| U.
S. COAST GUARD MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR
RECREATIONAL VESSELS |
EQUIPMENT
|
CLASS
A
Less
than 16ft/4.9m |
CLASS
1
16
to less than 26 ft/7.9m |
CLASS
2
26
to less than 40 ft/12.2m |
CLASS
3
40
to not more than 65 ft/19.8m |
Personal
Flotation
D evices
(PFDs) |
One
approved Type I, II, III or V(must be worn) PFD for each
person on board or being towed on water skis, tubes, etc. |
One
approved Type I, II or III PFD for each person on board or
being towed on water skis, etc.; and one throwable Type IV
device. ( A type V PFD may be used in lieu of any wearable
PFD, if approved for the activity in which it is being
used. A
TYPE V HYBRID MUST be worn to be legal.) |
| Check
state laws for PFD requirements for children and certain
water craft & sports. |
Bell,
Whistle |
Every
vessel less than 39.4 ft (12 meters) in length must carry
an efficient sound producing device. |
Every
vessel 39.4 ft (12 meters) or larger in length must carry
a whistle and a bell. The whistle must be audible for 1/2
nautical mile. The mouth of the bell must be at least 7.87
inches (200mm) in diameter. |
Visual
Distress
Signals
(Coastal
Waters, the Great Lakes &
US owned boats on the high seas) |
Required
to carry approved visual distress signals for night-time
use. |
Must
carry approved visual distress signals for both daytime
and night-time use.
 |
Fire
Extinguisher
 (Must
be Coast
Guard approved) |
One
B-I type approved hand portable fire extinguisher. (Not
required on outboard motorboats less than 26 ft in length
if the construction of the motorboat is such that it does
not permit the entrapment of explosive or flammable gases
or vapors and if fuel tanks are not permanently
installed.) |
Two
B-I type OR one B-II type approved portable fire
extinguishers. |
Three
B-I type OR one B-I type PLUS one B-II type
approved portable fire extinguishers. |
|
When
a fixed fire extinguishing system is installed in
machinery spaces it will replace one B-I portable fire
extinguisher.
|
Ventilation
(Boats
built on or after 8/1/80) |
At
least two ventilation ducts capable of efficiently
ventilating every closed compartment that contains a
gasoline engine and/or tank, except those having
permanently installed tanks which vent outside of the boat
and which contain no unprotected electrical devices.
Engine compartments containing a gasoline engine with a
cranking motor are additionally required to contain power
operated exhaust blowers which can be controlled from the
instrument panel. |
Ventilation
(Boats
built before 8/1/80) |
At
least two ventilation ducts fitted with cowls (or their
equivalent) for the purpose of efficiently and properly
ventilating the bilges of every closed engine and fuel
tank compartment using gasoline as fuel or other fuels
having a flashpoint of 110 degrees or less. Applies to
boats constructed or decked over after April 25, 1940. |
Back-fire
Flame Arrestor |
One
approved device on each carburetor of all gasoline engines
installed after April 25, 1940, except outboard motors. |
| Note:
Some states have requirements in addition to the federal
requirements. Check your state's boating laws. |
Related
Articles:
What
kind of PFD do I need?
How
to Read PFD labels
Care
and maintenance of PFDs
PFD
Wearing Requirements by State
BoatSafe Kids - Stuff
you should always have onboard no
matter how small your boat
Also see the
Basic
Boating Safety Course
|
