Boating Safety, Laws and Regulations

Learn how to prevent accidents, injuries, and fatalities while boating. Review safety tips, news, recalls, defects, and laws and regulations you should know. Brought to you by the U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Website.

Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI)

Under an agreement with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), BoatU.S. is giving boaters free ID numbers for marine radios with Digital Selective Calling (DSC), a new radio technology that makes it much easier to identify and find a boat in distress. Get yours here.

Vessel Safety Check

A Vessel Safety Check is a courtesy examination of your boat (vessel) to verify the presence and condition of certain safety equipment required by state and the federal regulations. The Vessel Examiner is a trained specialist and is a member of the United States Power Squadrons or the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. They will also make certain recommendations and discuss certain safety issues that will make you a safer boater. Click here to find an examiner in your area.

Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB)

EPIRBs are devices which are designed to save your life if you get into trouble by alerting rescue authorities and indicating your location. There are several types of EPIRB the most effective being the Category I 406, a float-free, automatically activated unit, that is detectable by satellite anywhere in the world. More information on the particular types of EPIRB is available (here) from the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center. However, for the skipper doing a single race or infrequent long-distance cruise, $1,000 is just too much to spend for a 406 MHz EPIRB. Thanks to the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water, offshore boaters can now have peace of mind. Their convenient, affordable rental program gives boaters nationwide access to the latest satellite-linked 406 MHz EPIRBs. Click here for more information and reservations.