Engine Placement Determines the Required Boating Equipment
Just like many laws and regulations, the required boating equipment may not always make sense. When looking deeper into them however, you'll discover there's usually a safety concern or an environmental protection reason behind it. For boats, the minimum required safety features as well as facilities depend not only on the size of the vessel but also on the location of the motor or engine.Whether you don't have the required life jackets on a small boat, lacking a fire extinguisher on a medium-sized vessel, or have no bathroom facilities on a larger ship, failure to meet the minimum requirements as established by the US Coast Guard may result in fines or even the loss of your boat.
The type of required boating equipment will vary based on the type of engine with which the boat is equipped. Those with outboard motors do not require some of the equipment that is mandated on boats with an inboard gasoline engine, such as backfire flame arresters and ventilation fans located in the engine compartment where fuel vapors can accumulate and present an explosive hazard or a health concern.
Some required boating equipment however is the same on all boats regardless of type, width, length, engine-placement, or shape of the boat. As an example, when buying a new boat some might jokingly say they want all the "bells and whistles", but with certain boats these are actually among the required boating equipment or accessories. Being able to be seen and heard by others while on the water - like in the event of an emergency, but also to prevent collision in a fog - are situations where bells and whistles can be lifesaving devices.
Make Your Safety Equipment Accessible
Nearly everyone knows that every person on board a boat must have a flotation device available, but some do not realize that storing them in a locked cabinet in the bottom of the boat is worse than not having them at all. When an emergency arises, the boater may have mere seconds to get to their required boating equipment and if it is locked up or buried under other equipment they may have to jump ship without this life saving equipment or worse - end up trapping themselves while trying to obtain a life jacket.Last but not least, some of the boating equipment that's required might be available in combination with other boating accessories in order to make storing the equipment readily available as well as more convenient. A first aid kit for example might not be required, however, it's one of those accessories that can come in extremely handy in the case of an injury. Lighting is another required boating equipment as it will make you visible at night. Lights of course also have other uses such as helping you peer over a map of the lake so you can find your way back home to the dock after the sun has set.
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