USCG Requirements For Foreign Boats

[carstenb]

ON another thread, it drifted a bit and I was asking if Spinlock lifevest are OK by USCG. This then spawned some more tidbits, so I thought a thread devoted to this issue would serve a useful purpose for those nonamerican boats that will venture into US waters (we'll be going up the uS coast and down the ICW in 2017-2108)

Can anyone give a list of specifics of equipment on board that the USCG requires must have USCG approval - even if the boat is floreign flagged and only visiting?

A partial list (don't know it this is true) include:

PFDs
US Inland navigational rules
International navigation rules (danish language OK?)
fire extinguishers (CE marked and current - do they need USCG?)
Waste disposal diagram (OK for it to be posted in the log or does it have to be posted in the galley?)

Anything else?

Our boat is a 40 footer. We are both Yachtmaster Ocean and I'm in the processs of getting my commercial Captain's ticket, so we shouldn't have any qualifications issues. We both also have Cevini tickets for canal sailing, and LRC for MF and HF radios

[MarkJ]

I did it and none of that stuff was a problem at all.
They don't care about charts or waste disposal diagrams... They just chuck die in the dunny, pump it through and look outside to see if die is ejected.
As long as everything that requires it is in date they are fine.

In fact I found the Coast guard very good.

The only problem I had was with a moron Florida water policeman who decided that my dinghy that was on deck and had been on deck for the whole of Florida needed to be registered in Florida. This was because there were no numbers painted on the dinghy! In the end he didnt force the issue but he actually had a point as I followed it through with the head of the water police in their state capital.

As long as you have fire extinguisers in date they are not going to be so dim witted as to expect them to be made in the USA, same with flares (my flares are legal in the USA but illegal in Australia! Lol).

The reporting in as you go along the ICW is a bit weird and varies state by state, phone them as you go through or past every port of entry. Its a one minute free phone call so its not much of a problem.

Mark

[ranger58sb]

There are a couple of required placards, one about not dumping oil or fuel, the other about not dumping waste (garbage, especially plastics). The latter might be what you've called a waste disposal diagram?

And then for boats over 12m, you should have a written waste disposal PLAN... which you can write up yourself. "Nobody disposes anything except under the Captain's direction, waste will be carried off to approved disposal sites at landfalls, recyclable stuff will be recycled appropriately, etc etc etc." Or maybe this one is your "diagram?"

In any case, we keep ours in a 3-ring binder with plastic document-protection sleeves... along with copies of other "official" stuff (CG documentation, insurance papers, radio licenses, etc.).

Signaling devices and fire suppression equipment must be current, etc.

Rummage around here http://www.uscgboating.org/regulatio..._brochure.aspx and here http://www.uscgboating.org/fedreqs/default.html.

-Chris

[DoubleWhisky]

Originally Posted by carstenb

We'll be going up the US coast and down the ICW in 2017-2108

It will be loooong cruise.
You are surely planning to take Your time...

[GordMay]

Part of the search term is:
"Foreign vessels temporarily using waters subject to U.S. jurisdiction"

See also ➥ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ls-114493.html

[hpeer]

A Frenchman just told me they changed the reporting rules in July. We no longer have to call customs but now only need to notify the dock master. My marina, who handles a fair number of foreign craft, knew nothing of this.

Fact or fiction?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

There are a couple of required placards, one about not dumping oil or fuel, the other about not dumping waste (garbage, especially plastics). The latter might be what you've called a waste disposal diagram?


-Chris

The oil, fuel dumping placards I cut and paste the text off the internet and photocopied them onto a bit of paper and stuck it up in the nav station with sticky tape. that raised no comment.

Frenchman just told me they changed the reporting rules in July.

I hope so because some mistakes invariably get made. I forgot once. And another time did it when I didnt know if I needed to... That was on the ICW I went past Jacksonville Florida which is a port of entry but is actually off the ICW, i didnt stop untill St Augustine. So did I need to make a phone call or not? So I called just to be safe and they didnt know if I needed to call in either!

Anyway, with AIS they know where you are.

[Canibul]

Regarding the issue of numbers on the dinghy, is that just for a dinghy with an outboard attached? Does that apply to rowboats or sailing dinghys like a Walker Bay?

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by DoubleWhisky

It will be loooong cruise.
You are surely planning to take Your time...

Well, yes. We plan on crossing the atlantic in November/december 2016, hang around the carribean until about March and then head up the coast, moseying along and getting as far north as we can by say august, then turning and entering the ICW for the trip back south arriving in the carribean again sometime January/February 1018

So a little over a year.

We've got lots of time - we're planning on 5-6 years for an RTW - if it takes longer - no problem

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Canibul

Regarding the issue of numbers on the dinghy, is that just for a dinghy with an outboard attached? Does that apply to rowboats or sailing dinghys like a Walker Bay?

A number? Our dinghy has its own name (Scotty) and shows T/T Capri (tender to Capri) and flies the Danish flag - so it is in itself a foreign flagged vessel

[zeehag]

if you havent placards, just ask the inspector who comes to your boat, try to do it before he opens clipboard... good luck. have fun and be safe.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Canibul

Regarding the issue of numbers on the dinghy, is that just for a dinghy with an outboard attached? Does that apply to rowboats or sailing dinghys like a Walker Bay?

Interesting question as the dinghy was upside down lashed to the fordeck and the OB was on the stern rail.

I guess its whatever you need to have registered in Florida.

After that bit of BS I taped my Official Number of the big boat onto the dink

No more problems.

[MarkJ]

Here is the graphics for the placards...
http://www.uscg.mil/d1/prevention/Na...Protection.PDF

just print them off on paper. Stick em to the wall somewhere... with something that can be removed.

But the most important one you should wall-paper the whole boat, hull and all and then you will get a clear passage........

[DeepFrz]

Well, yes. We plan on crossing the atlantic in November/december 2016, hang around the carribean until about March and then head up the coast, moseying along and getting as far north as we can by say august, then turning and entering the ICW for the trip back south arriving in the carribean again sometime January/February 1018

Ah, time travel. Sounds like an historic journey.

[dannc]

Originally Posted by carstenb

A number? Our dinghy has its own name (Scotty) and shows T/T Capri (tender to Capri) and flies the Danish flag - so it is in itself a foreign flagged vessel

This is going to depend on the state you are in at the time.

In some states, non powered boats under a certainly size, usually 16 feet are not required to be registered aka taxed and thus do not need a number. Furthermore, for the boat to be cited for NOT having a number when required, the boat has to be in use. So if the boat was on a trailer being pulled down the road, the owner cannot be cited for an unregistered or expired boat registration. I would argue that a dinghy on the deck or on davits is not in use and thus not a violation. Course the officer could cite me and say, "Tell that to the judge." Again this depends on the state and officer interpretation/discretion.

Since you are a foreign flagged vessel and not a resident of a US state, in most/many states you would not be required to register the dinghy. I would hope this is true in all US states but there might be a state calling the registration a use tax or some such....

Later,
Dan