22 | BOATINGMAG.COM | APRIL 2018
By Jim HendricksWhen you think about it, a
vessel safety check (VSC) is
like a physical exam for your
boat, and the doctor is a U.S.
Coast Guard-approved vessel
examiner — all volunteer
members of the U.S. Coast
Guard Auxiliary or U.S. Power
Squadrons.
Unlike a physical, a VSC is
free. This 15-point exam takes
about 20 to 30 minutes and
is designed to ensure that
boaters have the appropriate
safety equipment, it’s in work-
ing order, and the skipper
knows how to use it, saysCHECKUP
TIME
Consider a vessel safety check a physical exam for
your boat.Harry Jacobs, a 38-year mem-
ber of the Coast Guard
Auxiliary and an approved
vessel examiner in Southern
California.
“Participation is completely
voluntary,” Jacobs says. If
your boat passes, it receives a
VSC annual decal on the port
side of the cabin or console. At
the same time, there are no
consequences for boats that
don’t pass a VSC, but either
way, it can be a valuable learn-
ing experience.
For example, a VSC aboard
my boat once revealed thatwater had leaked inside the
signal flare kit, ruining the
flare cartridges, so it didn’t
pass. But a week later, the
examiner and I met again —
this time I had a new flare kit
— and my boat passed.
When replacing flares,
boaters should look at the
expiration dates on the new
flares to make sure they are
freshly stocked and don’t
expire for at least three years.
In addition to VSC require-
ments, examiners discuss the
importance of recommended
safety items, such as a VHF
radio, anchor and rode, first-
aid kit and navigation equip-
ment. Examiners also touch
on boater education, accident
reporting, weather consider-
ations, fuel management and
boat insurance.
Most VSCs take place at
popular launch ramps and
marinas, and are generally
conducted on a first-come,
first-served basis. On a busy
day you might have to wait.
That sounds an awful lot like
most of my doctor visits.
Yet unlike most physicians,
VSC examiners will makehouse calls. Trailer boaters
can schedule one at their plac-
es of residence or anywhere
they care to tow their boats.
Examiners will also come to
your marina to conduct an
exam on the spot.
To schedule a VSC at a time
and place that’s convenient
for both you and the examin-
er, visit cgaux.org and click on
the link for “Get Vessel Safety
Check.” The website also
offers a self-administered
safety check; click on “Virtual
Safety Check.”Each year on my birthday (which
occurs this month), I schedule a
physical exam with the family phy-
sician and endure the indignities
that go with it.
PHOTOS: JIM HENDRICKSOver 50 percent of boats don’t pass a VSC on the fi rst try, says Harry
Jacobs, long-standing Coast Guard Auxiliary member and an approved
vessel examiner. Jacobs points to six of the most common reasons for a
boat not to pass the 15-point exam.- No boat registration
- Discharged fi re extinguisher
- Malfunctioning navigation lights
- Lack of age-appropriate life jackets (when children are aboard)
- Improper letters/numbers or spacing of the state registration
number on the boat - Expired or insuffi cient number of signal fl ares
FAILURE ANALYSIS