Check Boat Safety before Season

WASHINGTON – Don’t arrive at a launch ramp and find your on-board safety
equipment missing or in need of repair. Use “downtime” to check your boat’s
safety equipment and make sure it’s in top operating condition. The
following safety items are essential (and required by law):
* Life jackets –one wearable Coast Guard approved life jacket for each
person on board in good, serviceable condition, of appropriate size and
type for the intended user and readily accessible.
* Throwable floatation – Boats 16 feet and longer (except kayaks and
canoes) must carry one throwable device (cushions, ring buoys, etc.)
* Visual distress signals – Vessels over 16 feet must be equipped with day
and night visual distress signals; vessels less than 16 feet are not
required to carry day signals but must carry night signals from sunset to
sunrise. Signaling devices include pyrotechnic devices (flares and smoke),
orange distress flags and electric distress lights. Check if you are
unsure of what devices are required for your vessel.
* Fire extinguishers – Coast Guard-approved, marine-type fire extinguishers
are required on boats propelled by machinery mounted where they can be
easily reached away from locations where a fire is likely start.
* Sound producing devices – include bells, horns, and whistles.
* Navigation lights – Vessels are required to display navigation lights
between sunset and sunrise and during periods of restricted visibility
(fog, rain, haze, etc). Check the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Rules,
International-inland for details.
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed volunteer component
of the United States Coast Guard created by an Act of Congress in 1939. The
Auxiliary, America’s Volunteer Guardians, supports the Coast Guard in nearly
all of the service’s missions.