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Contents....
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Know the Law
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Boarding Preparations |
You've
been stopped by the local marine patrol for a routine equipment check. According to your
recent Courtesy Marine Exam, you are carrying all required and recommended equipment. But,
do you know what else marine officers are likely to check? |
Numbering
and Registration |
Just as
you wouldn't drive your car without a license plate, current sticker, and registration,
your boat must be properly numbered, stickered, and your registration on board. Boat
numbers must be affixed on both bows with three inch contrasting letters, with spaces or
hyphens between numerals and letters, as: MD 1234 AB or MD-1234-AB. This is a Federal and
State requirement. |
Also,
the State requires a current sticker immediately after or before the boat numbers on the
port side. Many boaters like to carry their boat papers on a floating key ring
handle so they will always have them close at hand. |
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| Your vessel will also have
(if manufactured since 1972) a Hull Identification Number which is the serial number of
your vessel. This number is usually located on the upper right portion of the
vessels' transom. This number indicates the boat manufacturer, its serial number,
and the month and year of production. This number is used to register the boat, and
to identify an individual boat. |
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Required Safety Equipment
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One personal flotation device (in good condition) for each person on board
plus a throwable cushion or ring is required. You must have the PFDs out of the plastic
and in an accessible location. The throwable should be close by the steering station.
Three current-dated, hand-held, approved flares are minimum equipment to serve for day and
night distress signals, both inshore and offshore. The correct number of approved fire
extinguishers, readily available for use is based on the size of your vessel. You must
have a sound device and of course, working running lights. |
| Don't Leave Port
Without It !We've put together a list of required and recommended boating equipment. |
U.S. COAST GUARD MINIMUM EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS |
| EQUIPMENT |
boats
less than 16 feet |
16
to less than 26 feet |
26
to less than 40 feet |
40
to not more than 65 feet |
Personal
Flotation Devices (life jackets)
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Recreational
boats must carry Coast Guard approved Personal Flotation Devices, in good and serviceable
condition, and of the appropriate size for the intended user. Wearable PFDs must be
readily accessible, not stowed in bags, locked or closed compartments or have other gear
stowed on top of them. Throwable devices must be immediately available for use. There must
be one Type I, II, III, or V PFD for each person on board or being towed on water skis,
etc., PLUS one Type IV throwable device. Throwable, Type IV PFDs may no longer be
substituted for wearable types on boats less than 16 feet. State laws on mandatory PFD
wear may vary. |
| Fire
Extinguishers (Coast Guard Approved)* |
At
least one B-1 type (see below) Coast Guard-approved hand portable fire extinguisher. Not
required on outboard boats less than 26 feet long and not carrying passengers for hire if
the construction of such motorboats will not permit the entrapment of explosive or
flammable gases or vapors, and if fuel tanks are not permanently installed. |
At least two B-1
type approved portable fire extinguishes; OR at least one B-2 type. |
At least three
B-1 type approved portable fire extinguishers; OR at least one B-1 type PLUS one B-2 type. |
| Visual
Distress Signals |
Must carry
approved visual distress signals for nighttime use. |
Must
carry visual distress signals approved for daytime and nighttime use. For pyrotechnic
devices (hand-held or aerial red flares, floating or hand-held orange smoke, and launches
for aerial red meteors or parachute flares) a minimum of three required, in any
combination that totals 3 for daytime and 3 for night use. Three day/night devices will
suffice. Devices must be in serviceable condition, dates not expired and stowed
accessibly. Exceptions are open sailboats less than 26 feet long and not equipped with
propulsion machinery, and manually propelled boats; both required to carry only night
signals. |
| BELL,
WHISTLE |
Every vessel less
that 39.4 feet (12 meters) long must carry an efficient sound-producing device. |
Every vessel 39.4
(12 meters) long, but less than 65.6 feet (20 meters) must carry a bell and a whistle. |
| VENTILATION
(boats built after April 25, 1940) |
At
least two ventilator ducts fitted with cowls or their equivalent for the purpose of
properly and efficiently ventilating the bilges of every closed engine and fuel tank
compartment of boats constructed or decked over after April 25, 1940, using gasoline as
fuel and other fuels having a flashpoint of 110° F or less. |
| VENTILATION(boats built after August 1, 1980) |
At
least two ventilator ducts for the purpose of efficiently ventilating every closed
compartment that contains a gasoline engine and every closed compartment containing a
gasoline tank, except those having permanently installed tanks vented outside the boat and
containing no unprotected electrical devices. Also, engine compartments containing a
gasoline engine with a cranking motor must contain power-operated exhaust blowers
controllable from the instrument panel. |
| BACKFIRE
FLAME ARRESTOR |
One
approved device on each carburetor of all gasoline engines installed after April 25, 1940,
except outboard motors. Device must be marked to show compliance with SAE J-1928 or UL
1111 Standards. |
| * When fixed fire-extinguishing system is installed in machinery spaces,
it will replace one B-1 type portable fire extinguisher. |
| Coast Guard minimum
equipment requirements vary with the size of the boat, type of propulsion, whether
operated at night or in periods of reduced visibility, and, in some cases, the body of
water on which it is used. For a more thorough discussion and complete details on how many
and what types of equipment you must have aboard your boat, request a free copy of the
pamphlet "Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats' from the Coast Guard. For a
copy, call their Infoline at (800) 368-5647. Many state requirements go beyond Coast Guard
requirements. Contact your state boating office for details. |
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| Coast Guard minimum
requirements are just that, minimum. It is suggested you carry additional safety
equipment, such as: |
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 anchor with sufficient line/chain (at least five times water depth)
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bailer (bucket)
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oars or paddles
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first aid kit
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VHF radio
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extra fuel & water
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tool kit
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sun protection
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flashlight
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| Pollution |
| Garbage |
All
boaters are required to dispose of garbage and waste properly. If your boat is over
26 feet long, you must have a Pollution Placard and a Trash Placard. If more than 40 feet
in length, you need a written garbage disposal plan. This can be as simple as a posted
letter saying that you collect the garbage on board and take it ashore for appropriate
disposal. Although this may seem excessive, it does have roots in serious attempts at
maritime pollution abatement. |
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The
placard must be permanently affixed in a prominent place, it must be made of a durable
material, and it must be at least four by nine inches in size. Restrictions on
dumping garbage vary based on your distance from the nearest shore; However, your
best course of action is to not throw anything into the water--save it until you return to
shore. For the purposes of this law, garbage includes things such as rags, paper,
metal and glass, and any other thing that trash is normally composed of, with the
exception of fish remains. |
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Dunnage-- This
refers to packing materials normally associated with
commercial shipping such as packing foam or pallets. |
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Plastics--
This includes such things as chip or garbage bags, plastic
bottles, fishing line, and cigarette butts. |
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There
are special rules on the Great Lakes as well; There is NO dumping allowed at all,
regardless of how far off shore you are. (There is a Great Lakes specific placard
available for boaters who live in the region.) |
| OIL |
| Oil and other petroleum
products are also items that may not be discharged into the water. Like garbage,
there are specific legal requirements that must be met by boaters. The oil placard
must be made of a durable material, must be at least 5 inches by eight inches, and be
displayed in machinery space or near the bilge controls. |
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| The discharge or
any oil can do serious damage to the environment, and can also lead to large fines
and/or a prison sentence. All boats must be equipped with a fixed or portable
container to hold waste oil such as a bucket or can. You may not discharge oil into
the bilge. By law, you must report oil spills to the Coast Guard at 1-800-267-2675. |
| Waste liquids |
| Waste liquids such as
dish water, shower water, and toilet discharge (raw sewage) may also be regulated
depending on where you boat. Raw sewage may not be discharged anywhere
in U.S. waters--this has been the law for many years! Certain areas also restrict
the discharge of the following; |
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Graywater-- This includes dish water,
shower water, or laundry water. |
| Treated
waste-- Includes chemically or otherwise treated solid or liquid
human
waste. This includes waste treated in a Type I or
Type
II MSD. |
| Check your local laws
to see what restrictions apply to you. |
Marine Sanitation Devices (MSDs) |
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