U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, District 11S, Division 5, Flotilla 4 - Vessel Safety Check

The Government wants to give you something for FREE *

*for real, with no catch!

  By Wayne Spivak
National Press Corps
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

Here’s one of the best kept Free Give-a-ways from the Federal Government, and its FREE – FREE – FREE!

This is not one of those gimmicks with hidden costs. You won’t get a bill in the mail or a ticket after you get there. It’s not a law enforcement sting operation.

It is truly FREE – FREE – FREE!

What’s for FREE?

A Vessel Safety Check (VSC) from the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary and/or one of its partners.

What is it?

It’s a check of your recreational vessel (be it a powerboat, sailboat, PWC, canoe, kayak, rowboat or other vessel) as it relates to both Federal, State and Local safety equipment. In addition, the VSC will check the condition of your bilges, your electrical system, as well as go over other items while not mandated make good boating sense.

What isn’t a VSC?

A Vessel Safety Check is not a Law Enforcement activity. No ticket will be issued if you fail the VSC. However, should you fail the VSC, and then deciede not to bring your vessel up to the required level, and are stopped by the Coast Guard or local law enforcement at a later date, you can be ticketed.

So it makes sense to take the VSC, correct your deficiencies, boat safer and avoid a possible fine.

A Vessel Safety Check is not a marine survey. Examinations of the bilge, engine compartment and electrical systems are cursory. They are meant to show to the boat owner obvious shortcomings that have the potential to become emergiencies. It is up to the boat owner to make sure all connections, whether thru-hull or electrical are up to snuff!

Who should get a VSC?

 Every vessel owner, whether you had a VSC last year or not, should get a VSC this year. Why? Because things change. Law’s change, visusal distress signals (VDS) expire, fire extinguishers discharge and all sorts of problems can be identified by a simple FREE VSC.

Do VSC’s save lives?

 Yes they do! In one VSC I did a few years ago, at a boat ramp, just before a 25’ center console boat was about to leave for a day of fishing. I convinced the boater to take 15 minutes to have a FREE (there is that word again) VSC.

I think he was both happy that it was FREE, and happier when we found that a fitting that was connected to a thru-hull connection had broken. While we were sitting at the dock, the water levels kept rising.

Had he not had a VSC that day, he would have become a Search and Rescue case. In this instance, he put his boat back on the trailer, dewatered it, fixed his problem and I’m sure he was able to pass the VSC given by another Vessel Examiner later that day.

I own a Kayak, what’s a VSC going to do for me?

This year, the Coast Guard and Auxiliary are specifically targeting SUBs (Sport and Utility Boats). A VSC is as important or more important for this group of boaters, than the more traditional boating group. This is because Paddleboaters often boat in areas that are not well traversed.

Paddleboaters enter the water in non-traditional areas, they may stay close to shore or the bank, but just as likely they will travel out into areas of the water where they are easily lost against the background and glare of the water. Paddleboaters have unique requirements, while most are not mandated by law, the the Paddleboater should be made aware and educated.

To this end, the Coast Guard and the American Canoe Association have teamed up to provide a new course just for this segment of the boating population, called “Smart Start for Paddlers”. Ask your Vessel Examiner about the course.

How do I find a Vessel Examiner?

 That’s easy! They probably are at your local boat ramp and/or marina, but to make it even easier, we have a web site that will provide you with local Vessel Examiners based on zipcode (http://www.safetyseal.net/GetVSC/).

For more information on boating education or Vessel Safety Checks, contact your local Flotilla by using our Flotilla Finder (www.cgaux.org/cgauxweb/getzip.html) or by contacting your local Coast Guard unit (www.uscg.mil).

See, the Government is really giving you something for FREE!

Click Here for More Information or send an e-mail request.

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