Required Safety Equipment - Monterey M3 Owner's Manual

Safety Equipment

1.4 Required Safety Equipment

Besides the equipment installed on your boat by
Monterey, certain other equipment is required by
the U.S. Coast Guard to help ensure passenger
safety. Items like a sea anchor, working anchor,
extra dock lines, flare pistol, life vests, a line per-
manently secured to your ring buoy, etc., could at
some time save your passengers' lives, or save
your boat from damage. Refer to the "Federal
Requirements And Safety Tips For Recreational
Boats" pamphlet for a more detailed description
of required equipment. You also can contact the
U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Hotline, 800-
368-5647, for information on boat safety courses
and brochures listing the Federal equipment
requirements. Also, check your local and state
regulations.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary offers a "Courtesy Ex-
amination." This inspection will help ensure that
your boat is equipped with all of the necessary
safety equipment. The following is a list of the
accessory equipment required on your boat by the
U.S. Coast Guard:
Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)
PFDs must be Coast Guard approved, in good
and serviceable condition, and of appropriate
size for the intended user. Wearable PFDs must
be readily accessible, meaning you must be able
to put them on in a reasonable amount of time in
an emergency. Though not required, the Coast
Guard emphasizes that PFDs should be worn at
all times when the vessel is underway. Throwable
devices must be immediately available for use. All
Monterey boats must be equipped with at least
one Type I, II or III PFD for each person on board,
plus one throwable device (Type IV).
NOTICE:
Many state laws now require that children
13 years old and under must wear a PFD at
all times.
Anyone being towed on skis, wakeboards and
other water sports equipment is considered a
passenger on the boat and must wear a Coast
Guard approved life jacket at all times.
Visual Distress Signals
All boats used on coastal waters, the Great Lakes,
territorial seas, and those waters connected di-
rectly to them, must be equipped with Coast Guard
approved visual distress signals. These signals are
either Pyrotechnic or Non-Pyrotechnic devices.
20
Pyrotechnic Visual Distress Signals:
Pyrotechnic visual distress signals must be Coast
Guard approved, in serviceable condition, and
readily accessible. They are marked with a date
showing the service life, which must not have
expired. A minimum of three are required. Some
pyrotechnic signals meet both day and night use
requirements. They should be stored in a cool,
dry location. They include:
• Pyrotechnic red flares, hand held or aerial.
• Pyrotechnic orange smoke, hand-held or
floating.
• Launchers for aerial red meteors or parachute
flares.
WARNING
PYROTECHNICS ARE UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED AS
EXCELLENT DISTRESS SIGNALS. HOWEVER, THERE IS
POTENTIAL FOR INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE IF NOT
PROPERLY HANDLED. THESE DEVICES PRODUCE A VERY
HOT FLAME AND THE RESIDUE CAN CAUSE BURNS AND
IGNITE FLAMMABLE MATERIAL. PISTOL LAUNCHED AND
HAND-HELD PARACHUTE FLARES AND METEORS HAVE MANY
CHARACTERISTICS OF A FIREARM AND MUST BE HANDLED
WITH CAUTION. IN SOME STATES THEY ARE CONSIDERED A
FIREARM AND PROHIBITED FROM USE. ALWAYS BE EXTREMELY
CAREFUL AND FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS
EXACTLY WHEN USING PYROTECHNIC DISTRESS SIGNALS.
Non-Pyrotechnic Devices
Non-Pyrotechnic visual distress signals must be
in serviceable condition, readily accessible, and
certified by the manufacturer as complying with
U.S. Coast Guard requirements. They include:
Orange Distress Flag (Day use only)
•
The distress flag is a day signal only. It must
be at least 3 x 3 feet with a black square and
ball on an orange background.
distinctive when attached and waved from a
paddle or boat hook.
• Electric Distress Light (Night use only)
The electric distress light is accepted for
night use only and must automatically flash
the international SOS distress signal. Under
"Inland Navigation Rules," a high intensity
white light flashing at regular intervals from
50-70 times per minute is considered a
distress signal.
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