndividualAidsareusedtomarklandfallfromseaward,andtomark

isolateddangers .

Lateralmarkersarebuoysorbeaconsthatindicatetheportand

starboardsidesofaroutetobefollowed .VirtuallyallU .S .lateralmarks

followthetraditional3-Rprincipleof“Red,Right,Returning .”This

meansthatwhenreturningfromseaward,keeptheredmarkersonthe

right-hand(starboard)sideofthevessel .

Boatoperatorsshould not relyonAidstoNavigationalonefordeter-

miningtheirposition .Stormsandwaveactioncanmovebuoysoutof

place .

1shortblast(1sec .) 1shortblast(1sec .)

Port-to-PortPassing(preferred)

2shortblasts(1sec .each) 2shortblasts(1sec .each)

Starboard-to-StarboardPassing

Page 22: A BOATER’S GUIDE TO THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECREATIONAL BOATS

40 41

Lateral Aids

Lateralaidsmarkingthesidesofchannels,asseenwhenenteringfrom

seaward .

Do nottieupyourboattoAidstoNavigation;itisdangerousand

illegal .

Information and Regulatory Markers

Theseorange-and-whiteAidsareusedtoalertvesseloperators

tovariouswarningsandregulations .

.

Information

Markswithasquareprovidehelpfulinformationsuchasdirections,distances,andlocations

Restricted Operations

Markswithacircleindicateareaswithregulatedoperations

Danger

Adiamondshapealertsboaterstohazards

Exclusion

Adiamondshapewithacrossmeansboatsareprohibitedfromthearea

Symbol

DANGER

GASDOCK

NO WAKE

IDLE SPEED

BOATS KEEP OUT

BOATRAMP

SWIM AREA

ROCK

mph5

Meaning Examples

characteristics•Whitewithanorangehorizontalbandatbothtopandbottom .• Blacktextwithinoraroundanorangesquare,circle,ordiamond;orblacktextoutsideadiamondwithanorangecross .

• Maybebuoysorbeacons .• Iflit,thelightwillbewhiteandmayhaveanylightrhythmexceptquickflashing,flashing(2),orMorsecode“A .”

• Thechartsymbolforthistypeofbuoyis:WOr

Page 23: A BOATER’S GUIDE TO THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECREATIONAL BOATS

42 43

Ve

ssel

Len

gth

(in fe

et)

<16

16

<26

26<4

0 40

<65

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Page 5 5 6 9 17 21 23 25 25 27 32 34 35 36

Equi

pmen

t

Cer

tific

ate

of N

umbe

r (S

tate

Reg

istr

atio

n)

Stat

e N

umbe

ring

Cer

tific

ate

of

Doc

umen

tatio

n

Life

Jac

kets

Visu

al D

istr

ess

Sign

als

(VD

S)

Fire

Ext

ingu

ishe

rs

Vent

ilatio

n

Soun

d Pr

oduc

ing

Dev

ices

Bac

kfire

Fla

me

Arr

esto

r

Nav

igat

iona

l Lig

hts

Oil

Pollu

tion

Plac

ard

Gar

bage

Pla

card

Mar

ine

Sani

tatio

n De

vice

s

Nav

igat

ion

Rul

es

(Inla

nd O

nly)

QU

ICK

REF

EREN

CE

CH

AR

TR

equi

rem

ent

Allundocum

entedvesselsequippedwithpropulsionmachinerymustbestateregistered .C

ertificateof

Num

berm

ustbeonboardwhenthevesselisinuse .N

otethatsom

estatesrequireallvesselstobe

registered .

(a)Plainblockletters/num

bers,notlessthan3inchesinheight,mustbeaffixedoneachsideoftheforwardhalf

ofthevessel,inacontrastingcolortothebackground,andreadfrom

lefttoright .

(b)Statevalidationsticker(s)m

ustbeaffixedwithin6inchesoftheregistrationnumber .Note:checkwithyour

localboatingagencyforspecificstaterequirements .

Appliesonlyto“D

ocum

ented”vessels:

(a)Originalandcurrentcertificatemustbeonboard .

(b)Ve

sselnam

e/hailin

gportmustbemarkedonexteriorpartofhullinlettersnotlessthan4inchesinheight .

(c)OfficialNum

berm

ustbepermanentlyaffixedoninteriorstructureinnum

bersnotlessthan3inchesinheight .

(a)OneTypeI,II,III,orVwearablelifejacketforeachpersononboard .M

ustbeU .S .C

oastGuard-approved .

(b)Inaddition,m

ustcarryoneTypeIVthrowabledevice .

(a)Oneelectricdistresslight,orthreecombinationday/nightredflares .Note:onlyrequiredtobecarriedon

boardwhenthevesselisoperatingbetweensunsetandsunrise .

(b)Threecombinationday/nightredflares–hand-held,m

eteor,orparachute-type,oroneorangedistressflag,or

oneelectricdistresslight,orthreehand-heldorfloatingorangesmokesignalsandoneelectricdistresslight .

(a)OneB-I(whenenclosedcom

partm

ent) .

(b)OneB-IIortwoB-I .Note:fixedsystem

equalsoneB-I .

(c)OneB-IIandoneB-I,orthreeB-I .N

ote:fixedsystem

equalsoneB-I .

(a)AllvesselsbuiltafterA

pril25,1940thataregasoline-fueledwithenclosedengineand/orfueltank

compartm

entsmusthavenaturalventilation(atleasttw

oductsfittedwithcow

ls) .

(b)Inaddition,avesselbuiltafterJuly31,1980musthavearatedpowerexhaustblower .

(a)Avesseloflessthan39 .4feet(12meters)must,ataminimum

,havesomemeansofm

akinganefficient

soundsignal–i .e .,handheldairhorn,athleticwhistle .Ahumanvoice/soundisnotacceptable .

(b)Avessel39 .4feet(12meters)orgreater,m

usthaveasound-signalingappliancecapableofproducing

anefficientsoundsignal,audiblefor1/2mile,w

itha4-to6-secondduration .

RequiredongasolineenginesinstalledafterA

pril25,1940,exceptoutboardmotors .

Requiredtobedisplayedfromsunsettosunriseandinareasofrestrictedvisibility .

(a)Placardmustbeatleast5by8inchesandmadeofdurablematerial .

(b)Placardmustbepostedineachmachineryspaceoratthebilgecontrolstation .

(a)Placardmustbeatleast4by9inchesandmadeofdurablematerial .

(b)Displayedinaconspicuousplacenotifyingallonboardofthedischargerestrictions .

Ifthereisaninstalledtoilet,thevesselmusthaveanoperableMSD

TypeI,II,orIII .

Theoperatorofavessel39 .4feet(12meters)orgreaterwhileoperatingonU .S .inlandwatersmusthave

onboardacopyoftheserules .

Page 24: A BOATER’S GUIDE TO THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECREATIONAL BOATS

44 45

Safe Water Markers

TheseAidsareusedtomarkfairways,mid-channels,andoffshore

approachpoints .Theyhaveunobstructedwateronallsides .Abuoy,

lightedorunlighted,mayshowaredtopmark .Anappropriatenautical

chartmustbeconsultedtodetermineexactposition

Nautical Charts

Oneofthemostimportanttoolsforsafelynavigatingwaterwaysisa

NauticalChart .Today,manyrecreationalboatersuseGPSreceivers

andperformelectronicwaypointnavigation .AlthoughaGPScantellyou

whereyouareintermsoflatitudeandlongitude,itcannotshowwhatis

aroundorbeneaththeboat,orwhatobstaclesmaybeintheway .

Nauticalchartsshowthenatureandshapeofthecoast,includingwater

depths,marinehazards,generalconfigurationandcharacterofthe

bottom,andAidstoNavigation,aswellasprominentlandmarks,port

facilities,andotherrelevantinformation .Changesbroughtaboutby

peopleandnaturerequirethatnauticalchartsbeconstantlymaintained

andupdatedtoaidsafenavigation .

Tomeettheneedsoftheboatingpublic,theNationalOceanicand

AtmosphericAdministration’sNationalOceanService(NOS)producesa

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“LocalNoticetoMariners,”updatedweeklybytheU .S .CoastGuardandavailableonlineatwww .navcen .uscg .gov/lnm/default .htm .

N

GA

NN

RW“N”

Unlightedwithorw/osound

N

GA

NN

MR

RW“A”N

GA

NN

Spherical

SP“G”N

GA

NN

Can

RW“N”

N

GA

NN

RW“N”Mo(A)

Lightedwithorw/osound

Characteristics•Whiteandredverticalstripes .• Avarietyofshapes .• Maybelettered .• Buoymayhaveredtopmark .• Iflit:

(MorseCode“A”)

Page 25: A BOATER’S GUIDE TO THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECREATIONAL BOATS

46 47

Dams and Navigation LocksLow-head Dams

Thoseboatingonriversneed

tobeawareoftheirlocationin

regardtodamsintheirboating

area .Low-head,or“fixedcrest,”

damscanbedifficulttoseefrom

smallvesselsmovingdown-

river .Theycanbeextremely

dangeroustosmallboatsandswimmers;somuchsotheyhavebeen

nicknamed“drowningmachines .”Beawarethatbuoysarenotinthe

riveryearroundandevenwhentheyaretheycanbemovedoffstation

bythecurrent .Keepalookoutfor“DangerDam”signs .Itisstrongly

recommendedthatboatersuse navigation charts,whichprovidevalu-

ableinformationonthelocationofdamsandotherhazardsintheriver .

Navigation Locks

Alockisanengineeredstructurethatenablesvesselstomove

betweenwaterwaysofdifferingheights .Therearespecificprocedures

inplacefornavigatingthroughlocks .Specificsmayvaryincertain

regions,butingeneral:

• Staybetweentheredandgreenbuoysthatmarktheriver’snavi-

gablechannel .

• Requestanopeningusingyourmarineradio,cellphone,orwith

asoundsignalconsistingofoneprolongedblast(4-6seconds)

andoneshortblast(1second)withinonemileofthelock .Sound

signalscanbemadebyusingthelock’spull-cordoryourwhistle,

horn,megaphone,orhailer .

• Waitforthelockoperatortosignalyouwithhornblasts;additional

signalsmayincludetrafficlightsorflashinglights .

• Enterthelockatreducedspeed .

• Makesureallpassengersremainseatedandweartheirlifejackets .

• Tieyourcrafttothemooringdevicesafterentering;aminimumof

50feetoflineisrecommended .

• Usefenderstoavoiddamagetoyourvesselandthelockwalls .

• Whenthrough,waitforthelockoperator’ssignal(hornand/or

lights),thenleavethelockatidlespeed .

Thereisaspecificorderoflockagepriorityamongvessels .Military

andmostcommercialvesselshavepriorityoverrecreationalvessels .

LAW ENFORCEMENT

AvesselunderwaywhenhailedbyaCoastGuardvesselisrequired

toheavetoormaneuverasdirectedsoastopermitaboardingteam

tocomeaboard .(See“U .S .CoastGuardBoardingPolicy:Whatto

Expect”page50 .)

Otherfederal,state,andlocalmaritimelawenforcementofficialsmay

alsoboardandexamineyourvessel,whetheritisnumbered,unnum-

bered,ordocumented .U .S .CoastGuardlawenforcementpersonnel

workwithandmayalsobefoundaboardotheragencies’enforcement

vessels .

TheU .S .CoastGuardmayimposeacivilpenaltyforfailureto:

• Complywithequipmentrequirements .

• Reportaboatingaccident .

• Complywithotherfederalregulations .

• ComplywithNavigationRules .

Negligent Operation (46 USC 2302 (a) (b))

Federallawprohibitsthenegligentorgrosslynegligentoperationofa

vesseland/orinterferencewiththesafeoperationofavesselsoasto

endangerlivesand/orproperty .TheU .S .CoastGuardmayimposea

civilpenaltyfornegligentoperation .Grosslynegligentoperationisa

criminaloffenseandanoperatormaybefinedupto$5,000,imprisoned

foroneyear,orboth .

Someactionsthatmayconstitutenegligentorgrosslynegligent

operationare:

• Operatingaboatinadesignatedswimmingarea .

• Excessivespeedinthevicinityofotherboatsorinregulated

waters .

• Hazardouswaterskiingorotherwatersportspractices .

• Bowriding,orridingonseatback,gunwale,ortransom .

• Operatingaboatwhileundertheinfluenceofalcoholordrugs .

BackwashBoil

Low-head DamEscape Route

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48 49

Boating Under the Influence (BUI) (46 USC 2302 (c)/33 CFR 95)

Operatingavesselwhileintoxicatedisdangerousandafederalof-

fense .Ifanoperatorofarecreationalboathasabloodalcoholcontent

of .08( .10insomestates)orgreater,theoperatorissubjecttoacivil

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,specificallydefinedbylaworregula-

tion,anddeterminesthatanespeciallyhazardousconditionexiststhat

cannotbecorrectedonthespot,mayterminatethevessel’svoyage

anddirecttheoperatortoreturntoport .

Terminationforunsafeusemaybeimposedfor:

• Insufficientlife-savingdevices .

• Insufficientfireextinguishers .

• Anoverloadedvessel .

• Improperdisplayofnavigationlights .

• Improperventilationoffueltanksandenginespaces .

• Fuelleakoraccumulationoffuelinthebilges .

• Inadequatebackfireflamecontrol .

• Operatinginregulatedboatingareasduringpredetermined

adverseconditions(appliesonlytoThirteenthUSCGDistrict:

Idaho,Montana,Oregon,Washington) .

• Amanifestlyunsafevoyage .

AnoperatorwhorefusestocomplywiththedirectionsofaU .S .Coast

GuardBoardingOfficertoterminatetheunsafeuseofarecreational

vesselcanbecitedforfailuretocomplywiththeBoardingOfficer’s

instruction,aswellasforthespecificviolationthatwasthebasisforthe

terminationorder .Violatorsmaybefinedupto$1,000,orimprisoned

foruptooneyear,orboth .

Reporting Boating Accidents (33 CFR 173.55)

Theoperatororownerofanyrecreationalboatisrequiredtofilea

BoatingAccidentReportiftheboatisinvolvedinanaccidentthat

resultsinanyofthefollowing:

• 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 .

Reporting Timelines

Ifapersondies,goesmissingfromtheboat,orreceivesinjuriesrequir-

ingmedicaltreatmentbeyondbasicfirstaid,aformalreportmustbe

filedwithin48hoursoftheaccident .

Foraccidentsinvolvingpropertydamageof$2,000ormore,orthe

completelossofavessel,aformalreportmustbemadewithin10days .

Notethatstaterequirementsforreportingboatingaccidentsmaybe

morestringentthanfederalrequirements .Somestates,forexample,

mayrequirethatallboatingaccidentsbereportedimmediately .Check

withthelocalmarinepatrolortheBoatingLawAdministratorinthe

statewheretheaccidentoccurredforthereportingproceduresthat

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50 51

apply .TodownloadaReferenceGuidetoStateBoatingLawsand

findmoreinformationregardingaccidentreporting,visittheU .S .Coast

GuardBoatingSafetyDivisionwebsiteatwww .uscgboating .org .

Rendering Assistance (46 USC 2304)

Themasterorpersoninchargeofavesselisobligatedbylawto

provideassistancethatcanbesafelyprovidedtoanyindividualin

dangeratsea .Themasterorpersoninchargeissubjecttoafineand/

orimprisonmentforfailuretodoso .

Requesting Assistance (Non-Distress Call)

IfaboatercontactstheU .S .CoastGuardonChannel16VHF-FMor

Channel70DSCandthesituationisdeterminedtobenon-distress,the

CoastGuardwilloffertocontactanyassistanceprovider(commercialor

friend)theboaterrequests .Iftheboaterhasnopreference,theCoast

GuardwillissueaMarineAssistanceRequestBroadcast(MARB) .The

boatermaythenbecontacteddirectlybyanotherboater“GoodSamari-

tan”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, inspec-

tions, searches, seizures, and arrests.

What to Expect

TheU .S .CoastGuardisamulti-missionagency .Althoughitslegacy

missionofsavinglivesatsearemainsapriority,enforcementofmari-

timelawsandhomelandsecurityhasbecometheU .S .CoastGuard’s

–andthenation’s–focus .TheU .S .CoastGuardconductsnearly

70,000boardingsayearinitsmultipleroles:enforcingthelaw,provid-

ingsearchandrescueservices,promotingboatingsafety,preventing

damagetomarineenvironments,andhelpingtosecurethenation’s

borders .Themoretimeaboaterspendsonthewater,themorelikely

heorshewillexperienceaU .S .CoastGuardboarding .

Duringlawenforcementboardings,thescopeofthevesselinspection

istodeterminethevessel’sstatus(commercial,recreational,passen-

ger,cargo,and/orcommercialfishing)andtocheckforcompliance

withallapplicablefederallawsandregulations .

Thedecisiontoboardmaybebasedonavessel’sactivity,location,

and,insomecircumstances,obviousviolations,suchasoperating

atnightwithoutnavigationlights,orimproperdisplayofregistration

numbers .TheCoastGuardvesselwillusuallyradioaseriesofpre-

boardingquestions,suchas:Whatwasthevessel’slastportofcall

andwhatisitsnextportof

call?Howmanypersons

areonboard?Whatisthe

purposeofyourvoyage?

IftheCoastGuard

decidestoboard,consider

itanimportantopportu-

nitytolearnsomething

newaboutsafetyequipmentandsafeboatingpractices .Typically,a

uniformedU .S .CoastGuardBoardingTeamoftwotofourofficers

willcomeaboard,introducethemselves,andstatethereasonforthe

boarding .Likealllawenforcementofficers,theywillbearmed .The

officerinchargewillaskifyouhaveanyweaponsaboard;ifso,they

willusuallysecureallweaponsforthedurationoftheboarding .They

willconductaninitialsafetyinspectiontoidentifyanyobvioussafety

hazardsandtoverifythegeneralseaworthinessofyourvessel .

Theofficerwillthenasktoseethevessel’sregistrationorotherdocu-

mentationandproceedtoamoredetailedinspectionofyourrequired

safetyequipment:lifejackets,fireextinguishers,flares,etc .Youshould

knowthattheBoardingOfficerwillcheckeveryaspectofeachitem

onthelist .Forexample,withlifejackets–theitemmostfrequently

citedforviolations–theofficerwillchecktoseeifyouhaveU .S .Coast

Guard-approvedlifejacketsonboard,ingoodandserviceablecondi-

tion,properlystowed,andthecorrectsizefortheintendedwearers .

Whentheboardingiscomplete,theofficerwillprovideyouwithareport

oftheboarding,notingtheresultsoftheinspectionofyourvessel .In

theeventofaviolation,theBoardingOfficerwillexplaintheresultsand

theproceduresyouwillneedtofollowtobringyourvesselintocompli-

ance .Ifyouhaveanyquestions,asktheBoardingOfficerbeforethe

teamdeparts .

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52 53

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,insomestatesqualifiedmarinelawenforcementpersonnelmayconductVesselSafety

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 .

Other recommended equipmentWhilenotrequired,thefollowingarealsostronglyrecommended:

• VHF-FMMarineRadiowithDigitalSelectiveCallingSystem .

• DewateringDeviceandBackup .

• MountedFireExtinguishers .

• AnchorandLine .

• FirstAidKit .

• Person-in-Water(PIW)Kit .

• CapacityPlates .

DuringtheVesselSafety

Check,thevesselexaminer

willdiscusswiththerecre-

ationalboaterthepurposeof

specificmarinesafetyequip-

ment,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 .

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54 55

SAFETy AND SURVIVAL TIPS

Safe Boating Education

Trainingisimportantforboatersofallexperiencelevels,butespecially

forthebeginningboater .Inatypicalyear,approximately70percentof

accidentsinvolvingfatalitiesoccuronboatswheretheboatoperator

hashadnoformalinstructionon

howtooperatethevessel .Asa

result,morethanhalfofallstates

haveenactedlegislationmandat-

ingboatersafetyeducationasa

requirementforboatoperators .

Boatingsafetyisnoaccident .

Tofurtherdevelopyourboating

knowledge,proficiency,and

confidence,takeaboatingsafety

course .

Tolocatelocalcourseofferings,orformoreinformationonrecreational

boatingandboatingsafety,contactyourstateboatingagency,U .S .

CoastGuardDistrictoffice,oroneoftheorganizationslistedbelow:

Operator’s Responsibilities

Yourdegreeofenjoymentonthewaterdependsonyou,your

equipment,andotherpeoplewho,likeyourself,boatresponsibly .

Asaboatoperator,youshould:

• MakesurethateveryoneonboardiswearingaU .S .Coast

Guard-approvedlifejacketatalltimeswhileonthewater .

• Takeaboatingsafetycourse .

• Neveroperateavesselwhileundertheinfluenceofalcoholor

dangerousdrugs .

• Makesureyourboatisintopoperatingcondition .Itshouldbe

freeoftrippinghazardsandfirehazards,andhavecleanbilges .

• Makesuretherequiredsafetyequipmentisonboard,maintainedin

goodworkingorder,andthatyouknowhowtousethesedevices .

• Alwaysfileafloatplanwitharelativeorfriend .

• Haveacompleteunderstandingoftheoperationandhandling

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,

cookingranges,spaceheaters,andwaterheaters .Notethatcold

andpoorlytunedenginesproducemorecarbonmonoxidethanwarm,

properlytunedengines .

Take Time to Reflect on Safety Safe Boating Begins Here ... with You!

United States Coast Guard AuxiliaryNationalHeadquarterswww .cgaux .org

United States Power Squadrons®NationalHeadquarters(888)367-8777www .usps .org

National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (859)225-9487www .nasbla .org

National Safe Boating Council (703)361-4294www .safeboatingcouncil .org

BoatU.S. Foundation (800)245-2628www .boatus .com/foundation

U .S .CoastGuardDistrictOfficesarelistedontheinsidebackcover .

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56 57

COcancollectwithinaboatinavarietyofways .Exhaustleaks–the

leadingcauseofcarbonmonoxidefatalities–canallowCOtomigrate

throughouttheboatandintoenclosedareas .Evenproperlyventedex-

haustcanre-enteraboatifitismooredtooclosetoadockoranother

boat,oriftheexhaustispushedbackbyprevailingwinds .Exhaustcan

alsore-enterboatswhencruisingundercertainconditions,especially

withcanvasinplace,whichproducesthe“stationwagon”effect .Ex-

haustcanalsocollectinenclosedspacesnearthesternswimplatform .

What To Do

Scheduleregularengineandexhaustsystemmaintenanceinspections

byexperiencedandtrainedmechanics .

BeawarethatdangerousconcentrationsofCOcanaccumulatewhen

aboat,generator,orotherfueleddeviceisoperatedwhiletheboatisat

apier,nearaseawall,oralongsideanotherboat .Donotrunenginesor

equipmentforextendedperiodsoftimeundertheseconditionswithout

continuousmonitoring .

Keepforward-facinghatchesopentoallowfreshairtocirculateinac-

commodationspaces,evenininclementweather .

Keeppeopleclearofthereardeckareaandswimplatformoftheboat

whilethegeneratororenginesarerunning .Alwaysmonitortheswim-

mingarea .

Anotherdangerouspracticetoavoidisthetowedwatersportof“teak”

surfing(alsoreferredtoas“drag”or“platform”surfing) .Teaksurfingis

anactivitywhereparticipantshangontotheboat’sswimplatformwhile

theboatmovesforwardslowlythroughthewaterandtheparticipants

surfinitswake .Thisisdangerousontwolevels:itplacesindividu-

alsincloseproximitytothevessel’spropeller,anditexposesthemto

dangerouslyhighlevelsofcarbonmonoxidecreatedbythevessel’s

exhaust .Individualscanloseconsciousnessinseconds .Teaksurfing

isadangerouspracticethathasbeenprohibitedbylawinmanystates .

Donotconfusecarbonmonoxidepoisoningwithseasicknessorintoxi-

cation .lfsomeoneonboardcomplainsofirritatedeyes,headaches,

nausea,weakness,ordizziness,immediatelymovethepersontofresh

air,investigatethecause,andtakecorrectiveaction .Ifnecessary,seek

medicalattention .

Installacarbonmonoxidedetectorineachaccommodationspaceon

yourboat .Checkthedetectorsperiodicallytobesuretheyare

functioningproperly .

Carbon Monoxide Checklist

EachTrip:

• Makesureallexhaustclampsareinplaceandsecure .

• Lookforexhaustleakingfromtheexhaustsystemcomponents,

asevidencedbyrustand/orblackstreaking,waterleaks,orcor-

rodedorcrackedfittings .

• 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) .

Regularmaintenanceandproperoperationoftheboatarethebest

defensesagainstpoisoningfromcarbonmonoxide .Tofindoutmore

abouthowyoucanpreventcarbonmonoxidepoisoningonrecreational

boats,visittheU .S .CoastGuardBoatingSafetyDivisionwebsiteat

www .uscgboating .org/command/co .htm .

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58 59

Overloading

Neverloadyourboatwithpassengersandcargobeyonditssafe

carryingcapacity .Toomanypeopleand/ortoomuchgearcancause

theboattobecomeunstable .Alwaysbalancetheloadsothattheboat

maintainspropertrim .Whenloadingyourboat:

• Distributetheloadevenlyforeandaftandfromsidetoside .

• Keeptheloadlowintheboat .

• Keeppassengersseated;avoidstandinginsmallboats .

• Securegeartopreventshifting .

• DonotexceedtheloadspecifiedintheU .S .CoastGuardMaxi-

mumCapacitiesinformationlabel,commonlycalledthe“capacity

plate,”requiredbyfederallawonmotorizedmono-hullboatsless

than20feetinlength .

Ifthereisnocapacityplate,usethefollowingformulaasaguidetode-

terminethemaximumnumberofpersonsyoucansafelycarryincalm

weather .Theformulaisapplicableonlytomono-hullboatslessthan

20feet(12meters)inlength .Amono-hullisaboatthatmakesasingle

“footprint”inthewaterwhenloadedtoitsratedcapacity;catamarans,

trimarans,andpontoonboatsarenotmono-hullboats .

Anchoring

Anchoringisdonefortwoprincipalreasons:1)tostopforfishing,

swimming,lunch,oranovernightstay,and2)tokeeptheboatfrom

runningagroundinbadweatherorasaresultofenginefailure .

Anchoringcanbeasimpletaskifyoufollowtheseguidelines:

• Makesureyouhavethepropertypeofanchor(Danforth/Plow/

Mushroom) .

• Attacha3-6footlengthofgalvanizedchaintotheanchor .A

chainwillwithstandabrasionbysand,rock,ormudonthebottom

muchbetterthanafiberline .

• Attachalengthofnylonanchorlinetotheendofthechainusing

ananchorswivel,acombinationcalledthe“Rode .”Thenylon

willstretchunderthe

impactofheavywaves

orwind,cushioningthe

strainontheboatand

theanchor .

• Selectanareathat

offersmaximumprotec-

tionfromwind,current,

andboattraffic .

• Determinethewater

depthandtypeofbot-

tom(preferablysandormud) .

• Calculatetheamountofanchorlineyouwillneedtoletout .The

generalruleisfivetoseventimesasmuchlineasthedepthof

waterplusthedistancefromthesurfaceofthewatertowherethe

anchorwillattachtothebow .Forexample,ifthewateriseight

feetdeepanditistwofeetfromthesurfaceofthewatertoyour

bowcleat,youwouldmultiply10feetby5or7togettheamount

ofanchorlinetoputout .(Seediagrambelow .)

MAXIMUM HORSE POWER

MAXIMUM PERSONS CAPACITY (POUNDS)

MAXIMUM WEIGHT CAPACITY

THIS BOAT COMPLIES WITH U.S. COAST GUARD SAFETY STANDARDS IN EFFECT ON THE DATE OF CERTIFICATION

PERSONS MOTOR & GEAR (POUNDS)

MODEL NO. SERIAL NO.MFO. BY

U.S. COAST GUARD CAPACITY INFORMATION

Boat Width (in feet)

2.5

1

1

2

2

3

3

3

1

2

2

3

3

4

3.5

2

2

3

3

4

4

4

2

3

3

4

4

5

4.5

3

3

4

4

5

5

5

3

4

4

5

5

6

5.5

4

4

5

5

6

6

6

4

5

5

6

6

7

Boat Length (in feet)

6

8

10

12

14

16

MaximumNumberofPersons=BoatLengthXBoatWidth 15

DEPTHOF WATER

LENGTH OF ANCHOR LINE: 50-70 FEET8 FEET

SCOPE 7:1Scope abovewaterline: 2 feet

1 .SCREWPINSHACKLE2 .SWIVEL3 .THIMBLE4 .CHAFINGCHAIN5 .ANCHORSHANK

12

3

5

4

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60 61

• Securetheanchorlinetothebowcleatatthepointyouwantitto

stop .

• Bringthebowofthevesselintothewindorcurrent .

• Whenyougettothespotyouwanttoanchor,placetheenginein

neutral .

• Whentheboatcomestoastop,slowlylowertheanchor .Donot

throwtheanchorover,asthrowingtendstofoultheanchorline .

• Whenallofthelinehasbeenletout,backdownontheanchor

withtheengineinidlereversetohelpsettheanchorfirmlyonthe

bottom .

• Whentheanchorisset,takenoteofreferencepoints(landmarks)

inrelationtotheboat .Checkthesepointsfrequentlytomake

sureyouarenotdrifting .

Do notanchorfromthestern!!

Anchoringbythesternhascausedmanyboats–smallboatsespe-

cially–tocapsizeandsink .Thereasonisthatthetransomisusually

squaredoffandhaslessfreeboardthanthebow .Inaddition,thestern

maybecarryingtheaddedweightofamotor,fueltank,orgearbrought

onboard .Inastrongcurrent,theforceofthewatercanpullthe

sternunder .Anchoringatthesternalsomakestheboatvulnerableto

swampingbywaveaction .

Vessels Operating Offshore

Ifyouoperateyourvesseloffshore,youshouldconsidercarryingad-

ditionalsafetyequipmentbeyondtheminimumfederalrequirements .

Thisequipmentshouldincludeappropriatecommunicationsgear,an

inflatableliferaft,anEmergencyPositionIndicatingRadioBeacon

(EPIRB),andameansofaccuratelydeterminingyourlocation .Incold

waters,youshouldalsocarryanimmersionsuitforeveryoneonboard .

Donotunderestimatethedangerofhypothermia .

Communications

Carrycommunicationsgear–amarineVHF-FMand/orHFtransceiver(s)

–appropriatetoyouroperatingarea .Cellularphonecoverageisavail-

ableinmanycoastalareas,butshould not beconsideredasubstitute

forVHF-FMmarinebandradiosforemergencypurposes .

Improperuseofaradio-telephoneisacriminaloffense .Theuseof

obscene,indecent,orprofanelanguageduringradiocommunications

isafederaloffence .Penaltiesexistformisuseofaradio,suchas

issuingafalsedistresscall .

Channel16istheprimaryVHF-FMmarineradiocallinganddistress

channel .Itisnottobeusedforgeneralconversationorradiochecks .

Suchtrafficshouldbeconductedonanotherauthorizedworkingchannel .

Inflatable Life Rafts

Aninflatableliferaftcan

provideasurvivalplatform

foranextendedperiodof

time .Makesurethelife

raftislargeenoughfor

everyoneonboardwhen

theboatoperatesoffshore .

Itshouldhavetheappropri-

ateemergencyequipmentpack,andshouldbeprofessionallyserviced

periodically,accordingtothemanufacturer’sinstructions .U .S .Coast

Guard-approvedliferaftsmustmeetanumberofstringentmaterialand

performancestandards .

Satellite EPIRBs

406MHzSatelliteEmergencyPositionIndicatingRadioBeacons

(EPIRBs)aredesignedtoquicklyandreliablyalertrescuepersonnel,

indicateanaccuratedistressposition,andguiderescueunitstothedis-

tressscene,evenwhenallothercommunicationsfail .(Seepage75 .)

Life Raft

RESCUECOORDINATION CENTER

SARSATMISSION CONTROL

GROUNDSTATION

VESSEL IN TROUBLE

EPRIBs

SATELLITE

SEARCH & RESCUE

position,

other communications

SATELLITSATELLITSA E

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62 63

Immersion Suits

Immersionsuitswilldelaytheeffectsofhypothermiaincoldwater .

(Seepage63 .)Theyshouldbeproperlystowedandmaintainedinac-

cordancewiththemanufacturer’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,orca-

noesandkayaksinpursuitoftheirsport .Theseboatstendtobeless

stableandcaneasilycapsize .Capsizings,sinkings,orfallsoverboard

fromsmallboatsaccountfor70percentofallboatingfatalities .Opera-

torsneedtobefullyawareoftheirboat’slimitationsandpossessthe

skillandknowledgetoovercomethem .

Standinginasmallboatraisesthecenterofgravityandriskscapsizing

theboat .Standingforanyreason,evenchangingseatingposition,

canbedangerous,asissittingonthegunwalesorseatbacks,orona

pedestalseatwhileunderway .Araisedcenterofgravitymeansthata

wave,wake,orsuddenturncancapsizetheboatorresultinaperson

fallingoverboard .

Staying Afloat

Iftheboatcapsizes,oryoufalloverboard,followtheserulestostay

afloat:

• Remaincalm:donotthrashaboutortrytoremoveclothingor

footwear .Itisacommonbeliefthatpersonsdressedinheavy

clothingorwaderswillsinkimmediatelyiftheyfalloverboard .

Thisisnottrue .Airtrappedinclothingprovidesconsiderable

flotation,andbendingthekneeswilltrapairinwaders,providing

additionalflotation .Thrashinginthewaterleadstoexhaustion

andincreasesthelossofairthatkeepsyouafloat .

• Ifyouarewearingalifejacket,keepiton .

• Keepyourkneesbent .

• Floatonyourbackandpaddleslowlytosafety .

Cold-Water Survival

Suddenimmersionincoldwatercaninducerapid,uncontrolledbreath-

ing,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

andthereareothersin

thewaterwithyou,huddletogetherwithyourarmsaroundeach

other .Thesehuddlesaregoodformorale,keepeveryoneto-

gether,andmakealargertargettospotinthewater–allofwhich

increaseyourchancesofbeingseenandrescued .

Hypothermia

Immersionincoldwaterspeedsthelossofbodyheatandcanleadto

hypothermia .Hypothermiaistheabnormalloweringofinternalbody

temperature .Ifyourvesselcapsizes,itwilllikelyfloatonorjustbelow

thesurface .Outboard-poweredvessels,builtafter1978,aredesigned

tosupportyoueveniffullofwaterorcapsized .Toreducetheeffects

ofhypothermia,getinorontheboat .Trytogetasmuchofyourbody

outofthewateraspossible .Ifyoudonotgetintheboat,alifejacket

willenableyoutokeepyourheadoutofthewater .Thisisimportant

becauseabout50percentofbodyheatlossisfromthehead .

H.E.L.P. Position

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64 65

Coldwatersurvivalcanbebrokendownintothreephases:

• cold Shock:aninitialdeepandsuddengaspfollowedbyhyper-

ventilation .Coldshockwillpassinaboutoneminute .

• cold Incapacitation:inthenext10minutesyouwilllosethe

effectiveuseofyourfingers,arms,andlegsforanymeaningful

movement .Concentrateonself-rescue .

• Hypothermia: Dependingonthetemperatureofthewater,lossof

consciousnessmayoccurinaslittleasonehour .

Formoreinformation,seeColdWaterBootCampat

www .watersafetycongress .org .

Itmaybepossibletoreviveadrowningvictimwhohasbeenunder

waterforconsiderabletimeandshowsnosignsoflife .Numerous

documentedcasesexistwherevictimshavebeenresuscitatedwithno

apparentharmfuleffectsafterlongimmersions .StartCPRimmediately

andgetthevictimtoahospitalasquicklyaspossible .

TheDangerZoneindicatesconditionswheresafetyprecautionsand

appropriatebehavior(adoptingH .E .L .P .)canmakethedifference

betweendeathandsurvival .

Trailering

Legal Requirements

Besureyourboattrailerhascurrentstateregistrationandlicense

plates,andworkinglights .Also,ifyourboatismorethan8 .5feetwide,

itmayrequireaspecialpermitfromyourstateDepartmentofTranspor-

tationbeforetransportingitonthehighway .

Safety

Aboathullisdesignedforevensupportonthewater .Whentrans-

portedonatrailer,yourboatshouldbesupportedasevenlyaspossible

acrossthehulltoallowforevendistributionoftheweightoftheboat

andanycontents .Yourtrailershouldbelongenoughtosupportthefull

lengthofthehull,butshortenoughtoallowtheboatengine–secured

andinthefull“up”position–toextendfreely .

Beforetowing:

• Besurethetowballandcouplerarethesamesizeandthatall

boltswithwashersaretightlysecured .Thecouplershouldbe

completelyovertheballandthelatchingmechanismlocked .

• Balancetheloadevenlyfromfronttorearandside-to-side .Too

muchweightonthehitchwillcausetherearwheelsofthetow

vehicletodragandmaymakesteeringdifficult .Toomuchweight

ontherearofthetrailerwillcausethetrailerto“fishtail .”

• Checkthatsafetychainsareattached,trailerlightsfunctionprop-

erly,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

Dur

atio

n of

Imm

ersi

on (H

ours

)

Water Temperature (°F)

30°40°50°60°70°

5

4

3

2

1

High Probability of Death

Low Probability of Death

Danger Zone

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66 67

boatcannotdriftawayafterlaunchingandcanbeeasilymaneu-

veredtothedockingarea .

• Visuallyinspectthelaunchrampforhazards,suchasasteep

dropoff,slipperyarea,andsharpobjects .Proceedslowlytothe

ramp,rememberingthatyourboatisjustrestingonthetrailerand

attachedonlyatthebow .Haveonepersonintheboatandoneat

thewater’sedgetohelpguidethedriverofthetowvehicle .

• Double-checkthatyouhaveinstalledthedrainplug .

Launching

• Keepthetrailer’srearwheels(andtheboat’sexhaustpipes)out

ofthewater .Iftheexhaustpipesbecomeimmersedinthewater,

theenginemaystall .

• Settheparkingbrakeandplacetirechocksbehindrearwheels .

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

theboatcarefullytothesubmergedtrailerandraisethelowerunit

oftheengine .

• Winchtheboatontothetrailerandsecureit .Drivethetrailerwith

boataboardcarefullyoutoftheramptoadesignatedparking

areaforcleanup,reloading,andanequipmentsafetycheck .

• Removethedrainplug .Washthetrailerandboat,andflush

theenginewithfreshwater .Thiswillhelppreventthetransfer

orspreadofinvasivespecies .Insomeareasspecialwashing

stationsareprovidedandmustbeused .Checkwithyourlocal

marinepatrolagencies .

Fueling Precautions

Mostfiresandexplosionshappenduringorshortlyafterfueling .To

avoidanaccident,followthesesafetyguidelines .

• Refuelanyportabletanksashore .

• Closeallhatchesandotheropeningsbeforerefueling .Extinguish

allsmokingmaterials .Turnoffengines,allelectricalequipment,

radios,stoves,andotherappliances .Removeallpassengers .

• Keepthefillnozzleincontactwiththetankandwipeupany

spilledfuel .

• Afterfueling,openallports,hatches,anddoorstoventilate .Run

theblowerforatleastfourminutes .Checkthebilgesforfuel

vaporsbeforestartingtheengine .Dothe“snifftest”tomakesure

thereisnoodorofgasolineanywhereintheboat .

Do not start the engine until all traces of fuel vapors are eliminated!

Fuel Management

Practicethe“One-ThirdRule”byusing:

• One-thirdofthefueltogoout .

• One-thirdtogetback .

• One-thirdheldinreserve .

Propeller Blade Warning

Neverforgetthedangertopersonsinthewaterandinjuriesthatboat

propellerscaninflict .Mostpropellerinjuriesandfatalitiesinvolveopen

motorboatsfrom16to25feetinlengthandresultfromoperatorinat-

tention,inexperience,andcarelessness .

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68 69

Bealert!Remembertoshutoffyourengineswhenapproaching

swimmersorotherpersonsinthewater .Keepthoseinthewateron

theoperator’ssideoftheboat,alwaysinview .Propellerguardsare

helpfulbutarenotsuitableforalltypesofboats .Thebestandsafest

actionwhenpeopleareinthewaternearyourboatistoshut off your

engines .

Weather

Youshouldneverleavethedockwithoutfirstcheckingthelocal

weatherforecast .YoucangettheweatherinformationfromtheTV,

radio,localnewspaper,online,orfromoneoftheweatherchannelson

yourVHF-FMradio .

Atcertaintimesoftheyear,weathercanchangerapidlyandyou

shouldcontinuallykeepa“weathereye”out .Whileyouareoutina

boat,hereareafewsignsyoucanlookforthatindicateanapproaching

weatherchange:

• Flatcloudsgettinglowerandthicker .

• Puffy,verticallyrisingcloudsgettinghigher .

• Dark,threateningclouds,especiallytothewest/southwest

• Asuddendropintemperature .

• Ahaloaroundthesunormoon .

• Increasingwindorasuddenchangeinwinddirection .

• Flashesonthehorizon .

• Seasbecomingheavy .

• HeavyAMradiostatic,whichcanindicatenearbythunderstorm

activity .

Ifyouhaveabarometeronboard,checkiteverytwotothreehours .

Arisingbarometerindicatesfairweatherandariseinwindvelocity;a

fallingbarometerindicatesrainapproaching .

What to Do in Severe Weather

• Reducespeed,keepingjustenoughpowertomaintainheadway .

• Makesureeveryoneonboardiswearingtheirlifejacket .

• Turnonyourrunninglights .

• Ifpossible,headforthenearestshorethatissafetoapproach .

• Headtheboatintothewavesata45degreeangle .

• Keepthebilgesfreeofwater .

• Seatanypassengersonthebottomoftheboat,nearthecenter

line .

• Iftheenginefails,trailaseaanchorfromthebowoftheboat

tokeepitheadedintothewaves(Abucketcanworkasasea

anchorinanemergency .)

• Anchortheboat,ifnecessary .

Float Plans

Playitsafe;keepastackofFloatPlanformsonhand .Leaveacopy

withafriend,relative,orthelocalmarinabeforeheadingoutonthewa-

ter .Incaseofanemergency,pertinentinformationwillberightattheir

fingertipstoenablethemtocontactthelocalmarinepoliceorCoast

Guardwithnecessarydetails .Aworldofcaution:ifyouaredelayed

anditisnotanemergency,informthosewithyourFloatPlan,andbe

suretonotifythemwhenyoureturnsotheFloatPlancanbe“closed

out”andanunnecessaryandcostlysearchavoided .AsampleFloat

PlanFormisprovidedonpage73 .TheCoastGuardalsomakesFloat

PlanFormsavailableonlineatwww .uscgboating .org .

WARNINGEXPOSED PROPELLER BLADES

People in the water can be severely injured or killed!

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70 71

BOATER’S PRE-DEPARTURE CHECKLIST

Knowyourvessel .Beforedeparture,alwaysbesureyourvesselis

ingoodworkingorderandproperlyequippedforemergencies .Avoid

inconvenienceandpotentialdangerbytakingafewminutestocheck

thefollowing:

Minimum Federal Required Equipment Page yes No

StateRegistration(CertificateofNumber) 5

StateNumberingDisplay 5

CertificateofDocumentation 6

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

AnyAdditionalStateRequirements

Besidesmeetingthefederalrequirements,prudentboaterscarryaddi-

tionalsafetyequipmentandsupplies .Thefollowingadditionalitemsare

suggesteddependingonthesize,location,anduseofyourboat:

Recommended Equipment and Supplies yes No N/A

VHF-FMMarineRadio

EPIRB/PLB

AnchorandLine

Chart(s)oftheAreaandNavigationTools

MagneticCompass

FendersandBoatHook

MooringLinesandHeavingLine

ManualBilgePumporBailingDevice

ToolKit

SpareParts(Fuses,SparkPlugs,Belts,etc .)

SpareBattery(FullyCharged)

SparePropeller/ShearorCotterPins

ExtraFuelandOil

AlternatePropulsion(Paddles/Oar)

FlashlightandBatteries

SearchLight

FirstAidKit

Sunscreen(SPF30+)

Mirror

FoodandWater

ExtraClothing/FoulWeatherGear

AM-FMRadio

CellularPhone

Binoculars

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72 73

Safety Checks and Tests yes No N/A

TestVHFMarineRadio(VoiceCall)

TestNavigationandAnchorLights

TestSteering(FreeMovement)

TestTilt/Trim

TestBilgePump

CheckforExcessiveWaterinBilges

CheckFuelSystemforLeaks

CheckEngineFluids

EnsureBoatPlugisProperlyInstalled

CheckElectricalSystem

CheckGalley/HeatingSystems

CheckGauges(i .e .,Battery)

CheckFuelAmount

EnsureAnchorisReadyforUse

CheckLoadofVesselandSecureGear

EnsurePassengersKnowEmergencyProcedures

andEquipmentLocation

CheckthatallLifeJacketsFitProperly

ChecktheWeatherForecast

FileaFloatPlanwithRelativeorFriend

YoucanalsodownloadaPre-DepartureChecklistfromtheU .S .Coast

Guardwebsiteatwww .uscgboating .org .

SAMPLE FLOAT PLAN

TheCoastGuardmakesFloatPlanformsavailableonlineat

www .uscgboating .org .CompleteaFloatPlanbeforeboatingandleave

itwithapersonwhocanbedependedupontonotifytheU .S .Coast

Guardorothermarinerescueorganization,shouldyounotreturnas

scheduled .

Remember: Do not file this plan with the U.S. coast Guard.

Contactyourfriendincaseofadelay,andalwayswhenyoureturn .

1. Person Reporting Vessel Overdue

Name Phone

Address

2. Description of Boat

Name

Registration/DocumentationNo . Length

Make Type

HullColor TrimColor

FuelCapacity EngineType

No .ofEngines

DistinguishingFeatures

3. Operator of Boat

Name Age

Health Phone

Address

Operator’sExperience

4. Survival Equipment (Check as Appropriate)

#___LifeJackets Flares Mirror

SmokeSignals Paddles RaftorDinghy

Flashlight Water Food

Anchor EPIRB

Others

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74 75

5. Marine Radio: yes No

Type Freqs .

DigitalSelectiveCalling(DSC):YesNo

6. Trip Expectations

Departfrom

DepartureDate Time

Goingto

ArrivalDate Time

Ifoperatorhasnotarrived/returnedby:Date Time

calltheCoastGuardorlocalauthorityatthefollowingnumber:

7. Vehicle Description

LicenseNo .

Make ModelColor

Whereisvehicleparked?

8. Persons on Board

Name

Age Phone

MedicalConditions

9. Additional Information

EMERGENCy NOTIFICATION/COMMUNICATION

Satellite EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons)

Emergencydistressbeaconsareessentiallyspecializedradiotransmit-

tersthataredesignedforuseinsituationsofgraveorimminentdanger

orwhenlivesareatrisk .

How the System Works

EPIRBsoperateaspartofaworldwidedistresssystem .Aninternation-

alsatelliteconstellationmaintainsavigilant,global“listening”watchfor

satelliteEPIRBdistresssignals .TheNationalOceanicandAtmospher-

icAdministration(NOAA)operatessatellites,groundstations,andan

alert-distributionsystemservingtheUnitedStatesandalargesegment

oftheinternationalcommunity .

Whenactivated,thesatelliteEPIRBtransmitsadistresssignalwith

abeacon-uniqueidentifyingcode .Thesystemdetectsthesignal,

calculatesanaccuratedistressposition,checkstheuniqueidentify-

ingcodeagainsttheEPIRBregistrationdatabase(vesselandpointof

contactinformationsuppliedbytheowner)androutesthedistressalert

withregistrationinformationtotheresponsibleU .S .CoastGuard(or

international)RescueCoordinationCenter(RCC) .

406MHzEPIRBswithGPScapability–eitherinternallyorexternally

suppliedpositionalinformation–alsoprovideanimmediateGPSposi-

tionintheinformationpassedtotheRCCandgeostationarysatellites

makedetectionalmostimmediate .IftheEPIRBdoesnothavetheabil-

itytoprovideaGPSposition,theprocesstodetermineapositiontakes

aboutonehouronaverageandalmostalwayslessthantwohours .

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76 77

SatelliteEPIRBsalsoincludeahomingbeaconandstrobetohelp

rescueforcesquicklylocatethedistressscene .Satellitebeaconshave

significantcoverage,withalertingtimeliness,positionaccuracy,and

signalingadvantagesoverotherdevices .Beforepurchasingorusing

other-thana406MHzEPIRB,besureyouunderstanditscapabilities

andlimitations .

MounttheEPIRBtofloatfree,accordingtothemanufacturer’sinstruc-

tions,ifpossible .Otherwise,makesureitisreadilyaccessible .Register

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

theproceduresandcourtesiesthatarerequiredoflicensedopera-

torsspecifiedintheFCCrules .Youmayusethenameorregistration

numberofyourvesseltoidentifyyourshipstation .

RecreationalVesselsthatmayberequiredtobelicensed:

• Power-drivendrivenvesselsmorethan65feet(20meters)in

length .

• 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 .

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-shipsafetymessagesandsearchmessagesandforshipsandaircraftoftheCoastGuard .

09 Boater Calling: theFCChasestablishedthischannelasasupplementarycallingchannelforrecreationalboatersinordertorelievecongestiononVHFChannel16 .

13,67 Navigation Safety (also known as the Bridge-to-Bridge Channel): Shipsgreaterthan20metersinlengthmaintainalisteningwatchonthischannelinU .S .waters .Thischannelisavailable,toallships .Messagesmustbeaboutshipnavigation–i .e .,passingormeetingotherships .Youmustkeepyourmessagesshort .Yourpoweroutputmustnotbemorethanonewatt .Thisisalsothemainworkingchannelatmostlocksanddrawbridges .Channel67isforthelowerMississippiRiveronly .

16 International Distress, Safety, and Calling: Usethischanneltogettheattentionofanotherstation(calling)orinemergencies .Shipsrequiredtocarryaradiomaintainalisteningwatchonthischannel .TheU .S .CoastGuardandmostcoaststationsalsomaintainalisteningwatchonthischannel .

21A,23A, U.S. Coast Guard only .83A

22A U.S. Coast Guard liaison and Maritime Safety Informa-tion Broadcasts: AnnouncementsofurgentmarineinformationbroadcastsandstormwarningsonChannel16 .

24,25, Public Correspondence (Marine Operator): Usethese26,27 channelstocallthemarineoperatoratapublicstation .By28,84 contactingapubliccoaststation,youcanmakeand85,86 receivecallsfromtelephonesonshore .Exceptfordis-

tresscalls,publicstationsusuallychargeforthisservice .

70 Digital Selective Calling: Usethischannelfordistressandsafetycallingandforgeneralpurposecalling,using

onlydigitalselectivecalling(DSC)techniques .

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78 79

Digital Selective Calling (DSC)

DigitalSelectiveCalling(DSC),allowsboaterstoinstantlysendan

automaticallyformatteddistressalerttotheCoastGuardorother

rescueauthorityanywhereintheworld .DigitalSelectiveCallingalsoal-

lowsboaterstoinitiateorreceivedistress,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® .MoreinformationonDigitalSelec-

tiveCallingisavailableonlineatwww .navcen .uscg .gov/MARCOMMS/

gmdss/dsc .htm .

WhenproperlyregisteredwithanMMSInumberandinterfacedwith

GPS,theDSCradiosignaltransmitsvitalvesselinformationinan

emergency .Withonepushofabutton,yourDSCradiosendsanauto-

mateddigitaldistressalertcontainingyourMMSInumber,position,and

thenatureofthedistress(ifentered)tootherDSC-equippedvessels

andrescuefacilities .

Rescue 21

Rescue21istheadvancedcommand,control,andcommunications

systemcreatedtoimprovesearchandrescuewithstrongerVHF-FM

marineradiosignals,direction-findingcapabilities,trackingofships

andaircraft,andbettercommunicationswithstateandlocalfirst-

responders .Thesystemiscurrentlybeinginstalledinstagesacross

thecontiguous48states,Alaska,Hawaii,Guam,PuertoRico,andthe

GreatLakes .Whenfullydeployed,itwillformthebackboneoftheU .S .

CoastGuard’sshort-rangecommunicationssystem .

Withincreasedcommunicationscoverage,advanceddirectionfinding

capabilities,andDigitalSelectiveCalling,Rescue21helpstakethe

“search”outofsearchandrescue .

Capabilities:

• Incorporatesdirection-findingequipmenttoimprovelocatingves-

selsindistress .

• Enhancestheclarityofdistresscalls .

• Upgradesplaybackandrecordingfeatureofdistresscalls

• Allowssimultaneouschannelmonitoring .

• Providesfullcoverageoutto20nauticalmilesfromthecoastline

• Reducescoveragegapsforcoastalcommunicationsandalong

navigableriversandwaterways .

• SupportsDigitalSelectiveCalling .

• Portabletowersforrestorationofcommunicationsduringemer-

genciesornaturaldisasters .

• Improvesinteroperabilityamongfederal,state,andlocalagencies .

TotakefulladvantageofRescue21,boatoperatorsshouldupgradeto

aDSC-capableVHF-FMmarineradio,obtainaMaritimeMobileService

Identity(MMSI)number,enterthenumberintotheirradio,andconnect

theradiotoaGPSreceiver .

For Vessels Equipped with DSC-Capable RadiosIfyourvesselisequippedwithaDSC-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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80 81

5 .Alsogive:

•Vesselname,numberand/ordescription .

•Positionand/orlocation .

•Natureofemergency .

•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:

FortheGreatLakes,GulfandEastCoasts:

AtlanticAreaCommandCenter:

(757)398-6700

FortheHawaiian,AlaskanandPacificCoasts:

PacificAreaCommandCenter:

(510)437-3701

False Distress Alerts

Itisunlawfultointentionallytransmitafalsedistressalert,ortounin-

tentionallytransmitafalsedistressalertwithouttakingstepstocancel

thatalert .Boaterswhotransmitafalsedistressalertarerequiredto

immediatelycancelthealert .

IfyouinadvertentlytransmitafalseDSCalert:

1 .Resettheequipmentimmediately .

2 .Tuneforradiotelephonyontheassociateddistressandsafety

frequencyineachbandinwhichafalsedistressalertwastrans-

mitted .

3 .Transmitabroadcastmessageto“AllStations”givingtheship’s

name,callsign,timethealertwastransmittedandMMSI,and

cancelthefalsealertonthedistressandsafetyfrequencyineach

bandinwhichthefalsedistressalertwastransmitted .

Please post these guidelines near your radio.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

Regulated Navigation Areas/Limited Access Areas (33 CFR 165)

IntheaftermathoftheSeptember11,2001,terroristattacksonthe

WorldTradeCenterandthePentagon,andtheearlierattackonthe

USSColeinAdenHarbor,Yemen,theUnitedStatesCoastGuard

establishedSafetyandSecurityZonestopreventfurtherattackson

U .S .Navalvessels,cruiseshipsandcommercialvessels,andcritical

infrastructure–suchaspetroleumfacilitiesandnuclearpowerplants

situatedonornearthewater .Asaboater,notknowinghowtoactin

certainareasorsituationsmayputyouinlegaljeopardyor,worse,at

riskofpersonalinjury .

Helpprotectourcountrybylearningthenewrules:

Naval Vessel Protection Zones

Donotapproachwithin100yards,andslowtominimumspeedwithin

500yards,ofanyU .S .Navalvessel .Ifyouneedtoapproachwithin100

yardsinordertoensureasafepassageinaccordancewiththeNaviga-

tionRules,youmustcontacttheU .S .NavalvesselortheU .S .Coast

GuardescortvesselonyourVHFradio(Channel16)forauthorization .

IfaNavalvesselispassingnearwhereyouareoperatingyourboat,

youmaybeaskedtomoveyourvesseltomaintainthe100-yard

distance .TheU .S .CoastGuardwillmakeanannouncementaheadof

timetoalertboatersinthearea .

ViolationsoftheNavalVesselProtectionZoneareafelonyoffense,

punishablebyupto6yearsinprisonand/orupto$250,000infines .

BeawarethatboththeU .S .NavyandtheU .S .CoastGuardareautho-

rizedtousedeadlyforcetoprotectthemselves .

OPERATE AT MINIMUM SPEED

KEEPOUTKEEP OUT100YARDS

500YARDS

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82 83

Commercial Shipping Safety Zones

InadditiontotheNavalVesselProtectionZonerequirements,youmust

alsoavoidoperatingyourvesselnearallmilitaryvessels,cruiseliners,

andcertaincommercialvessels .

Observeandavoidallsecurityzonesandcommercialportoperations .

Areasthathavelargemarinefacilities–includingmilitary,commercial/

cruise,orpetroleumfacilities–shouldbeavoided .Therearealso

restrictionsnearmostdams,powerplants,andotherfacilitieslocated

nearwater .

Bridges and Shipping Channels

Donotstoporanchorbeneathbridgesorinshippingchannels .Ifyou

do,youcanexpecttobeaskedtomoveand/orbeboardedbylaw

enforcementofficials .

America’s Waterway Watch

Ifyouoperateatowboat,marina,recreationalvessel,fishingvessel,or

otherwiselive,work,orengageinrecreationalactivitiesonornearthe

nation’swaterways,theUnitedStatesCoastGuardwouldlikeyourhelp

inkeepingtheseareassafeandsecure .Youcandothisbyparticipat-

inginAmerica’sWaterwayWatch(AWW),anationwideinitiativesimilar

tothewell-knownandsuccessfulNeighborhoodWatchprogramthat

askscommunitymemberstoreportsuspiciousactivitiestolocallaw

enforcementagencies .

Weaskboaterstocall877-24WATCHiftheynoticesuspiciousactivity

orbehavioronornearthewater .Thingstoreportinclude:

• Someonetakingpictures,video,ormakingsketchesoffacilities

likebridges,tunnels,ferrytransportsystems,fueldocks,orpower

plants .

• Someoneaskingquestionsaboutaccesstooneofthesefacilities .

Page 44: A BOATER’S GUIDE TO THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECREATIONAL BOATS

84 III

USCG INFORMATION

United States Coast GuardBoating Safety Division (CG-5422)2100 2nd Street SW, STOP 7581Washington, 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

Eighth District:NorthDakota,SouthDakota,Wyoming,Nebraska,Minnesota,Iowa,Illinois,Indiana,Ohio(sharedwithNinthDistrict),Pennsylvania,WestVirginia,Kentucky,Tennessee,Mississippi,Alabama,Georgia,Florida(sharedwithSeventhDistrict)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

• Someoneanchoring,fishing,ordivinginanareanottypically

usedforthatactivity .

• Unattendedvesselsinunusuallocations .

• Unusualtransferofpersonnelorcargowhileunderway .

• Seeingaholeinasecurityfencearoundanindustrialfacility .

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 .

Page 45: A BOATER’S GUIDE TO THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR RECREATIONAL BOATS

IV

Formoreinformation,pleasecontact:

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


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