| Vehicle
Safety Checks (VSC)
The Vessel Safety Check (VSC) is a FREE
complimentary check of your boat or personal
watercraft (PWC) conducted by members of
the Auxiliary, confirming that it meets
both federal and state requirements for
safety. A Vessel Safety Check is a courtesy
examination of your vessel to verify the
presence and condition of certain Safety
Equipment required by State and the Federal
regulations. A VSC is a great way to learn
about the existence of potential problems
or violations that might create dangerous
situations for you or your passengers in
a user friendly environment.
The
U.S. Coast Guard recommends you get a yearly
FREE Vessel Safety Check (VSC) for your
watercraft (boats of all kinds and sizes
as well as PWC's) as a way to help minimize
the probability of a safety related problem
unintentionally going unnoticed. It
will also help you to be better prepared
to deal with unfortunate situations when
they do occur. Unexpected and
often potentially dangerous mechanical failures
or problems have a way of occurring at an
inconvenient time even on the best-maintained
vessels.
The
Vessel Examiner (VE) is a trained specialist
and is a member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary
or the United States Power Squadrons who
will provide helpful recommendations for
improving your, the vessel, and its passenger
safety. They can answer safety or
boating related questions you may have. They
will also make certain recommendations and
discuss certain safety issues that will
make you a safer boater.
This is not boarding or a law enforcement
issue. No citations are issued and the results
of the safety check are not reported to
any enforcement agency, but a decal is awarded
to display if the vessel has passed the
examination. We will supply you with a copy
of our evaluation so that you may follow
some of the suggestions given. Vessels that
pass will be able to display our distinctive
VSC decal. This does not exempt you from
law enforcement boarding, but you can be
prepared to make this a positive encounter.
An example of some of the items checked
include:
• Personal Flotation Devices (life
jackets)
• Registration and numbering
• Navigation lights
• Ventilation
• Fire extinguishers
• Distress signals (flares, horn,
etc.)
• Battery cover and connections
All
of these items are currently required by
state and federal laws and, if missing or
non-operating, can result in a citation
if your vessel is inspected by the Coast
Guard. The Vessel Safety Check gives you
a risk-free way to check that you meet the
legal minimums and to potentially avoid
a citation later.
Vessels
that pass the VSC examination will be awarded
a decal that the VE will affix to the vessel.
In accepting and displaying the VSC decal,
the owner/operator pledges to maintain their
boat and its equipment to the safety standards
required to pass the examination.
The owner/operator of the watercraft must
be present during the examination, since
the award is not made simply to the vessel.
For this reason as well as many others,
the owner should remove the decal from the
vessel if it is sold to another party.
Conversely, if a boat purchased has a VSC
decal still attached, a reexamination should
be arranged shortly after taking possession. If
the watercraft does not pass the initial
examination, the VE will be happy to re-examine
a vessel after identified issues are corrected
and award a VSC decal if the vessel meets
all VSC requirements.
Displaying
a current VSC decal (as shown above) can
help make future law enforcement boarding
less stressful, of shorter duration, and
a more pleasant experience for everyone
involved.
SIGN
UP FOR A VEHICLE SAFETY CHECK
If you would like a Vehicle Safety Examiner
from USCG Aux Flotilla 15-02 to conduct
a safety inspection on your vessel contact
???
FOR
MORE INFORMATION
• Visit SafetySeal.net - A website
devoted exclusively to the Vessel Safety
Check program co-sponsored by the U.S. Coast
Guard Auxiliary and the United States Power
Squadrons.
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