the coast guard journal of safety at sea proceedings

The Coast Guard Journal of Safety at Sea

of the Marine Safety Council

US Department of Homeland Security

United States Coast Guard PP ROCEED INGSROCEED INGS

Safer BoatingSafer Boating

6 In the BeginningThe Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971

8 Smart Regulations Save LivesmdashA Regulatory History

12 Measuring the Safety of Recreational Boaters

16 Granting Safety with Nonprofit Organizations

18 Recreational Boating Safety State Grant Program

23 Marine Patrol Officers Play Important Role in Boating Safety

P r o c e e d i n g sP r o c e e d i n g sJulyndashSeptember 2003 Vol 60 Number 3

On the CoverOn the Cover

Clockwise photo credits for non-USCG imagesmdashJetski Timothy M Smalley Minn Dept of Natural Resources Sailor Sporting Lives Inc PowerboatTodayrsquos Boating Paddlers and Houseboat are USCG images Back coverclockwise from topmdashHunters Timothy M Smalley Minn Dept ofNatural Resources Canoe Sporting Lives Inc Children Timothy MSmalley Minn Dept of Natural Resources

Always On DeckAlways On Deck

4 Assistant Commandantrsquos Perspective

5 Championrsquos Point of View

68 PTP An Extraordinary Success Story from the World of Boating Safety

72 Marinerrsquos Seabag Boating with HistorymdashLewis and Clark

Nautical Queries76 Engineering78 Deck

Icon CreditsAll are USCG illustrations

YYoursquore in Commandoursquore in Command

26 Yoursquore in Command Boat Safely The Genesis of the Initiative

29 Checking Vessel Safety to Reduce Risk

32 Education The Foundation of Boating Safety

34 Accident Prevention Donrsquot Boat and Drink

37 Coast Guard Promotes PFDs

39 Engaging Recreational Boaters in Homeland Security

42 Waterways Management Involves Varied Issues

45 Pollution Prevention Through Education Enforcement

Safety ImprovementsSafety Improvements

47 Rescue 21 Answering the Call for Better Communications

51 Recreational Boating Product AssurancemdashThe Consumer Product Safety Commission for Boats

58 The Recreational Boat Manufacturer Factory Visit Program

62 Coast Guard Increases Efforts to Warn of CO Hazards

65 Coast Guard Develops Maneuvering Rule to Reduce Collisions

66 Boat Testing Itrsquos All in the Ride

During its long history assuring safety in the marine environment has been the USCoast Guardrsquos most traditional mission and the personnel of the Coast Guard veryrightly are proud of their heritage as ldquoThe Lifesaversrdquo

According to the 2000 National Survey on Recreation and the Environment 76million Americans age 16 and overmdashmore than one-fourth of our nationrsquospopulationmdashparticipated in recreational boating plus millions more youth Thestates report 13 million registered vessels which does not include millions moremanually powered watercraft such as small sailboats canoes and kayaks that arenot required to be registered in most states Billions are spent each year for boatsand equipment or services connected to recreational boating Recreational boatingis big in the United States

With both historical and statutory responsibility for boating safety on our nationrsquoswaterways a core function of the Coast Guardrsquos multi-mission service is coordinat-ing the National Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) Program Following enactmentof the Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971 more responsibility for providing RBSservices for the public was assumed by the states After the terrible tragedy ofSeptember 11 2001 and the Coast Guardrsquos subsequent refocusing of efforts andtransfer to the Department of Homeland Security some may have been under theimpression that the Coast Guard was out of the boating safety business Not trueWe will always provide those lifesaving services that are part of our core and wemust make sure that Americans are both safe and secure on the water

As the world adjusts to the ldquonew normalcyrdquo of life after September 11 it isimportant that we do not lose focus on the Coast Guardrsquos traditional missions Inthis issue of Proceedings we are providing an in-depth look at the RBS Programmdashgoing ldquoback to the basicsrdquo if you will There are many facets to the RBS Programmdashthe Coast Guardrsquos authority to assure product safety and safe operation throughregulation as well as our partnerships with the states and local law enforcementindustry and numerous boating organizations to address the many aspects ofboating safety

The RBS Program is an outstanding example of the ability of government at alllevels and the private sector to work together for the benefit of the public and hasdirectly resulted in safer boating for millions of Americans We will ensure that itcontinues to do so

Assistant Assistant Commandantrsquos Commandantrsquos PerspectivePerspective

by Rear Adm DAVID S BELZ

Assistant Commandant for Operations

Adm Thomas H CollinsCommandant

US Coast Guard

The Marine Safety amp Security Council

of theUnited States Coast Guard

Rear Adm John E CrowleyChief Counsel

ChairmanUS Coast Guard

Rear Adm Thomas H GilmourAssistant Commandant

for Marine Safety Security amp Environmental Protection

MemberUS Coast Guard

Rear Adm David BelzAssistant Commandant

for OperationsMember

US Coast Guard

Cmdr Laticia J Argenti Executive SecretaryUS Coast Guard

Steven Venckus Legal Counsel

US Coast Guard

Statement of OwnershipManagement and Circulation

DIST (SDL No 134)A ac(2) ebfghijklmnopqrsuv(1)B nr(50) cefgipw(10) bklqshj(5)

xdmou(2) vyz(1)C n(4) adek(3) blo(2) cfgijmpqr

tuvwyz(1)E ds(5) abcefghijklmnopqrtu

vwyz(1)E kn(2)F abcdehjkloqst(1)List TCG-06

by Rear Adm JEFFREY J HATHAWAY

Director of Operations Policy

Championrsquos Championrsquos Point of Point of

ViewView

Boats and boating have played an enormous role in the history of our country and of theUS Coast Guard Recreational boating is a means to forget the increasing stress of daily lifeas well as savor the beauty and tranquility that can be found on our nationrsquos waterways Iknow that my family and I certainly enjoy it

For many years however recreational boating has been second only to motor vehicles in thenumber of transportation-related fatalities in the United States Approximately 700 to 800people die each year in boating-related accidents Most of those people die needlesslybecause they didnrsquot take basic precautions such as wearing a life jacket Because of thosefacts improvements in boating safety continue to be on the National Transportation SafetyBoardrsquos ldquoMost Wantedrdquo list

A lot of what you will read in this issue of Proceedings refers to the Federal Boat Safety Act of1971 (FBSA) While the Coast Guard has always done search and rescue (SAR) FBSAestablished a program that is ldquopreventive SARrdquo Has the FBSA been successful in fulfilling itsgoals You decide In doing so consider this Since the enactment of FBSA the number ofstate-registered boats has increased from six million to 13 millionmdashmore than doubledmdashbutthe number of fatalities has plummeted from a record high of 1754 in 1973 to a record low of681 in 2001 and we estimate that more than 29000 lives have been saved You bet itrsquos a success

Unfortunately our work isnrsquot over The number of fatalities for 2002 was back up to 750 Wemustmdashworking with our partnersmdashdo more We will

Editorial Team

Albert G Kirchner JrActing Executive Editor

Ellen RosenManaging Editor

Jesi HannoldSenior Graphic Designer

Proceedings (ISSN 0364-0981) ispublished quarterly by the CoastGuardrsquos Marine Safety Securityamp Environmental Protection Directoratein the interest of safety at sea underthe auspices of the Marine Safety ampSecurity Council Special permissionfor republication either in whole orin part except for copyrightedmaterial is not required providedcredit is given to Proceedings Theviews expressed are those of theauthors and do not represent officialCoast Guard policy

Editorial Contact

NMCProceedingsballstonuscgmil

Editor Proceedings MagazineUS Coast GuardNational Maritime Center4200 Wilson Blvd Suite 730Arlington VA 22203-1804

Subscription RequestsChanges

Please include mailing label informationwhen changing address

wwwuscgmilproceedings

ProceedingsDistributionballstonuscgmil

Subscriptions Proceedings MagazineUS Coast GuardNational Maritime Center4200 Wilson Blvd Suite 730Arlington VA 22203-1804

View Proceedings Online atwwwuscgmilproceedings

The mission of the US Coast Guardrsquos Office of Boating Safety isto ldquominimize the loss of life personal injury property damageand environmental impact associated with the use of recreationalboats through preventive measures in order to maximize safeuse and enjoyment of US waterways by the publicrdquo Thatrsquos a lotof words to say we are trying to ensure safe and enjoyableboating for the American public

To accomplish this mission we rely on the cooperative effortstalents and resources of many people Our own dedicatedpersonnel of course state and local governments volunteersfrom various organizations such as our own Coast GuardAuxiliary the US Power Squadrons and hundreds of organiza-tions in the National Safe Boating Council partnerships with theboating industry and members of the private sector as well asthe individual boater

We hope through the articles in this issue of Proceedings thatmore people will understand how varied our program is andbecome more aware of the things each of us can do to be safer onthe water

by Capt SCOTT

H EVANS

Chief US Coast GuardOffice of Boating Safety

6 Proceedings JulyndashSeptember 2003

In the Beginning

The Federal Boat Safety Act of

by JEFF HOEDT and JEANNE TIMMONS AL MARMO

US Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety US Coast Guard retiredProgram Management Division

BackgroundRecreational boating has been a favorite pastime inour country for well more than a century The late1800s witnessed a true growth period in the numberof sailboats rowboats and canoes Then the adventof steam-powered and later gasoline-poweredinboard engines had a big impact on participationculminating in the development of the outboardmotor around 1914

The rising growth in boating participation also ledto a rising safety concern Unfortunately thenumber of accidents and fatalities was growingwith this increased activity In response Congressenacted boating safety laws in 1910 and 1918 Thelaws dealt with limited safety equipment carriagerequirements and numbering (identification) of thevessels The Motorboat Act of 1940 prescribed limit-ed standards for motorboating equipment Butthese acts were not enough If noncommercial boatmanufacturers chose not to build boats in accor-dance with such requirements as backfire flamecontrol or ventilation only the person who operat-ed the boat could be cited for a violation of the law

Following World War II when our nationrsquos econo-my experienced a major upswing recreational boat-ing in the United States went through anotherdramatic growth with increasing boating accidentsgaining attention and concern

The US Coast Guard was transferred from theDepartment of the Treasury to the Department ofTransportation (DOT) when it was established on

April 1 1967 Boating safety was of immediateconcern to DOT and in June 1967 the secretaryordered a complete review of boating safety todetermine the scope of the problem and mold reme-dial efforts In response the Commandant of theCoast Guard convened a study

Congressional interest in boating safety was alsorunning high and the House Committee onGovernment Operations conducted a study of howthe Coast Guard was carrying out its responsibili-ties in promoting recreational boating safety (RBS)Hearings were held in 1967 and a report was issuedin March 1968

The fundamental conclusion of the Coast Guardrsquosstudy approved in January 1968 was that theimperfect safety record and anticipated growth inboating dictated that boating safety should be asignificant element in the departmentrsquos overalltransportation safety program In his Message tothe Congress on the American Consumer PresidentJohnson spoke of desired improvements in the areaof recreational boating safety and proposed theRecreational Boat Safety Act of 1968

Several considerations lent a sense of urgency toearly passage of boating safety legislation For oneannual fatalities in boating accidents were averag-ing four per day and many more boaters wereinvolved in serious accidents resulting in injuriesand severe property damage During the summer of1968 alone 850 persons were killed in just fivemonths

JulyndashSeptember 2003 Proceedings 7Tug boats at Battery Park evacuate people from Manhattan to New Jersey StatenIsland Brooklyn and Queens Photo by Public Affairs Officer Brandon Brewer USCG

Since the proposed RBS legislation containedprovisions for broad new federal authority hav-ing a direct impact on various interest groups itscourse to passage was long but carefully chartedCongressional committees had hearings inWashington DC and at four locations acrossthe country Finally the Federal Boat Safety Act of1971 (FBSA) which gave broad new authority tothe Secretary of Transportation was signed intolaw on Aug 10 1971

Purpose of the ActThe FBSA authorized a coordinated nationalboating safety program with broad new authori-ty to the Secretary of Transportation which wasdelegated to the Commandant of the CoastGuard The actrsquos policy and purpose conciselyreflect the breadth of this new authority

ldquoIt is hereby declared to be the policy of Congress andthe purpose of this Act to improve boating safety andto foster greater development use and enjoyment ofall waters of the United States by encouraging andassisting participation by the several States the boat-ing industry and the boating public in the develop-ment of more comprehensive boating safety programsby authorizing the establishment of national construc-tion and performance standards for boats and associatedequipment and by creating more flexible regulatoryauthority concerning the use of boats and equipment Itis further declared to be the policy of Congress to encour-age greater and continuing uniformity of boating lawsand regulations as among the several States and theFederal government a higher degree of reciprocity andcomity among the several jurisdictions and closer coop-eration and assistance between the Federal governmentand the several States in developing administering andenforcing Federal and State laws and regulationspertaining to boating safetyrdquo

New Components of the FBSAThe FBSA was landmark legislation The problemwith previous boating legislation was that eachrequirement was part of the law passed byCongress This meant it took an act of Congress tochange improve or add new requirements as theneed arose The FBSA created a more flexible regu-latory authority for the Coast Guard to addresssafety issues concerning the use of boats and associ-ated equipment in a more timely manner

Other components of the FBSA authorized theCoast Guard to establish comprehensive boatingsafety programs and created a new advisory council

The 21-member National Boating Safety AdvisoryCouncil provides direction to the Coast Guard onproposed and current boating safety regulationsand also provides insight into other major boatingsafety matters Composed of equal representationfrom state boating safety officials representatives ofrecreational vessel and associated equipment man-ufacturers and representatives of national recre-ational boating organizations and the general pub-lic this council has proven to be invaluable to theNational Recreational Boating Safety Program

The FBSA also expanded the jurisdiction of statutesfrom the ldquonavigable waters of the United Statesrdquo toldquowaters subject to the jurisdiction of the UnitedStatesrdquo expanded the applicability of statutes fromjust recreational motorboats to all recreationalvessels and created a federal grant program where-by states could receive federal financial assistanceto enhance their boating safety efforts and nationalnonprofit organizations could compete for financialassistance to develop and implement various boat-ing safety efforts

We can be very proud of the accomplishments ofthe programs established as a result of the FBSAbut there still is much to be done Fortunately thelegislative authority to continue to address thoseproblems is available

RReeggiisstteerreedd VVeesssseellss aanndd FFaattaall iittiieess11996622ndashndash22000011

Registered Vessels

Linear Estimated Fatalities

Actual Fatalities

Estimated29000 lives

saved since FBSAof 1971 enacted


Smart Regulations Save Lives

A Regulatory History

by CARL PERRY and JEANNE TIMMONS

US Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety Program Management Division

tions promulgated under Chapter 43 US CodeHere the Coast Guardrsquos Recreational BoatingSafety (RBS) Program establishes regulations thatinvolve minimum requirements for boats andassociated equipment rather than what some mayconsider an ldquoidealrdquo level To build quality or safetyinto any product adds costs beyond those frombasic supplies and labor The person who buys aboat and other safety equipment necessary to thelegal operation of that boat must ultimately paythese costs or choose not to purchase the item Aswith most products there is a minimum safetythreshold below which an unacceptable number ofaccidents deaths and injuries occur Exceedingthat threshold achieves progressively smaller safetyincrements with increasingly larger cost incre-ments Thus the Office of Boating Safety partnerswith both manufacturers and the public to find thebest balance

Each regulation the Coast Guard issues under thischapter must be safety-related and developed in

A Recent HistoryThe Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971While federal boating safety statutes were enactedin 1910 1918 1940 and 1958 a new chapter in recre-ational boating safety began on Aug 10 1971 It wason that date that the Federal Boat Safety Act (FBSA)became law One of the unique characteristics of theFBSA was that for the first time the US CoastGuard was responsible for promulgating regula-tions concerning requirements of manufacturersand carriage of safety equipment such as personalflotation devices (PFDs)

Today the FBSA is found in multiple chapters ofTitle 46 US Code many of which authorize prom-ulgation of regulations Examples include chapters43 (Recreational Vessels) 61 (Reporting MarineCasualties) 123 (Numbering UndocumentedVessels) and 131 (Recreational Boating Safety)

Protocol for Developing RegulationsMany people may be most familiar with the regula-

required of PFDs Later the Coast Guard issuedregulations requiring PFD manufacturers toprovide an information pamphlet with each PFD tohelp prospective buyers select the type best suitedto their boating activities Later regulationsrequiredPFDs to be wearable and allowed boaters to carryhybrid and inflatable ones

Visual Distress SignalsIn December 1979 the Coast Guard issued regula-tions to require the carriage of approved visualdistress signals (VDS) on recreational vessels andvessels carrying six or fewer passengers for hire

when operating on coastalwaters Recreational vesselsless than 16 feet in lengthmust carry VDS only atnight while in coastalwaters These regulationsalong with other RBS Programefforts contributed to reduc-ing the number of fatalitieson coastal waters by givingthe boater a means to alertothers of a distress situationand reducing the time spentin trying to locate the boaterafter the distress has beenreported

Benefits of RegulationsEnacted as a Result of theFBSAJust two years after passageof the FBSA in 1973 therewas a record high 1754reported recreational boat-ing fatalities and about sixmillion registered boatsThis represents approxi-mately 30 deaths for every100000 registered boatsHowever thanks in part tosmart regulations nearly 20years after implementationof the National RBS

Program the number of reported boating fatalitieshad dropped significantly to about 800 each yeareven though the number of registered boats grew ata much faster rate Then by 2001 only 681 boatingfatalities were reported while the number of regis-tered boats had grown to more than 128 millionThis equates to only six deaths for every 100000registered boats

response to a demonstrated need Further 46 USC4302(a)(1) specifically directs that regulations mustbe stated in terms of performance By ldquoperform-ancerdquo we mean specifying the load that a fittingmust withstand as opposed to specifying thedimensions of that fitting or the thickness of thematerial from which the fitting is constructed Thefocus on performance results gives the manufactur-er the widest discretion in designing and improvingproducts while still meeting the required level ofsafety Therefore it is unlikely that the Coast Guardwill ever issue boating safety standards relating tothe fit and size of components However if accidentstatistics indicate a problemin such an area then a relat-ed performance standardmay be issued

Manufacturer RegulationsPublished Shortly afterEnactment of the FBSAThe first regulations andstandards applicable tomanufacturers were adopt-ed from industry standardspublished by the AmericanBoat and Yacht Council(ABYC) and the BoatingIndustry Associations TheCoast Guard issued finalrules in the Federal Registeron Aug 4 1972 that estab-lished defect notificationand boat identificationrequirements for all boatsThe rules also establishedsafety standards for loadingpowering and flotation forboats less than 20 feet inlength Soon thereafter stan-dards were published cover-ing level flotation electricalsystems fuel systems venti-lation and start-in-gearprotection

Personal Flotation Devicesndash 33 CFR Part 175In March 1973 the Coast Guard issued regulationsto require the carriage of PFDs on non-motorizedrecreational vessels Before the FBSA only motor-boats were subject to such carriage requirementsThe regulations also classified PFDs into five typesto indicate the general level of performance

The Coast Guard published regulations thatrequire certain children to wear a PFDKeep your family safe

JulyndashSeptember 2003 Proceedings 9


There has also been a significant downward trendin the number of deaths caused by drowning Forinstance 82 percent of the boating deaths werecaused by drowning in 1990 compared to 70 percentin 1999 Fatalities from capsizing have decreasedfrom an annual average of 600 to less than 250 fatal-ities from floodingsinkinghave decreased by 50 percentand fatalities from fires andexplosions have decreasedfrom 20 to less than five peryear

Recently Published RegulationsThe following is a descriptionof regulations that the Officeof Boating Safety has recentlypublished

Wearing of PFDs by CertainChildren Aboard RecreationalVessels (USCG-2000-8589) This rulemaking establishedfederal requirements forcertain children aboard recre-ational vessels to wear PFDsin order to reduce the numberof drowning fatalities In anaverage year nine out ofevery 10 victims whodrowned was not wearing aPFD The Coast Guardpublished a broad notice ofrequest for comments aboutthe need for and alternativesto federal requirements orincentives for individualsonboard boats to wear PFDs and published amore focused request for comments The CoastGuard summarized the comments received andconsulted with the National Boating SafetyAdvisory Council (NBSAC) NBSAC recommendedthat the Coast Guard propose federal requirementsfor children 12 years of age and under to wearPFDs At its meeting in May 2000 NBSAC reviewedthe issues and public comments and recommendedthat the Coast Guard proceed with a rulemaking forchildren 12 and under to wear PFDs when not in anenclosed area while the vessel is underway NBSACalso recommended that the federal requirementsnot preempt existing state requirements The CoastGuard published the Notice of ProposedRulemaking (NPRM) on May 1 2001 and consultedwith NBSAC at its October 2001 meeting NBSAC

recommended that the Coast Guard proceed to afinal rule as proposed

The Final Rule was published on Feb 27 2002 andbecame effective on March 29 2002 After the rulewas published a State Boating Law Administrator

alerted us to potential enforce-ment problems resulting fromdifferences between stateswhich had vessel length limi-tations and the Coast Guardwhich did not have vessellength limitations At the sametime as the Coast Guardprepared guidance for board-ing officers on the fine pointsof enforcement the samepotential enforcement prob-lems with these differenceswere observed The CoastGuard decided to withdrawthe Final Rule as it stood andrectify the problem As a resulta Final Rule (Withdrawal) waspublished on March 27 2002

effective on publicationAn Interim Rule was pub-

lished on June 24 2002 [67 FR42488] that set a federal

requirement and adoptedall statesrsquo requirements

that have require-ments for children to

wear PFDs The InterimRule became effective Dec

23 2002

Raising the Threshold ofProperty Damage for Reports of AccidentsInvolving Recreational Vessels (USCG-1999-6094)

This rulemaking raised the federal threshold ofdamage to vessels and other property from $500 to$2000 or more per accident Because of inflationsince the reporting threshold was last revised the$500 threshold required the reporting of increasingnumbers of minor incidents Raising the federalthreshold of damage to vessels and other propertyto $2000 or more per accident provided for aconsistent statistical base and reduced the admin-istrative burden on the Coast Guard and stateaccident investigating personnel as well as thereporting burden on the boating public Statecasualty reporting systems may continue to require

Just two years after pas-sage of the FBSA in 1973there was a record high

1754 reported recreationalboating fatalities and aboutsix million registered boats

Then by 2001 only 681boating fatalities were

reported while the numberof registered boatshad grown to morethan 128

million


submission of accident reports at a lower thresholdthan that required by the Coast Guard The CoastGuard published a final rule on May 1 2001 whichbecame effective July 2 2001 A Final Rule partialsuspension of rule with request for comments waspublished on June 26 2001 to further consider arequirement to report all multi-vessel accidents TheCoast Guard published the Final Rule withdrawingthe suspended provision on March 27 2002 [67 FR14643] effective upon publication

Revision to Federal Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)Standard for Recreational Vessel Operators (USCG-1998-4593) This rulemaking revised the federal standard ofintoxication for operators of recreational vessels bylowering the federal Blood Alcohol Concentration(BAC) limit from 10 to 08 With respect to recre-ational vessels on navigable waters within stateboundaries the Coast Guard continues to adoptBAC limits enacted by respective state jurisdictionsThis rulemaking revised the rule adopting stateBAC limits to account for recent developments instate boating legislation by removing languagereferencing state statutory schemes that no longerexist The rule added language to reference statutory

schemes that have come into existence since thepromulgation of the 10 federal BAC limit forrecreational vessels This rulemaking also insertedthe words under the influence of alcohol or a dan-gerous drug in violation of a law of the UnitedStates in place of the word intoxication where itappears in Titles 33 of the Code of FederalRegulations That change affected only sectionsinvolving operators of recreational vessels Thepurpose of that change is to bring those regulationsinto conformity with the language of 46 USC2302(c) as amended by the Oil Pollution Act of1990 The Final Rule was published on Jan 10 2001effective on May 11 2001

Lives Saved Thanks to Smart RegulationsThe Office of Boating Safety believes that the regu-lations that have been promulgated along withother RBS efforts such as promoting the benefits ofPFD use have significantly contributed to thedecline in fatalities related to recreational boatingBecause of these regulations many recreationalboaters are still cruising fishing skiing relaxingand enjoying our nationrsquos waterways The Office ofBoating Safety will continue to do its part toadvance safe boating for everyone

Together the Coast Guard and manufacturers are considering regulations to make personal watercraft safer 0Copyright 2003 USCG and its licensors


Measuring the Safety of Recreational Boaters

by BRUCE SCHMIDT


Recreational boating activityhas grown at an

amazing rate throughout the last several yearswith approximately 76 million adult (age 16 andover) participants along with millions more youthnow participating in the United States The mostsignificant increases in recent years are in personalwatercraft (PWC) and canoekayak use Furtherthe number of recreational boats has increasedalong with this growing participation In 1962there were 35 million state-registered recreationalboats By 2001 that number had grown to approxi-mately 13 million (Figure 1) which does notinclude an estimated four million additional recre-ational boats that are non-motorized exemptingthem from registration requirements in most statesWith approximately one-third of the US popula-tion enjoying recreational boating our nationrsquoswaterways support a diverse population of vesseltraffic with each segment having unique needsuser requirements and a responsibility to operatetheir vessels in a safe manner

Recreational boating participation soared followingWorld War II and into the early 1970sUnfortunately so did the number of relatedaccidents and fatalities In 1973 there were 1754boating fatalities reportedmdasha record highmdashand just

more than six million state-registered recreationalboats Thatrsquos when the US Coast Guard and itspartners implemented the National RecreationalBoating Safety Program which enhanced boatmanufacturing standards solicited the assistance ofthe states and improved boating regulationsThirty years later more than twice as many state-registered boats are on the water but 1000 fewerreported fatalities (Figure 2) This downward trendin the number of reported boating fatalities is anincredible success story given the continuallyincreasing number of boaters and registered boats

The best available measures of safety in recreation-al boating are accident injury and fatality rates thatadjust the number of incidents to the changing boatpopulation It is important to note that factors suchas the weather the economy and security concernshave an effect on the number and activity level ofrecreational vessels Thus the most meaningfulmeasure of safety would be based on the exposureof boaters to the risks of boating measured inpassenger-hours but such detailed annual nation-wide information is not currently available This isthe challenge for the future as we strive to imple-ment such a measurement to further define theproblems and thus strive for even more effectiveresolutions


In 1963 there were 33 fatalities for every 100000state-registered vessels Almost 40 years later thereare only six fatalities for every 100000 vessels(Figure 3) While this boating fatality rate providesencouraging news recreational boating deaths arestill second only to highways in the number oftransportation-related fatalities

Additionally the numbers of reported non-fatalaccidents and injuries continue to remain at highlevels The primary causes of these accidents areoperator inattention carelessreckless operationoperator inexperience operating at an excessivespeed and no proper lookout

The latest accident statistics show seven out ofevery 10 boating deaths were caused by drowningMore alarming of those victims who drownednine out of every 10 deaths might have beenprevented if the boaters had simply worn their

personal flotation device (PFD) From 1997 through2001 approximately 470 lives could have beensaved each year if drowning victims had worn theirPFD It is noteworthy to report that accident datashow a strong downward trend in the number ofboating deaths caused by drowning during the last10 years This data suggests that RecreationalBoating Safety (RBS) outreach and awarenesscampaigns that encourage boaters to wear a PFDand additional state laws requiring PWC riders andyouth on boats to wear PFDs are having an impactin saving lives

The Coast Guard works diligently with the statesand boating safety organizations to implement acci-dent prevention and response measures Thesuccess of these safety efforts is substantiallydependent on the effectiveness of many state-runlaw enforcement and education programs as wellas education programs provided by various boat-

Registered Recreational Vessels1962ndash2001

Fig

ure

1


ing safety organizations These combined effortsstrive to alter boater behavior positively but this isa difficult task

Boaters increase their risk of being involved in afatal accident when they overload andor improp-erly load their small vessel (ie less than 20 feet inlength) with passengers andor gear When theseboaters consume alcohol choose not to wear theirPFD and improperly distribute weight in thevessel their risk increases significantly Becausethese boaters ignored the inherent risks associatedwith recreational boating activity the end result is acapsized vessel with the occupants fallingoverboard into an environment where they areunprepared to survive

To reduce the number of reported accidentsinjuries fatalities and associated health care costs

the Coast Guardrsquos Office of Boating Safety hasimplemented a risk-based decision-making(RBDM) process This will facilitate better organ-ized information about the probability of one ormore negative outcomes (ie vessel collisionscapsizings falls overboard drownings) associatedwith the use of recreational vessels Further RBDMwill help measure the effectiveness of RBS activities(ie education outreachawareness productassurance) in minimizing risks associated withboating as well as assist in making more prudentresource allocation decisions

Using RBDM observations show that accidentscaused by lack of operator proficiency remain at anunacceptable level The latest statistics show thatonly 22 percent of vessel operators involved in acci-dents reported receiving some form of boatingsafety instruction Of the 681 boating fatalities in

Recreational Boating Fatalities1962ndash2001

Fig

ure

2


2001 only 11 percent occurred aboard boats wherethe operator reported receiving some form of boat-ing safety instruction By increasing the proficiencyof boat operators it is estimated that an annualreduction of 1759 accidents 1192 injuries and 76fatalities By increasing PFD wear it is estimatedthat 323 lives can be saved each year To helpaddress the most reported type of boating acci-dentmdashcollisionsmdashthe Coast Guard Office ofBoating Safety is pursuing a federal regulationregarding a Safe Maneuvering Standard for allrecreational vessels In efforts to modify the behav-ior of recreational boaters a multi-year public out-reach campaign titled ldquoYoursquore In Commandrdquo hascommenced that provides safety information andresources to the boating public for safe operation ofrecreational vessels and associated equipment

In conclusion the Office of Boating Safety iscommitted to ensuring the safety of recreationalboaters Using comprehensive measures to definethe problems the Coast Guard will continue towork with all state partners and other organiza-tions in developing effective programs to enhancecompliance with safety standards for recreationalboats and equipment promote the wearing of PFDsby all boaters and enforce the wearing of PFDs byyouths improve boater behavior skills and knowl-edge intensify enforcement of boating-under-the-influence (BUI) statutes and conduct Coast GuardAuxiliaryUS Power Squadrons Vessel SafetyChecks and boating education courses to promotethe safe operation of boats and use of safety equip-ment The results will be more lives savedmdashalwaysthe mission of the Office of Boating Safety

Fatalities Per 100000 Registered Recreational Vessels

1962ndash2001

Fig

ure

3


Granting Safety with NonprofitOrganizations

by VICKIE HARTBERGER and JEANNE TIMMONS


SSupporting state boating programsthrough the Recreational Boating Safety(RBS) Grant Program is a very effectivemethod of improving and coordinatingindividual state RBS efforts However

some safety goals can be accomplished more effi-ciently and effectively through a coordinated effortat the national level Section 13103(c) of Title 46United States Code provides that up to 5 percent ofthe grant funds appropriated for allocation to thestates may be used to fund boating safety activitiesof national nonprofit public service organizationsFunding for the nonprofit organization grant pro-gram has grown from $650000 in fiscal year (FY)1985 to $3 million for FY 2003 Projects funded by

this program range from small one-time efforts thatprovide specific services or products to multi-yearendeavors affecting all aspects of the boating safetyprogram

Some projects are designed to fulfill a specific safe-ty informationeducational need while othersinvolve research into common boating safety con-cerns For example the United Safe Boating

Institute and the BOATUS Foundation havedeveloped various boating safety materials toaddress concerns about fatalities of ldquonontradition-alrdquo boaters such as hunters and fishermen whomay view boats merely as platforms for their sportAlso JSI Research and Training is developing anational estimate of how often personal flotationdevices (PFDs) are worn by recreational boatersThe American Boat amp Yacht Council is conducting avaluable carbon monoxide workshop The MarineSafety Foundation is conducting PersonalWatercraft Accident Analysis and the AmericanCanoe Association and the US Power Squadronsare developing and distributing safety materials onspecific boating activities

Other projects were designed to develop pilotprograms for potential use by government agenciesor private sector organizations For example theNational Association of State Boating LawAdministrators (NASBLA) is creating training sem-inars for marine patrol officers specifically address-ing boating and alcohol enforcement

SSoommee pprroojjeeccttss aarree ddeessiiggnneedd ttoo ffuullffiillll aa ssppeecciiffiicc ssaaffeettyy iinnffoorrmmaattiioonneedduuccaattiioonnaall nneeeedd wwhhiillee ootthheerrss iinnvvoollvvee rreesseeaarrcchh

iinnttoo ccoommmmoonn bbooaattiinngg ssaaffeettyy ccoonncceerrnnss


Several grantee organizations have provided long-term support for boating safety activities throughrecurring grant projects NASBLA through its com-mittees promotes uniformity of laws on variousboating safety issues and produces a bimonthlypublication titled Small Craft Advisory whichprovides boating safety information to thousands ofboating safety personnel representatives of govern-ment agencies and private sector organizations ThePower Squadrons conduct a national safe boatingtest NASBLA has developed and is conductingnational recreational boating accident investigationseminars to improve uniformity and completenessin accident reporting More than 95 percent of the250 to 300 seminar attendees each year are state orlocal boating safety personnel responsible forsubmitting accident data compiled in the annualboating statistics published by the US CoastGuard The National Safe Boating Council (NSBC)has hosted the annual National Boating EducationSummit since 1984 which is now combined withthe National Water Safety Congressrsquo annual meet-ing The combined event is known as theInternational Boating and Water Safety Summit Inconjunction with the Coast Guard and NASBLAthe NSBC also has conducted the annual NationalSafe Boating campaign since 1986

While not specifically designed to aid only stateefforts several grant projects prove to be of greatvalue to state authorities NASBLA continues tostudy various aspects of boating under the influ-ence of alcohol or drugs To address the need forbetter boating accident data the Center forRecreational Communication is conducting an

analysis for nationwide boating accident datacollection and the Emergency Nurses Associationis also collecting boating injury data on patientswho have been treated in emergency roomsBecause of continued concerns about congestion onAmericarsquos waters a grant was awarded to theNational Water Safety Congress to update a com-prehensive guide to multiple-use waterwaymanagement that was developed under a previousgrant several years ago

With all of these exceptional projects being com-pleted the effectiveness of the National RBSProgram has grown exponentially To all of thepartners in boating safety thanks for the tremen-dous job that you do

Grants help fundmiddot Safety materials for nontraditional boatersmiddot National estimate of PFD use by recreational

middot Carbon monoxide workshopmiddot Personal watercraft accident analysismiddot Safety materials on boating activitiesmiddot Safety course addressing alcohol use while on

middot Uniformity of lawsmiddot Publicationsmiddot National safe boating testmiddot Seminars to improve accident reportingmiddot International Boating amp Water Safety Summitmiddot National Safe Boating Campaignmiddot Boating injury data and statisticsmiddot Guide to multiple-use waterway management

boaters

boats


Recreational Boating Safety

State Grant Program

by LYNNE CARLISS AUDREY PICKUP KATHY POOLE and JEANNE TIMMONS

US Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety US Coast Guard Office of Boating SafetyProgram Operations Division Program Management Division

The importanceof thes t a t e s rsquo

efforts as a component of the National RecreationalBoating Safety Program cannot be overemphasizedAbout 80 percent of recreational boating fatalitieseach year occur on inland waters (lakes and rivers)where the US Coast Guard has little or no pres-ence or on sole state waters where the Coast Guardhas no jurisdiction In both cases states providesearch and rescue and boating law enforcementThe Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) State GrantProgram provides essential funding to assist thestates in providing those critical services to millionsof Americans each year

How it BeganAlthough the Federal Boat Safety Act (FBSA) of1971 included many components that have signifi-cantly improved the safety of American boatersone of the most important was establishment of theRBS Federal Financial Assistance Program toencourage greater State participation and unifor-mity in boating safety efforts and particularly topermit the States to assume the greater share ofboating safety education assistance and enforce-ment activities (46 USC 13101) Under the FBSAfunding for the State RBS Grant Program whichwas provided from general revenue through theCoast Guards Operating Expenses appropriations

was considered ldquoseed moneyrdquo for the short term toget states more involved in boating safety Federalfunding for the program was to decrease through-out a five-year period until that funding would beeliminated However because of the popularity ofthe program Congress reauthorized it twice until itfinally expired in 1979

To continue the grant program Congress needed tofind ldquouser feerdquo fundsmdashinstead of generalrevenuesmdashfor a program that benefited only a por-tion of the American public This was accomplishedwhen the program was reauthorized by theRecreational Boating Safety and FacilitiesImprovement Act of 1980 (the Biaggi Act) TheBiaggi Act provided that a portion of the federalexcise tax receipts attributable to motorboat fuel usewould be transferred from the Highway Trust Fundto a new Recreational Boating Safety fund to pay forthe State RBS Grant Program In utilizing the fueltaxes being paid by boaters the Biaggi Act ensuredthat those receiving the benefits of the programwould also pay the costs The first appropriationsunder this new mechanism were approved in 1982

In 1984 Sen Malcolm Wallop of Wyoming andthen-Rep (now Sen) John Breaux of Louisianasponsored legislation to create the AquaticResources (Wallop-Breaux) Trust Fund to improve


funding to the states for the RBS Program adminis-tered by the Coast Guard and the Sport FishRestoration Program administered by the US Fishand Wildlife Service The legislation provided thatthe two separate funds for those programs wouldbecome individual accounts under the singleumbrella of the new Wallop-Breaux Trust Fund Thestate grant programs funded through Wallop-Breaux are excellent examples of ldquouser paysuser ben-efitsrdquo since all monies deposited into the trust fundare paid by boaters and fishermen No general taxrevenues are involved

Wallop-Breaux Trust Fund receipts consist of feder-al excise taxes attributable to motorboat and small-engine fuel use and on sport fishing equipmentalong with import duties on fishing equipmentyachts and pleasure craft The Boat Safety Accountis funded solely from motorboat fuel taxes TheSport Fish Restoration Account receives a portion ofthe fuel tax as well as all other trust fund receipts In1984 total receipts in Wallop-Breaux were less than$150 million In FY04 total trust fund receipts willreach $500 million and by FY09 receipts are expect-ed to exceed $560 million

Subsequent reauthorizations of the RBS Programhave provided for a combination of discretionaryappropriations from the Boat Safety Account andtransfer of mandatory funds from the Sport FishRestoration Account Since 1999 no discretionaryappropriations have been provided from the BoatSafety Account All funds for the RBS Program havebeen provided through transfer from the Sport FishRestoration Account which has enjoyed a perma-nent-indefinite (mandatory) appropriation of itsreceipts since 1951 For the five years from FY99through FY03 the Coast Guard has received $59million per year for the State RBS Grant Program Inaddition the Coast Guard receives $5 million peryear from the Wallop-Breaux Trust Fund to coordi-nate and carry out the National RBS Program

How it WorksThe State RBS Grant Program is administered bythe Coast Guardrsquos Office of Boating Safety (G-OPB)To be eligible to participate in the grant program astate recreational boating safety program mustinclude

middot a vessel numbering (registration) system approved by the Coast Guard

middot a cooperative boating safety assistance program with the Coast Guard

middot sufficient patrol and other activity to ensure adequate enforcement of state boating safety laws and regulations

middot a state boating safety education program including the dissemination of informationconcerning the hazards of operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs and

middot a marine casualty reporting system

All states US territories and the District ofColumbia participate in the RBS Grant Program

Of the funds appropriated for the state RBSprograms the Coast Guard is authorized to retainnot more than two percent for the costs of adminis-tering the State Grant Program and up to 5 percentfor grants to national nonprofit public serviceorganizations to conduct national boating safetyactivities The balance along with unused prior-year administrative and grant funds is allocated tothe states in one-third shares as follows dividedequally among participating states one-thirdprorated based on the number of vessels registeredby the state and one-third prorated based on theamount of the states prior-year expenditures forboating safety

Statute provides that federal funds paid for a statesboating safety program may be used for any of thefollowingmiddot providing facilities equipment and

supplies for boating safety education and

Only 135 cents of the 183 cents feder-al excise tax on gasoline attributable tomotorboat use is being transferred toWallop-Breaux Legislation recentlyhas been introduced by Rep E ClayShaw Jr of Florida to recover theremaining 48 cents of motorboat fueltaxes that is currently going to theGeneral Fund This would provide anadditional $110 million per year forWallop-Breaux


law enforcement including purchase oper-ation maintenance and repair

middot training personnel in skills related to boat-ing safety and to the enforcement of boat-ing safety laws and regulations

middot providing public boating safety educa-tion including educational programs and lectures to the boating community and the public school system

middot acquiring constructing or repairing publicaccess sites used primarily by recreational boaters

middot conducting boating safety inspections and marine casualty investigations

middot establishing and maintaining emergency or search and rescue facilities and providing emergency or search and rescue assistance

middot establishing and maintaining waterway markers and other appropriate aids to navigation and

middot providing state recreational vessel numbering and titling programs

Not more than one-half of a statersquos RBS programexpenditures can be reimbursed by the CoastGuard In other words states must match the feder-al funds with their own dollar-for-dollar Somestates with small programs cannot use all of theirallocated funds However many states spendsignificantly more on their boating safety programsNationally for the past decade total state spendingon boating safety each year has averaged four tofive state dollars for each federal dollar provided

State RBS Program expenditures are reported in sixmajor categories

AdministrationIncludes support services and facilities for otheractivities such as fiscal and record-keeping func-tions of the program as well as planning legislative

FY02 Total Expenditures of Federal and State RBS P r o g r a m

Combined Federal and State

Federal Funds

State Funds


and regulatory functions waterway managementinitiatives and (in a few states) subgrant adminis-tration and auditing A major facet of the statesrsquo RBSprograms under this category would be their boat-ing accident reporting systems The informationprovided by these accident reports helps the CoastGuard understand the causes of accidents to moreeffectively address the issues that may preventthem

Law EnforcementSARJust as the majority of the Coast Guardrsquos costs arefor personnel and equipment most RBS funds arespent by the states on personnel training andequipment for boating law enforcement Thepresence of officers on the water is a deterrent tounsafe boating behavior thus reducing accidentsand fatalities or injuries as well as improvingsecurity of critical infrastructure such as nuclearfacilities dams and bridges Along with the tradi-tional enforcement duties of stopping violators andissuing citations or warnings as well as search andrescue (or recovery) operations enforcementincludes many other functions Among them areaccident and stolen vessel investigations or provid-ing assistance to boaters In many instances aroutine boarding to check for safety equipment canprovide an opportunity to educate the boater onother safety issues thus turning a potentiallynegative contact into a positive one

EducationBoater education is one of the most importantaspects of the statesrsquo RBS efforts because most boat-ing accidents involve operators who have not takena boating safety course As a result more states aremoving toward mandatory education of at leastsome segments of the boater population such asyouth or operators of personal watercraft

However most boater education still is voluntaryMany sources are available from the traditionalclassroom courses taught by volunteer instruc-torsmdashsuch as the Coast Guard Auxiliary and USPower Squadrons or state boating safety officersmdashto more ldquotechrdquo avenues via the Internet The educa-tion segment also includes broader ldquoawarenessrdquoapproaches such as radio and TV public serviceannouncements billboards or brochures aimed atboaters and informational kiosks at boat rampsSpecific programs also have been developed forvarious problem areas (impaired operation huntersand anglers who view their boats just as platformsfor their sport etc)

Registration and TitlingIn the Federal Boating Act of 1958 the Coast Guardwas given the authority to approve vessel number-ing systems implemented by the states and territo-ries if they complied with the federal numberingsystem Currently all states and territories havebeen approved to do so Registration periods rangefrom one year up to a maximum of three years Inaddition to the revenue derived from registrationfees which can (along with state marine fuel taxesand general revenue funds) be used to providematching dollars for federal RBS grant funds statevessel registration systems provide information onthe size and location of the boating population tohelp boating program staff identify where best toconcentrate efforts The information collected in thestate registration systems will also be the backbonefor the Vessel Identification System (VIS) whichwill provide a central database for all registeredwatercraft in the United States In addition to itsoriginal purpose of assisting in interstate boat trans-fers and in tracking stolen vessels VIS can be a sig-nificant factor in the Coast Guardrsquos MaritimeDomain Awareness initiatives by providing federalstate and local law enforcement personnel with cen-tralized access to information on the 13 million reg-istered recreational vessels in our country

Navigational AidsWith more and more boats on the water it is impor-tant to ensure that navigational aids are maintainedand that waterway hazards and restricted zones areappropriately marked As the number and varietyof watercraft increases these ldquosignposts of thewaterrdquo are essential for maintaining a sense of orderin the traffic on our waterways

Public AccessImprovements in boating access sites can also beimportant to state RBS programs since many boat-ing accidents occur near access facilities where thewaters are crowded While providing safe and reli-able access to lakes rivers and the ocean accesssites also provide a contact point for boating safetyinformation For example the Coast GuardAuxiliary and Power Squadrons often use them fortheir free Vessel Safety Checks (VSCs) and stateslocate kiosks with boating safety information ataccess sites Access projects also can include relatedfacilities such as pumpout stations and restroomswhich help to keep our waters clean

State Budget Needs

Recreational boating safety programs in each state have been greatly improved by Wallop-Breaux funding While boat-ing safety programs have saved an estimated 29000 lives there is still much work to be done As the number of recre-ational boaters increases the demand for additional services also will continue to grow

The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) contracted with Responsive Management inHarrisonburg VA to conduct a national assessment of future funding needs for state Recreational Boating SafetyPrograms The estimated funding needs were generated by creating a state-by-state valuation of expenditures per boatfor each state in 2001 and applying that relationship to projected numbers of boats for 2004 and 2013 The report projectsfunding required to sustain RBS at current program levels it does not quantify increased funding needed to address newinitiatives and program expansions

Current amp Projected Number of Boats and StateTerritorial Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) Expenditures


2001Actual

2004Estimated

2013Estimated

Total State RBSExpenditures

$ 265801346 $307793545 $477932430

Total NumberedBoats

12736759 13316102 $15217090

Copies of the full report withstate-by-state as well asnational numbers is availablefrom NASBLA atwwwnasblaorg or byphone at (859) 225-9487

State Recreational Boating ProgramFY 2003 Allocations

Western States plus American Samoa Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands

Northern States

Southern States plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

TOTAL FEDERAL ALLOCATIONS BY REGION


Marine Patrol OfficersPlay Important Role

in Boating Safety

by JOE CARRO

US Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety Program Operations Division

Courtesy Boston Whaler Commercial and Government Products Inc


of the US CoastGuardrsquos most impor-

tant partnerships is itsrelationship with thestate marine patrols

The contributions ofmarine patrol officers inthe overall success ofAmericarsquos boating safetyprograms cannot beoverstated In recogni-tion of that fact theCoast Guard hosts acourse titled MarinePatrol Officers Course(MPOC) that is specifi-cally designed and tailored to these officers

MPOC has become one of the real jewels of theNational Recreational Boating Safety Program Thecourse first established in 1983 as the NationalBoating Safety Instructors Course (NBSIC) wasdesigned to train maritime law enforcement officersin the enforcement of boating safety laws and regulations

Throughout the years the target students and theschoolrsquos mission have changed Employing thetrain-the-trainer philosophy these changes includ-ed developing instructor skills with the goal ofcreating instructors of boating safety for theirrespective home states and individual agencies

Todayrsquos MPOC is the result of valuable feedbackfrom students instructors and lessons learned froma one-time prototype course the Advanced MarinePatrol Officers Course (AMPOC) which providedan excellent test bed for curricula that marine patrolofficers had been requesting for some time Thestudentsmdashall graduates of previous NBSIC class-esmdashreceived instruction and hands-on training intopics ranging from defensive tactics tactical boathandling navigation skills and boarding proce-dures to a law enforcement survival swim

AMPOC provided valuable information includingthe realization that a course of this magnitudewhile truly a great product was not sustainablebecause it required the coordination of too manyorganizations The Maritime Law Enforcement(MLE) School staff needed the help of many agen-cies and staff members including the 41-foot UTB(Utility Boat) System Center at the Coast GuardTraining Center in Yorktown Va boats and crews

and the Virginia MarineResources Commissionwhich supplied small boatsand additional personnelTheir involvement demon-strated interagency cooper-ation at its best

Ever evolving andimproving the currentcurriculum includes thecore classes of instructordevelopment boatingsafety carriage require-ments and boatingunder the influence(BUI) instruction amongothers It also includes

updated versions of some previously offered class-es including navigation rules stolen vessel investi-gation and boating accident first-responder skills

Both the stolen vessel and accident investigationclasses bring yet other boating safety partners to thecourse including representatives and instructorsfrom the International Association of MarineInvestigations (IAMI) and Underwriters Laboratories(UL)

The current MPOC is two weeks long and isconducted three times each year at the Coast GuardTraining Center in Yorktown Va The training thatofficers receive at MPOC can be put to use immedi-ately Another added benefit is the improvednetworking among agencies Three times a year 32law enforcement officers and Coast Guard person-nel interact for two intensive weeks of trainingdiscussing boating safety issues problems andconcerns These sessions both formal and informalhave led to solutions for both simple and sometimesextremely complex concerns with boating safetylaw enforcement and training

The returns from government programs can some-times be difficult to measure or gauge This is notthe case with MPOC There is little doubt with thisprogram that the boating public and the states havereceived an impressive return on their investment

To date the program has nearly 2000 graduatesmdashmarine patrol officers from all 56 states and territo-ries They all have the same goal to promoteboating safety though education enforcement andtraining MPOC has helped provide the skills andknowledge to reach that goal

Marine Patrol Officers from the Texas Parks andWildlife Department converse with a PWC operatorCourtesy Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

One


Graduating class and instructors from the Marine Patrol Officers Course

The current Marine Patrol Officerrsquos Course is the finest courseof its type to be offered anywhere The course is two weeks long

and is conducted three times each year at the Coast Guard Training Center in Yorktown Va

The instructors borrowed from the Maritime Law EnforcementSchool staff are subject matter experts

and some of the finest instructors to be found anywhere


Youre in Command Boat Safely

The Genesis of the Initiative

by JOHN MALATAK


ecreational boating fatalities continue todecline but there are still far too manydeaths injuries and accidents involvingrecreational boaters on our nations water-ways An average of 700 recreationalboaters die each year and the great majori-

ty of them could easily have been preventedFurthermore while the number of recreationalboating deaths is less than half what it was threedecades ago the number of accidents and seriousinjuries has climbed unabated Responding tototally preventable recreational boating accidentsconsumes valuable resources of federal state andlocal maritime law enforcement resources thatcould otherwise be focused on homeland securityefforts on the water

For some time it has been a goal of the US CoastGuards Office of Boating Safety (G-OPB) to unifyits programs and funding relating to boating safetymarketing and education under one multi-year out-reach effort The National Recreational BoatingSafety Outreach Program officially began with theawarding of a task order to PCI CommunicationsInc an agency based in Alexandria Va

Marketing research began in September 2002 andconcluded in late November with a report to theOffice of Boating Safety and to Coast Guard

Auxiliary and US Power Squadrons representa-tives Among the key findings that will help toguide the outreach effort

middot Most boaters think they are safe alreadyThey equate safety with equipmentmdashlife jackets fire extinguishers and radiosmdashanddanger with the behavior of other boatersTherefore telling them to boat safe or smart is not enough they must be encour-aged to boat safer at a new level of safety(Remember the drive defensively campaignthat suggests you drive as if the ldquoother guyrdquo will do something stupid any minuteItrsquos the same concept)

middot Recreational boating safety is suffering from concept clutter There is so much information coming from so many differentpurveyors that little is being retained

middot The Vessel Safety Check program is knownand well regarded but few boaters know how to find a vessel examiner when they need a check

middot Boaters liked the idea of Americas BoatingCourse (ABC) but many Auxiliary and Power Squadron members question if it may hinder their own classroom training and membership recruiting efforts

middot Though they are concerned about inebriat-

RR


ed boaters few boaters consider their own drinking to be a problemmdashand fewer still understand the effect of waterborne stressors

middot Boaters may be motivated more by pocketbook issues than fear of accidentsmdashdis- counts on insurance premiums for taking safety measures or stiffer fines and penalties for viola-tions provide the greatest leverage for behavior change

On the basis of this research astrategy to unite the manymessages of the NationalRecreational Boating SafetyOutreach program wasdeveloped

The goal was to brand boatingsafetymdashto create a nationwideidentification for the idea ofboating safermdashand thus breakthrough the oversupply ofboating safety informationThis would serve as anumbrella to bring together thedisparate messages ofrecreational boating safety

The team searched for a wordtheme that would serve thegoals of the national outreacheffort After consideringdozens of alternatives theOffice of Boating Safety select-ed the phrase ldquoYoursquore inCommand Boat Safelyrdquo Alogo that graphically depictsthe initiative and sets the lookfeel and color scheme wasalso approved in early January2003 The initiative will be con-sistently identified as Broughtto you by the US CoastGuard

The word theme and accompa-nying logo which depicts ashiprsquos wheel and bow break-ing through waves have test-

ed well Boaters immediately understood themessagemdashthat as captain (boat operator) they bearthe responsibility for their behavior on the waterThe graphic image places viewers at the helm


accountable for their own safety and the safety ofpassengers and other boaters The theme easilyaccommodates the various subthemes of the initia-tive for example Youre in Command Get a VesselSafety Check or Youre in Command TakeAmericas Boating Course etc

The National Recreational Boating Safety OutreachProgram will focus on making recreational boaterssafer while enjoying their time spent on the waterOur outreach efforts will initially focus on the FourPrinciples of Safe Boating in Operation BoatSmart(1) the importance of wearing life jackets(2) boater education (specifically the ABC course)(3) Vessel Safety Check (VSC) Program (includingeducating to the potential dangers of carbonmonoxide exposure) and (4) Boating Under theInfluence (BUI) The Office of Boating Safety firstdeveloped materials to better market the VSC pro-gram and ABC two joint cooperative efforts by theCoast Guard Auxiliary and the Power SquadronsWork has begun on materials that target anglersand hunters two boater populations that togetherconstitute about one-third of all boating deaths Themain theme for these user groups will be the impor-tance of wearing a properly fitting life jacket sincethat is by far the biggest factor in these deaths

The Office of Boating Safety has also developed asection on our Youre in Command Resource CenterWeb site wwwuscgboatingorg Here boatingsafety advocates can find an ever-expanding varietyof tools resources images and downloadable filesto help promote Youre in Command VSC ABCBUI life jacket wear etc We are also making greatstrides toward promoting the program throughmedia relations and coalitions with manufacturersdealers other boating hunting angling and out-doors interest groups and associated industriesYou can expect to see articles public serviceannouncements and features branded with Yourein Command first in Auxiliary Power Squadronsand the National Association of State Boating LawAdministrators (NASBLA) publications then laterin the trade and general press

Yoursquore in Command should be viewed as the exter-nal marketing tool for any and all OperationBoatSmart partners for the identified high-risk orldquotargetrdquo boaters in their region that need attentionand the underlying factors (lack of PFD wear lackof boater education alcohol use etc) (See the relat-ed article on Operation BoatSmart partners onpages 68ndash71) Yoursquore in Command helps unify theFour Principles bringing resources and marketingassistance to take these messages more effectively tothe boating public

Youre in Command and the National RecreationalBoating Safety Outreach program itself willdepend heavily upon the partnership and supportof the Coast Guard Auxiliary and PowerSquadrons These two groups represent a huge net-work of dedicated and enthusiastic boating safetyproponents who will now have access to the toolsresources and national publicity they have longneeded

The Office of Boating Safety looks forward to work-ing with the Auxiliary Power Squadrons NASBLAthe National Water Safety Congress the NationalSafe Boating Council and others throughout theYoure in Command initiative The energy effortand connections of the nations two premier volun-teer boating safety organizations coupled with acommunications agency will be invaluable in oureffort to change the behavior of recreational boatersreduce accidents and save lives on the nationswaterways

You are in charge of your own safety on the waterCourtesy Sporting Lives Inc


Checking Vessel Safety

to Reduce Risk

by VANN BURGESS


is a sign seen at many marinas boat ramps andmarine supply stores around the country Usuallynearby are very courteous people wearing theinsignia of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary or USPower Squadrons busily inspecting boatsMany who see these signs ask ldquoSo what isa Vessel Safety Checkrdquo

Vessel Safety Check (VSC) is a relativelynew name for an established boating safetyprogram known as the Courtesy MarineExamination (CME) The CME has longbeen associated with the Coast GuardAuxiliary and involved a free examinationof a personrsquos boat This examinationchecked for all required equipment and itscondition inspected the vesselrsquos generalseaworthiness and provided a pleasantlypresented ldquominirdquo education course onboating safely Approximately four yearsago the CME underwent a re-engineeringThe VSC is a result of that effort

The VSC program is now a partnershipbetween the Coast Guard Auxiliary and thePower Squadrons This partnering efforthas increased the work force therebyincreasing the number of boaters that canbe reached annually

The VSC is still a free bow-to-stern inspection of apersonrsquos boat These inspections are conducted byqualified Vessel Examiners (VEs) from either theAuxiliary or the Power Squadrons

A Coast Guard Auxiliarist performs a vessel safety checkwhich can be completed in approximately 20 minutes

ldquoldquoGGeett yyoouurr FFRREEEE VVeesssseellSSaaffeettyy CChheecckk HHeerreerdquordquo



middot Offshore Operationsmiddot Nautical ChartsNavigation

Aidsmiddot Survival TipsFirst Aid

FuelingFuel Managementmiddot Float PlanWeather amp Sea

Conditionsmiddot Insurance Considerationsmiddot Boating Check List

middot Safe Boating Classes

The VSC is not a law enforcementaction and no fines or penalties can

result from a failure to pass As a matterof fact a VSC may save the boater some

money Some insurance companies offer discountsto boaters who have successfully completed a VSC

To have the vessel inspected simply contact amember of the local Coast Guard Auxiliary orPower Squadrons Phone numbers for both organi-zations are listed in phone directoriesAnnouncements are often posted in the local news-paper when VSCs are going to be conducted at alocal marina or boat ramp Once a VE has beenreached the boater and the VE will agree on a timeand location A VSC takes approximately 20 min-utes to complete and is certainly time well spent

The Coast Guard recommends that a boater get aVSC at the beginning of each boating seasonThings can go wrong on the water with dangerouseven fatal results A VSC can go a long waytowards reducing a boaterrsquos risk

Upon successful completion of this por-tion of the VSC the boater will beawarded a decal for prominentdisplay on the vessel to showthe person met all the require-ments and is a safe boater Acurrent decal is a sign to lawenforcement officials andother boaters that this vesselis in compliance with bothfederal and state boating safe-ty laws and regulations thatapply to a vessel of its size Thisdoes not necessarily mean the ves-sel will not be subject to a boardingby Coast Guard or state officials but maybe taken into consideration when officers decidewhich vessels to board

Another portion of the VSC takes a look at thosesafety items that may not be required but also areimportant for a boaterrsquos safety which include thefollowing recommended and discussion items

middot Marine Radiomiddot Dewatering Device amp Backupmiddot Mounted Fire Extinguishersmiddot Anchor amp Line for Areamiddot First Aid and Person-In-Water Kits middot Inland Visual Distress Signalsmiddot CapacityCertificate of Compliance

Discussion Items (as applies)middot Accident ReportingOwner Responsibility

CG Office ofBoating Safety

wwwuscgboatingorg

VSC Online wwwvesselsafetycheckorg

CG Info Line (800) 368-5647

middot RegistrationDocumentation middot Personal Flotation Devices (PFD)middot Visual Distress Signals (VDS)middot Fire Extinguishersmiddot Ventilationmiddot Sound Producing DevicesBellmiddot Pollution Placardmiddot Marine Sanitation Devices middot State andor Local Requirements

Requirements for a VSC Decal Include

middot Display of Numbers middot Backfire Flame Control middot Navigation Lights middot MARPOL Trash Placard middot Navigation Rules middot Overall Vessel Condition (as applies)

a Deck Free of HazardsClean Bilge b ElectricalFuel Systems c GalleyHeating Systems


I N S P E C T Y O U R E Q U I P M E N T

B e f o r e Y o u H i t T h e W a t e r

With the adoption of the NationalBoating Education Standards inSeptember 1999 the recreationalboating safety program movedfrom a reactive program to a

proactive program The National Association ofState Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) andits member organizations recognized that a largepercentage of boating accidents were the result of alack of basic boating skills and knowledge on thepart of boat operators and that regulatory enforce-ment reaches only a small percentage of the boatingpopulation In order to reach a larger portion of theboating public education was the key

The main drive behind this initiative was a desire toset a new ldquostandard of carerdquo for boating educationby establishing a minimum level of knowledge andskills to be taught by boating education profession-als within a six- to eight-hour course of study Thegeneral required topic areas are the boat boating


Education

The Foundation of Boating Safety

by VANN BURGESS


equipment trip planning and preparation marineenvironment safe boat operation emergencypreparedness other water activities and boatingeducation practices

To address this issue in 1999 an impressive groupof boating safety professionals chaired by FredMessmann of the Nevada Division of Wildlife wasbrought together Developing recreational boatingeducation standards crossed federal state andorganizational boundaries so representatives fromthe states US Coast Guardrsquos Office of BoatingSafety Coast Guard Auxiliary US PowerSquadrons National Safe Boating CouncilNational Water Safety Congress BoatUSFoundation and commercial providers were askedto join the task force Through the hard work longhours and cooperative efforts of this group there isnow a true national standard

The success of these standards can be measured by

ldquoEducation is the cornerstone to safer boatingrdquo


the importance course providers place on havingthe mark ldquoNASBLA Approved and Recognized bythe US Coast Guardrdquo on their course materialsThe process that courses undergo for approvalrequires an in-depth effort Completing the applica-tion obtaining state regional and final reviews andreceiving approval is not a simple process But it isa vital one that helps maintain the high standardsand quality of the program A great deal of thanksgoes out to those state and regional reviewers whomanage this process Without their dedicatedsupport our standards would be nothing more thana collection of papers

With the standards in place it now falls to all thestakeholders to ensure that these standards stayviable This can be done only through continuedcooperation and partnership It took many to buildthe foundation and it will take many to monitorand update this program as changes occur and tech-nology grows

The team that drafted the standards has cometogether again to address the next issue The goal isto develop standards for testing the skills andknowledge factors that have been identifiedmdashstan-dards relating to quality of the final exams the styleand types of questions that need to be asked andthe standard of care required to maintain theintegrity of the examinationprocess In the end there willbe a national database ofexam questions to supporteducation (proficiency) stan-dards and help ensure thelessons taught are the lessonslearned This phase should becompleted by spring 2004

Education is now moreimportant than ever Withmore and more boaters on thewater each year and withresources being diverted togrowing security concerns itis vital to get the word outand educate boaters on issuessuch as port closures andsecurity zones under theldquonew normalcyrdquo

Citizens need to be awarethat they help support theUnited States at this time by

being safe and following the established rules Thisis accomplished by taking a boating safety courseand being better prepared In doing so recreationalboaters are less likely to be involved in an accidentor find themselves in need of assistance therebyallowing patrol vessels to remain on station toprotect us from those who would do us harm

With the fourndashyear-long Lewis amp ClarkBicentennial Commemoration the Office of BoatingSafety anticipates a surge of new boaters who wantto experience the Corps of Discovery as it was in1803 These boaters need to understand thatputting that canoe in the Missouri or Snake River isnot the same as it is in their favorite lake nor are theriver conditions the same as they were 200 yearsago They need to be educated on the potentialdangers of locks and dams how close is ldquotoo closerdquoto a commercial tug and tow that paddling againstan 8-knot current is not an easy thing to do andthat they can die from a dip in water that is coolerthan 50 degrees even on a sunny 90-degree day

Regulations safer boats and improved equipmentwill do little to reduce accidents and fatalitiesunless the boater is educated on the regulationstheir boats limitations and how to use the equip-ment they are required to carry

Safety education at an early age promotes life-long life-saving skills Courtesy TimothyM Smalley Minnessota Department of Natural Resources


Accident Prevention

Donrsquot Boat and Drink

by JOE CARRO


The regulations also apply to the use of dangerousdrugs Illegal and even legal prescription drugscan have an adverse effect on your ability to oper-ate a boat safely If your prescription includes awarning about not operating machinery or a motorvehicle when taking that medication you shouldalso seriously consider not operating a vessel whiletaking that medication

Some of the common questions regarding BUI are middot Can I drink on my boat middot What happens if the US Coast Guard

stops me middot Can the local police also be involved

First yesmdashyou and your guests may drink aboardyour boat If you choose to do so be responsibleThe BUI regulations apply to different vessels indifferent ways For recreational vessels the regula-tions only apply to the operator The vessel mustalso be in operation and on a recreational boat thatmeans underway

Evidence of intoxication for processing a violationof BUI is based on the results of a chemical test and

It is illegalunder federal law and in all states to operate avessel while under the influence of alcohol or adangerous drug Boating under the influence (BUI)can quickly turn an enjoyable outing on the waterinto a law enforcement situation or at its worst aboating accident resulting in the death or seriousinjury of a family member friend or other boater

Every year scores of deaths injuries and propertydamage occur as a direct result of BUI The way toprevent these incidents is clear Donrsquot operate yourvessel while under the influence

Many think that boating and alcohol have to gotogether This is not the case (No pun intended)Alcoholic beverages depress the bodyrsquos centralnervous system and affect vision judgment andmotor skills The ldquostressorsrdquo of your surroundingswhile boating also compound the effect of alcoholon the body The heat of the sun the pounding ofthe boat and the noise from the engines all con-tribute to increase these effects


or behavioral observationsmade by a boarding offi-cer This chemical testrecords an individualrsquosblood alcohol content(BAC) usually on breathtesting equipment andbehavioral observationsare recorded on a fieldsobriety test performancereport The federal BACstandard is 08 Based onthe test results the board-ing officer will determinewhether a level of impair-ment is present and thentake the appropriate lawenforcement action Thegood news is that thesetests work both ways Ifyou are not intoxicatedthose results will also beevident

On a vessel used for purposes other than recreationthe regulations apply tothe entire crew and thevessel must also be inoperation ldquoOperationrdquoon these vessels includesanchored or conductingdockside operations aswell as being underwayThe field sobriety testingstandards still apply butthe BAC level for thesevessels is significantlylower at 04

The second and thirdquestions can beanswered in combina-tion If the Coast Guardcomes aboard yourvessel you can expectcertain procedures to befollowed The boardingofficer will introducehimherself tell youwhy they are there andask if you have anyweapons aboard Theboarding team will do aquick walk-around known

as an Initial Safety Inspection to make sure thereare no safety hazards present Then the boardingwill begin They will ask for identification and theboatrsquos registration and begin inspecting the vessel

for compliance with what isreferred to as ldquoall applicablefederal laws and regula-tionsrdquo Included in theseregulations are life jack-ets fire extinguishers andthe BUI requirements

If during a boarding it isdetermined that you areboating under the influ-ence the procedures canvary depending upon thevesselrsquos location thenumber of people onboardand the boarding officerrsquosassessment of the situationGenerally you will not beallowed to continue tooperate the vessel yourvoyage will be terminat-ed and you will be citedfor boating under theinfluence Operation ofthe vessel may be turnedover to another individ-ual onboard if that indi-vidual is willing soberand able to operate thatvessel

Federal Standards ofBlood Alcohol Content

Recreational Vessels =08

All other Vessels =04

Alcohol depresses the bodyrsquos central nervous system and impairs vision judgment and motor skillsBelow Bottle image copyright 2003 USCG and its licensors


If cited you may be offered a cab ride home or anopportunity to spend some time at a Coast Guardstation and if appropriate your parents may benotified to take you home Count on the local policesheriff or marine patrol officers being contactedThey will usually respond to assist with CoastGuard BUI cases This assistance may be to offer aride to place you in protective custody or to placeyou under arrest

In addition to being arrested by these marine patrolofficers you also will face fines and penaltiesassessed by the Coast Guard Some may ask ldquoIsnrsquotthat double jeopardyrdquo The answer is ldquoNordquo youcan face penalties from both agencies Generallyvessels of intoxicated operators are kept at CoastGuard stations until the next day when owners canretrieve them

There are two reasons for our enforcement efforts(1) to ensure an intoxicated individual does notoperate a vessel in order to reduce the threat ofharm to self and others and (2) to educate the recre-ational boating public on existing BUI regulationsand the requirements for safe boating We will con-tinue our efforts to reduce the number of boatingaccidents injuries and deaths related to intoxicatedoperators To minimize risk to yourself your pas-sengers and other boaters remember that you are incommand on your recreational boat and you shouldnot drink and drive You are responsible for the pas-sengers aboard and the safe operation of that vesselSet the standardmdashdonrsquot drink and boat

Marine Patrol Officers in Oregon perform a sobriety check on a vessel operator Courtesy Oregon State Marine Board


Coast Guard Promotes PFDs

by PHIL CAPPEL

US Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety Product Assurance Division

The recurring theme of the US Coast Guardrsquosannual boating safety campaigns for the past sever-al years has been to encourage the boating public towear personal flotation devices (PFDs) or life jack-ets to reduce the number of drownings One of themost significant observations from these campaignsis that boaters don life jackets they want to wearsuch as fishing and hunting vests which are actual-ly inflatable PFDs Comfort and appeal the CoastGuard has learned are important factors in deter-mining whether the boater will don a life jacket

To improve the wear rate of PFDs the Coast Guardsupports the development of new and unique PFDdesigns that will provide the necessary flotationbut may use novel means to encourage boaters towear them more often To this end the Coast Guardhas been conducting several projects that promiseto provide the flexibility for PFD manufacturers toexplore unique designs

middot The Coast Guard is entering the last phase of developing a risk-base compliance-approval process using performance mod elsfor PFDs This will replace the current Life Saving Index (LSI) used to evaluate new and unique PFD designs The new approvalprocess will provide a more objective method for making trade-off decisions on design features while maintaining an equivalent level of safety

middot The Coast Guard is creating a family of mannequins (male female and child) to further develop and validate a computer simulation program The program will pro-vide a way to test PFD designs in virtual wave situations based on the design parameters of the PFD This simulation coupled with the new approval process would allow a PFD manufacturer to beta test a design all the way through the approval

All jacket images above are courtesy the Office of Boating Safetyrsquos Federal Requirements amp Safety Tips which isavailable by calling the US Coast Guard Infoline at (800) 368-5647


process based solely on the specifications without having to construct a prototype

The Coast Guard continues to approve an increas-ing number of inflatable PFDs Currently 22 TypeIII manual inflatables are approved four Type Vmanual inflatables and 19 Type V automatic inflata-bles are approved Initial perceptions are that inflat-able PFDs because they are much more comfortablethan inherently buoyant PFDs will increase the useof these lifesaving devices

The Coast Guard also has approved the first 1Finflator mechanism for inflatable PFDs This deviceprovides an almost-foolproof method for the user ofan inflatable PFD to determine whether the PFD is

properly charged and ready for use It will alsogreatly improve the reliability of inflatable PFDs

Additionally the Coast Guard continues to providefinancial support to the PFD Standards TechnicalPanel coordinated by Underwriters LaboratoriesThe STP continues to explore ways to improve boththe performance and the wear rate of PFDs eitherthrough technical recommendations or changes tothe standards

With these initiatives the Coast Guard seeks toincrease the wear rate and reliability of PFDs Theimportance of wearing lifejackets will continue tobe emphasized in all annual boating safety cam-paigns to encourage boaters to wear them and inthe process save lives

New life jacket designs make wearing them easy and comfortable Courtesy Timothy M Smalley Minnessota Departmentof Natural Resources Inset Courtesy Sporting Lives Inc


Engaging Recreational Boaters in Homeland Security

by JOE CARRO


The US Coast Guardrsquos transition from theDepartment of Transportation to the Department ofHomeland Security in March 2003 brought manynew challenges and reflected our greater focus onmaking our waterways more secure While therehas been much attention on such Coast Guardinitiatives as the Marine Safety and Security Teams(MSSTs) and the Sea Marshals program the Officeof Boating Safety has been working on security-related programs that involve recreational boaters

One of the projects thatthis office is involvedwith is the developmentand standardization ofvarious harbor andwater watch initiativesWe didnrsquot break groundon these programs butwe do think they aregreat ideas and we willpromote and supportthem

The first one we becamefamiliar with wasOperation On GuardThis program began inFlorida as a joint agencypublic outreach cam-paign to get waterfront

users and boaters informed and provide a mecha-nism for reporting suspected terrorist activity

The Marina Operators Association of America(MOAA) along with the Coast Guard USCustoms Service FBI and others all workedtogether to make On Guard a homeland securitysuccess story to be used as a model for otherinitiatives

On Guard was notthe only programmoving forward toanswer a commonquestion asked byboaters ldquoWhat canwe do to helprdquo Allaround the countryother grass rootsprograms were tak-ing shape InMobile Ala theCommunity CoastalWatch Program wastaking off InDetroit Mich theRiver Watch programwas establishedThose citiesrsquo respec-tive Marine SafetyOffices sponsored

Officers in Lake County Ill on patrol Courtesy PersonalWatercraft Industry Association

both of these programsOther programs wereunderway in CaliforniaAlaska South Carolinaand elsewhere

Now there is an initiativeto bring all these regionalprograms together under one national umbrellaThere have been many meetings and phone callsand the work continues What began as a one-daynational kickoff for On Guard in May 2003 soontransitioned into a three-day workshop beginningat the US Capitol building and ending in a hotelconference room

Representatives from around the country wereinvited to attendmdashthe Coast Guard Coast GuardAuxiliary US Power Squadrons the National SafeBoating Council (NSBC) and professional marineindustry representatives including shipping portfacility and marina operators

With nearly all facets of the marine communityrepresented the question of who would have the


national oversight of these program initiatives wassoon answered Responsibility would fall to theOffice of Port Security (G-MP) headed by RearAdm Larry Hereth

It looked like the original water watch program hadgrown up With the number of regional programsalso growing the next logical step was to bringthem together under a national program feedingoff the local programs

One of the established mechanisms to help thishappen would be better use of the nearly 100Harbor Safety and Security Committees (HSSCs)around the country These HSSCs are generallyestablished in key port cities and are primarilyinvolved with commercial vessels and port facility

The Coast Guard Cutter Shearwater is dwarfed by the looming USS Theodore Roosevelt lined with sailors in summerwhites as the aircraft carrier approaches its mooring in Norfolk Va Photo by Public Affairs Officer John Masson USCG

National Response Center

(800) 424-8802


(800) 424-8802


operations There was a general lack of input andrepresentation from the recreational boating com-munity with the HSSCs This needed to be reme-died and has been addressed with the establish-ment of recreational boating subcommitteesRepresentatives from these subcommittees nowprovide input to the HSSCs

Everything to make these programs successful is inplace and working There is good established infra-structure for implementation and support of bothregional and national programs DraftCommandant Instructions have been devel-oped memorandums of understanding havebeen signed and budget and communicationsystems are in place

One area that is still under construction is atraining program to ensure standardizationnationwide We must have standardized train-ing programs reporting procedures and astandardized message In June a regional meet-ing was held in Washington DC with repre-sentatives from federal state and local groupsin which these topics were discussed

The answers to some questions were simpleothers more complex For example developinga standardized training program would requiresome thought and discussion since activity thatis considered unusual in one area may be stan-dard practice in another Developing reportingprocedures would be easier however becausethere were already established guidelinesprocedures and reporting checklists in placeThe National Response Center (NRC) whichreceives all incoming phone calls to its toll freephone number (800) 424-8802 helped make thiseasy They provided a representative from theircommand who displayed the report sheets usedto record information received at the NRC

The final results and a deliverable product areas yet unknown The plan and the programscontinue to move forward Soon a nationalprogram including training reporting and afeedback process will be implemented

Implementing the program and moving it fromthe local level to the regional and nationallevels will also be a challenge It will happenwith the help and dedication of the many peo-ple involvedmdashfrom Coast Guard commandsthat encouraged their personnel to participate

A 25-foot Defender Class small boat from Boat Forces DC conducts a home-land security patrol on the Potomac River Photo by Public Affairs OfficerZach Zubricki USCG

to the marina operators to the Power Squadronsand Coast Guard Auxiliarists who will assist byincorporating homeland security agendas into theirestablished training programs All will have con-tributed something positive to a great program thatwill help keep America safe from waterfront terror-ist activity Whether it is keeping an eye on a power-generating facility or maintaining a security zonearound a Navy warship waterway users will knowwhat is ldquosuspiciousrdquo or what ldquoout of the ordinaryrdquolooks like and the proper procedures for reportingthese incidents

Waterways ManagementInvolves Varied Issues

by VANN BURGESS


Our nationrsquos water-ways constantly facechallenges such asuser conflicts nega-tive environmentalimpacts and now more than ever risks to home-land security To complicate matters our waterwaysand ports are more crowded the recreational boat-ing population has grown traffic from commercialvessels both foreign and domestic has increasedand high-speed ferries now ply the waters Theimpact of these challenges reaches beyond ourwaterways to affect virtually everyone in thiscountry For example consider the followingannual figures

middot $1 trillion in cargo moved in vessels95 percent of all overseas trade 25 percent of all domestic trade

middot 350 billion tons of cargo shippedmiddot 35 billion barrels of oil shippedmiddot 90 million commercial vessel passengersmiddot 76 million recreational boatersmiddot 13 million recreational state-registered vesselsmiddot 29000 commercial fishing vessels

It is safe to say thateveryone has in theirhomes something theyuse everyday that at

one point was moved on our nationrsquos waterways

The US Coast Guardrsquos Office of WaterwaysManagement is working on an initiative to involveall stakeholders in issues related to the MarineTransportation System (MTS) As part of that effortthe Office of Waterways Management held aRecreational Boater Engagement Workshop toobtain input from many of the major players in therecreational boating world The sponsors wereoverwhelmed by the knowledge and experience ofthe attendees and extremely pleased with the qual-ity feedback that was provided The WaterwaysManagement staff already knew that they wouldlike to have the boatersrsquo input on MTS issues but theworkshop showed them just how very much theyneed the input and support of the recreationalboaters

One of the action items resulting from the work-shop was to get the recreational boating communi-

Photodisc

ty more involved with Harbor Safety and SecurityCommittees (HSSCs) To date approximately 100HSSCs are around the country most located inmajor port cities These committees are either feder-ally or state mandated or locally organized Thecommittees are supposed to encompass those whohave a stake in the local port including shippinginterests environmental groups and the recreation-al boater

While not by design most of these committees havebeen dominated by the commercial vessel and facil-ities operators This is due in large part to the lackof participation by the recreational boating commu-nity which in some instances may not even havebeen aware of the existence or importance of anHSSC In cooperation with the Office of WaterwaysManagement and the Office of Boating Safety theCoast Guard Auxiliary has agreed to facilitate theestablishment of Recreational BoatingSubcommittees to help ensure participation of therecreational boating community on HSSCs

Actions are underway to establish subcommitteesin seven key ports and use the lessons learned toestablish future subcommittees throughout thenation The initial seven are currently being organ-ized in Providence RI Charleston SC Houston-Galveston Texas Los AngelesLong Beach and SanFrancisco Ca and Tampa and Jacksonville FlaThese subcommittees are comprised of membersfrom organizations such as the Coast GuardAuxiliary Power Squadrons the National Boating

Federation (and members from local yacht clubsand marinas) the National Safe Boating Councilmarine dealers and anyone else with an interest inthe boatersrsquo issues in a particular port area Thesubcommittees will then designate representativesto carry the issues to the HSSC

We have also discovered that there are some casesin which states may be involved in HSSCs but maynot be including their boating law administrators(BLAs) We are strongly urging the BLAs to activelyparticipate in HSSCs and possibly even on theRecreational Boating Subcommittees The influencean HSSC has on decisions involving multiple-usewaterways is substantial

Homeland security is yet another important issuethat needs to be addressed Our waterways are avital part of the country and must be protected TheCoast Guard or any single state alone cannotaccomplish this job Even with our combinedefforts effective protection of our waterways mustinclude the active participation of the boating pub-lic We must reach out to them educate them onwhat to look for and how to report suspicious activ-ities and most importantly listen to themAmericans are always ready and willing to protecttheir homeland but often they must be invited toparticipate

Most people tend to boat where they live and assuch they are somewhat familiar with the character-istics of the waters on which they boat An event

Broward County Sheriffrsquos agents stop a ldquosuspicious vesselrdquo from entering a restricted area during an exercisewith the Coast Guard in Port Evreglades Fla Photo by Public Affairs Officer Carleen Drummond USCG


44

that may entice boaters into unfamiliar waters is theLewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemorationwhich kicked off on Jan 18 2003 and will run forfour consecutive years (See related article on theLewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration onpage 72ndash75) We are concerned that large numbersof people may go boating in areas in which theyhave little or no real understanding in crafts theydonrsquot normally operate

While we have addressed many concerns aboutsafety and the environmental impact of the Lewisand Clark Bicentennial we must continue toeducate the public on these concerns We must alsowork closely with commercial mariners and keepthem informed of events taking place on varioussections of the waterways We want to preclude thepossibility of a tug and barge rounding a turn andunexpectedly encountering a large flotilla of smallrecreational craft (many of which will be operatingin unfamiliar areas and under unfamiliarconditions)

From a waterways management perspective allevents associated with the Lewis and ClarkBicentennial that are to take place on or adjacent tothe water may require permitting from either theCoast Guard or the state Permitting is not just anexercise in multi-form governmental bureaucracyit actually starts a process to notify all concernedparties of what is going to take place what safe-guards are in place and who is responsible It

essentially opens a communications channel to helpprevent unpleasant surprises as well as providingan appropriate response plan should things gowrong

Event planners should submit applications forpermits for all activities on or near the water Evenif they donrsquot think they meet the criteria for requir-ing a permit they should submit an applicationanyway It is better to submit an application andhave the issuing authority decide it is not neededthan to not submit an application and find out toolate that one was indeed required Failure to beappropriately permitted can result in fines and evenclosure of the event

With marine trade expected to nearly triple in thenext 20 years port infrastructures aging and under-sized ships increasing in size and speed and aconservative estimate of a 65 percent growth inrecreational boaters to more than 130 million by theyear 2020 our waterways are more important to usthan ever before They are also threatened morenow than ever because of growth and associatedenvironmental impacts as well as the very realsecurity threat to our homeland

We face many challenges and some hard choicesbut if our waterways are to survive we must beprepared to manage this vital natural resourceThrough our continued cooperation and teameffort together we will meet the challenge

Photodisc

Pollution PreventionThrough

Education Enforcement

by JOE CARRO

US Coast Guard Office of Boating SafetyProgram Operations Division

One of the biggest challenges facing the USCoast Guard today is maintaining the protec-tion of our delicate environment from varioustypes of pollution We have all heard aboutheadline-grabbing oil spill disasters includingthe Exxon Valdez incident in Prince WilliamSound Alaska the New Carissa accident off theOregon coast and most recently the Prestigesinking off the coast of Spain The recreationalboating community looks at the importance ofpollution prevention and protection of naturalresources on a somewhat smaller scale thanthe huge spills mentioned above

Preventing the pollution of local lakes riversand coastal waters is something we should allbe concerned with and can take positive actiontoward through education and law enforce-ment Below are some of the regulationsrequired by the Coast Guard the states andother partners while educating the boatingpublic on this important issue

Oil PollutionIn addition to state and local regulations theCoast Guard requires that

ldquoAll US vessels (no matter where they are operating) and all vessels equipped with propulsion machinery operating on the Territorial seas and internal waters of the US including other waters that the Federal Government may exercise authority over must be in compliance with the oil pollution regulations contained in the Federal Water Pollution Control Actrdquo

water anywhere Other kinds of trash and garbagedescribed in the regulations such as paper ragsfood and dunnage (lining and packing materialsthat float) may be legally dumped into the waterdepending on a vesselrsquos location Local rules andregulations play a big part in determining these areas

Untreated Sewage Discharge from VesselsThe regulations governing installed toilets marinesanitation devices (MSDs) and the discharge ofsewage into the waters of the United States are alsolengthy and may vary from state to state CoastGuard enforcement is generally limited to ensuringthat the equipment onboard is properly installedCoast Guard-certified and being used in themanner it was intended

If a vessel is equipped with an installed toilet itmust also be outfitted with an MSD Type I andType II MSDs are known as flow-through devicesthat is the raw sewage is treated and then pumpedout into surrounding waters Type III MSDs aregenerally holding tanks incinerators macerators orthe like that do not treat the waste but hold itonboard until the vessel is at a location where it canbe pumped out at a shore-side facility or dischargedinto waters where it is legally authorized to do so

In many places the Environmental ProtectionAgency has established strict regulations regardingthe discharge of sewage treated or untreated Theseareas known as No Discharge Zones have manyspecial requirements and boaters who have one in their

area should be familiar with these regulations

Other regulations deal with the paperworkrequired on certain vessels The one that specifical-ly relates to the recreational boating program is theWaste Management Plan This is a written planrequired on vessels that are greater than 40 feet inlength ocean-going engaged in commerce orequipped with a galley and berthing facilities Theplan must detail how garbage is to be collectedprocessed stored and discharged and who will bein charge of carrying out the plan

There are regulations that cover just about alltypes of pollution and almost anything else thatmay harm the environment Pollution preventionis truly a national concern Although we havemany tools at our disposal to help clean up after apollution incident has occurred the best way tohelp protect the environment is through preventionof which education and enforcement are the besttools We must use them both

Simply put All boats operating within the territori-al waters of the United States must comply with oilpollution regulations

Some of the details of this regulation include

middot Vessels must have the capacity to retain anyoily mixtures onboard and be equipped to discharge them to a reception facility

middot Oily mixtures may be retained in the bilge but not intentionally drained into the bilge

middot A bucket and sponge may be acceptable asa means of transfer to an oil reception facility

middot Vessels greater than 26 feet in length must be equipped with a ldquopollution placardrdquo This is the placard that states that the Federal Water Pollution Control Act pro-hibits the discharge of oil and can result in substantial fines and imprisonment if found in violation

Improper Discharge of GarbageThis is probably the most visually unpleasant andobvious problem we come across on a daily basis

In July 1990 the Coast Guard began enforcing feder-al regulations dealing with the disposal of plasticsand garbage in US waters The details of this regu-lation are too long and complicated to address allaspects of the regulations here however there arekey pieces that are essential

For starters one cannot throw plastics into the

Pollution is collected during a morning clean-up of the Wolf River HarborPhoto by Yeoman Sam Rich USCG

Answering the Call for Better

Communications

by Lt jg SAM

EDWARDS

Rescue 21 Public AffairsOfficer


Rescue 21 has come at the

right time It will have a

positive impact on all our

mission areas resulting in

improved performance and a

safer more secure nation

Rescue 21 represents a

quantum leap forward in

coastal command and

control and distress

communications It will

enhance our homeland

security capabilities as

well as other safety and

security missions

bringing tremendous

benefits to the Coast

Guard and the American

publicrdquo

~ Adm Thomas H Collins

Commandant US Coast Guard

Like many recreationalboaters you probablyspent several days thissummer fishing withyour children or cruisingthe Intracoastal Waterwaywith friends As a respon-sible captain yoursquove like-ly invested in life jacketsand filed float plans toensure the safety of yourpassengers The USCoast Guard is preparingnow to make the nextboating season even saferby modernizing its short-range communicationssystem to better hearboatersrsquo distress calls Thenew system known asRescue 21 will help takethe ldquosearchrdquo out of searchand rescue so the CoastGuard can arrive directlyto you if you need help

Rescue 21 brings the CoastGuardrsquos communicationssystem into the 21st centuryto ensure the publicrsquos mar-itime safety Today morethan 80 million boaters on13 million vessels use ourwaters the greatest numberin our history MoreAmericans have access andare utilizing our waterwaysfor recreation commerceand tourism resulting inmore waterway traffic andtherefore emergencies Onaverage the Coast Guardannually conducts 40000search and rescue cases andsaves 4000 lives Mostemergency service commu-nications systems are nowequipped with state-of-the-art systems that make iteasier to be contacted bythe public to identify


callers and provide interoperability with internalbranches and external organizations It is essentialthat the Coast Guard have this same capability

The Coast Guard currently uses the NationalDistress and Response System (NDRS) to monitorfor distress calls and coordinate the response Thesystem consists of a network of VHF-FM antennahigh sites with analog transceivers These antennasallow the Coast Guard to receive distant transmis-sions and relay them to regional (group) communi-cation centers and rescue boat stations

The Need and the ProjectCoast Guard search and rescue responses involvemulti-mission stations cutters aircraft and boatslinked by communications networks Unfortunately theexisting communications system the backbone tothe Coast Guardrsquos short-range communications ismore than 30 years old With identified communica-tions gaps and out-of-date and non-uniform equip-ment the system is ready for a complete replace-ment and modernization

The Coast Guard recognized during the early 1990sthat its communications system was becomingobsolete However replacing such a complex andvital national system is a huge undertaking Toaccomplish this major task the Coast Guard invitedmajor corporations to try their hand at designing anew communications system using proven tech-nologies and help launch Coast Guard communica-tions into the 21st century

Between December 1999 andSeptember 2002 three systems inte-gration contractors (SICs) competedfor the best design to improve theNDRS With the decision made andannounced on Sept 24 2002 theCoast Guard and professionals withGeneral Dynamics Decision Systemsthe contract winner began to buildthe system As the largest IT projectin Coast Guard history this nation-wide project encompasses 95000miles of coastline To effectivelymanage and execute the contract itwas segmented into manageableregional deployment centeredaround Coast Guard Groups

The Coast Guard is currently prepar-ing infrastructure for GroupsAtlantic City NJ and Eastern

Shore Va where Rescue 21 will be initially opera-tional High sites have been selected that promisethe desired coverage out to approximately 20 nauti-cal miles from shore In the near future improvedhuman systems interfaces will be installed at theGroupsrsquo communications centers to help watch-standers perform their responsibilities Rescue 21will allow Coast Guard watchstanders to recordplay back and index distress calls and view them inan easy-to-understand digital format

After these installations are complete Rescue 21will undergo a comprehensive series of tests toassure it meets the Coast Guardrsquos operationalrequirements Only after thoroughly testing thesystem will the Coast Guard declare Rescue 21operational in Groups Atlantic City and EasternShore

Concurrently Rescue 21 is being prepared in theSeattle and Port Angeles Wa St Petersburg Flaand Mobile Ala groups toexpedite deployment Thedeployment for the coastalwaters of the continentalUnited States will becompleted by September2005 groups in AlaskaHawaii Guam PuertoRico and along the WesternRivers and Great Lakes withinthe United States will be completedby September 2006


So what will the new system doThe most obvious improvement will be filling incoverage gaps in the current VHF-FM systemRescue 21 enables the Coast Guard to receive a callfrom a one-watt radio as far as 20 miles from theterritorial sea baseline Since most radios can oper-ate at five watts or more and most antennae are atleast two meters above the water Rescue 21 signifi-cantly improves boatersrsquo probability of detectionThe new system also will have increased channelcapacity which allows for simultaneous communi-cations on sixchannels (includ-ing VHF 16)Rescue 21 willallow the CoastGuard to continu-ously monitorChannel 16 evenwhile transmitting

Another Rescue21 improvementis the use of direc-tion-finding tech-nology that willdetect a distressedvesselrsquos bearingwith plus orminus two degrees of accuracy Commercial andrecreational boaters will not need to buy any newequipment all existing marine-band radios arecompatible with Rescue 21 Rescue 21rsquos direction-finding capability reduces the Coast Guardrsquos searcharea for a received transmission to about 25 squaremiles and gives rescue vessels a line of bearing tofollow to the distressed vessel

The Coast Guard has received and responded tomarine-band radio transmissions for many yearsbut now Rescue 21 will allow the Coast Guard toreceive critical boater information through DigitalSelective Calling (DSC) A boater using a DSC capa-ble radio should register for a Maritime MobileService Identity (MMSI) number and then enterthis number into the radio Also the boater shouldconnect the radio to an integrated GlobalPositioning System (GPS) receiver A properly regis-tered DSC radio will allow a boater to transmit vitalvessel and location information at the touch of a redbutton However failure to properly set up a vesselrsquosDSC radio could result in the Coast Guard receiving adistress call with no idea of who sent it or from whereand no ability to direction find because of the nature of

DSCrsquos short transmission Follow up DSC distressnotifications by contacting the Coast Guard viaVHF 16 The Coast Guard will want to know thenature of the distress how many persons areaboard and other information to help them prepareto assist you

Rescue 21 helps Coast Guard watchstanders under-stand received transmissions Through Rescue 21rsquoshuman systems interface watchstanders can use ageographical display of the Grouprsquos Area of

Respons ib i l i tyand see the direc-tion of receivedtransmiss ions Also Rescue 21will digitallyrecord communi-cations for filter-ing and playback

Asset tracking isa new capabilitythat will permitoperations centersto know whereCoast Guardassets are at anygiven time Also

Rescue 21 is designed to allow seamless response byCoast Guard and other federal state and localagencies by complying with the Association ofPublic Safety Communications Officialsrsquo (APCO)Project 25 standard which encourages interoper-ability among public safety organizations Greaterinteroperability improves search and rescueresponse enhances homeland security protectionand positively affects the Coast Guardrsquos role inother maritime operations

Finally Rescue 21 reduces system down time toassure the Coast Guard remains Semper Paratus(Always Ready) The Coast Guard is providing forcritical function recovery within 24 hours and fullsystem recovery within seven days Operationalavailability restoration is required in any case evennatural disaster and conventional warfare

Now that you know a little more about the systemitrsquos easy to see why the Coast Guard is so excited forRescue 21 to help save lives in the 21st century

For more information about Rescue 21 Saving Lives in the 21st

Century visit us at wwwuscgmilrescue21

When search and rescue is involved less time spent search-ing saves lives This is why it is so important to notify theCoast Guard immediately of your distress situation Currenttechnology allows many Americans to rely on their cell phonesfor most of their daily communications needs Is it alrightto depend on your cell phone when yoursquore on boating trips

The Coast Guard does not recommend the use of cellphones for distress calling as they are point-to-point communication devices

Moreover cell phone companies do not always provide fullcoverage of coastal regions Rescue 21 on the other handemploys radio technology providing full coverage out to 20nautical miles Radios emit broadcast signals that can bereceived by towers and other vessels or aircraft within rangeof the transmission which increases your probability of rescue

Use your DSC radio

Rescue 21 will enable the Coast Guard to receiveDigital Selective Calling (DSC) broadcasts DSCradios allow a boater to transmit vital vessel and

location information at the touch of a red button Two smallbut very important preparations are necessary to help theCoast Guard receive your vital distress information Firstboaters must connect their DSC radio to the vesselrsquos GlobalPositioning System (GPS) to provide the location informationSecond register for a Mobile Maritime Service Identity(MMSI) number You can do this easily by filling out the reg-istration card included with your DSC radio or logging ontowwwboatuscommmsi and following the instructions there


Performing these two simple steps

could save your life

Every Mariner Needs a Marine-band Radio


Recreational BoatingProduct Assurance

The Consumer Product SafetyCommission for Boats

by ALSTON COLIHAN


AAs the owner or passenger on a recreationalboat you likely have noticed a label that readsldquoThis boat complies with US Coast Guard

safety standards in effect on the date of certifica-tionrdquo You may have wondered what those safetystandards are and who certifies that the boat man-ufacturer has met those standards

The US Coast Guard Office of Boating Safetywhich was established in 1968 was tasked withdeveloping a comprehensive set of regulations andsafety standards under the authority of the FederalBoat Safety Act of 1971 (FBSA) The provisions ofthe FBSA now re-codified as part of Title 46 of theUnited States Code (46 USC Chapter 43) differfrom earlier federal boating acts specifically theMotorboat Act of 1940 and the Federal Boating Actof 1958 because they gave the Coast Guard theauthority to establish comprehensive boating safetyprograms authorized the establishment of nationalconstruction and performance standards for boatsand associated equipment and created a more flex-ible regulatory authority regarding the use of boatsand associated equipment

The earlier acts required the ownersoperators ofrecreational boats to install or carry specific safetyitems on their boats such as flame arresters oncarburetors approved personal flotation devices(PFD) and fire extinguishers The FBSA shiftedmuch of the burden of regulations from owners andoperators to the manufacturers of recreational boatsand associated equipment

With Authority Comes ResponsibilityThe statutes require us to consider the need for(whether there are sufficient accident statistics) andextent to which regulations or standards will con-tribute to boating safety and to consider relevantavailable boating safety standards statistics anddata including public and private research anddevelopment testing and evaluation The standardsmust be minimum safety standards stated insofaras practicable in terms of performance We also can-not compel substantial alteration of a recreationalvessel or item of associated equipment that is in

Photo credit Copyright 2003 USCG and its licensors

(ABYC) and the Boating Industry Associationsnow the National Marine ManufacturersAssociation (NMMA) The Federal Register of Aug41972 promulgated a set of regulations coveringdefect notification manufacturer self-certificationand boat identification and safety standards cover-ing capacity information safe loading safe power-ing and flotation for boats less than 20 feet inlength Between 1977 and 1980 other standardswere published covering level flotation electricalsystems fuel systems ventilation and start-in-gearprotection More recently regulations were pub-

lished that will require manu-facturers of all new unin-spected commercial vesselsand recreational vessels thatequip their boats with navi-gation lights to install navi-gation lights that are certi-fied to meet the navigationrules

The federal statutes (46USC 4310) contain a provi-sion that requires defect noti-fication Manufacturers ofboats and certain items ofldquodesignatedrdquo associatedequipment are required tonotify first purchasers (andsecond purchasers if theirnames and addresses areknown) about (1) a defectthat creates a substantial riskof personal injury to thepublic and (2) failure to

comply with a Coast Guardsafety standard The statutes also require manufac-turers to remedy such defects or noncompliances attheir sole cost and expense

The Coast Guard monitors an average of 73 recallcampaigns annually A manufacturerrsquos duty to con-duct defect notification lasts for a period of 10 yearsafter the boat or item of designated associatedequipment was manufactured While we have theauthority to compel a manufacturer to conductdefect notification manufacturers typically startthe majority of the recall campaigns voluntarily

existence or the construction or manufacture ofwhich is begun before the effective date of the regu-lation Subject to that limitation however we mayrequire compliance or performance to avoid asubstantial risk of personal injury to the publicRecently for example after several fatalities weretraced to a serious carbon monoxide accumulationproblem involving houseboats with swim plat-forms located above auxiliary generator exhaustports we wrote letters to all known houseboatmanufacturers and persuaded six of them who builtboats with that particular instal-lation to recall several modelyearsrsquo worth of past produc-tion and make corrections

We are also required toconsult with the NationalBoating Safety AdvisoryCouncil whose 21 membersare divided equally betweenstate boating law officialsrepresentatives from the boat-ing industry and representa-tives of the boating publicThe council was establishedto further ensure that all boat-ing safety regulations andstandards are needed and arereasonable considering thehazard the regulation isintended to correct LastOctober the council complet-ed a five-year regulatoryreview of all the Coast Guardsafety standards applicable tomanufacturers of recreationalboats Among the councilrsquos recommendations were14 amendments to the Display of CapacityInformation Safe Loading Safe Powering andFlotation Standards

Manufacturer RegulationsFollowing passage of the FBSA in 1971 the first reg-ulations applicable to manufacturers of recreationalboats were adopted from industry standards pub-lished by the American Boat and Yacht Council


NOTE While the term ldquoassociated equipmentrdquo is used repeatedly in the statutes and regulations involvingrecreational boating safety the regulations in 33 CFR Part 17903 limit the applicability of the requirement for defectnotification to designated associated equipment ie inboard engines outboard engines sterndrive units and inflat-able personal flotation devices approved under 46 CFR 160076

ldquoThe manufacturerrsquos self-certificationof compliance statement indicates tothe consumer that a boat complieswith applicable safety standards ineffect on the date of certificationrdquo


Once the Coast Guard receives a report of a recallfrom a manufacturer the information is entered intoa database The Recreational Boating ProductAssurance Division uses the database to monitorwhen Campaign Update Reports are due to quick-ly gather significant information about specificrecall campaigns to evaluate a manufacturers dili-gence in conducting a campaign and to evaluatethe need for safety standards addressing specificproblems The Coast Guard has a toll-free customerinformation line (800) 368-5647 The Infoline repre-sentatives have read-only access to the databaseIndividuals owning a boat can call the infoline tofind out whether their boat or engine is involved ina manufacturer recall and how to contact a manu-facturer to inquire about getting their boat engineor inflatable PFD corrected

Compliance LabelsThe statutes (46 USC 4302(a)(3)) also authorize theCoast Guard to require or permit the display oflabels for the purpose of certifying or evidencingcompliance with federal regulations and safetystandards for boats and associated equipment Boatmanufacturers and US importers of foreign-builtboats must self-certify compliance with applicableCoast Guard safety standards The manufacturerrsquosself-certification of compliance statement indicatesto the consumer that a boat complies with applica-ble safety standards in effect on the date of certifica-tion Manufacturer self-certification is the same as isused in the automobile industry

Manufacturers of all boats also evidence compli-ance by means of a 12-character hull identificationnumber (HIN) The HIN is a unique serial numbera manufacturer or US importer affixes to each boat

The states also assign a HIN to individuals whobuild boats for their own use and not for thepurposes of sale The Manufacturer IdentificationCode (MIC) that a state uses consists of a stateabbreviation followed by the letter ldquoZrdquo

In a typical year as many as 4000 manufacturersand importers with active manufacturer identifica-tion codes build boats for the purposes of sale to thepublic The HIN enables identification of the manu-facturer of nearly every boat in existence the yearthe boat was built and the applicable safetystandards

Manufacturers of monohull boats less than 20 feetin length except sailboats canoes kayaks andinflatables are required to affix a Coast Guard

maximum capacities label (33 CFR 183 Subpart B)The label displays a boatrsquos maximum personscapacity in terms of a whole number of persons aswell as the number of pounds and a maximumweight capacity in pounds If a boat is outboardpowered the label also displays a maximum horse-power capacity The purpose of the capacity label isto provide operators and prospective purchaserswith basic safe loading and outboard horsepowerinformation for calm water conditions The CoastGuard maximum capacities label requirement is amanufacturer requirement There is no concurrentfederal legal requirement for the owner or operatorto adhere to the capacities specified on the labelHowever some states consider overloading oroverpowering prima facie evidence of operatornegligence some manufacturers will not allow

How to Read Your

Hull Identification Number

ABC00001A304

CHARACTERS 1ndash3 (ABC) =Manufacturer Identification Code (MIC) Assigned by US Coast Guard

CHARACTERS 4ndash8 (00001) =Serial Number All remaining characters are assigned by the

CHARACTER 9 (A) =Month of Manufacture

CHARACTER 10 (3) =Year of Manufacture

CHARACTERS 11ndashndash12 (04) =Model Year

manufacturer


warranty claims for boats that are overpoweredand some insurance companies will not pay insur-ance claims if damage to a boat was the result ofcapacity label violations

Manufacturers of these sameboats are also subject to thesafe loading standard (33CFR 183 Subpart C) whichis used to calculate a maxi-mum persons capacity inpounds and a whole numberof persons and a maximumweight capacity (personsmotor and gear for outboardboats and persons and gearfor inboards and manuallypropelled boats) That infor-mation is displayed on theCoast Guard maximumcapacities label The CoastGuard safe loading standardis based on physical tests inwhich the boat is put in atank full of water to deter-mine maximum displace-ment and maximum listwhich along with the weightof the boat are the three mostimportant criteria for deter-mining safe loading capacities The NMMAwhose member manufacturers build 80 percent ofthe boats sold in this country relies upon measuringeach boat modelrsquos internal dimensions and thenuses a computer program to determine maximumpersons and maximum weight capacities TheNMMA manufacturers build their boats to meet avariety of ABYC standards in addition to the mini-mum federal regulations Historically very few ofthe NMMA-certified boats have failed compliancetesting for safe loading

The safe powering standard (33 CFR 183 SubpartD) is used to determine a maximum safe horsepow-er capacity for outboard powered boats less than 20feet in length for display on the maximum capaci-

ties label In the safe power-ing standard the maximumhorsepower capacity isdependent upon a numberof factors including boatlength transom widthtransom height andwhether or not the boat hasa flat bottom and hardchines or remote wheelsteering

The purpose of the flotationstandard (33 CFR 183Subparts F G and H) is toprovide a suitable platformfor the rescue of a boatrsquosoccupants in the event ofcapsizing or swampingand in some cases toreduce deaths due tohypothermia The standardis divided into threesubparts Depending uponwhether a boat is

(1) manually propelled orrated for two horsepower or less or (2) rated for anoutboard engine of more than two horsepower or(3) powered by an inboard or sterndrive the stan-dard requires varying amounts and locations forflotation material Inboard boats and sterndriveboats are required to have ldquobasic flotationrdquo Basicflotation requires sufficient flotation material tosupport the submerged weight of the boat and two-fifteenths of the maximum persons capacity Shouldan inboard or sterndrive boat capsize or swampsome portion of its hull will float above the surfaceof the water giving survivors of the accident some-

The maximum capacities label displaysa boatrsquos maximum number of persons tobe onboard as well as a maximumweight capacity ldquoIf a boat is outboardpowered the label also displays a maxi-mum horsepower capacityrdquo This infor-mation is figured for calm waterconditions

ldquohellip some insurance companies will not pay insurance claims

if damage to a boat was the result of capacity label violationsrdquo


thing to cling to until rescued Outboard poweredboats rated for more than two horsepower arerequired to have the more stringent ldquolevel flota-tionrdquo Level flotation requires sufficient flotation tosupport the swamped weight of the boat theswamped weight of the engine and 50 percent ofthe persons capacity Should an outboard boatrated for more than two horsepower capsize orswamp level flotation will make it float in a levelattitude enabling accident victims to re-enter theswamped boat and stay seated with 50 percent oftheir bodies out of the water Manually propelledboats and boats rated for two horsepower or lessare required to comply with a lesser level flotationrequirement

The Electrical and Fuel System Standards (33 CFR183 Subparts I and J) apply to boats with perma-nently installed gasoline engines for electricalgeneration mechanical power or propulsion Theydo not apply to outboard powered boats or boatswith portable equipment Their purpose is toprevent fires and explosions onboard gasoline-powered recreational boats and to providesufficient fuel system integrity to aid in controllingfires in the early stages

The ventilation standard (33 CFR 183 Subpart K)together with the present electrical and fuel systemstandards is intended to significantly reduce theprobability of gasoline vapors collecting in the boatwhere they can be easily ignited causing a fire orexplosion The standard applies to all boats fueledby gasoline including outboards and has require-ments for both natural and powered ventilationsystems

The start-in-gear protection (SIGP) standard (33CFR 183 Subpart L) applies to outboard motors

(and their related remote controls) which are capa-ble of developing more than 115 pounds of staticthrust The purpose of SIGP is to reduce accidentsthat may result when an outboard motor is startedin gear producing a sudden movement of the boatwhich causes its occupants to either fall inside theboat or be thrown overboard

Beginning Nov 1 2003 domestic manufacturers ofall newly manufactured uninspected commercialvessels and recreational vessels will have to installnavigation lights (33 CFR 183 Subpart M) certifiedto meet the navigation rules These regulationsalign the navigation light requirements with thosefor all other vessels

Education and EnforcementSeveral education and enforcement mechanismshelp assure the integrity of the manufacturer certi-fication program

Manufacturer Outreach The Coast Guard publishesthe regulations and standards and provides themfree of charge to manufacturers (they are also avail-able via the Internet through the Coast GuardOffice of Boating Safety Web site wwwuscgboat-ingorg) The Coast Guard also has test proceduresand compliance guidelines that are available formost of the safety standards and regulations Thereis a video So You Want to Be a Boat Builder andpersonnel are under contract to the Coast Guard tovisit factories and educate manufacturers abouthow to comply Personnel in the office are able toanswer most reasonable questions about how to goabout complying with the standards

Factory Visits Since Jan 8 2001 14 complianceassociates working under a Coast Guard contractfor Resource Network International (RNI) of Silver

ldquoManufacturers of boats and certain items of lsquodesignatedrsquo

associated equipment are required to notify first purchasers about

middot a defect that creates a risk of personal injury to the public and

middot failure to comply with a Coast Guard safety standardrdquo


Spring Md have been conducting recreationalboating factory visits The purpose of the factoryvisit program is to emphasize the need to complywith federal safety standards and regulations toensure each manufacturerunderstands the regula-tions to assist manufac-turers in certifying com-pliance with the regula-tions and to educatemanufacturers about theavailability of voluntarystandards and recom-mended practices

Compliance Testing A sec-ond means used fordetecting violations ofboating safety regula-tions is the purchase of boats on the open marketthen having them tested by independent laborato-ries under contract to the Coast Guard This methodis particularly appropriate for determining compli-ance with the safe loading and flotation regulationswherein the boat must beimmersed in a test tank ofwater Boats are selectedfor testing on the basis ofsuspected irregularitiesThis means a highpercentage of the boatstested fail to pass one ormore of the applicableregulations In FY 2002 39boats were purchasedand tested for compliancewith the safe loading safepowering and flotationstandards

The Coast Guard also hasa voluntary test programwhich is administered free-of-charge to boat manu-facturers A manufacturerthat has built a boat tocomply can offer it forpickup and transportationto the testing facility at the Coast Guardrsquos expenseWith the voluntary test program the manufacturercan ensure that the boat complies with the safeloading safe powering and flotation standards TheCoast Guard can expand the number of boats testedwithout incurring the costs of buying them on theopen market and also ensure that they will not have

to be recalled at a later date During FY 2002 about40 manufacturers participated in the voluntary testprogram

A third source of reportsof violations of boatingsafety regulations is themanufacturers and boatbuilders that have pro-duced the nonconformingproducts Manufacturers areusually not aware thatthey have failed tocomply with a givenregulation Howeverwhen they do discoversuch a violation or if theydiscover a defect thatthey believe creates a

substantial risk of personal injury to the publicthey usually report it in order to reduce any possi-ble penalty and to place themselves in a betterposition to defend against civil liability law suitsthat might arise from the violation

Again while the CoastGuard has the authorityto compel a manufacturerto conduct defect notifica-tion manufacturerstypically start themajority of the recallcampaigns voluntarily

Not surprisingly a fourthmeans for detectingviolations on the part ofone manufacturer isreports from competi-tors Manufacturers thatpost legal weight capaci-ties on their boats are nat-urally quite perturbedwhen they discover that acompetitor is apparentlyunlawfully posting ahigher weight capacity

on a comparable product

While the majority of the consumer complaintsreceived do not involve failure to comply with anapplicable Coast Guard safety standard or a defectwhich creates a substantial risk of personal injuryto the public each complaint is investigated on acase-by-case basis Many consumers report prob-

US Coast GuardUS Coast Guard

InfolineInfoline

(800) 368-5647(800) 368-5647

To meet the Coast Guardrsquos safe loadingstandard a boat is put in a tank of waterto determine maximum displacement andlist In FY 2002 39 boats were purchasedand tested for compliance with the safeloading safe powering and flotation stan-dardsrdquo


lems that are better suited for remedy under theirmanufacturersrsquo warranties We also learn aboutproblems involving boats and associated equip-ment from marine surveyors state boating safetyand law enforcement personnel and other CoastGuard units

One of the challenges to developing safety stan-dards is finding the statistics to justify themCurrent regulations (33 CFR 17355) require theoperator of any vessel numbered or used for recre-ational purposes to file a Boating Accident Report(BAR) when as a result of an occurrence thatinvolves the vessel or its equipment (1) a persondies (2) a person is injured or requires medicaltreatment beyond first aid (3) damage to vesselstotals $2000 or more or there is a complete loss ofany vessel or (4) a person disappears from thevessel under circumstances that indicate death orinjury The Recreational Vessel Casualty ReportingSystem does not include every accident involving arecreational vessel Some accidents are not in thesystem because they are not required to be reportedMany more accidents are not reported becauseboaters may be unaware of the law and difficulty inenforcing the law The Coast Guard believes thatonly a small fraction of all non-fatal boating acci-dents occurring in the United States are reported tothe Coast Guard state or local law enforcementagencies As a result the Office of Boating Safetyregularly searchs the Internet for reportable boatingaccidents For accidents that may have been causedby a substantial risk defect or failure to complywith a Coast Guard safety standard we dispatchaccident investigation experts to the scene to assiststate and federal accident investigators

ldquohellip only a small fraction

of all non-fatal boating accidents

occurring in the United States

are reported

to the Coast Guard state or local

law enforcement agenciesrdquoA Coast Guard officer talks with a recreational boaterduring a boater safety patrol Photo by Public AffairsOfficer Kyle Niemi USCG

Members of the Product Assurance Division active-ly participate in national technical committees andsocieties such as the ABYC the National FireProtection Association the Society of AutomotiveEngineers Society of Naval Architects and MarineEngineers the American Boat Builders andRepairers Association Underwriters Laboratoriesthe National Association of State Boating LawAdministrators and the Fiberglass FabricatorsAssociation for the purpose of developing industrystandards for adoption in lieu of development ofdetailed Coast Guard regulations The Coast Guardsafety standards are minimum standards becausethey must be based upon a demonstrated needHowever the majority of the boats manufacturedor imported into the United States are built to com-ply with the more stringent voluntary standardsTherefore the Coast Guardrsquos involvement is impor-tant in developing recommended practices andsafety standards for improving and promoting thedesign construction equipage and maintenance ofsmall craft

The Recreational Boating Product AssuranceDivision is also involved in a variety of researchprojects and federal grants covering crashworthi-ness crash helmets for riders of personal water-crafts occupant protection safe poweringpropeller injury protection carbon monoxidepoisoning prevention PFD wear and off-throttle orno throttle steering

The next time yoursquore in a boat that has a label thatreads ldquoThis boat complies with US Coast Guardsafety standards in effect on the date of certifica-tionrdquo yoursquoll know what it means


The Recreational BoatManufacturer Factory

Visit Program

by RICHARD VANCE KANEHL


s of June 2003 the US Coast Guarddatabase of Recreational BoatManufacturer Identification Codes (uscg-boatingorgrecallsmic_databasehtm)

indicated approximately 4000 in-business recre-ational boat manufacturers and importers Thisnumber has remained relatively stable with aninflux and loss of approximately 10 percent of boatmanufacturers each year The Recreational BoatingProduct Assurance Division of the Coast GuardOffice of Boating Safety is responsible for oversee-ing the implementation maintenance and enforce-ment of federal recreational boat safety regulationsThe Factory Visit Program is the primary methodfor the Office of Boating Safety to ensure that recre-ational boat manufacturers are complying with thesafety regulations

BackgroundAmong other things the Federal Boat Safety Act of1971 authorized the Coast Guard to establishnational construction and performance standardsfor manufacturers of recreational boats and todevelop enforcement mechanisms This includes(as listed in 33 CFR sect 181-183) the display of capac-ity information safe loading safe powering andflotation standards for monohull boats of less than20 feet in length except sailboats canoes kayaksand inflatables The Coast Guard has also pub-

lished standards covering electrical systems fuelsystems and ventilation systems applicable to allboats with permanently installed gasoline enginesfor electrical generation mechanical power orpropulsion

From the early 1970s to the mid-1980s personnelfrom Coast Guard district offices conducted boat-ing safety enforcement including factory visitsFrom 1988-1995 designated Coast Guard militaryand civilian personnel from the Marine Safety andInspection Offices conducted the visits In 1995 theCoast Guard decided to only conduct factory visitswhen there was direct evidence that a boat or itscomponents contained a safety defect that present-ed a potential injury or death hazard to the recre-ational boating public

For the next several years the factory visits wereonly conducted on an as-needed basis Howeverorganizations such as BOATUS and the AmericanBoat amp Yacht Council (ABYC) expressed concern toCongress that this arrangement was inadequate toensure the safety of the boating public As a resultthe Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century(TEA-21) directed the Coast Guard to revise andstrengthen the recreational boat complianceprograms

AAAA


on the premises available for inspection Boatsmdashfrom partially completed hulls to completed unitswaiting for deliverymdashare reviewed for compliancewith the federal regulations applicable to that typeof boat Regardless of whether a boat is available forinspection the quality of components such as foamand fuel lines construction drawings and businessrecordkeeping are reviewed

Education Factory VisitWhile many manufacturers have boats on-sitesome manufacturers build to order or use just-in-time delivery and remove the vessel the moment itis completed New manufacturers often have notcompleted vessels or even begun constructionefforts When this is the case the compliance asso-ciates complete an Education Factory Visit Whilethe ideal situation is to review a completed boat theboat manufacturers still view these visits as beingof much value Not only are their immediate ques-tions answered but they also learn that they haveaccess to a resource that provides knowledgeableinterpretations of regulations which ensures that

The Factory Visit Program was renewed as a pilotprogram in 2001 through a private contractorFactory visits are now completed by ldquocomplianceassociatesrdquo who have an extensive background inboat construction standards The contract personnelhave received training from ABYC to ensure stan-dardization of procedures and knowledge of feder-al regulations Since many manufacturers had notbeen visited in several years the primary emphasisof the pilot program was to verify and substantiatethe nationwide boat building and importer indus-try and to ensure their basic compliance with theboating safety standards It is important to note thatthe emphasis of the Factory Visit Program has beento provide education and guidance on buildingsafer boats rather than compliance enforcement

Factory VisitsThere are two main types of factory visits inspec-tion and education

Inspection Factory VisitThis occurs when boat manufacturers have a vessel

Boat factory workers lay up a fiberglass hull Photo by Peter Eikenberry USCG


new product lines are less likely to have defectsReviewing procedures and plans can also preventtimely and costly mistakes once constructionbegins

Typical Factory VisitThe purpose of the typical technical factory visit isto educate boat manufacturers on federal safetyregulations First the local compliance associatewrites the manager of a manufacturing company intheir area requesting and explaining the purpose ofa visit During the visit the compliance associateasks to see the plant the construction process andcurrent boat production During an examination ofcurrent production the inspector looks for

middot Non-compliance with federal regulations involving safety standards applicable to theboat manufacturer

middot Incorrect installation of equipment such asnavigation lights according to federal regulations and

middot Construction practices that differ from recognized voluntary industry safety standards

Once the inspection is completed violations orpotential violations of federal regulations areidentified

Potential noncompliance items that cannot beconfirmed by inspection such as amounts of flota-tion material that seem insufficient are discussedand managements calculations and test proceduresreviewed

When possible foam and other component samplesare obtained This is helpful when a test labcontracted by the Coast Guard buys boats on theopen market to physically test them for compliancewith certain standards

Violations of the federal regulations are discussedwith the manufacturer and voluntary compliance isencouraged to increase boating safety as well as to

Photo by George Denny


help create good customer relations Practices relat-ed to voluntary industry standards are alsodiscussed The manufacturer receives a writtenreport of all noted violations

AccomplishmentsSince 2001 the Factory Visit Program has conduct-ed more than 3500 factory visits at recreational boatmanufacturing plants throughout the country Mostof these visits focused on manufacturers of boatsthat are subject to federal safety standardsManufacturers of boats not subject to federal safetystandards eg sailboats canoes kayaks and inflat-ables were visited less frequently

ConclusionWith the renewed Factory Visit Program the CoastGuard has greatly increased the percentage of

vessels that are assured to be compliant with feder-al safety regulations thereby increasing the overallsafety level of boats used by the recreational boatersin the United States The original program from2001 until present concentrated on providing allboat manufacturers with a basic level of under-standing of the federal safety regulations As theprogram moves into a new contract in January 2004there will be an even greater emphasis on assistingboat builders resolve more complex problems andhelping them incorporate proven safety measuresEducational materials such as a CD containingeasy-to-understand interpretive guides of the regu-lations will also provide every level of boat builderwith a more comprehensive understanding of thepotential ways to build better and safer boats for thepublic

A recreational boat factory Photo by Peter Eikenberry USCG


Coast Guard Increases Efforts

to Warn of CO Hazards

by RICHARD BLACKMAN


If you could seeIf you could see carbon monoxidecarbon monoxide

it would look like this it would look like this


Ongoing research has shown the extent of carbonmonoxide (CO) poisoning on recreational boats isgreater than had been previously recognizedOutdoor CO poisoning is a growing problem withthe advent of such recent activities as ldquoteak surfingrdquoor ldquodraggingrdquo on boats with rear swim platformsIn this activity the boat pulls individuals while theyhang on to the swim platform usually without life-jackets At certain speeds they are able to body surfon the wake of the boat While teak surfing howeverparticipants are breathing heavily concentrated COfrom the propulsion engine exhaust stream behindthe boat

The US Coast Guard has redoubled its efforts toencourage development of technical solutions aswell as public education efforts to reduce injuriesand deaths related to CO These efforts have result-ed in increased attention to CO poisoning issuesand cooperation by boat and equipment manufac-turers to add CO safety to the boat design processCO detectors are commonly installed in interiorspaces More generator exhaust outlets are nowlocated away from areas where people congregateon the boat

In March 2003 the Coast Guard Office of BoatingSafety in partnership with the National Institute ofOccupational Safety and Health convened a work-shop to discuss CO poisoning and updated atten-dees on a variety of alternatives to mitigate oreliminate CO hazards This two-day conferencewas attended by more than 80 participants includ-ing boat and equipment manufacturers recreation-al operators medical personnel research organiza-tions and regulators Presenters noted theincidence of outside CO poisoning is increasing Anumber of deaths previously reported as caused bydrowning are a direct result of incapacitation due toCO poisoning On a positive note many manufac-turers are introducing new technologies to mini-mize or eliminate CO poisoning Several houseboatmanufacturers have re-routed exhaust outlets forgenerators using a vertical dry stack exhaustsystem or added an emission control device to theexhaust stream to remove CO before the exhaustgas is introduced into the air An associated equip-ment manufacturer introduced a device to automat-ically detect CO and shut off the generator as wellas sounding an alarm These technological solu-tions are available and although none is perfect allcan be used singly or simultaneously to reduceoccurrences of CO poisoning among recreationalboaters The workshop participants jointly commit-

Safety T ips

middot Turn off gasoline-poweredgenerators with transom exhaustoutlets when the swim platformis in use

middot Boaters should familiarizethemselves with the locations ofall CO sources and exhaustoutlets on their boats

middot Swimmers should neverenter the cavity beneath a swimplatform containing generator ormain engine exhaust outlets

middot Never allow ldquoteak surfingrdquoor dragging on boats

middot Ensure towlines for watertoys are sufficiently long to com-pletely avoid the exhaust stream

middot Boat engines should beshut off when people areentering or leaving the waterfrom water activities

carbon6

C120107(8)

oxygen8

O159994(3)

ted to continuing efforts to find technological solu-tions to the problem

The Coast Guard is also continuing to developeducational materials to increase recreational boatowner and operator awareness of the CO hazardsinherent in the operation of gasoline-poweredgenerators and main propulsion engines

The Coast Guard is concerned with the serioushealth risk from CO poisoning and seeks to preventloss of life and personal injury For further informa-tion about CO and other recreational boating safetypublications visit wwwuscgboatingorg

Everyone needs to be aware of the dangers of CO poisoning associated with

deg improperly ventilated interior spaces deg exhaust outletsdeg rafting-up deg teak surfingdeg water activities on or near swim platforms near a

generator or main engine

This houseboat has its swim platform above the exhaust portmdasha cause of carbon monoxide poisoning


Coast Guard DevelopsManeuvering Rule

to Reduce Collisions

by RICHARD BLACKMAN


The US Coast Guard Boating Accident ReportDatabase recorded 681 boating fatalities in 2001 Ofthe total fatalities 119 or 17 percent resulted fromcollisions either with a fixed object such as a pier afloating object like a navigation buoy or anothervessel Open motorboats and personal watercraftwere involved in 71 percent of the reported colli-sions When reviewed by vessel length 66 percentof collisions involved vessels less than 21 feet inlength

In light of the large percentage of smaller craft (lessthan 21 feet) involved in collisions and the numberof fatalities resulting from these collisions theOffice of Boating Safety has started developing asafe maneuvering regulation that will likely beapplied to all vessels less than 21 feet in lengthThe regulation would require that all vesselspropelled by waterjet outboard sterndrive orinboard engines meet specified minimummaneuverability standards

As a first step in the development of the regula-tion maneuverability tests are being conductedat the Coast Guardrsquos contracted recreationalboat test facility in Solomons Island Md A vari-ety of outboard sterndrive and water jet-pro-pelled boats are being tested on prototypecourses to develop and validate the appropriatespecifications for a test course The goal of thistesting is to formulate a test procedure that isnot unnecessarily restrictive but will properly

demonstrate that a vessel has the capability tomaneuver to avoid a collision

Once suitable test parameters are defined the CoastGuard will solicit comments on the draft regulationfrom the boating industry and the public through anotice of proposed rulemaking published in theFederal Register All comments received will be eval-uated and if all negative comments can be proper-ly addressed the rulemaking will move forward tothe implementation of a final rule Through thisrulemaking action the Coast Guard hopes tosubstantially reduce the number of boating colli-sions and thereby reduce the resultant deaths andinjuries

The goal of maneuverability tests on all vessels less than 21 feet-longis to ensure that each make of vessel is able to avoid a collisionCourtesy Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety

Chief Warrant Officer Doug Luper a test driver takes one of the test boatsthrough a course


Boat Testing

Itrsquos All in the Ride

by PETER EIKENBERRY


The US Coast Guard Office of Boating SafetyrsquosRecreational Boating Product Assurance Division tests In

In addition to testingboats for compliance withfederal regulations theUS Coast Guard Officeof Boating SafetyrsquosRecreational Boating ProductAssurance Division is alsoactively involved withvoluntary standards organi-zations and with theInternational Organizationfor Standardization (ISO) intesting boats to validateproposed voluntary stan-dards As part of thiseffort the division recent-ly provided to theAmerican Boat and YachtCouncil (ABYC) the facili-ties of its testing contrac-tor and boats from thesafe loading and flotationtesting program to con-duct on-the-water testingof an ISO standard Thepurpose of the testingwas to validate the ISOpowering standard fortiller-steered boats andcompare the results to theUS standard for safepowering The test was ajoint effort of the CoastGuard its testing contrac-tor Potomac Management

Group Inc (PMG) ABYC Imanna Laboratoriesand volunteers from the boating industry

The Coast Guard contracts out the testing of boatsas part of its ongoing efforts to enforce federalregulations for recreational boat manufacturers Theboats are tested for compliance with safe loadingflotation and horsepower ratings Normally 80boats are tested per year 40 of those boats arevolunteered for testing by boat manufacturers andthe contractor purchases the other 40 anonymouslybecause of concerns that the boats may not complyIn the following program the Coast Guard used thesame testing contractor and boats from the compli-ance test program

Gary Larimer a naval architect from the Office ofBoating Safety headed up the arrangements for theboats and facilities and Chief Warrant Officer DougLuper who handles safety defect reports acted astest driver PMG provided the boats and enginesand helped with the setup of the boats and thecourse ABYC staff and volunteers assisted withsetting up the boats recording the data and videotaping the tests and also acted as course wardens tokeep other boats from straying onto the courseduring a test

The ISO standard uses a barrier avoidance test toevaluate how much power the boat can safely carryand still avoid running into or through a barrier Animaginary or virtual barrier is set up by placingbuoys in a line and placing a third buoy at somedistance perpendicular to that line The distancebetween the line and the third or turn buoy isdetermined by the speed of the boat to be testedThe faster the boat the farther away the buoy isplaced The boat is fitted with the manufacturerrsquosrecommended horsepower outboard engine It isthen accelerated in a straight line toward the barri-er As it passes the turn buoy the boat is turned asquickly as it can be without endangering thepassenger or flipping or making some other wildmaneuver If the boat can safely turn without cross-ing the line then it passes If not it must attempt thetest again at a slower speed or reduced horsepower

Testing occurred during a period of three daysMany of the boats did not successfully pass with thehorsepower recommended by the manufacturerOne boat spun out giving all present especially thedriver a scare The results of these and similar boattests indicate the importance of the Coast Guardboat testing effort and its role in improving the safe-ty of recreational boaters


Gary Larimerrecords testdata


An ExtraordinarySuccess Story

From the World of

Boating Safety

by JO CALKIN


may be amazed when you stop toconsider that one of the smallest divi-sions in the US Coast Guard has been

instrumental in saving the lives of 29000 recreationalboaters throughout the past 30 years Even more extraor-dinary is the fact that although the Coast Guard Office ofBoating Safety is a part of the Operations Directorate theoffice personnel have no assets assigned to support themin their very important mission They have no ships noboats not one helo nor a plane Their responsibilities donot include teams of enforcement officers nationalmaritime communications systems nor search and rescuecapabilities standing by ready to respond to those indistress

It is difficult to believe such an exceptional feat thou-sands of boatersrsquo lives saved by a couple of dozen peopleworking out of a little corner of Buzzardrsquos Point (CoastGuard headquarters in Washington DC) How was thismonumental task accomplished The answer is quitesimplemdashPARTNERSHIPS

As a result of these partnershipsmdashone of the core princi-ples of Prevention Through People (PTP)mdashthe Office of

Boating Safety and its many partners have realized tangi-ble success lives saved In this article we will define aldquopartnerrdquo describe qualities of successful partnershipsand introduce (or reintroduce) you to some of the Officeof Boating Safetyrsquos partners

What is a PartnerInterestingly the nautical term ldquopartnersrdquo means a frame-work of timber around a hole in a shiprsquos deck thatsupports a mast capstan pump etc In other words ajoint effort a collaboration a union to create expand andstrengthen opportunities Those who partner with theOffice of Boating Safety share the devotion to saving liveson the water using individual and collective resourceswisely enacting smart and fair policies educatingrecreational boaters and ensuring that the safe pursuit ofthe ldquojoy of boatingrdquo is available to all

The Coast Guardrsquos thousands of partners are diverseSome represent associations corporate entities coalitionsprivate and public industry and state and federal govern-ment agencies while others are volunteers who representvarious groups and organizations This massive team isdedicated to preventing accidents injuries and fatalities

You

of millions of recreational boatersThis amazing multi-faceted partner-ship is truly a PTP success story andindeed a story the Coast Guard isproud to tell

To appreciate the significance of thesepartnerships it is important to under-stand the vision of Coast Guard lead-ership In his most recent State of theCoast Guard Address Adm ThomasCollins declared ldquoMost readinessdoes not just depend on better capaci-ty and capability We need the keypartnerships that have already provenso valuable to our effectiveness Weneed to further strengthen theserelationshipsrdquo

The Commandant provided furtherdirection by stating ldquoCapabilitycapacity and partnershipsmdashthree keyingredients to be ready and sustaining operational excel-lencerdquo For us to achieve this expectation we must ldquobuildstrategic partnerships to enhance mission outcomes at alllevelsmdashfederal state and local international regionaland bilateral public and privatemdashto bring clarity to mis-sion planning and execution and leverage the capabilitiesof Coast Guard forces and force structurerdquo

Qualities of Successful PartnershipsSuccessful partnerships are not made by chance they aredesigned The process involved in developing and nego-tiating a partnership is as important as the partnershipitself It should be created and nurtured around underly-ing principles specific processes and objectivesSuccessful partnerships have a clear scope that includesconsiderations of the boundaries of time resources andoutcomes To truly understand a successful partnershipwe should examine the following qualities

middot A partnership is a close cooperation having common interests responsibilities privileges andpower Each of these groups or parties is called apartner

middot Partners agree upon missions values goals andmeasurable outcomes of the partnership

middot Partnerships are characterized by mutual trust respect genuineness and commitment

middot Partners build upon identified strengths and assets but also address the need for improvement

middot Partners balance power among each member andshare resources

middot Partnerships maintain clear open and accessible

communication they listen to each other developa common language and validateclarify the meaning of terms

middot Partners establish roles norms and processes after considering everyonersquos input

middot Partners welcome feedback from all stakeholderswith the goal of continuously improving the partnership itself and its outcomes

middot Partnerships take time to develop and evolve middot Partners share the credit for their

accomplishments (See pages 70ndash71)

Moving ForwardAs we are now poised to transform our Coast Guard tomeet the demands of the 21st century the CommandantrsquosDirection 2002 guidance specifies that ldquoWe must be forevervigilant and always ready for the call To ensure the highlevel of performance America expects and deserves wewill take affirmative steps to improve current and futurereadinessrdquo

With this direction in mind the Office of Boating Safety isnow moving forward smartly with possibly the greatestpartnership endeavor in the history of the Coast Guardmdasha new initiative titled ldquoYoursquore in Command Boat SafelyrdquoThis is the new National Recreational Boating SafetyOutreach Program of the Office of Boating Safety Withthe strength and support of the five Operation BoatSmartpartners who represent hundreds of thousands of indi-viduals across the nation we will work together to makethe words of Adm Collins really happen ldquoCapabilitycapacity and partnershipsmdashthree key ingredients to beready and sustaining operational excellencerdquo

Crew in a Coast Guard Jayhawk conduct a joint drill with Utah State Parkscrew Courtesy Utah Division of Parks and Recreation



Sharing the CreditThe Coast Guard is very proud to recognize our

Partners in Boating Safety who have helped us make the waters safer

National Association of State Boating Law AdministratorsThe National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) is aprofessional association consisting of state commonwealth and provincial officialsresponsible for administering andor enforcing state boating laws Non-votingmembership is open to others on an associate basis Since its founding in 1959NASBLArsquos mission has been to protect promote and enhance safe and enjoyableboating on our nationrsquos waters and to foster partnerships and cooperation amongrecreational boating safety interests

National Water Safety CongressEstablished in 1951 the National Water Safety Congress (NWSC) is a nonprofit organization that promotes safe recre-ational use of our nationrsquos waterways Membership includes agencies organizations manufacturers and concernedcitizens interested in promoting recreational boating and water safety The congress has a membership of nearly 300individuals representing nearly 90 federal state and local government agencies nonprofit organizations and privatecorporations The purpose of the NWSC is to promote and further the cause of boating and water safety throughout thenation by helping establish water safety councils

National Safe Boating CouncilThe National Safe Boating Council Inc (NSBC) was organized in September 1958 under the name National Safe BoatingCommittee The NSBCrsquos diverse membership includes more than 200 individual members who joined in direct supportof the councilrsquos programs and more than 300 organizations from the United States and Canada Of these organizationsapproximately 71 percent are non-profits and 29 percent are for-profits The mission of the NSBC is to reduce the numberof accidents and enhance the boating experience The NSBC is the nationrsquos foremost coalition for the advancement andpromotion of safer boating through education

US Power SquadronsOrganized in 1914 US Power Squadrons (USPS) is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to making boatingsafer and more enjoyable by teaching classes in seamanship navigation and related subjects Members are boatingfamilies who contribute to their communities by promoting safe boating through education USPS has some 60000members organized into 450 squadrons across the country and in some US territories USPS is the worlds largestnon-profit boating organization and has been honored by three US presidents for its civic contributions Each squadronsactivities involve the three primary objectives of USPS providing community service providing continuing educationand enjoying the friendship and camaraderie of fellow members

US Coast Guard AuxiliaryEstablished by Congress in 1939 as the original Coast Guard Reserve todayrsquos Auxiliary works together with the activeduty Coast Guard reserves and civilians in boating safety Maritime Domain Awareness and homeland security mis-sions With a membership of 36000 the Auxiliary supports the Coast Guard in non-law enforcement missions such assearch and rescue marine environmental protection safety patrols public education vessel safety checks and CoastGuard Academy introduction programs for youth Coast Guard Auxiliarists volunteer more than two million hours annu-ally for the benefit of other boaters their families and the American public

American Boat and Yacht CouncilSince its founding in 1954 the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) has been the preeminent standards-writingorganization in the USrsquos recreational boating field ABYC publishes Standards and Technical Information Reports for SmallCraft to aid manufacturers in the design construction equipage and maintenance of small craft ABYC standards wereused as the basis for developing the Federal Safety RegulationsABYC keeps its standards current through technical committees


comprised of representatives from industry government and the public with Coast Guard representation They alsocommunicate with one another regarding boating safety problems and work closely to find acceptable resolutions

National Marine Manufacturers AssociationNational Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) formed in 1979 is dedicated to creating promoting and protect-ing an environment where members can achieve financial success through excellence in manufacturing selling andservicing their customers Its membership of 1400 fulfill the mission to devote many of its resources to public policyadvocacy Representing the recreational boat manufacturing industry NMMA serves as an important line of communica-tion between the Coast Guard and industry The organization also acts as a sounding board for possible regulatory initia-tives a receptacle for industry-wide complaints a collector and distributor of regulatory interpretations and a mediatorfor resolving broad boating safety issues

Lewis and Clark Bicentennial CelebrationThe Coast Guard is currently participating in a large collaborative effort to commemorate the bicentennial of the Lewisand Clark expedition Partners include the US Army Corps of Engineers US Forest Service National Park ServiceBureau of Land Management Bureau of Reclamation US Fish amp Wildlife and the Natural Resources ConservationService Events for the four-year celebration that began on Jan 18 2003 include 10 land-based signature events as well aswater re-enactments on portions of the trail The Coast Guard is primarily focusing on issues of both public safety andenvironmental impact directly related to water-based events

National Boating Safety Advisory CouncilThe National Boating Safety Advisory Council (NBSAC) was created by the Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971 The 21 vol-unteer members are appointed by the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide advice and direction to the Coast Guardon proposed and current boating safety regulations and also to provide insight into other major boating safety mattersComposed of equal representation from state boating safety officials representatives of recreational vessel and associat-ed equipment manufacturers and representatives of national recreational boating organizations and the general publicthis council has proven to be invaluable to the National Recreational Boating Safety Program

Marine Patrol Officers CourseRecognizing the importance of partnerships with state and local law enforcement agencies the Marine Patrol OfficerCourse (MPOC) was established in 1983 as the National Boating Safety Instructors Course (NBSIC) Throughout theyears the target students and the schoolrsquos mission have changed The current MPOC is the finest course of its type to beoffered anywhere The course is two weeks long and is conducted three times each year at the Coast Guard TrainingCenter located in Yorktown Va The instructors borrowed from the Maritime Law Enforcement School staff are subjectmatter experts and some of the finest instructors you will find They have created solutions for both simple andsometimes extremely complex boating safety law enforcement and training concerns

Corporate PartnershipsThroughout the past decade the Coast Guard has collaborated with numerous corporate entities that have contributedto the development production and dissemination of safe boating educational information For example Metlife PampCAllstate and State Farm insurance companies have been valuable assets in educating and emphasizing to the boating pub-lic the importance of being responsible on the water The generosity of donations and in-kind contributions from thesecompanies is a true testimony of their concern to make a difference in saving the lives of recreational boaters in America

Operation BoatSmart PartnersOperation BoatSmart (OBS) is a combined and coordinated effort of NASBLA NSBC Coast Guard Auxiliary USPSNWSC and Coast Guard The operational side of the Coast Guard participates and supports the OBS partners inworking toward their goal of reducing boating fatalities Under the direction of the Area Commanders each Coast GuardDistrictrsquos recreational boating specialist is involved in many of the activities that occur at the local level The OBS organ-izations have agreed to work as a coalition to promote a common boating safety message greater ldquopresencerdquo with theboating public and synergy of effort in recreational boating safety operations These partners reach out to other stake-holders in industry business recreation and government to make boating safer


M A R I N E R rsquo S S E A B A GM A R I N E R lsquo S S E A B A G

Boating with History

Lewis and Clark

by VANN BURGESS


Two hundred years ago President ThomasJefferson commissioned two officers CaptainsMeriwether Lewis and William Clark to exploreand map the newly acquired lands to the West In

so doing he set in motion a journey that would take thebrave members of the Corps of Discovery more than 4000milesmdashon the waters of the Ohio Missouri Snake andColumbia Rivers over the Rocky Mountains to thePacificmdash without a single loss of life attributable to thewater Today we recognize this remarkable accomplish-ment with the Bicentennial Commemoration of the Lewisand Clark Expedition

The Bicentennial Commemoration of the Lewis and ClarkExpedition began with a re-enactment of the commission-ing of the Corps of Discovery at Monticello on Jan 182003 The four-year commemoration of this historicalevent will include 15 signature events eight of which willeither have activities on or adjacent to the water

The US Coast Guard is a signatory of the Memorandumof Understanding (MOU) of the Federal Inter-AgencyWorking Group for the Lewis and Clark BicentennialCommemoration Under the MOU agencies of the feder-al government agree to collaborate in commemorating theBicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition TheCoast Guardrsquos primary focus to date has been to addressissues of public safety and environmental impact directly

related to water-based events such as re-enactments ofthe Corps of Discovery As a result partnerships havebeen forged between the US Coast Guard Office ofBoating Safety and Waterways Management and otherfederal agencies including the US Army Corps ofEngineers US Forest Service National Parks ServiceBureau of Land Management Bureau of ReclamationUS Fish and Wildlife and the Natural ResourcesConservation Service

The Water and Public Safety Subcommittee was formed toaddress specific safety concerns This subcommittee is co-chaired by the Office of Boating Safety and the US ArmyCorps of Engineers and includes members from theFederal Inter-Agency MOU Working Group as well asrepresentatives from the US Air Force RescueCoordination Center National Association of StateBoating Law Administrators (NASBLA) Coast GuardAuxiliary and the US Power Squadrons The primaryfocus of this group is to ensure successful coordination ofthe national search and rescue response and to informevent planners and the boating public of the overall safe-ty concerns of participating in water-based activities relat-ed to the bicentennial commemoration

While there are many public safety issues surroundingthe commemoration those that concern boaters includesuch issues as the types of vessels and number of users on

busy waterways the remoteness of much of the trail andlack of effective communications and if trouble ariseswho and how long will it take to respond

A large number of visitors are expected along the Lewisand Clark Trail during the commemorationmdashincludingthe water portions along the riversmdashbecause the event isbeing widely advertised by the Bicentennial Council andevent planners In addition to the advertising there havebeen several televised documentaries on Lewis and Clarkthere has been a best selling book and since September11 people have taken a renewed interest in things patriot-ic and historical

Even though Lewis and Clark enjoyed a successful andsafe journey from a boating standpoint the rivers are notthe same bodies of water they were in the early 1800sThere are now dams and locks to contend with The USArmy Corps of Engineers is responsible for 4700 of the5000 miles of rivers along the Lewis and Clark trail Thereare 20 locks and dams on the Ohio two locks and damson the Mississippi six dams requiring portage on theMissouri and eight more locks and dams on the Snakeand Columbia One lock has a lift of 110 feet Evenexperienced boaters accustomed to boating on coastalwaters or lakes may find themselves in danger Turbulentcurrents in lock chambers violent waters below damsand the deceptively placid areas above spillways can trapthe unwary Underwater wing dams extending from theshore can wreck propellers and cause serious injury toboaters The unfamiliar procedure for passing through alock will baffle many boaters with unpredictable resultsBe warned not all locks will lock through small pleasurecraft due to the dangers involved When making travelplans call ahead to make sure you can get to where yoursquoregoing

Those expected to travel portions of the trail are expectedto do so in a variety of watercraft from small outboardsto larger cabin cruisers from canoes and kayaks topersonal watercraft from period replicas to jet boatsThose who are used to operating on placid inland lakes orthe relative calm of our nationrsquos coastal waters are in for afew surprises There is quite a bit of difference in operat-ing on our western rivers with their twists and turnsvarying bottom topography and an ever-present currentThe challenges are compounded by the effects on waterlevels and strength of the currents from rainfall far fromthe river

Now take all these different watercraft with operators ofwidely varied experience place them in a narrow andmoving body of water throw in the excitement of re-enac-tors in period costume and replica watercraft with a

sprinkling of on-shore activities and you have a recipe forconflicts and accidents Add to all this one other majorconcern the fact that the Missouri Ohio and ColumbiaRivers are major commercial waterways Literallymillions of tons of cargo move up and down these watersuperhighways every day carried in large part by tugsand barges The most dramatic conflict may be the grossmismatch between a loaded descending barge in tow andan underpowered recreational vessel blundering into itspath Itrsquos very difficult to control a large tow whenheaded downstream in a swift current The towboat isoften backing its engine to retard the speed and thecontrols are much less effective then Recreational boatersfrequently underestimate the speed of these vessels andcarelessly cross ahead of them The tow itself blocks thepilotrsquos view ahead and a small boat may be completelyhidden by the barges

Since these large tows are restricted in their ability tomaneuver another important consideration regardingon-water events and re-enactments is that of getting theappropriate marine event permits either from the CoastGuard Army Corps of Engineers or state authorityPermitting is not just an exercise in multi-form govern-mental bureaucracy The permitting process is a mecha-nism that allows all concerned parties to be notified aboutwhat is going to take place what safeguards are in placeand who is responsible It opens a channel of communica-tions so that people donrsquot get unpleasant unexpectedsurprises We must work closely with the commercialindustry and keep it informed of events taking placewhere there is the very real possibility of rounding acorner with a tug and barge and encountering a largeflotilla of small recreational craft operating in an unfamil-iar area under unfamiliar conditions It also provides foran appropriate response should something go wrong

The Lewis and Clark Trail crosses some of the most beau-tiful landscape our nation has to offer and many miles ofit are in remote wilderness areas With the possibility oflarger numbers of inexperienced boaters striking out ontheir own in these areas the chances of them havingdifficulties is relatively high while the chances ofbystander rescue is low What may be a minor inconven-ience in their home waters can become a serious matter inthese remote areas For instance if a boater capsizes hiscanoe on a summer day in a lake or river in Florida thewater is warm self-rescue is relatively easy and thechance of a passerby assisting is pretty high No big dealTake the same summer day and the same situation onlyplace it in the rivers and lakes along the trail in Montanaand things get a bit more serious The area is remote withlittle chance of even being seen by a passerby the watersare mountain-fed and icy cold year round and even if


you are able to rescue yourself and get to shore hypothermia is a very real threat Assistance is needed but how do you contact it

In the remote areas of the trail communications will be difficult at best Due to the topography radios are in large part useless Cellular phone towers are virtually non-existent and not many people are willing to invest in a satellite phone There is now however something available to those who choose to venture into the backcountry They are called Personal Locater Beacons or PLBs Approved for use in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in July 2003 these PLBs operate much in the same manner as marine Emergency

Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB) The PLB emits a signal on 406mhz to a satellite system which in tum sends a signal to the U5 Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) Once a signal is confirmed as genuine and its location identified the AFRCC can then contact the approshypriate state or local resource for response PLBs are relatively lightweight and compact and therefore easy to add to a pack The average cost is between $350 and $500 but models with a global positioning system (CPS) interface can be more Users must register PLBs with the National Oceanic and

c- n a -- __ -J --1 I ~shy-___ -__ J~-n Dr

-

~~=~ -- _ J-_

w ~ Ilira _ clIIo-p - 7degmiddot J~ SLtit _ ~ 11 6 nr MJ -_~t lI ~nrr~J--Igt- ___--- -rshy__~J -

l~ a1 Fan A~ wicAII NEB AAS~

Fo

ANSo

Prepru1lliou

--- Recrul1Jnc1l1 shy

____ Epl rion and

HococcOOJUlamp

Indian~

Pwvhaac 8auDdIott

74 PROCEEDINGS July-September Z003

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) The regisshytration information will provide rescuers with vital information such as your name address phone numbers and most important of all someone to contact if you arc in trouble Remember if you plan to visit the more remote areas of the trail leave a copy of your itinerary with your contact person If you are going by boat leave a float plan The more information rescuers have the better off youll be if trouble arises

The Bicentennial Commemoration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition is a wonderful opportunity to walk in the footsteps of history and to discover what a truly beautiful country we live in but do so safely plan ahead take a boating safety course always wear your life jacket when on the water make sure your boat is ready and get a free vessel safety check from a local member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary or Power Squadrons and remember boating and alcohol dont mix Boating under the influence of alcohol and dangerous drugs is illegal and it adds a degree of danger you can live without Follow the traiL and follow the example of Lewis and Clark Boat Safely

L COM fEM ORAT ION 1003- 2006

- - -

1

-shyI

J

I -

July-September 2003 1 PROCEEDINGS 75

1 A vessel has eight B-II CO2 fire extinguishers How many spare charges must the vessel carryA 0 B 1 C 2 D 4Correct Answer A Regulation 46 CFR 9550-15 states that spare charges shall be carried for at least 50 percent of each sizeand varietyof hand portable fire extinguisherrdquo Portable CO2 extinguishers are not readily rechargeable on board a vessel andspare charges as indicated would not be carried for this type of extinguisher classification The regulation continues to state thatif the unit cannot be readily recharged by the vessels personnel one spare unit of the same classification is to be carried in lieuof spare charges for all such units of the same size and varietyrdquo

2 The function of the loop seal as typically provided on a flash type evaporator is to _________A aid in establishing a vacuum in the first stage via the second stageB transfer the distillate produced in the first stage to the second stageC aid in establishing a vacuum in the second stage via the first stageD aid in developing a vacuum in the shell of the salt water feed heaterCorrect Answer B Due to the pressure difference between the first and second stages a loop seal is provided and transfers thedistillate produced in the first to the second stage while maintaining the pressure differential between stages

3 Injection lag in a diesel engine may be caused by _________A a higher cetane number of fuel oil B the diesel fuel used having a high viscosityC mechanical rigidity in the lube pump mechanism D a decrease in the fuel pump delivery pressureCorrect Answer B higher viscosity fuel will contribute to an increased delay of the fuel being forced across the injector tipresulting in injection lag

4 Intercoolers installed on starting air compressors reduce the possibility of _________A dust entering the high pressure stage B lube oil carbonization C discharge pulsations D interstage vapor lockCorrect Answer B By compressing air in stages and cooling it prior to entering the next stage the temperature of each stagedischarge is significantly lowered Hence intercooling aids in reducing the carbonization of the lube oil in comparison to compress-ing air without adding intercoolers

5 A short circuit in the armature of a DC motor will cause the motor to __________A run fast B hum when energizedC spark at the brushes D fail to start Correct Answer C Brush Problems and Probable CausesndashBrush Sparkingndashshort circuit in the armature winding A short circuitcommonly called a short is a low resistance current path in the coil of a DC armature and will be indicated by excess current and thesmell of burning insulation in addition to the visual indication of sparking at the brushes Any abrupt change in current flow maycause brush sparking


NauticalNautical

EngineeringEngineering

QueriesQueries

6 Which of the processes listed occurs during the charging of a lead-acid storage batteryA Negative plates change to lead peroxide B Positive plates change to lead peroxideC Both plates change to lead peroxide D Both plates change to lead sulfate Correct Answer B In a fully charged battery the positive plates contain pure lead peroxide

7 The most common type of AC service generator found aboard ship is the stationary __________A electromagnetic field revolving armature B electromagnetic field oscillatory armature typeC armature oscillatory electromagnetic field type D armature rotating electromagnetic field type Correct Answer D When large power units are required it becomes difficult to sufficiently insulate slip rings which are a frequentsource of trouble Because of this most large power-producing AC generators are designed with a stationary armature and a rotatingmagnetic field In the majority of synchronous machines and in ALL of the larger units magnetic flux is produced in the rotor polesand swept across stationary armature windings In synchronous alternators as in all electromagnetic devices voltage is determinedby relative motion between conductors and lines of magnetic flux

8 Which type of flux should be used when soldering electrical wire connections and electronic componentsA Silver flux B Rosin flux C Solid flux D Alkalide flux Correct Answer B Rosin flux is used to remove oxide films on metals being joined otherwise the metals will not properly fuseand is widely used for light solder work such as wire connections

9 The part of a fuse that melts and opens the circuit is made of __________A copper and antimony B steel and babbittC aluminum or beryllium alloy D zinc or an alloy of tin and lead Correct Answer D Generally fuses are made of zinc or of an alloy of tin and lead Due to its high resistance and melting pointbeing lower than that of copper it will melt before the copper wires become too hot

1 Reference 46 CFR 9550-152 Reference Marine Engineering ndash Harrington4 Reference Modern Marine Engineerrsquos Manual Vol 1 Osbourne5 Reference Naval Shiprsquos Technical Manual6 Reference Basic Electricity NAVPERS 10086-A7 Reference Electricity One-Seven Mileaf amp Modern Marine Engineers Manual II Osbourne8 Reference Basic Electricity NAVPERS 10086-A9 Reference Basic Electricity Marcus


1 International and Inland A power-driven vessel is underway and fishing with trolling lines This vessel __A must keep out of the way of sailing vesselsB must sound a one prolonged two short blast signal in restricted visibilityC is the stand-on vessel when overtaking power-driven vesselsCorrect Answer A By definition this vessel is not ldquoengaged in fishingrdquo because it is using ldquotrolling lines (or other fishingapparatus) which do not restrict maneuverabilityrdquo Therefore the rule for an ordinary power-driven vessel applies mandating thatthe vessel trolling keeps clear of the vessel under sail

2 Which statement about a simple conic chart projection is trueConic ProjectionsndashSimple Conic A single tangent cone is used The latitude at which the cone is tangent is the ldquostandard parallelrdquoSecant Conic The cone is tangent at two latitudes ie two standard parallels cutting a ldquosecantrdquo of the earth Lambert ConformalConic A secant conic in which the spacing of the parallels is altered so that the distortion is the same along these parallels as it isalong the meridians Polyconic A series of cones used to eliminate the limitation in latitude that can exist with a secant cone andimprove quality of presentation with regard to equal-areaA It is an equal-area projection B It is a conformal projectionC Meridians appear as curved lines with this type of projection D The scale is correct along any meridianCorrect Answer D The parallels of latitude are concentric circles and the distance along any meridian between consecutiveparallels is correct in relation to the distance on earth Since the distortion along the standard parallel (where the cone is tangent tothe earth) is minimal a simple conic projection can be used to map an area having a wide spread of longitude if the spread in latitudeis relatively small

3 What shall be conducted during a fire and boat drillA All watertight doors in the vicinity of the drill shall be operated B All lifeboat equipment shall be examinedC Fire pumps shall be started and all exterior fire main outlets openedCorrect Answer B Title 46 of the Code of Federal Regulations 46 CFR 199180 requires ldquochecking the operation of watertightdoors fire doors in the drill areardquo

4 The color of the flare sent up by a submarine indicating that a torpedo has been fired in a training exercise is ___A white B green C yellow D redCorrect Answer B Green or black is used under training exercise conditions only to indicate that a torpedo has been fired or thatthe firing of a torpedo has been simulated By this signal merchant ships are to be aware of naval activity in their vicinity

5 The line of position determined from a sight with an observed altitude (Ho) of 88deg450rsquo should be __________High Altitude SightndashThis sight was made within a few minutes of local apparent noon (LAN) at a location where the sun iscrossing the observerrsquos meridian very close to hisher zenithA reduced to the meridian and plotted as a latitude line B calculated as a longitude line


NauticalNautical

DeckDeck

QueriesQueries

C plotted by using an intercept from an assumed position D plotted as an arc around the GP of the bodyCorrect Answer D The geographic position (GP) of the celestial body (typically the sun) is the point on earth directly beneath itIt is the point from which an observer would have the sun at hisher zenith In this case the observer is 75 nautical miles (90deg -88deg450rsquo) from the sunrsquos GP The arc of the circle (drawn on the chart with a compass) is a portion of the circle of equal altitude Allobservers on the circumference of this circle would observe the sun at an altitude of 88deg450rsquo at this moment in time

6 When fighting a fire in a space containing an IMO ldquoClass 1rdquo hazardous cargo the most effective fire fighting procedure is to __Class 1 Hazardous Material ie ExplosivesndashThis class is defined in the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) CodeldquoClass 1rdquo is similarly defined in 49 CFR 17350 rdquoAny substance or article which is designed to function by explosion orwhich by chemical reaction within itself is able to function in a similar manner rdquoA shut down the ventilation and exclude all air to smother the fire B use water from fire hoses or a sprinkler systemC activate the fixed CO2 firefighting system D use high-expansion foamCorrect Answer B Water is always best for extinguishing a ldquogeneral combustiblerdquo fire Given the volatility of this particularmaterial more than one fire-fighting procedure may need to be used The action indicated in choice ldquoArdquo or ldquoCrdquo may have to beaccomplished first before a hose team can access the space

7 The center of flotation of a vessel is __________Note The center of flotation is a point on the waterplane which represents the fulcrum that the vessel pivots about as it trims As cargois loaded the change in trim may be calculated by dividing the moment created by the load by the ldquomoment to trim one inchrdquo Sincethe shape of the waterplane area of a self-propelled vessel changes with draft the location of the center of flotation will vary longitu-dinally as the shape of the plane changesA the center of volume of the immersed portion of the vesselB the center of gravity of the waterplaneC the point at which all the vertical downward forces of weight is considered to be concentratedD the point at which all the vertical upward forces of buoyancy is considered to be concentratedCorrect Answer B This point is the center of gravity of only the waterplane and must not be confused with the (three-dimension-al) center of gravity of the vessel Reference LaDage and VanGemert Stability and Trim for the Shiprsquos Officer Cornell Maritime Press 1990

8 Vessels should maintain a sharp lookout especially from December through March when navigating the rightwhalersquos only known calving grounds which lie off the coasts of __________Note In accordance with 50 CFR 224103 it is unlawful to approach within 500 yards of a right whale If a right whale is discoveredwithin 500 yards the vessel must ldquoSteer a course away from the right whale and immediately leave the area at a slow safe speedrdquoA Nova Scotia B Maine and MassachusettsC Georgia and NE Florida D California and MexicoCorrect Answer C This is the locale of the calving grounds and is designated a ldquoCritical Habitat for Marine Mammalsrdquo by 50CFR 226203


US Department of HomelandSecurity

United States Coast Guard

National Maritime Center4200 Wilson Blvd Suite 630Arlington VA 22203-1804

Official BusinessPenalty for Private Use $300

Safer BoatingSafer Boating

6 In the BeginningThe Federal Boat Safety Act of 1971

8 Smart Regulations Save LivesmdashA Regulatory History

12 Measuring the Safety of Recreational Boaters

16 Granting Safety with Nonprofit Organizations

18 Recreational Boating Safety State Grant Program

23 Marine Patrol Officers Play Important Role in Boating Safety

P r o c e e d i n g sP r o c e e d i n g sJulyndashSeptember 2003 Vol 60 Number 3

On the CoverOn the Cover

Clockwise photo credits for non-USCG imagesmdashJetski Timothy M Smalley Minn Dept of Natural Resources Sailor Sporting Lives Inc PowerboatTodayrsquos Boating Paddlers and Houseboat are USCG images Back coverclockwise from topmdashHunters Timothy M Smalley Minn Dept ofNatural Resources Canoe Sporting Lives Inc Children Timothy MSmalley Minn Dept of Natural Resources

































US Coast Guard










US Coast Guard



US Coast Guard









ViewView





Editorial Team





Editorial Contact












by Capt SCOTT

H EVANS



In the Beginning






















Registered Vessels


Actual Fatalities



































23 2002







million






Together the Coast Guard and manufacturers are considering regulations to make personal watercraft safer Page 10Copyright 2003 USCG and its licensors



by BRUCE SCHMIDT














Fig

ure

1








Fig

ure

2





1962ndash2001

Fig

ure

3





















boaters

boats



State Grant Program






































Federal Funds

State Funds









State Budget Needs





2001Actual

2004Estimated

2013Estimated


$ 265801346 $307793545 $477932430

Total NumberedBoats

12736759 13316102 $15217090




Northern States





in Boating Safety

by JOE CARRO



















One










by JOHN MALATAK












RR



















to Reduce Risk

by VANN BURGESS

























wwwuscgboatingorg


CG Info Line (800) 368-5647












Education


by VANN BURGESS

















Accident Prevention


by JOE CARRO




























by PHIL CAPPEL

















by JOE CARRO



















(800) 424-8802


(800) 424-8802











by VANN BURGESS









Photodisc










44








Photodisc



by JOE CARRO
























Communications

by Lt jg SAM

EDWARDS











coastal command and






security missions

bringing tremendous



publicrdquo































Use your DSC radio










by ALSTON COLIHAN



























How to Read Your


ABC00001A304






manufacturer





































InfolineInfoline

(800) 368-5647(800) 368-5647








are reported








Visit Program









AAAA




























by RICHARD BLACKMAN








Safety T ips







carbon6

C120107(8)

oxygen8

O159994(3)











by RICHARD BLACKMAN










Boat Testing


by PETER EIKENBERRY













From the World of

Boating Safety

by JO CALKIN









You








































Lewis and Clark

by VANN BURGESS





















c- n a -- __ -J --1 I ~shy-___ -__ J~-n Dr

-

~~=~ -- _ J-_



Fo

ANSo

Prepru1lliou


____ Epl rion and

HococcOOJUlamp

Indian~

Pwvhaac 8auDdIott





- - -

1

-shyI

J

I -








NauticalNautical


QueriesQueries













NauticalNautical

DeckDeck

QueriesQueries










































US Coast Guard










US Coast Guard



US Coast Guard









ViewView





Editorial Team





Editorial Contact












by Capt SCOTT

H EVANS



In the Beginning






















Registered Vessels


Actual Fatalities



































23 2002







million









by BRUCE SCHMIDT














Fig

ure

1








Fig

ure

2





1962ndash2001

Fig

ure

3





















boaters

boats



State Grant Program






































Federal Funds

State Funds









State Budget Needs





2001Actual

2004Estimated

2013Estimated


$ 265801346 $307793545 $477932430

Total NumberedBoats

12736759 13316102 $15217090




Northern States





in Boating Safety

by JOE CARRO



















One










by JOHN MALATAK












RR



















to Reduce Risk

by VANN BURGESS

























wwwuscgboatingorg


CG Info Line (800) 368-5647












Education


by VANN BURGESS

















Accident Prevention


by JOE CARRO




























by PHIL CAPPEL

















by JOE CARRO



















(800) 424-8802


(800) 424-8802











by VANN BURGESS









Photodisc










44








Photodisc



by JOE CARRO
























Communications

by Lt jg SAM

EDWARDS











coastal command and






security missions

bringing tremendous



publicrdquo































Use your DSC radio










by ALSTON COLIHAN



























How to Read Your


ABC00001A304






manufacturer





































InfolineInfoline

(800) 368-5647(800) 368-5647








are reported








Visit Program









AAAA




























by RICHARD BLACKMAN








Safety T ips







carbon6

C120107(8)

oxygen8

O159994(3)











by RICHARD BLACKMAN










Boat Testing


by PETER EIKENBERRY













From the World of

Boating Safety

by JO CALKIN









You








































Lewis and Clark

by VANN BURGESS





















c- n a -- __ -J --1 I ~shy-___ -__ J~-n Dr

-

~~=~ -- _ J-_



Fo

ANSo

Prepru1lliou


____ Epl rion and

HococcOOJUlamp

Indian~

Pwvhaac 8auDdIott





- - -

1

-shyI

J

I -








NauticalNautical


QueriesQueries













NauticalNautical

DeckDeck

QueriesQueries













ViewView





Editorial Team





Editorial Contact












by Capt SCOTT

H EVANS



In the Beginning






















Registered Vessels


Actual Fatalities



































23 2002







million









by BRUCE SCHMIDT














Fig

ure

1








Fig

ure

2





1962ndash2001

Fig

ure

3





















boaters

boats



State Grant Program






































Federal Funds

State Funds









State Budget Needs





2001Actual

2004Estimated

2013Estimated


$ 265801346 $307793545 $477932430

Total NumberedBoats

12736759 13316102 $15217090




Northern States





in Boating Safety

by JOE CARRO



















One










by JOHN MALATAK












RR



















to Reduce Risk

by VANN BURGESS

























wwwuscgboatingorg


CG Info Line (800) 368-5647












Education


by VANN BURGESS

















Accident Prevention


by JOE CARRO




























by PHIL CAPPEL

















by JOE CARRO



















(800) 424-8802


(800) 424-8802











by VANN BURGESS









Photodisc










44








Photodisc



by JOE CARRO
























Communications

by Lt jg SAM

EDWARDS











coastal command and






security missions

bringing tremendous



publicrdquo































Use your DSC radio










by ALSTON COLIHAN



























How to Read Your


ABC00001A304






manufacturer





































InfolineInfoline

(800) 368-5647(800) 368-5647








are reported








Visit Program









AAAA




























by RICHARD BLACKMAN








Safety T ips







carbon6

C120107(8)

oxygen8

O159994(3)











by RICHARD BLACKMAN










Boat Testing


by PETER EIKENBERRY













From the World of

Boating Safety

by JO CALKIN









You








































Lewis and Clark

by VANN BURGESS





















c- n a -- __ -J --1 I ~shy-___ -__ J~-n Dr

-

~~=~ -- _ J-_



Fo

ANSo

Prepru1lliou


____ Epl rion and

HococcOOJUlamp

Indian~

Pwvhaac 8auDdIott





- - -

1

-shyI

J

I -








NauticalNautical


QueriesQueries













NauticalNautical

DeckDeck

QueriesQueries











In the Beginning






















Registered Vessels


Actual Fatalities



































23 2002







million









by BRUCE SCHMIDT














Fig

ure

1








Fig

ure

2





1962ndash2001

Fig

ure

3





















boaters

boats



State Grant Program






































Federal Funds

State Funds









State Budget Needs





2001Actual

2004Estimated

2013Estimated


$ 265801346 $307793545 $477932430

Total NumberedBoats

12736759 13316102 $15217090




Northern States





in Boating Safety

by JOE CARRO



















One










by JOHN MALATAK












RR



















to Reduce Risk

by VANN BURGESS

























wwwuscgboatingorg


CG Info Line (800) 368-5647












Education


by VANN BURGESS

















Accident Prevention


by JOE CARRO




























by PHIL CAPPEL

















by JOE CARRO



















(800) 424-8802


(800) 424-8802











by VANN BURGESS









Photodisc










44








Photodisc



by JOE CARRO
























Communications

by Lt jg SAM

EDWARDS











coastal command and






security missions

bringing tremendous



publicrdquo































Use your DSC radio










by ALSTON COLIHAN



























How to Read Your


ABC00001A304






manufacturer





































InfolineInfoline

(800) 368-5647(800) 368-5647








are reported








Visit Program









AAAA




























by RICHARD BLACKMAN








Safety T ips







carbon6

C120107(8)

oxygen8

O159994(3)











by RICHARD BLACKMAN










Boat Testing


by PETER EIKENBERRY













From the World of

Boating Safety

by JO CALKIN









You








































Lewis and Clark

by VANN BURGESS





















c- n a -- __ -J --1 I ~shy-___ -__ J~-n Dr

-

~~=~ -- _ J-_



Fo

ANSo

Prepru1lliou


____ Epl rion and

HococcOOJUlamp

Indian~

Pwvhaac 8auDdIott





- - -

1

-shyI

J

I -








NauticalNautical


QueriesQueries













NauticalNautical

DeckDeck

QueriesQueries




















Registered Vessels


Actual Fatalities



































23 2002







million









by BRUCE SCHMIDT














Fig

ure

1








Fig

ure

2





1962ndash2001

Fig

ure

3





















boaters

boats



State Grant Program






































Federal Funds

State Funds









State Budget Needs





2001Actual

2004Estimated

2013Estimated


$ 265801346 $307793545 $477932430

Total NumberedBoats

12736759 13316102 $15217090




Northern States





in Boating Safety

by JOE CARRO



















One










by JOHN MALATAK












RR



















to Reduce Risk

by VANN BURGESS

























wwwuscgboatingorg


CG Info Line (800) 368-5647












Education


by VANN BURGESS

















Accident Prevention


by JOE CARRO




























by PHIL CAPPEL

















by JOE CARRO



















(800) 424-8802


(800) 424-8802











by VANN BURGESS









Photodisc










44








Photodisc



by JOE CARRO
























Communications

by Lt jg SAM

EDWARDS











coastal command and






security missions

bringing tremendous



publicrdquo































Use your DSC radio










by ALSTON COLIHAN



























How to Read Your


ABC00001A304






manufacturer





































InfolineInfoline

(800) 368-5647(800) 368-5647








are reported








Visit Program









AAAA




























by RICHARD BLACKMAN








Safety T ips







carbon6

C120107(8)

oxygen8

O159994(3)











by RICHARD BLACKMAN










Boat Testing


by PETER EIKENBERRY













From the World of

Boating Safety

by JO CALKIN









You








































Lewis and Clark

by VANN BURGESS





















c- n a -- __ -J --1 I ~shy-___ -__ J~-n Dr

-

~~=~ -- _ J-_



Fo

ANSo

Prepru1lliou


____ Epl rion and

HococcOOJUlamp

Indian~

Pwvhaac 8auDdIott





- - -

1

-shyI

J

I -








NauticalNautical


QueriesQueries













NauticalNautical

DeckDeck

QueriesQueries










































23 2002







million









by BRUCE SCHMIDT














Fig

ure

1








Fig

ure

2





1962ndash2001

Fig

ure

3





















boaters

boats



State Grant Program






































Federal Funds

State Funds









State Budget Needs





2001Actual

2004Estimated

2013Estimated


$ 265801346 $307793545 $477932430

Total NumberedBoats

12736759 13316102 $15217090




Northern States





in Boating Safety

by JOE CARRO



















One










by JOHN MALATAK












RR



















to Reduce Risk

by VANN BURGESS

























wwwuscgboatingorg


CG Info Line (800) 368-5647












Education


by VANN BURGESS

















Accident Prevention


by JOE CARRO




























by PHIL CAPPEL

















by JOE CARRO



















(800) 424-8802


(800) 424-8802











by VANN BURGESS









Photodisc










44








Photodisc



by JOE CARRO
























Communications

by Lt jg SAM

EDWARDS











coastal command and






security missions

bringing tremendous



publicrdquo































Use your DSC radio










by ALSTON COLIHAN



























How to Read Your


ABC00001A304






manufacturer





































InfolineInfoline

(800) 368-5647(800) 368-5647








are reported








Visit Program









AAAA




























by RICHARD BLACKMAN








Safety T ips







carbon6

C120107(8)

oxygen8

O159994(3)











by RICHARD BLACKMAN










Boat Testing


by PETER EIKENBERRY













From the World of

Boating Safety

by JO CALKIN









You








































Lewis and Clark

by VANN BURGESS





















c- n a -- __ -J --1 I ~shy-___ -__ J~-n Dr

-

~~=~ -- _ J-_



Fo

ANSo

Prepru1lliou


____ Epl rion and

HococcOOJUlamp

Indian~

Pwvhaac 8auDdIott





- - -

1

-shyI

J

I -








NauticalNautical


QueriesQueries













NauticalNautical

DeckDeck

QueriesQueries






















23 2002







million






Together the Coast Guard and manufacturers are considering regulations to make personal watercraft safer Copyright 2003 USCG and its licensors



by BRUCE SCHMIDT














Fig

ure

1








Fig

ure

2





1962ndash2001

Fig

ure

3





















boaters

boats



State Grant Program






































Federal Funds

State Funds









State Budget Needs





2001Actual

2004Estimated

2013Estimated


$ 265801346 $307793545 $477932430

Total NumberedBoats

12736759 13316102 $15217090




Northern States





in Boating Safety

by JOE CARRO



















One










by JOHN MALATAK












RR



















to Reduce Risk

by VANN BURGESS

























wwwuscgboatingorg


CG Info Line (800) 368-5647












Education


by VANN BURGESS

















Accident Prevention


by JOE CARRO




























by PHIL CAPPEL

















by JOE CARRO



















(800) 424-8802


(800) 424-8802











by VANN BURGESS









Photodisc










44








Photodisc



by JOE CARRO
























Communications

by Lt jg SAM

EDWARDS











coastal command and






security missions

bringing tremendous



publicrdquo































Use your DSC radio










by ALSTON COLIHAN



























How to Read Your


ABC00001A304






manufacturer





































InfolineInfoline

(800) 368-5647(800) 368-5647








are reported








Visit Program









AAAA




























by RICHARD BLACKMAN








Safety T ips







carbon6

C120107(8)

oxygen8

O159994(3)











by RICHARD BLACKMAN










Boat Testing


by PETER EIKENBERRY













From the World of

Boating Safety

by JO CALKIN









You








































Lewis and Clark

by VANN BURGESS





















c- n a -- __ -J --1 I ~shy-___ -__ J~-n Dr

-

~~=~ -- _ J-_



Fo

ANSo

Prepru1lliou


____ Epl rion and

HococcOOJUlamp

Indian~

Pwvhaac 8auDdIott





- - -

1

-shyI

J

I -








NauticalNautical


QueriesQueries













NauticalNautical

DeckDeck

QueriesQueries


















by BRUCE SCHMIDT














Fig

ure

1








Fig

ure

2





1962ndash2001

Fig

ure

3





















boaters

boats



State Grant Program






































Federal Funds

State Funds









State Budget Needs





2001Actual

2004Estimated

2013Estimated


$ 265801346 $307793545 $477932430

Total NumberedBoats

12736759 13316102 $15217090




Northern States





in Boating Safety

by JOE CARRO



















One










by JOHN MALATAK












RR



















to Reduce Risk

by VANN BURGESS

























wwwuscgboatingorg


CG Info Line (800) 368-5647












Education


by VANN BURGESS

















Accident Prevention


by JOE CARRO




























by PHIL CAPPEL

















by JOE CARRO



















(800) 424-8802


(800) 424-8802











by VANN BURGESS









Photodisc










44








Photodisc



by JOE CARRO
























Communications

by Lt jg SAM

EDWARDS











coastal command and






security missions

bringing tremendous



publicrdquo































Use your DSC radio










by ALSTON COLIHAN



























How to Read Your


ABC00001A304






manufacturer





































InfolineInfoline

(800) 368-5647(800) 368-5647








are reported








Visit Program









AAAA




























by RICHARD BLACKMAN








Safety T ips







carbon6

C120107(8)

oxygen8

O159994(3)











by RICHARD BLACKMAN










Boat Testing


by PETER EIKENBERRY













From the World of

Boating Safety

by JO CALKIN









You








































Lewis and Clark

by VANN BURGESS





















c- n a -- __ -J --1 I ~shy-___ -__ J~-n Dr

-

~~=~ -- _ J-_



Fo

ANSo

Prepru1lliou


____ Epl rion and

HococcOOJUlamp

Indian~

Pwvhaac 8auDdIott





- - -

1

-shyI

J

I -








NauticalNautical


QueriesQueries













NauticalNautical

DeckDeck

QueriesQueries










the coast guard journal of safety at sea proceedings

Documents