That time of year soon

Stodge

I'm going to put on my Coast Guard Auxiliary hat for a minute:

It will be time to prep the boats soon.  This should include checking that all your safety equipment is serviceable.  Check your fire extinguishers for a good reading or unbroken seal.  Check the expiration dates on flares.  Look at your life vests and check for rips, tears, mildew and check their straps.  If the buckles are getting chalky looking they may be brittle.  Double check the covers on your batteries.  Make sure those blowers are actually moving air and not just making noise.  Honk the horn, look at your nav lights and get a radio check (on any channel other than 16).

If you want to have someone perform a Vessel Safety Check you can go to http://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=v-dept&category=i-want-a-vsc fill out the form, and the 5 examiners closest to the location of your boat will get an email.  Someone should respond to set up a time to do your VSC.

Be safe this season.

Handymans342

Stodge, you forgot to say that you should flip the fire extinguisher up and down several times to shake loose the powder.  

Stodge

@Handymans342 we were told to stop doing that a couple years ago.  Not sure why.  We were told to remind people that even if the gauge reads good, it's recommend to replace your extinguishers ever 10 years.

Handymans342

Really Stodge? I was told to do this for my inspection. We also do this in all commercial buildings yearly. 

Willhound

I was a safety inspector in a workplace for several years, and our trainer told us that the newer compounds in dry extinguishers aren't prone to packing down as the older one's did. And there was a reason for not flipping or shaking them, but can't remember what it was. Out of habit, I still at least flip mine a couple of times a year.

Handymans342

Wouldn't hurt

reneechris14

Covers on batteries? They never stay on do to way the wires come out, just bought 4 new trays.should I not use them? The rest of my saftey stuff should check out even the CO detectors. 
Radio
Lights
Life jackets 
Flares
Blowers

69fastback

I plan on getting my boat out in the next few weeks, as it's been unseasonably warm. 

Stodge

reneechris14 said:

Covers on batteries? They never stay on do to way the wires come out, just bought 4 new trays.should I not use them? The rest of my saftey stuff should check out even the CO detectors. 
Radio
Lights
Life jackets 
Flares
Blowers

So either your batteries are in boxes with lids, or there is a rubber cover over the positive terminal.  The idea is prevent a spark from a dropped tool in an area where gas fumes can accumulate.

Kinda like these:



I also left out checking the backfire flame arrestor for lack of oil/sludge. 

reneechris14

thanks I think I have them if not will put them on when I put the battery's in next week if this !@#$ blizzard doesn't knock the boat over.

Stodge

Don't be afraid to get someone to come out and do your VSC and flunk.  There is no penalty for failing the VSC.  Unlike the ticket you can get from the CG if they board and find a violation.  The folks doing the VSC are volunteers and there to help you understand and meet the requirements for safe boating.  

I always feel bad when I can't pass someone, but I make sure they know the effect of not having whatever it is and let them know I can come back and re-inspect as soon as they have it fixed.  
 

LaRea

Thanks Stodge.  IMHO, every boat should get a VSC every year.  It's a free inspection by a trained, impartial observer -- what's not to like.  

Our club has a team of USCG inspectors come to the marina every spring and inspect as many boats as they can.  We schedule it the same day as our spring clean-up day and pancake breakfast, so it's a well-attended event.

randy56

Thanks for reminders Stodge, 

Cableguy Greg

Can you just send us the stickers? Just kidding. I need to get mine done this year. I have missed them past years when they were doing them in my area. I failed one for not having the rubber boots over the terminals on my old boat. Thanks @Stodge for the link above. I will be sure to use it when I want to get my safety check done.

Handymans342

@Stodge, make sure you let everyone know that the LED lights are against Coast Guard Regs. 

Stodge

@Handymans342 to be specific, the nav and anchor lights made with LEDs are fine.  Using replacement LED bulbs in fixtures meant to have incandescent bulbs is not CG approved.  Reason being most of the LED replacement bulbs do not emit light in as wide a pattern as an incandescent bulb so your light may not be seen where it's supposed to be seen.

Handymans342

I meant the cup holders and underwater LEDs  LOL

Cableguy Greg

Handymans342 said:

I meant the cup holders and underwater LEDs  LOL

The worst offenders in my area are the pontoon boats with "ground effect" lights. They run with them on all of the time at night and they cycle thru colors. You don't know what is in front of you or if it is coming or going.

luvinlife

Don't forget to check the CO2 detectors. 

gtyee

How do you check the co2 detector. The one I have on my 310 is hard wired and went off last year and took a while to reset.

Stodge

CO2 are important to check, though not on the VSC list.  Most manufacturers will put an expiration date on the detectors.  In general you want to consider replacing them when over 10 years old.  

I just got a CO2 detector that runs on batteries and displays the CO2 level.  Mine was the original which was 14 years old (shame on me).

The hardwired ones can go off if the voltage gets too low.  As for testing, I'd try a candle or other controlled flame near the detector.  I think the pros have CO2 in a can to test with.

Stodge

Cableguy Greg said:

Handymans342 said:

I meant the cup holders and underwater LEDs  LOL

The worst offenders in my area are the pontoon boats with "ground effect" lights. They run with them on all of the time at night and they cycle thru colors. You don't know what is in front of you or if it is coming or going.

@Handymans342 underwater lights can be confusing, so can any light source from a boat at night other than her nav lights.  

@Cableguy Greg I agree about the ground effects.  I've seen pontoons with docking light turned on when underway.  

We have a gas station on land near shore that has this big LED sign.  It shows all the colors in the rainbow.  And it was just in my field of vision when I'd try to find the faint red and green of the markers for our marina's channel.  They were supposed to put up a barrier to reduce the effect it had for folks on the water.