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Federal Requirements for Commercial Fishing Industry Vessels
 All devices must have 62 square inches of retroflective tape (31 square inches on the front and 31 square inches on the front and 31 square inches on the back and the same on the inside if the device is reversible). The retroflective tape on immersion suits must be placed so that the tape on immersion suits must be placed so that the tape can be seen if the wearer is in a floating postion.
When vessels operate on ocean, coastwise, and Great Lakes voyages a Coast Guatd approved PFD light ( approval series 161.012 ) must be attached to the front shoulder area of the required device.
| Area of Operation |
Vessel Type |
Device |
| Seaward of the boundary Line, north of 32 degrees north, of 32 degrees south and Lake Superior |
Documented |
Immersion Suit |
| Coastal Water on the West Coast of the US north of PT. Reyes CA; beyond coastal waters, cold water; and Lake Superior |
All |
Immersion Suit |
| All other water (includes all Great Lakes except Lake Superior) |
40 feet or more |
Type I, Immersion Suit |
| Area of Operation |
Vessel Type |
Device |
| All other waters (includes all Great Lakes except Lake Superior) |
Less than 40 feet |
Type I,II and III, Immersion Suit |
THROWABLE FLOTATION DEVICES |
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| Type I PFD |
| 46 CFR 28.115-General Requirements |
| 46 CFR 28.135-Markings |
 A coast Guard approved throwable flotation device (ring life buoy or throwable cushion) must be carried on board, as determined in the following
| Vessel Length |
Device Required |
| Less than 16 feet |
None |
| 16 feet to less than 26 feet |
1 throwable cushion or 1 orange 24 inch ring life buoy with 60 feet of line* |
| 26 feet to less than 65 feet |
1 orange 24 inch righ life buoy with 60 feet of line* |
| 65 feet or more |
3 orange 24 inch ring life buoys- at least one device must have 90 feet on line |
*Vessels less than 65 feet may use an approved wite 20 inch or larger ring life buoy if its in serviceable condition and if it was installed on board before September 15, 1991.
A commercial "Lifesling", Coast Guard approved Type IV may be substituted for a ring life buoy, if the vessel has a 10' high lifting point above the deck and there is 150' of line attached.
46 CFR 28.120-General requirements
46 CFR 28.125-Stowage
46 CFR 28.125-Stowage
Commercial fishing vessels are required to carry Coast Guard approved survival craft of sufficient capacity to accommdate every person on board.
- Vessel less than 36 feet operating within 12 miles of the coastline with three or less people on board are not required to carry a survival craft.
- Vessels 36 feet or greater operating within 12 miles of the coastline with three or less people on board may substitute a Coast Guard approved Buoyant Apparatus for the required survival craft.
- An auxiliary craft, which is integral and necessary for normal fishing operations, may be substituted for a survival craft (except for an inflatable liferaft) if it is readily accessible during an emergency and is capable of safely holding all persons on board.
| GREAT LAKES |
| VESSEL NAME |
TYPE |
REQUIREMENT |
| Great Lakes, cold waters |
36 feet or more |
Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus (1) |
| Great Lakes, cold waters |
Less than 36 feet |
Buoyant Apparatus (2) |
| Great Lakes beyond 3 miles of coastline, warm waters |
All |
Buoyant Apparatus (2) |
| Great Lakes beyond 3 miles of coastline, warm waters |
All |
None |
| (1) A Coast Guard approved Buoyant Apparatus may be substituted provided the vessel operates within 12 miles of the coastline with three or fewer people on board. |
| (2) A vessel less than 36 feet which operates within 12 miles of the coastline with three or fewer people on board is not required to carry a survival craft. |
| The SOLAS A Pack is equivalent to a formerly approved Ocean Service Pack and the SOLAS B Pack is equivalent to a formerly approved Limited Service Pack. |
| A non-Coast Guard approved survival craft installed on board a vessel before September 15, 1991 may continue to be used if it is of the same type required, is outfitted with the required equipment pack, and is serviced annually by a Coast Guard approved service center. |
| A Coast Guard approved Lifeboat may be substituted for any survival craft, provided it is installed and and equipped in accordance with 46 CFR 199. |
| The hierarchy of survival craft in descending order is Lifeboat, Inflatable Liferaft with SOLAS A Pack Inflatable liferaft with SOLAS B Pack, Inflatable Liferaft with Coastal Service Pack, Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus. A survival craft higher in the hierarchy may be substituted for any survival craft required in these tables. |
| STOWAGE OF SURVIVAL CRAFT |
| 46 CFR 28.125 |
| Inflatable Liferafts that are required to be equipped with a SOLAS A or B equipment pack must be stowed so as to float free and automatically inflate in the event the vessel sinks. |
| All other survival craft (Inflatable, Liferaft, Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus, and any auxiliary craft used in their place) must be readily accessible for launching or stowed to float free if the vessel sinks. |
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| UNDOCUMENTED VESSELS |
| WITH LESS THAN 16 PEOPLE ON BOARD |
| COLD WATERS |
| 46 CFR table 28.120 (b) |
| VESSEL AREA |
TYPE |
REQUIREMENT |
| Beyond 20 miles of the coastline or Beyond the Boundary Line, between 12-20 miles of coastline |
All |
Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus |
| Beyond boundary line, within 12 miles of coastline; Inside the boundary line; or Lakes, Bays, Sounds, or Rivers |
36 feet or more |
Inflatable Liferaft with SOLAS B Pack |
| Beyond boundary line, within 12 miles of coastline; Inside the boundary line; or Lakes, Bays, Sounds, or Rivers |
Less than 36 feet |
Buoyant Apparatus (2) |
| WARM WATERS |
| VESSEL AREA |
TYPE |
REQUIREMENT |
| Beyond 20 miles of the coastline |
All |
Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus |
| Beyond boundary line, within 20 miles of coastline |
All |
Lifefloat (1) (2) |
| Inside Boundary Line; or Lakes, Bays, Sounds, or Rivers |
All |
None |
| ALL DOCUMENTED VESSELS AND UNDOCUMENTED |
| VESSELS WITH MORE THAN 16 PEOPLE ON BOARD |
| 46 CFR 28.120( a ) and ( c ) |
| COLD WATERS |
| VESSEL AREA |
TYPE |
REQUIREMENT |
| Beyond 50 miles of the coastline |
All |
Inflatable Liferaft with SOLAS A Pack |
| Between 20-50 miles of coastline |
All |
Inflatable Liferaft with SOLAS B Pack |
| Beyond boundary Line, between 12-20 miles of coastline |
All |
Inflatable Liferaft with Coastal Pack |
| Beyond boundary Line, within 12 miles of coastline; Inside the Boundary Line; or Lakes, bays, sounds, or rivers |
36 feet or more |
Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus (1) |
| Beyond boundary Line, within 12 miles of coastline; Inside the Boundary Line; or Lakes, bays, sounds, or rivers |
Less than 36 feet |
Buoyant Apparatus (2) |
| WARM WATERS |
| VESSEL AREA |
TYPE |
REQUIREMENT |
| Beyond 20 miles of the coastline |
All |
Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus |
| Beyond Boundary Line, within 20 miles of coastline |
All |
Lifefloat (1) (2) |
| Inside Boundary Line; or Lakes, Bays, Sounds, or Rivers |
All |
None |
| EMERGENCY POSITION INDICATING RADIO BEACONS (EPIRB) |
| 46 CFR 28.150 |
| 46 CFR 25.26 |
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| EPIRBS |
| Vessels operating on the high seas (beyond the 3 mile territorial sea line) are required to carry a 406 MHz EPIRB, Category I or II, as follows: |
| VESSEL TYPE |
EPIRB REQUIRED |
| 36 feet or more |
406MHz Category I |
| 36 feet or more with floatation** |
406 MHz Category I or II |
| Less than 36 feet |
406 MHz Category II |
| ** to qualify a Builder's Certification is required stating vessel is constructed with sufficient inherently buoyant material to keep the flooded vessel afloat |
| Category I - float-free, automatically activated |
| Category II - manually activated |
| The EPIRB must be tested when it is installed and at least once every month. The master is responsible for seeing that the EPIRB is tested. |
| All 406 MHz EPIRBs must be registered with NOAA. There is no fee for registation. Contact the Fishing Vessel Safety Coordinator in your area for a registration form. |
| A hydrostatic release unit used in a float free arrangement must have a Coast Guard approval number starting with 160.062. A float free link may be used with a Buoyant Apparatus or a Life Float and must be certified to meet 46 CFR, subpart 160.073. |
| LIFE FLOAT AND BUOYANT APPARATUS EQUIPMENT |
| 46 CFR 28.130 |
| Each Life Float and Buoyant Apparatus must be fitted with pendants, a lifeline, a painter, and a floating electric water light that has a Coast Guard approval number starting with 161.010. |
| DISTRESS SIGNALS |
| 46 CFR 28.145 |
| AREA |
DEVICES REQUIRED |
| Ocean, over 50 miles from coastline |
3 Parachute flares (160.136)
6 Hand Flares (160.121)
3 Smoke signals (160.122) |
| Ocean, 3-50 miles from the coastline or more than 3 miles from coastline on the Great Lakes |
3 Parachute flares (160.136 or 160.036)
3 Hand Flares (160.121 or 160.021)
3 Smoke signals (160.122,160.022,160.037) |
| Coastal |
Night:one SOS electric light (161.013) and
Day:one flag (160.072) or smoke Signals or
3 approved flares for both day and night |
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RED FLARE
Hand held/day and night |
PARACHUTE FLARE
Day and Night |
FLOATING ORANGE
Day Only |
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ORANGE SMOKE
Hand held/Day Only |
ORANGE FLAG
Day Only |
ELECTRIC DISTRESS SIGNAL
Night Only |
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