We will display
questions received from our visitors in this section. If you are a member of the Auxiliary
and have questions, please ask them in the Member's Q&A area.
A FEW RULES: No questions are made public until they have been researched and we have an answer,
so if you are just posting SPAM or any form of junk advertising, it will be deleted immediately when we are reviewing
what has been submitted. We can only answer questions relating to federal requirements for recreational boats.
Requirements that are state or local are best answered by the state or local agency, since we have no comprehensive,
up-to-date database on those requirements and regulations. We cannot answer questions about requirements for commercial
vessels and Uninspected Passenger Vesselss as they are not under our program for recreational boats.
Do not ask a question if it is already in our database. First search our database to see if we have already received and
responded to a similar question from another visitor. To search the
existing database of questions without scrolling,
Click Here and search with the key words that may be found in your question.
To ask a question not found in our database, Click
Here and if it is germane to the subject as listed under the rules, and we can come up with an answer,
it will be posted.
Battery Terminals , posted: 2/2/2009
Question: Do you have to have both battery terminals covered now to pass a vessel safety check or just the positive one
Answer: The Federal Rules only require the positive battery terminal be covered. Some states require both battery terminals be covered. In those states both terminals must be covered to pass a VSC. In the remainder of the states only the positive terminal needs to be covered to pass a VSC. It is imperative that VE's know the rules of the states in which they perform VSC's.
George R Bores, BC-VTR
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Sailboat Lights , posted: 6/11/2008
Question: Are sail boats 23 feet and under with an outboard motor required to have the same nav lights as those of a power boat?
Also, the owner of a number of these rental craft states that they are not allowed out at night--see contradictory responses to this situation posted 4/29/07 and 5/11/05.
Answer: Sailboats with propulsion machinery installed must be able to display the navigation lights for a power driven vessel from sunset to sunrise and during times of limited visibility, such as fog, rain, smoke, ect, when the machinery is in operation. Stating the vessels do not go out at night does not affect this rule. If a sailboat has navigation lights installed they must be able to display the proper lights of a sailing vessel. These are federal and VSC requirements. Some states may have different rules. The responses of 4/29/07 and 6/11/05 are not contradictory, they are answers to two different situations from this one.
George R Bores, BC-VTR
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Rental Boats , posted: 3/23/2008
Question: As a USPS vessel examiner, may I do a VSC on boats and/or PWCs owned by a corporation for the purpose of renting them to the public and properly provide them with a sticker if they pass, or can they only be inspected by the CG Marine Safety Office?
Answer: All Vessels Examiners may examine and award VSC decals to recreational type boats, including PWC's, that are for rent.
George R Bores, BC-VTR
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Installed Fuel Tank Weight , posted: 2/12/2008
Question: Do you need to consider your fuel weight, of a built in tank, to stay within your boat's capacity limits?
Thank you
Answer: The weight of the FULL factory installed permanent fuel tank(s) is already accounted for as part of the "Boat Weight" and does not affect maximum weights listed on the Capacity Plate. The weight of portable tanks and the fuel they contain need to be accounted for when determining the maximum weight as specified by the Capacity Plate.
George R Bores, BC-VTR
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Capacity Plate , posted: 10/13/2007
Question: My fire department is going to use a 16ft. monohaul boat with a 40hp. motor for rescue, diving, flood emerencies and operations on navigable waters. The capacity information plate states that boat can hold 5 people or 550lbs and 980lbs. person, motor and gear. The manufacture advertises that the boat holds more weight,3400lbs. I believe resuce operations could easily overload the boat. Is it illegal to operate the boat over the capacity plate weight limits? I believe it is and I don't believe the salesman.
Answer: It is not safe or legal to operate a boat with any of the maximums listed on the boats Capacity Plate exceeded. The advertised capacity of 3400 pounds may be the gross weight of the hull, motor, and gear or it may be the so called "swamped weight". This is the weight it takes to completly swamp the hull. A high "swamped weight" does not allow the exceeding of any of the listed maximum capacities on the Capacity Plate.
George R Bores, BC-VTR
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