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 Code of Federal Regulations (Last Updated: July 5, 2024)
 Title 46 - Shipping
 Chapter I - Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security
 SubChapter K - Small Passenger Vessels Carrying More Than 150 Passengers or With Overnight Accommodations for More Than 49 Passengers
 Part 117 - Lifesaving Equipment and Arrangements
 Subpart E - Number and Type of Survival Craft

§ 117.200 - Survival craft - general.  

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  • § 117.200 Survival craft - general.

    (a) Each survival craft required on a vessel by this part must meet one of the following:

    (1) For an inflatable liferaft - Approved under approval series 160.151 or other standard specified by the Commandant, with the applicable equipment pack, as determined by the cognizant OCMI. Each inflatable liferaft required on a vessel by this part must have a capacity of 6 persons or more. Inflatable liferafts may be substituted for inflatable buoyant apparatus or life floats required under this section.

    (2) For a life float - Approved under approval series 160.027 or other standard specified by the Commandant. Buoyant apparatus may be used to meet requirements for life floats if the buoyant apparatus was installed on board the vessel on or before March 11, 1996, and if the buoyant apparatus remains in good and serviceable condition.

    (3) For an inflatable buoyant apparatus - Approved under approval series 160.010 or other standard specified by the Commandant. Inflatable buoyant apparatus may be substituted for life floats required under this section.

    (4) For a buoyant apparatus - Approved under approval series 160.010 or other standard specified by the Commandant. An existing buoyant apparatus may not be used to satisfy the requirements for life floats on existing vessels wishing to upgrade the total number of passengers carried on an oceans route.

    (b) If the vessel carries a small boat or boats, the capacity of these boats may be counted toward the life float capacity required by this subpart. Such boats must meet the requirements for safe loading and flotation in 33 CFR Part 183, and must meet the stowage, launching and equipment requirements in this part for the survival craft they replace.

    (c) A summary of survival craft requirements is provided in Table 117.200(c).

    Table 117.200(c)

    Route Survival Craft Required
    Oceans (a) cold water1 - 100% ILR2 - § 117.202(a)
    (b) warm water3
    (i) w/overnight accommodations - 100% IBA5 - § 117.204(c)
    (ii) w/o overnight accommodations - 67% IBA4 - § 117.202(e)
    Coastwise (a) w/overnight accommodations - 100% IBA5 - § 117.204(a)
    (b) w/o overnight accommodations
    (i) cold water - 67% IBA - § 117.204(c)(1)
    (ii) warm water - 100% LF - § 117.204(c)(2)
    (iii) within three miles of shore w/float free 406 MHz EPIRB 50% LF - § 117.204(d)
    Limited coastwise (Not more than 20 miles from a harbor of safe refuge) (a) w/overnight accommodations - 100% IBA5 - § 117.205(a)
    (b) w/o overnight accommodations
    (i) cold water - 67% IBA6 - § 117.205(a)
    (ii) warm water - 50% LF - § 117.205(c)
    (iii) within three miles of shore w/float free 406 MHz EPIRB
    (A) cold water - 50% LF - § 117.205(a)
    (B) warm water - NONE - § 117.205(d)
    Great Lakes (a) same as limited coastwise (a) & (b) - § 117.206(a)
    (b) within one mile of shore - NONE7 - § 117.206(b)
    Lakes, bays, and sounds8 9 (a) w/overnight accommodations - 67% IBA5 - § 117.207(a)
    (b) w/o overnight accommodations
    (i) cold water - 100% LF - § 117.207(b)(1) & (c)(1)
    (ii) warm water - 50% LF - § 117.207(b)(2) & (c)(2)
    (iii) within one mile of shore - NONE - § 117.207(d)
    Rivers9 10 (a) cold water
    (i) 50% LF - § 117.208(a)
    (ii) within one mile of shore - NONE - § 117.208(c)
    (b) Warm water - NONE - § 117.208(b)

    Abbreviations used:

    ILR = Inflatable liferaft

    IBA = Inflatable Buoyant apparatus

    LF = Life Float. As allowed by § 117.15(a), any buoyant apparatus in use on an existing vessel on March 11, 1996, may be used to meet the requirements for LF as long as the buoyant apparatus is in good and serviceable condition.

    Footnotes:

    1 Cold water means the cognizant OCMI has determined the monthly mean low temperature of the water is ≤15 °C (59 °F)

    2 Vessels operating less than 50 miles from shore may carry 100% IBA in lieu of ILR - § 117.202(b)

    3 Warm water means the cognizant OCMI has determined the monthly mean low temperature of the water is >15 °C (59 °F)

    4 Vessels operating in warm water may substitute 100% LF in lieu of 67% IBA - § 117.202(c)

    5 IBA for total number of overnight passengers allowed. Additional primary lifesaving may be required - § 117.204(b), § 117.205(a), § 117.206(a), and § 117.207(b)

    6 Certain vessel operations may substitute 100% LF in lieu of IBA - § 117.205(b)

    7 OCMI may reduce primary lifesaving for seasonal or ferry type operations on the Great Lakes - § 117.206(b)

    8 Shallow water exception - § 117.207(e).

    9 OCMI may reduce survival craft requirements based upon the route, communications schedule, and participation in VTS - § 117.207(f) and § 117.208(e).

    10 Shallow water exception - § 117.208(d)

    [CGD 85-080, 61 FR 911, Jan. 10, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 51351, Sept. 30, 1997; 62 FR 64305, Dec. 5, 1997; USCG-2012-0832, 77 FR 59781, Oct. 1, 2012]