Why Should You Get a Courtesy Vessel Safety Check (every year!)
An annual Vessel Safety Check is an important double check that you have all of the required safety gear for your boat, but it really is much more than that.
First of all, the Vessel Examiner will go over a required checklist:
1. Do you display your registration numbers, are they up-to-date, or if your boat is documented, is that current. Note that in some states, you may have to pay for an annual sticker even if your boat is documented.
2. Do you have USCG approved and usable PFDs (Personal Flotation Devices).
3. Do you have current and appropriate distress signals.
4. Do you have proper and unexpired fire extinguishers.
5. Does your engine space have proper ventilation (in board engines)
6. If you have a gasoline engine, does it have appropriate backfire flame control.
7. Do you have sound producing devices (horns)
8. Do your navigation lights work.
9. Do you have both the oil pollution and MARPOL trash placards
10. If you have a Marine Sanitation Device, is it properly set up so that it does not dump within the limited area along the coast.
11. Do you carry a copy of the navigation rules if required.
12. Do you meet state and local requirements.
13. Is the overall condition of your boat safe: is the deck free of hazards, is the electrical system protected, is the galley heating system safe, and is the fuel system safe.
14. If required, does your boat have a functional Engine Cutoff Switch (ECOS)
Most of these items do not change from year-to-year, but some do. The types of PFDs have changed, as have the requirements for fire extinguishers, etc. The Vessel Examiner is required to take an annual refresher course and is completely up-to-date on any new requirements and changes.
Almost more importantly, the Vessel Examiner will have a discussion with the boat owner to go over some very important, though not legally required, safety items and suggestions. This discussion with the boat owner opens up a dialogue that will lead to suggestions about things the boat owner should strongly consider. This could be the suggestion that the boat have a VHF radio, or perhaps that the boat owner ought to take a specific boating course. The Vessel Examiner has a list of topics to discuss with the boat owner, and we often find that this is the critical part of the visit. We uncover areas that the boat owner might not be completely aware of or up-to-speed on, and we, as Vessel Examiners, can talk about what we think the boat owner ought to do, and why. As a Vessel Examiner, I have lately been stressing the need for the spouse of the boat owner to practice a Man Overboard drill several times assuming that he or she is the one that did not fall overboard, but might be less experienced in dealing with an MOB. The purpose of the Courtesy Vessel Safety Check is to help make the boating public safer, and this discussion, after we go over the required items, really helps us identify potential weak spots in the boat owner’s skill set or equipment, and bring those items to the boat owner’s attention and help them find resources to help shore up those points.
There is no penalty for failing a Vessel Safety Check, and the boat owner cannot be cited by the Vessel Examiner for any deficiencies, but the 15 or so minutes that you invest in it could save your life or that of a member of your family.
Of course, if your boat does pass, you will be given awarded a sticker that you passed, and though that is no guarantee that you will not be boarded by the U.S. Coast Guard or state patrol, but if you are, you will know that you have everything required, and will pass any inspection.
To schedule a Vessel Safety Check, go to https://cgaux.org/vsc/