IIRC, the USCG has the checklist they use right on their website.
From my 2016 trip from SF to BC:
We had read that the Coast Guard used to regularly board boats when they arrived in Brookings. Just as we entered the harbor and before we tied up for
fuel, the silver CG boat came roaring out, but passed us going up the river. We thought they were coming out for us. When they returned, I hailed them verbally from our
cockpit and asked if we could have a
safety inspection.
Morgan was mortified! So, it seemed, was the CG skipper. He asked where we had come from, where we were going, and how long we were staying. When we said we were leaving early the next morning for Port Orford, he shook his
head as if to say “Why would these guys actually want us to board them?” He thought about it some more, and it looked like he’d say: “Forget it !” But he finally asked us if it would be OK if they returned in about 15 minutes and we said, “Sure.”
They returned to their
dock across the river, and soon enough they came back across in their big boat, tied up behind us, and a fellow and a young lady came over, hopped on board, and began the inspection. It actually took less time than previous inspections we’ve had from the Coast Guard Auxiliary. The Coast Guard also has a slightly different form than the Auxiliary, but essentially covers all the same items:
registration, safety, securing the
head overboard discharge and dates of flares. We passed with flying colors and got a copy of the “Passed” form that is good for a year. It took all of maybe fifteen minutes. It appears that only the Auxiliary distributes stickers that can be placed on the base of your
mast. Maybe I’ll get a Sharpie and change our 2012 sticker to 2016.