Vessel Safety Check

What’s free and could save you money… or your life? The answer is a Vessel Safety Check.

A Vessel Safety Check (VSC) is a no-cost, no risk check of your boat’s equipment and personal protection gear, performed by someone knowledgeable about federal and local requirements.

That someone is a volunteer from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary or the U.S. Power Squadrons^®(America’s Boating Club) who comes to your vessel — power or sailboat, paddleboard, canoe, kayak, or jet ski — at your convenience. The volunteer vessel safety examiner checks, among other things, the registration number display on the hull, the number of life jackets aboard, adequacy of ventilation, configuration and functionality of navigation lights, up-to-date flares, the presence of charged fire extinguishers, and reviews documentation and registration papers, all as applicable. Most VSCs take under 30 minutes.

If the vessel “fails” the VSC, there’s zero judgment and no penalty. The report is written up and handed only to the owner, so it serves as a checklist for what to buy and how to address the missing safety components.

Act quickly on the specific items noted in the VSC report, boaters. This ensures future outings will be safer for all aboard. Further, should you be stopped by marine law enforcement of any type, what was found lacking during that no-risk VSC will turn into a citation, a fine, and/or an immediate trip back to the dock.

After fulfilling your VSC checklist, request that the examiner return. If everything is in order, you’ll get an official decal and a copy of the passing report. Share the report with your marine insurance company and keep the decal and report aboard to show the U.S. Coast Guard or other law enforcement officers.

Help to prepare for and schedule a VSC: