What do you need on a boat for Coast Guard safety requirements?

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

The United States Coast Guard sets minimum standards for recreational vessels and associated safety equipment. To meet these standards, required equipment must be U.S. Coast Guard “approved” or “certified.” This means that it meets U.S. Coast Guard specifications, standards, and regulations for performance, construction, or materials.

1. Life Jackets (33 CFR 175)
2. Visual Distress Signals (33 CFR 175.101)
3. Fire Extinguishers (46 CFR 25)
4. Ventilation (33 CFR 175/183, 46 CFR 25)
5. Backfire Flame Control (46 CFR 25/58)
6. Sound Producing Devices (33 CFR 83)
7. Navigation Lights (33 CFR 83)
8. Pollution Regulations (33 CFR 151/155)
9. Marine Sanitation Devices (33 CFR 159)

1. 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.

All recreational vessels must carry one wearable life jacket for each person on board. Any boat 16 feet and longer (except canoes and kayaks) must also carry one throwable (Type IV) device. Life jackets should be worn at all times when the vessel is underway. A life jacket can save your life, but only if you wear it.

Always check and read the manufacturer’s information booklet andlabel provided with all life jackets. They will provide valuable information, including size, type, intended use, and Coast Guard approval information.

Life jackets must be:
• U.S. Coast Guard-approved (check the label).
• In good and serviceable condition.
• Appropriate size and type for the intended user.
• Properly stowed.
Some items that are not required but are a good idea to have with your life jacket are a whistle and an emergency light

Stowage Requirements: Wearable life jackets must be readily accessible.
• You should be able to put them on in a reasonable amount of time in an emergency (vessel sinking, on fire, etc.)
• They should not be stowed in plastic bags, in locked or closed compartments, or have other gear stowed on top of them.
• Throwable devices must be immediately available for use. They should be on the main deck within arm’s reach, hanging on a lifeline, or other easily reached location

Inflatable Life Jackets
• U .S . Coast Guard-approved inflatable life jackets are authorized for use by persons 16 years of age and older (check the label).
• Inflatable life jackets require regular maintenance and attention to the condition of the inflator.
• They must have a full cylinder and all status indicators on the inflator must be green or the device is not serviceable and does not satisfy the legal requirement for the wearable life jacket
carriage requirement.
• Inflatable life jackets are more comfortable, encouraging regular use. The best life jackets are ones the user will wear.

Child Life Jacket Requirements

On a vessel that is underway, children under 13 years of age must wear an appropriate U .S . Coast Guard-approved life jacket unless they are 1) below deck, or 2) within an enclosed cabin. If a state has established a child life jacket wear requirement that differs from the Coast Guard requirement, the state requirement will be applicable on waters subject to that state’s jurisdiction.

Children’s life jackets are approved for specific weight categories. Check the “User Weight” on the label and for an approval
statement that will read something like: 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

The U.S. Coast Guard recommends – and many states require – wearing life jackets when engaged in the following activities:
• Water skiing and other towed activities (use a type designed for water skiing.)
• Operating a Personal Watercraft, or PWC (use a type designed for water skiing or PWC use.)
• Whitewater boating activities.
• Sailboarding.

Check with your state boating agency for the laws that apply. Federal law does not require life jacket use on racing shells, rowing sculls, racing canoes, and racing kayaks; state laws vary, however, check with your state boating agency.
Note that if you are boating in an area under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or a federal, state, or local park authority, other rules may also apply.

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.

2. Visual Distress Signals (33 CFR 175.101)

Vessels operating on U .S . coastal waters, the Great Lakes, and territorial seas, as well as those waters connected directly, up to a point where the waterway is less than two nautical miles wide, must be equipped with U.S. Coast Guard-approved visual distress signals (VDS). Vessels owned in the United States and operating on the high seas must also be equipped with U.S. Coast Guard-approved visual distress signals.
The following vessels are not required to carry day signals, but must carry night signals when operating from sunset to sunrise:
• Recreational boats less than 16 feet in length.
• Boats participating in organized events, such as races, regattas, or marine parades.
• Open sailboats less than 26 feet in length that are not equipped with propulsion machinery.
• Manually propelled boats.
Remember: The carriage requirement is only applicable in areas where VDS are required.

Fire Extinguishers (46 CFR 25)

U.S. Coast Guard-approved, marine-type fire extinguishers are required on boats where a fire hazard could be expected from the engines or fuel system. Extinguishers are classified by a letter and number symbol. The letter indicates the type of fire the unit is designed to extinguish.

Type B, for example, is designed to extinguish flaming liquids, such as gasoline, oil, and grease. The number indicates the amount of the extinguishing agent contained in the extinguisher; the higher the number, the greater the amount of agent in the extinguisher.

U.S. Coast Guard-approved extinguishers required for boats are hand-portable, have either B-I or B-II classification, and must be provided with a mounting bracket. While not required, it is recommended that the extinguishers be mounted in a readily accessible location. Consider locations where the extinguisher can be reached easily; for example, at or near the steering
station or in the galley or engine room, but away from locations where a fire may likely start.
Extinguisher markings can be confusing because one extinguisher can be approved for several different types of fires (A, B, or C).

For example, an extinguisher marked “Type A, Size II; Type B; C, Size I” is acceptable as a Type B-I extinguisher.
Look for the section of the label that states “Marine Type USCG, Type A, Size II; Type B; C Size I .” (It will also contain a USCG approval number.) Make sure Type B is indicated. Hand-portable extinguishers will be either a Size I or II. Size III and larger are too big for use on most recreational boats