Specifications

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applyTodownloadaReferenceGuidetoStateBoatingLawsand
findmoreinformationregardingaccidentreporting,visittheUSCoast
GuardBoatingSafetyDivisionwebsiteatwwwuscgboatingorg

Themasterorpersoninchargeofavesselisobligatedbylawto
provideassistancethatcanbesafelyprovidedtoanyindividualin
dangeratseaThemasterorpersoninchargeissubjecttoafineand/
orimprisonmentforfailuretodoso

IfaboatercontactstheUSCoastGuardonChannel16VHF-FMor
Channel70DSCandthesituationisdeterminedtobenon-distress,the
CoastGuardwilloffertocontactanyassistanceprovider(commercialor
friend)theboaterrequestsIftheboaterhasnopreference,theCoast
GuardwillissueaMarineAssistanceRequestBroadcast(MARB)The
boatermaythenbecontacteddirectlybyanotherboater“GoodSamari-
tan”orbyacommercialassistanceproviderwithanofferofhelp

Title 14, Section 89, of the United States Code authorizes the U. S.
Coast Guard to board vessels subject to the jurisdiction of the United
States, anytime upon the high seas and upon waters over which the
United States has jurisdiction, to make inquiries, examinations, inspec-
tions, searches, seizures, and arrests.

TheUSCoastGuardisamulti-missionagencyAlthoughitslegacy
missionofsavinglivesatsearemainsapriority,enforcementofmari-
timelawsandhomelandsecurityhasbecometheUSCoastGuard’s
–andthenation’s–focusTheUSCoastGuardconductsnearly
70,000boardingsayearinitsmultipleroles:enforcingthelaw,provid-
ingsearchandrescueservices,promotingboatingsafety,preventing
damagetomarineenvironments,andhelpingtosecurethenation’s
bordersThemoretimeaboaterspendsonthewater,themorelikely
heorshewillexperienceaUSCoastGuardboarding
Duringlawenforcementboardings,thescopeofthevesselinspection
istodeterminethevessel’sstatus(commercial,recreational,passen-
ger,cargo,and/orcommercialfishing)andtocheckforcompliance
withallapplicablefederallawsandregulations
Thedecisiontoboardmaybebasedonavessel’sactivity,location,
and,insomecircumstances,obviousviolations,suchasoperating
atnightwithoutnavigationlights,orimproperdisplayofregistration
numbersTheCoastGuardvesselwillusuallyradioaseriesofpre-
boardingquestions,suchas:Whatwasthevessel’slastportofcall
andwhatisitsnextportof
call?Howmanypersons
areonboard?Whatisthe
purposeofyourvoyage?
IftheCoastGuard
decidestoboard,consider
itanimportantopportu-
nitytolearnsomething
newaboutsafetyequipmentandsafeboatingpracticesTypically,a
uniformedUSCoastGuardBoardingTeamoftwotofourofficers
willcomeaboard,introducethemselves,andstatethereasonforthe
boardingLikealllawenforcementofficers,theywillbearmedThe
officerinchargewillaskifyouhaveanyweaponsaboard;ifso,they
willusuallysecureallweaponsforthedurationoftheboardingThey
willconductaninitialsafetyinspectiontoidentifyanyobvioussafety
hazardsandtoverifythegeneralseaworthinessofyourvessel
Theofficerwillthenasktoseethevessel’sregistrationorotherdocu-
mentationandproceedtoamoredetailedinspectionofyourrequired
safetyequipment:lifejackets,fireextinguishers,flares,etcYoushould
knowthattheBoardingOfficerwillcheckeveryaspectofeachitem
onthelistForexample,withlifejackets–theitemmostfrequently
citedforviolations–theofficerwillchecktoseeifyouhaveUSCoast
Guard-approvedlifejacketsonboard,ingoodandserviceablecondi-
tion,properlystowed,andthecorrectsizefortheintendedwearers
Whentheboardingiscomplete,theofficerwillprovideyouwithareport
oftheboarding,notingtheresultsoftheinspectionofyourvesselIn
theeventofaviolation,theBoardingOfficerwillexplaintheresultsand
theproceduresyouwillneedtofollowtobringyourvesselintocompli-
anceIfyouhaveanyquestions,asktheBoardingOfficerbeforethe
teamdeparts