VESSEL SAFETY CHECK What it is

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 federal regulations. The following is a breakdown of reasons a vessel might not pass a safety check (The numbers represent a sampling of 100,650 VSCs with 74.873 percent passing and 25.127 percent failing. This is a percentage of all vessels examined and some had two or more items that failed so these numbers will not add up to 100 percent.)
Display of numbers5.435 percent
Registration/documentation5.574 percent
Personal flotation devices2.832 percent
Visual distress signals12.221 percent
Fire extinguishers4.501 percent
Ventilation1.451 percent
Backfire flame control1.639 percent
Sound producing devices/bell5.156 percent
Navigation lights8.465 percent
Pollution placard2.375 percent
MARPOL trash placard2.802 percent
Marine sanitation device2.921 percent
Navigation rules2.742 percent
State and/or local regulations10.432 percent
Overall vessel condition4.670 percent
Recommended items not found: (These items are not required to pass the VSC.)
Marine radio33.433 percent
Dewatering device & amp; backup14.347 percent
Mounted fire extinguishers21.570 percent
Anchor and line for area11.257 percent
First aid and PIW kits27.928 percent
Inland visual distress signals24.252 percent
Capacity/cert. of compliance28.246 percent
Note: Vessel examiners are trained specialists and will make certain recommendations and discuss certain safety issues that will make you a safer boater. No citations will be given as a result of the VSC. Boaters will be given a copy of the evaluation and those passing will be able to display the distinctive VSC decal.
Source: National Department of Vessel Safety Checks