REGULATIONS
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Contents....
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Know the
Law
Required Equipment
Recommended Equipment
Marine
Sanitation Devices (MSDs)
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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. |
(Click on state numbering thumbnail for better
view) |
| 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. |
(Click on Hull ID number thumbnail for better
view) |
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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 26 feet long or longer,
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. |
(Click on image for better view of trash disposal
sticker.) |
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. |
| Dunnage--
This refers to packing materials
normally associated with
commercial shipping such as packing foam or pallets. |
| 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. |
(Click on image to see Oil Discharge regulations) |
| 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.
If you have a spill, the first thing you should do is contain the spill, then call the
Coast Guard. By law, you must report oil spills to the Coast Guard at 1-800-267-2675
immediately! |
| 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 in U.S. waters unless you are over three miles offshore
(ocean only)--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. |
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Treated waste-- Includes chemically or
otherwise treated solid or liquid human
waste. This includes waste treated in a Type I or II MSD. |
| Check your local laws to see what
restrictions apply to you. |
Marine
Sanitation Devices (MSDs) |
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For further reading on these topics and other
boating information, The BoatU.S. Foundation recommends any of the following: |
| All of these can be found through
your local BoatU.S. Marine Center, the BoatU.S. Catalog or the New Online Store! (www.boatus.com) |
 Chapman's Piloting by: Elbert S. Maloney Chapman's Hands-On Powerboating CD ROM
The Annapolis Book of Seamanship by: John Rousmaniere
US Power Squadron Booklets (Knots, Sailing, GPS, Radar,
etc.)
US Coast Guard Auxiliary's Skipper's Safe Boating Course
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