Vessel Safety Check

[Bluewater272]

Just had one done, pretty painless process. CG Aux comes right to your house, and took all of 20 minutes including removing and replacing the cover. We have to cruise right by the state police marine station every time we go out, so hopefully the little sticker you get to display might alleviate some chances of a boarding.

You can request one here.

 

[jcyamaharider]

They do them right at the ramp here. Voluntary of course but they strongly recommend it....

 

[Julian]

The only items I've ever failed for were:

1. Battery terminals not covered (I assume this is still a requirement?). When they called this out, they said you can just wrap them in electrical tape and pass (which is what I did)
2. Flares were expired

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

Tempted to do this just in case when I get pulled over, it might save me some points with the LEO.

 

[scokill]

Tempted to do this just in case when I get pulled over, it might save me some points with the LEO.

We get checked for life vests for each person aboard, signal making device, fire extinguisher. Police/Game Warden will just start checking all boats in vicinity. That's it. A sticker really doesn't help on this type check...at least for us, and if you get stopped for drinking, ignoring no wake, etc., then a sticker won't help!

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

We get checked for life vests for each person aboard, signal making device, fire extinguisher. Police/Game Warden will just start checking all boats in vicinity. That's it. A sticker really doesn't help on this type check...at least for us, and if you get stopped for drinking, ignoring no wake, etc., then a sticker won't help!

We follow the laws and have all of that stuff... I just have been told no matter what you will get pulled over at some point even if it's for nothing. LEOs can either be cool or find one small thing to be a dick about it... and can really ruin your whole week with no reason if they want to. Rather have a sticker give me a chance of being on the good side lol.

 

[scokill]

We follow the laws and have all of that stuff... I just have been told no matter what you will get pulled over at some point even if it's for nothing. LEOs can either be cool or find one small thing to be a dick about it. Rather have a sticker give me a chance of being on the good side lol.

I guess some try the same thing with the Police Association Donation sticker on their car.....

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

I guess some try the same thing with the Police Association Donation sticker on their car.....

I guess I should stop hanging up on them LOL

 

[Bluewater272]

We get checked for life vests for each person aboard, signal making device, fire extinguisher. Police/Game Warden will just start checking all boats in vicinity. That's it. A sticker really doesn't help on this type check...at least for us, and if you get stopped for drinking, ignoring no wake, etc., then a sticker won't help!

Us too, sometimes they'll just pull into the cove and start picking random boats. This sticker just indicates that all of those things have been checked already (I guess with the exception of confirming number of PFDs compared to people on board).

 

[scokill]

Us too, sometimes they'll just pull into the cove and start picking random boats. This sticker just indicates that all of those things have been checked already (I guess with the exception of confirming number of PFDs compared to people on board).

Checked by someone other than them at a point in time I guess. I think the checks here are more to see who appears too drunk to operate a boat in the guise of typical safety check.

 

[Ronnie]

I failed once because my registration numbers and annual sticker were not spaced correctly. My fault for not checking the previous owners work but I was more unhappy because I failed early in the inspection but wasn’t told until 20 minutes later after the rest of the inspection was conducted.

I only go through it when the cg aux is at the ramp when I am. If they would come to my door I would do do it every year, the inspection passed sticker is very valuable to me. If you are ever short on life vests when the water patrol is conducting random safety inspections the sticker would be valuable to you as well.

 

[scokill]

I failed once because my registration numbers and annual sticker were not spaced correctly. My fault for not checking the previous owners work but I was more unhappy because I failed early in the inspection but wasn’t told until 20 minutes later after the rest of the inspection was conducted.

I only go through it when the cg aux is at the ramp when I am. If they would come to my door I would do do it every year, the inspection passed sticker is very valuable to me. If you are ever short on life vests when the water patrol is conducting random safety inspections the sticker would be valuable to you as well.

Just curious how the sticker would help if you were short on life vests. You mean they would look the other way on a safety issue?

 

[Beachbummer]

The spacing issue on the registration is a total dick move. We used to get boarded in Texas every year before we had kids. Thrice in the same day, one weekend. Now with the young kids aboard, and the fact they have their vests on all the time (or we are getting older, who knows) we have not been pestered in some time.

As soon as they started approaching I would have all equipment out and had a feel for all they needed. It was always quick. Never got the Nth degree.

As with any law enforcement interaction, very respectful and cheery, but never volunteer any info. I'll take any other tips. So far so good.

 

[Bluewater272]

I think he meant that perhaps they'd be less likely to select your boat compared to others if they saw you had a current year's CG inspection sticker already.

Ronnie, they will come to your house. Fill out the little form, I did it on Monday and had them scheduled for today within an hour.

 

[scokill]

I think he meant that perhaps they'd be less likely to select your boat compared to others if they saw you had a current year's CG inspection sticker already.

Ronnie, they will come to your house. Fill out the little form, I did it on Monday and had them scheduled for today within an hour.

Ah...I got it. I figure if I don't have enough life jackets I deserve a ticket.

 

[Bluewater272]

Agreed. I put 4 extra ones in the head (cheapies they give you for free) so I should always be good. Have 4 others on board, and always pack extras when we're doing watersports.

 

[Beachbummer]

Academy has 4 of the orange cheap ones in a bag for $25. I keep 2 bags on board.

 

[Seadeals]

Make sure the orange ones are not still in the original plastic bags. They do not consider them usable if still in the new plastic wrap.

 

[Beachbummer]

These come in a large bag for storage, but no extra plastic inside. Thanks for the heads up, might just take them all out, in case I get a stickler.

 

[Ronnie]

Just curious how the sticker would help if you were short on life vests. You mean they would look the other way on a safety issue?

I don’t know this for a fact but when I’ve been approached by the water patrol in the past and they saw the sticker they have kept on going to the next boat without a sticker. Kind of like a cheap lock is better than no lock at all.