Section 2: Required Safety Equipment 19
Section 2: Required Safety Equipment
You, as a skipper, are responsible for
the safety of your boat and the people
aboard. The Federal Government has created
regulations to help reduce the number
of boating accidents. Therefore, it is essential
that you know, keep up to date with,
and follow these regulations as well as your
state and local boating laws. The expression
“ignorance of the law is no excuse” also
applies to boating. This section describes
the safety equipment that Federal regulations
require you to have aboard. It is
important that you understand that federal
equipment requirements are MINIMUM
requirements and do not guarantee
the safety of your boat or its passengers. In
many cases, your state will have additional
requirements. Additional equipment that
is not required by Federal regulations will
be discussed throughout this course to help
you develop an equipment check list for
your recreational boating.
It is important that you have the
required safety equipment on board your
boat and know how to use it. The specific
requirements depend upon the size of your
boat, which determines its class.
Federal regulations place recreation
boats into one of four groups according to
boat length, up to 65.6 feet (20 meters); the
required equipment varies for each grouping.
To determine length, measure the
boat length along the centerline from the
foremost part of the hull to its aftermost
part. Bowsprits, rudders aft of the transom,
swim platforms, and outboard motor
brackets are not part of length unless they
are part of the hull. Figure 2-1 illustrates
the four groupings by boat length.
1
4
2
3
Figure 2-1. Federal groupings
of recreation boats
less than 16 ft
16 ft to less than 26 ft
26 ft to less than 40 ft
40 ft to less than 65 ft
LIFE JACKETS
(PERSONAL
FLOTATION DEVICES)
Federal and all state regulations require
that all recreational boats MUST CARRY
AT MINIMUM ONE READILY ACCESSIBLE,
wearable life jacket of the proper type
and size in serviceable condition for EACH
PERSON onboard, and with the exception
of two states, specify minimum age that
children must wear life jackets. Addition