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Safety: Requiremed Equipment




The following is a list of required safety equipment. These requirements are a minimum and should not be considered comprehensive. Later this month we will look at additions this list.


Item

Coast Guard/Federal Requirements

MI Specific

Visual Distress Signals - 16 feet and up

One (1) orange distress flag or one (1) electric distress light OR
three (3) hand-held/floating orange smoke signals and one (1) electric
distress light OR three(3)combination

(day/night) red

flares: hand-held, meteor or parachute type.

Must carry an orange

flag day distress flag: recreational boats 16 feet and up

and non-motorized boats and open sailboats 26 feet+.

Fire Extinguishers -Up to 26 Feet

B-I (when enclosed

compartment)

 

Fire Extinguishers -26 to 40 feet

B-II or Two B-I. Note: fixed system equals one B-I

 

Fire Extinguishers -40-65 feet

One (1) B-II and One B-I or three (3) B-I. Note: fixed system equals
one B-I

 

Ventilation - All vessels built after 25 April 1940 that use gasoline
with enclosed engine and/or fuel tank

compartments

Must have natural ventilation (at least two ducts fitted with cowls)

 

Ventilation - Vessel built after 31 July 1980

Must have rated power exhaust blower

 

Backfire Flame Arrestor

Required on gasoline engines installed after 25 April 1940, except
outboard motors

 


Item

Coast Guard/Federal Requirements

MI Specific

Mufflers

 

Exhaust must prevent noise in excess of: 90 decibels at idle from three
feet away and 75 decibels measured from onshore.

Sound Producing Device - All Boats

Some means of making an

"efficient" sound signal - audible for 1/2 mile/4 to 6

seconds (i.e. horn).

 

Sound Producing Device - 39.4 feet and up

Must carry on board a

bell with clapper (bell size not less than 7.9 inches -

based on the diameter of the mouth)

 

Sounding Producing Device – 16 to 26 feet

 

Engine whistle

capable of producing a blast of 2 seconds or more and audible for at
least 1/2 mile.

Sounding Producing Device – 16 to 26 feet

 

Engine whistle

capable of producing a blast of 2 seconds or more and audible for at
least 1/2 mile.

Sound Producing Device - 26 feet +

 

Engine Whistle and bell capable of

Producing a blast of 2 seconds or more and audible for at least 1 mile.

Item

Coast Guard/Federal Requirements

MI Specific

Navigational Lights

Required to be displayed from sunset to sunrise and in or near areas of
reduced visibility (fog,

Rain, hazy, etc) Boats 16 feet or more in length must have

Properly installed, working navigation lights and an

all-around anchor light capable of being lit independently

from the red/green/white "running" lights. Details at

http://www.uscgboating.org/reg/reg_fr_equipReq_navRulesNLights.asp

Manually-driven boats (sailboats under sail, rowboats etc.) are only
required to have a flashlight

or lantern.

Oil Pollution Placard 39.4 feet and up

Placard must be at

least 5 by 8 inches, made of durable material. Must be posted in the
machinery space or at the

bilge station.

 

Garbage Placard

39.4 feet and up

Placard must be at

least 5 by 8 inches, made of durable material. Displayed in a
conspicuous place notifying all on board the discharge restrictions.

 

Marine Sanitation Device

If installed toilet: Vessel must

have an operable MSD Type I,II, or III.

 

Item

Coast Guard/Federal Requirements

MI Specific

Navigation Rules

39.4 feet and up

The operator of a vessel

39.4 ft (12 meters) or greater must have on board a copy of

these rules.

 

Visual Distress Signals - 16 feet and up

One (1) orange distress flag or one (1) electric distress light OR
three (3) hand-held/floating orange smoke signals and one (1) electric
distress light OR three(3)combination

(day/night) red

flares: hand-held, meteor or parachute type.

Must carry an orange

flag day distress flag: recreational boats 16 feet and up

and non-motorized boats and open sailboats 26 feet+.


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This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 5th, 2004 at 9:08 am and is filed under Safety Series, Special Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

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