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| FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS
FOR COMMERCIAL FISHING INDUSTRY VESSELS - More Info Contact:
Dan
O'Connor
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 Immersion
Suit
All devices must have 62 square inches of retroflective tape
(31 square inches on the front and 31 square inches on the
front and 31 square inches on the back and the same on the
inside if the device is reversible). The retroflective tape
on immersion suits must be placed so that the tape on immersion
suits must be placed so that the tape can be seen if the wearer
is in a floating position.
When vessels operate on ocean, coastwise, and Great Lakes
voyages a Coast Guard approved PFD light ( approval series
161.012 ) must be attached to the front shoulder area of the
required device.
| Area of Operation |
Vessel Type |
Device |
| Seaward of the boundary Line, north of 32
degrees north, of 32 degrees south and Lake Superior |
Documented |
Immersion Suit |
| Coastal Water on the West Coast of the US
north of PT. Reyes CA; beyond coastal waters, cold water;
and Lake Superior |
All |
Immersion Suit |
| All other water (includes all Great Lakes
except Lake Superior) |
40 feet or more |
Type I, Immersion Suit |
| All other waters (includes all Great Lakes
except Lake Superior) |
Less than 40 feet |
Type I,II and III, Immersion Suit |
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| Throwable Flotation Devices |
  46
CFR 28.115-General Requirements
46 CFR 28.135-Markings
Type I PFD
A coast Guard approved throwable flotation device (ring life
buoy or throwable cushion) must be carried on board, as determined
in the following
| Vessel Length |
None |
| Less than 16 feet |
throwable cushion or 1 orange 24 inch ring
life buoy with 60 feet of line* |
| 16 feet to less than 26 feet |
1 orange 24 inch ring life buoy with 60
feet of line* |
| 26 feet to less than 65 feet |
Type I, Immersion Suit |
| 65 feet or more |
3 orange 24 inch ring life buoys- at least
one device must have 90 feet on line |
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| Survival Craft |
 46
CFR 28.120-General requirements
46 CFR 28.125-Stowage
46 CFR 28.125-Stowage
Commercial fishing vessels are required to carry Coast Guard
approved survival craft of sufficient capacity to accommodate
every person on board.
Exceptions:
- Vessel less than 36 feet operating within 12 miles of
the coastline with three or less people on board are not
required to carry a survival craft.
- Vessels 36 feet or greater operating within 12 miles of
the coastline with three or less people on board may substitute
a Coast Guard approved Buoyant Apparatus for the required
survival craft.
- An auxiliary craft, which is integral and necessary for
normal fishing operations, may be substituted for a survival
craft (except for an inflatable life raft) if it is readily
accessible during an emergency and is capable of safely
holding all persons on board.
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| Great Lakes |
| Vessel Name |
Type |
Requirement |
| Great Lakes, cold waters |
36 feet or more |
Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus (1) |
| Great Lakes, cold waters |
Less than 36 feet |
Buoyant Apparatus (2) |
| Great Lakes beyond 3 miles of coastline,
warm waters |
All |
Buoyant Apparatus (2) |
| Great Lakes beyond 3 miles of coastline,
warm waters |
All |
None |
(1) A Coast Guard approved Buoyant Apparatus may be substituted
provided the vessel operates within 12 miles of the coastline
with three or fewer people on board.
(2) A vessel less than 36 feet which operates within 12
miles of the coastline with three or fewer people on board
is not required to carry a survival craft.
The SOLAS A Pack is equivalent to a formerly approved Ocean
Service Pack and the SOLAS B Pack is equivalent to a formerly
approved Limited Service Pack.
A non-Coast Guard approved survival craft installed on board
a vessel before September 15, 1991 may continue to be used
if it is of the same type required, is outfitted with the
required equipment pack, and is serviced annually by a Coast
Guard approved service center.
A Coast Guard approved Lifeboat may be substituted for any
survival craft, provided it is installed and and equipped
in accordance with 46 CFR 199.
The hierarchy of survival craft in descending order is Lifeboat,
Inflatable Liferaft with SOLAS A Pack Inflatable life raft
with SOLAS B Pack, Inflatable Liferaft with Coastal Service
Pack, Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus. A survival craft higher
in the hierarchy may be substituted for any survival craft
required in these tables.
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| Stowage of Survival Craft - 46 CFR 28.125 |
 Inflatable
Liferafts that are required to be equipped with a SOLAS A or
B equipment pack must be stowed so as to float free and automatically
inflate in the event the vessel sinks.
All other survival craft (Inflatable, Liferaft, Inflatable Buoyant
Apparatus, and any auxiliary craft used in their place) must
be readily accessible for launching or stowed to float free
if the vessel sinks. |
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| Undocumented Vessels With Less Than 16
People On Board |
46 CFR table 28.120 (b)
Cold Waters
| Vessel Area |
Type |
Requirement |
| Beyond 20 miles of the coastline or Beyond
the Boundary Line, between 12-20 miles of coastline |
All |
Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus |
| Beyond boundary line, within 12 miles of
coastline; Inside the boundary line; or Lakes, Bays, Sounds,
or Rivers |
36 feet or more |
Inflatable Liferaft with SOLAS B Pack |
| Beyond boundary line, within 12 miles of
coastline; Inside the boundary line; or Lakes, Bays, Sounds,
or Rivers |
Less than 36 feet |
Buoyant Apparatus (2) |
Warm Waters
| Vessel Area |
Type |
Requirement |
| Beyond 20 miles of the coastline |
All |
Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus |
| Beyond boundary line, within 20 miles of
coastline |
All |
Lifefloat (1) (2) |
| Inside Boundary Line; or Lakes, Bays, Sounds,
or Rivers |
All |
None |
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| All Documented Vessels and Undocumented
Vessels With More Than 16 People On Board |
46 CFR 28.120( a ) and ( c )
Cold Waters
| Vessel Area |
Type |
Requirement |
| Beyond 50 miles of the coastline |
All |
Inflatable Liferaft with SOLAS A Pack |
| Between 20-50 miles of coastline |
All |
Inflatable Liferaft with SOLAS B Pack |
| Beyond boundary Line, between 12-20 miles of coastline |
All |
Inflatable Liferaft with Coastal Pack |
| Beyond boundary Line, within 12 miles of coastline;
Inside the Boundary Line; or Lakes, bays, sounds, or rivers |
36 feet or more |
Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus (1) |
| Beyond boundary Line, within 12 miles of
coastline; Inside the Boundary Line; or Lakes, bays, sounds,
or rivers |
Less than 36 feet |
Buoyant Apparatus (2) |
Warm Waters
| Vessel Area |
Type |
Requirement |
| Beyond 20 miles of the coastline |
All |
Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus |
| Beyond boundary line, within 20 miles of
coastline |
All |
Lifefloat (1) (2) |
| Inside Boundary Line; or Lakes, Bays, Sounds,
or Rivers |
All |
None |
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| Emergency Position Indicating
Radio Beacons (EPIRB) |
Vessels operating on the high seas (beyond
the 3 mile territorial sea line) are required to carry a 406
MHz EPIRB, Category I or II, as follows:
| Vessel Type |
EPIRB Required |
| 36 feet or more |
406MHz Category I |
| 36 feet or more with floatation** |
406 MHz Category I or II |
| Less than 36 feet |
406 MHz Category II |
 **
to qualify a Builder's Certification is required stating vessel
is constructed with sufficient inherently buoyant material
to keep the flooded vessel afloat
Category I - float-free, automatically activated
Category II - manually activated
The EPIRB must be tested when it is installed and at least
once every month. The master is responsible for seeing that
the EPIRB is tested.
All 406 MHz EPIRBs must be registered with NOAA. There is
no fee for registration. Contact the Fishing Vessel Safety
Coordinator in your area for a registration form.
Click
Here for EPIRB Registration
Or
Here for Online Registration
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| Life Float And Buoyant Apparatus
Equipment - 46 CFR 28.130 |
A hydrostatic release unit used in a float
free arrangement must have a Coast Guard approval number starting
with 160.062. A float free link may be used with a Buoyant
Apparatus or a Life Float and must be certified to meet 46
CFR, subpart 160.073.
Each Life Float and Buoyant Apparatus must be fitted with
pendants, a lifeline, a painter, and a floating electric water
light that has a Coast Guard approval number starting with
161.010. |
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| Distress Signals - 46 CFR
28.145 |
| Area |
Devices Required |
| Ocean, over 50 miles from coastline |
3 Parachute flares (160.136)
6 Hand Flares (160.121)
3 Smoke signals (160.122) |
| Ocean, 3-50 miles from the coastline or
more than 3 miles from coastline on the Great Lakes |
3 Parachute flares (160.136 or 160.036)
3 Hand Flares (160.121 or 160.021)
3 Smoke signals (160.122,160.022,160.037) |
| Coastal |
Night:one SOS electric light (161.013) and
Day:one flag (160.072) or smoke Signals or
3 approved flares for both day and night |
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