Safety Equipment for Recreation boats

Safety Equipment for Recreation boats…minimum requirement!

The Coast Guards minimum requirements of safety equipment are a short 4 item list. The specific requirements of the 4 items are boat size dependent. As the boat gets larger the equipment must meet different standards and the number of each item required change.

The 4 safety equipment items are:
1. Personal Flotation Devises for all persons on board. 
2. Fire Extinguisher

3. Visual Distress Signal

4. Bell or Whistle

Personal Flotation Devises can be type I, II, or III and a type IV (throwable) is also recommended.                                                           

Fire Extinguisher:  A type B-1 USCG approved portable fire extinguisher.

Visual Distress Signal: The vessel needs to carry a visual distress signal for daytime and night time use.

Bell or Whistle: A vessel needs/ must have an efficient sound producing device required by the navigation rules.

When the USCG dose a boat Vessel Safety Checks the look for:

Fire extinguishers

Sound producing device

Visual distress signals

Life-jackets

Registration/Documentation

State and local requirements

Navigation lights

Proper display of numbers

Ventilation

Overall vessel condition

Backfire flame control