VSC Review

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• VSC Review
• Qualification Division
• USCG Auxiliary, V-Department
• The V-DEPT. ----------WE DELIVER!

Peter Urgola DC-V
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Navigation Rules

• Boats 39.4 feet and over , when operating on
  Inland Waters, must have on board a current copy
  of the Navigation Rules.

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Navigation RulesRules of the Road

• CAPT Glenn Wiltshire, the Captain of the Port
  and the Commanding Officer of Sector New York
  said,
• "While I want all boaters to enjoy the
  waterways in our area, recent increases in
  reports of commercial vessels having to take
  evasive actions to avoid small boats in the
  channel are of great concern to me. I ask that
  all boaters be aware of their position and remain
  outside the main channels to ensure the continued
  safety of all waterway users. We don't want to
  wait for a tragedy to occur."

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Big boats vs. Small boats not a fair comparison

• The Coast Guard Auxiliary wants the boating
• public to understand the dangers of interfering
• with a large ship narrow channels, especially
• in our busy port cities, such as New York ,
• Boston, Houston, Seattle, and Los Angeles.

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Big boats vs. Small boats not a fair comparison

• Every day, hundreds to thousands of ships,
• many vessels larger than 65 feet in length,
• enter and depart our busy ports.
• These vessels include tankers, cruise ships,
• container ships, and tug-barge combinations.
• All these vessels are constrained by their draft
  and
• are unable to maneuver inside the narrow channels
• of our ports and harbors.

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Big boats vs. Small boats not a fair comparison

• The "Rules of the Road (federal navigation
• rules) provide for this by giving large ships
• priority, or right-of-way, over smaller vessels
• when navigating in narrow channels.
• Many recreational boaters fail to realize the
• Physics involved in stopping or maneuvering a
• large ship.

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Big boats vs. Small boats not a fair comparison

• The average recreational boat
• stops within a couple of boat
• lengths, even if they traveling at
• maximum speed.
• It can take a large ship thousands
• of yards to stop.

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Big boats vs. Small boats not a fair comparison

• An example would be if a water skier stopped
• 1,000 feet in front of a tug and barge.
• The skier would have less than one minute to
• get our of the way of the tug and barge,
• otherwise the skier would be run over.

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Big boats vs. Small boats not a fair comparison

• The local boating public should be aware of the
• penalty provisions within U.S. Code, Title 33,
• Section 2072, that specify "Whoever operates a
• vessel in violation of the navigation rules is
  liable to
• a civil penalty of not more than 5,000 for each
• violation, for which penalty the vessel may be
  seized
• and the case shall be brought before the District
  
• Court of the United States of any district within
• Which the vessel may be found."

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State and/ or Local Requirements

• These requirements must be met before the
  "Vessel Safety Check" decal can be awarded.
• A boat must meet the requirements of the state
  in which it is being examined.

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Additional Discussion Items

• Vessels Operating Offshore
• If you operate offshore, you should seriously
  consider carrying
• additional equipment beyond the minimum federal
• requirements.
• This equipment should include appropriate
  communications
• gear, an Emergency Position Indicating Radio
  Beacon
• (EPIRB), a means of accurately determining your
  location.
• Inflatable life raft.
• In cold waters, an immersion suit should be
  carried for
• everyone on board.

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Vessels Operating Offshore

• Satellite EPIRBs (406 MHz) are designed to
• quickly and reliably alert rescue forces,
• indicate an accurate distress position, and
• guide rescue units to the distress scene,
• even when all other communications fail.

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Vessels Operating OffshoreEPIRB
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Vessels Operating Offshore

• Inflatable Life Rafts
• An inflatable life raft can provide a survival
  platform
• for an extended period of time. Make sure the
  life
• raft is large enough for everyone on board. It
  should
• have the appropriate emergency equipment pack,
• and should be professionally serviced
  periodically,
• according to the manufacturer's instructions.
  Coast
• Guard approved life rafts must meet a number of
• stringent material and performance standards

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Additional Discussion Items

• Cold Water Survival
• Sudden immersion in cold water can induce
• rapid, uncontrolled breathing, cardiac arrest,
  and
• other physical body conditions, which can result
  in
• drowning. Always wearing a PFD will help you
• survive in rapid immersion situations.

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Additional Discussion Items

• Here are some cold water survival tips
• Wear a PFD, Button up your clothing, Cover
• Your head if possible and enter the water
• slowly.
• Keep your head out of the water if at all
• possible and assume the Heat Escape Lessening
• Posture (H.E.L.P.) position

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Additional Discussion Items

• Hypothermia
• Immersion in water speeds the loss of body
• heat and can lead to hypothermia.
• Hypothermia is the abnormal lowering of
• internal body temperature.
• If your boat capsizes it will likely float on or\
• just below the surface.

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Additional Discussion ItemsHypothermia

• To reduce the effects of hypothermia get
• in or on the boat. Try to get as much of
• your body out of the water as possible.
• If you can't get in the boat a PFD will enable
• you to keep your head out of the water. This
• is very important because about 50 of body
• heat loss is from the head.

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Additional Discussion Items
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Additional Discussion Items

• Carbon Monoxide
• CO symptoms are similar to seasickness or alcohol
  intoxication
• CO can affect you whether you're underway,
  moored, or anchored
• You cannot see, smell, or taste CO
• CO can make you sick in seconds. In high enough
  concentrations, even a few breaths can be fatal

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Additional Discussion Items Carbon Monoxide

• Each Time You Go On a Boat Trip
• Make sure you know where CO exhaust outlets are
  located on your vessel.
• Educate all passengers about the symptoms of CO
  poisoning and where CO may accumulate.
• When docked, or rafted with another boat, be
  aware of exhaust emissions from the other boat.
• Confirm that water flows from the exhaust outlet
  when the engines and generator are started.
• Listen for any change in exhaust sound, which
  could indicate an exhaust component failure.
• Test the operation of each CO alarm by pressing
  the test button.

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Additional Discussion Items

• Carbon Monoxide Hazards caused by
• Generator Exhaust
• Remind Recreational Boaters about Carbon Monoxide
  Hazards
• caused by Generator Exhaust.
• The Coast Guard advises owners and operators of
  boats to
• turn off gasoline-powered generators with transom
  exhaust
• ports when the swim platform on the stern is in
  use.
• Swimmers should not enter the cavity of a boat
  designed with
• a generator emitting exhaust into the cavity
  between the
• transom of the vessel.