"Boat  Smart from the Start"
with a FREE VESSEL SAFETY CHECK

The mission of the Coast Guard Recreational Boating Safety program is to minimize the loss of life, personal injury, property damage and negative environmental impact associated with the use of recreational boats, through preventive means. The VSC program supports one of the program's key goals: To improve the demonstrated knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviors of boaters.

The VSC program helps to achieve voluntary compliance with  federal, state and local recreational boating safety laws, particularly regarding the carriage of safety equipment. It also heightens the boaters' awareness of safety issues through one-on-one contact by volunteer examiners.

What is a Vessel Safety Check?
It is a free check of a vessel's equipment for compliance with federal, state and local safety requirements

Some of the items we check are:

• Proper Display of Numbers
• Registration/Documentation
• Personal Floatation Devices
• Visual Distress Signals
• Fire Extinguishers
• Ventilation
• Back Flame Control
• Navigation Lights
• State & Local Requirements
• Overall Vessel Condition

Boating Safety Education
During the Vessel Safety Check, the vessel examiner has an opportunity to discuss with a fellow boater the purpose of the marine safety equipment, to clarify various federal, state, and local regulations, to review local boating conditions, to answer any boating-related safety questions, and to encourage additional boater education. Some of the topics are:

• Charts and Aids
• Survival Tips
• Fueling / Fuel Management
• Float Plan
• Weather and Sea Conditions

Benefits of a Vessel Safety Check
A Vessel Safety Check can identify SAFETY and money saving opportunities:

• By preventing citations, you can insure meeting federal, state, and local safety equipment requirements.
• By identifying education and equipment-related possible boating insurance discounts.
• by increasing awareness of safety practives to avoid accidents and costly breakdowns.

A Vessel Safety Check can reduce accidents and injuries by educating the boater as to the value and use of marine safety equipment, and other safe practices on the water.

Download your free Vessel Safety Check - Checklist. All downloadable documents require Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this reader, it is available for download free from Adobe. Click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.

 "Partners in Boating Safety"
The United States Power Squadron
and
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

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