§ 199.175 - Survival craft and rescue boat equipment.

§ 199.175 Survival craft and rescue boat equipment.

(a) All lifeboat and rescue boat equipment—

(1) Must be secured within the boat by lashings, by storage in lockers or compartments, by storage in brackets or similar mounting arrangements, or by other suitable means;

(2) Must be secured in such a manner as not to interfere with any abandonment procedures or reduce seating capacity;

(3) Must be as small and of as little mass as possible;

(4) Must be packed in a suitable compact form; and

(5) Can opener. A can opener must meet the requirements in ISO 18813:2006(E) paragraph 4.43 (incorporated by reference, see § 199.05). A can opener may be in a jackknife meeting the requirements in paragraph (b)(16) of this section.

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Must be marked with either the Coast Guard approval number or the standard that the product meets, as applicable; and

(6) Should be stowed so the items do not—

(i) Reduce the seating capacity;

(ii) Adversely affect the seaworthiness of the survival craft or rescue boat; or

(iii) Overload the launching appliance.

(b) Each lifeboat, rigid liferaft, and rescue boat, unless otherwise stated in this paragraph, must carry the equipment listed in this paragraph and specified for it in table 1 to this section under the vessel's category of service. A lifeboat that is also a rescue boat must carry the equipment in the table column marked for a lifeboat.

(1) Bailer. The bailer must be buoyant.

(2) Bilge pump. The bilge pump must meet the requirements in ISO 18813:2006(E) paragraph 4.3 (incorporated by reference, see § 199.05) and must be installed in a ready-to-use condition.

(i) The bilge pump for a lifeboat approved for less than 70 persons must be either size 2 or size 3.

(ii) The bilge pump for a lifeboat approved for 70 persons or more must be size 3.

(3) Boathook. In the case of a boat launched by falls, the boathook must be kept free for fending-off purposes. For inflated rescue boats and for rigid-inflated rescue boats, each boathook must be designed to minimize the possibility of damage to the inflated portions of the hull.

(4) Bucket. The bucket must be made of corrosion-resistant material and should either be buoyant or have an attached lanyard at least 1.8 meters (6 feet) long.

(5) Can opener. A can opener must meet the requirements in ISO 18813:2006(E) paragraph 4.43 (incorporated by reference, see § 199.05). A can opener may be in a jackknife meeting the requirements in paragraph (b)(16) of this section.

(6) Compass. The compass and its mounting arrangement must meet the requirements in ISO 18813:2006(E) paragraph 4.6 (incorporated by reference, see § 199.05).

(i) In a totally enclosed lifeboat, the compass must be permanently fitted at the steering position; in any other boat it must be provided with a binnacle, if necessary, to protect it from the weather, and with suitable mounting arrangements.

(ii) The compass must be tested in accordance with the provisions in ISO 25862:2009(E) Annex H (incorporated by reference, see § 199.05) by an independent laboratory accepted by the Coast Guard in accordance with part 159, subpart 159.010, of this chapter.

(7) Dipper. The dipper must be rustproof and attached to a lanyard that should be at least 0.9 meters (3 feet) long.

(8) Drinking cup. The drinking cup must be graduated and rustproof. The cup should also be of a breakage-resistant material.

(9) Fire extinguisher. The fire extinguisher must be approved under approval series 162.028. The fire extinguisher must have a rating of a 40–B:C. Two 10–B:C extinguishers may be carried in place of a 40–B:C extinguisher. Extinguishers with larger numerical ratings or multiple letter designations may be used instead.

(10) First-aid kit. Each first-aid kit must meet the requirements in ISO 18813:2006(E) paragraph 4.12 (incorporated by reference, see § 199.05).

(i) A first-aid kit may be considered acceptable if it meets all of the requirements of ISO 18813:2006(E) paragraph 4.12, except that it does not contain the burn preparations. It must be clearly marked on the first-aid kit that it does not include the burn preparations.

(ii) The active ingredients in medicinal products must conform to over-the-counter (OTC) drug regulations set out in 21 CFR part 330.

(11) Fishing kit. The fishing kit must meet the requirements in ISO 18813:2006(E) paragraph 4.13 (incorporated by reference, see § 199.05).

(12) Flashlight. The flashlight must be a type I or type III that is constructed and marked in accordance with ASTM F1014 (incorporated by reference, see § 199.05). One spare set of batteries and one spare bulb, stored in a watertight container, must be provided for each flashlight.

(13) Hatchet. The hatchet must be suitable for cutting a rope towline or painter in an emergency and must not require assembly or unfolding.

(i) The hatchet must be at least 14 inches in length and have a cutting edge of approximately 31⁄4 inches in length, with a hardened steel or equivalent alloy head.

(ii) The hatchet must be provided a lanyard at least 3 feet in length.

(iii) The hatchet must be stowed in brackets near the release mechanism and, if more than one hatchet is carried, the hatchets must be stowed at opposite ends of the boat.

(14) Heaving line. The heaving line must be buoyant, must be at least 30 meters (99 feet) long, must have a buoyant rescue quoit attached to one end, and should be at least 8 millimeters (5⁄16 inches) in diameter.

(15) Instruction card. The instruction card must be waterproof and contain the information required by IMO Resolution A.657(16). The instruction card should be located so that it can be easily seen upon entering the liferaft.

(16) Jackknife. The jackknife must consist of a one-bladed knife fitted with a can opener and attached to the boat by its lanyard. The jackknife must meet the requirements in ISO 18813:2006(E) paragraph 4.19 (incorporated by reference, see § 199.05).

(17) Knife. The knife must be of the non-folding type with a buoyant handle as follows:

(i) The knife for a rigid liferaft must be secured to the raft by a lanyard and stowed in a pocket on the exterior of the canopy near the point where the painter is attached to the liferaft. If an approved jackknife is substituted for the second knife required on a liferaft equipped for 13 or more persons, the jackknife must also be secured to the liferaft by a lanyard.

(ii) The knife in an inflatable or rigid-inflatable rescue boat must be of a type designed to minimize the possibility of damage to the fabric portions of the hull.

(iii) Any knife may be replaced with a jackknife meeting the requirements in paragraph (b)(16) of this section.

(18) Ladder. The boarding ladder must be capable of being used at each entrance on either side or at the stern of the boat to enable persons in the water to board the boat. The lowest step of the ladder must be not less than 0.4 meters (15.75 inches) below the boat's light waterline.

(19) Mirror. The signalling mirror must meet the requirements in ISO 18813:2006(E) paragraph 4.23 (incorporated by reference, see § 199.05).

(20) Oars and paddles. Each lifeboat and rescue boat must have buoyant oars or paddles of the number, size, and type specified by the manufacturer of the boat. An oarlock or equivalent device, either permanently installed or attached to the boat by a lanyard or chain, must be provided for each oar. Each oar should have the vessel's name marked on it in block letters.

(21) Painter.

(i) One painter on a lifeboat and the painter on a rescue boat must be attached by a painter release device at the forward end of the lifeboat. The second painter on a lifeboat must be secured at or near the bow of the lifeboat, ready for use. On lifeboats to be launched by free-fall launching, both painters must be stowed near the bow ready for use.

(A) If the painter is of synthetic material, the painter must be of a dark color or certified by the manufacturer to be resistant to deterioration from ultraviolet light.

(B) The painter for a lifeboat and each painter for a rescue boat must be of a length that is at least twice the distance from the stowage position of the boat to the waterline with the vessel in its lightest seagoing condition, or must be 15 meters (50 feet) long, whichever is the greater.

(C) The painter must have a breaking strength of at least 34 kiloNewtons (7,700 pounds-force).

(ii) The painter for a rigid liferaft must be of a length that is at least 20 meters (66 feet) plus the distance from the liferaft's stowed position to the waterline with the vessel in its lightest seagoing condition, or must be 15 meters (50 feet) long, whichever is the greater.

(A) If the painter is of synthetic material, the painter must be of a dark color or certified by the manufacturer to be resistant to deterioration from ultraviolet light.

(B) The painter must have a breaking strength of at least 15 kiloNewtons (3,370 pounds-force) for liferafts approved for more than 25 persons, of at least 20 kiloNewtons (2,250 pounds-force) for liferafts approved for 9 to 25 persons, and of at least 7.5 kiloNewtons (1,687 pounds-force) for any other liferaft.

(C) The painter must have a float-free link meeting the requirements of part 160, subpart 160.073 of this chapter secured to the end of the painter that is attached to the vessel. The float-free link arrangement must break under a load of 2.2±0.4 kiloNewtons (400 to 536 pounds-force).

(22) Provisions. Each unit of provisions must be approved under approval series 160.046 and must provide at least 10,000 kiloJoules (2,390 calories). Individual provision packages may provide less than 10,000 kiloJoules, as long as the total quantity of provisions on board provides for at least 10,000 kiloJoules per person.

(23) Pump. The pump or bellows must be manually operated and should be arranged so it is capable of inflating any part of the inflatable structure of the rescue boat.

(24) Radar reflector. The radar reflector must be capable of detection at a distance of 4 nautical miles and must have a mounting arrangements to install it on the boat in its proper orientation. A 9-GigaHertz radar transponder may be substituted for the radar reflector if the transponder is accepted by the Federal Communications Commission as meeting the requirements of 47 CFR part 80 and is stowed in the boat or raft.

(25) Rainwater collection device. The rainwater collection device must be arranged to collect falling rain and direct it into the water tanks in the lifeboat. If the lifeboat carries a manually-powered, reverse osmosis desalinator approved under approval series 160.058, a rainwater collection device is not required.

(26) Repair kit. The repair kit for an inflated and a rigid-inflated rescue boat must be packed in a suitable container and include at least—

(i) Six sealing clamps;

(ii) Five 50-millimeter (2-inch) diameter tube patches;

(iii) A roughing tool; and

(iv) A container of cement compatible with the tube fabric. The cement must have an expiration date on its container that is not more than 24 months after the date of manufacture of the cement.

(27) Sea anchor.

(i) The sea anchor for a lifeboat, rescue boat, and rigid liferaft must meet the requirements in ISO 17339:2018(E) (incorporated by reference, see § 199.05).

(ii) Each sea anchor for a rigid liferaft must be of the type specified by the liferaft manufacturer and must be fitted with a shock resistant hawser. It may also be fitted with a tripping line. One sea anchor must be permanently attached to the liferaft in such a way that, when the liferaft is waterborne, it will cause the liferaft to lie oriented to the wind in the most stable manner. The second sea anchor must be stowed in the liferaft as a spare. A davit-launched liferaft and a liferaft on a passenger vessel must have the permanently attached sea anchor arranged to deploy automatically when the liferaft floats free.

(iii) The sea anchor for a rescue boat must be of the type specified by the rescue boat manufacturer, and must have a hawser of adequate strength that is at least 10 meters (33 feet) long.

(28) Searchlight.

(i) The searchlight must be of the type originally provided with the approved lifeboat or rescue boat, or must be certified by the searchlight manufacturer to meet ASTM F1003 (incorporated by reference, see § 199.05). The boat must carry two spare bulbs.

(ii) The searchlight must be permanently mounted on the canopy or must have a stanchion-type or collapsible-type, portable mounting on the canopy. The mounting must be located to enable operation of the searchlight by the boat operator.

(iii) The searchlights power source must be capable of operating the light without charging or recharging for not less than—

(A) Three hours of continuous operation; or

(B) Six hours total operation when it is operated in cycles of 15 minutes on and 5 minutes off.

(iv) If the searchlight's power source is an engine starting battery, there must be sufficient battery capacity to start the engine at the end of either operating period specified in paragraph (b)(28)(iii) of this section.

(v) The searchlight's power source must be connected to the searchlight using watertight electrical fittings.

(29) Seasickness kit. The seasickness kit must be in a waterproof package and must include one waterproof seasickness bag, anti-seasickness medication sufficient for one person for 48 hours, and instructions for using the medication. Each seasickness kit should be stowed within reach of the seat for which it is intended.

(30) Signal, smoke. The smoke signal must be approved under approval series 160.122.

(31) Signal, hand flare. The hand flare must be approved under approval series 160.121.

(32) Signal, rocket parachute flare. The rocket parachute flare must be approved under approval series 160.136.

(33) Skates and fenders. The skates and fenders must be as specified by the lifeboat or rescue boat manufacturer to facilitate launching and prevent damage to a lifeboat intended for launching down the side of a vessel.

(34) Sponge. The sponge must be suitable for soaking up water.

(35) Survival instructions. The survival instructions must be as described in IMO Resolution A.657(16), Annex I for liferafts and Annex II for lifeboats.

(36) Table of lifesaving signals. The table of lifesaving signals must be as described in Annex IV to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972, as amended, and must be printed on a waterproof card or stored in a waterproof container.

(37) Thermal protective aid. The thermal protective aid must be approved under approval series 160.174.

(38) Tool kit. The tool kit must contain sufficient tools for minor adjustments to the engine and its accessories.

(39) Towline. The towline must be buoyant and at least 50 meters (164 feet) long. The towline must have a breaking strength of not less than 13.3 kiloNewtons (3,000 pounds-force) or be of sufficient strength to tow the largest liferaft carried on the vessel when loaded with its full complement of persons and equipment at a speed of at least 2 knots.

(40) Water. The water must meet the requirements in ISO 18813:2006(E) paragraph 4.46 (incorporated by reference, see § 199.05).

(i) The water must meet the U.S. Public Health Service “Drinking Water Standards” in 40 CFR part 141 to suitably protect the container against corrosion. After treatment and packing, the water must be free from organic matter, sediment, and odor. It must have a pH between 7.0 and 9.0 as determined by means of a standard pH meter using glass electrodes. Water quality must be verified by the local municipality or independent laboratory accepted by the Coast Guard in accordance with part 159, subpart 159.010, of this chapter.

(ii) Containers of emergency drinking water must be tested in accordance with the provisions in ISO 18813:2006(E) by an independent laboratory accepted by the Coast Guard in accordance with part 159, subpart 159.010, of this chapter.

(iii) The requirement for up to one-third of the emergency drinking water may be met by a desalting apparatus approved under approval series 160.058 that is capable of producing the substituted amount of water in 2 days.

(iv) The requirement for up to two-thirds of the emergency drinking water may be met by a manually-powered, reverse-osmosis desalinator approved under approval series 160.058 and that is capable of producing the substituted amount of water in 2 days.

(41) Whistle. The whistle must be corrosion-resistant, and should be a ball-type or multi-tone whistle that is attached to a lanyard.

(c) Any Coast Guard-approved equipment on board before December 14, 2022 may remain on board as long as it remains in good and serviceable condition.

Table 1 to § 199.175—Survival Craft Equipment

Item No.	Item	International voyage			Short international voyage
		Lifeboat	Rigid liferaft (SOLAS A pack)	Rescue boat	Lifeboat	Rigid liferaft (SOLAS B pack)	Rescue boat
1	Bailer1	1	1	1	1	1	1
2	Bilge pump2	1			1
3	Boathook	2		1	2		1
4	Bucket3	2		1	2		1
5	Can opener11	3	3		3
6	Compass	1		1	1		1
7	Dipper	1			1
8	Drinking cup	1	1		1
9	Fire extinguisher	1		1	1		1
10	First aid kit	1	1	1	1	1	1
11	Fishing kit	1	1
12	Flashlight	1	1	1	1	1	1
13	Hatchet	2			2
14	Heaving line	2	1	2	2	1	2
15	Instruction card		1			1
16	Jackknife	1			1
17	Knife1411	1	1	1	1	1	1
18	Ladder	1		1	1		1
19	Mirror, signalling	1	1		1	1
20	Oars, units5 6	1		1	1		1
	Paddles		2			2
21	Painter	2	1	1	2	1	1
22	Provisions (units per person)	1	1
23	Pump7			1			1
24	Radar reflector	1	1	1	1	1	1
25	Rainwater collection device	1			1
26	Repair kit7			1			1
27	Sea anchor	1	2	1	1	2	1
28	Searchlight	1		1	1		1
29	Seasickness kit (units per person)	1	1		1	1
30	Signal, smoke	2	2		2	1
31	Signal, hand flare	6	6		6	3
32	Signal, parachute flare	4	4		4	2
33	Skates and fenders8	1		1	1		1
34	Sponge7		2	2		2	2
35	Survival instructions	1	1		1	1
36	Table of lifesaving signals	1	1		1	1
37	Thermal protective aids9	10%	10%	10%	10%	10%	10%
38	Tool kit	1			1
39	Towline10	1		1	1		1
40	Water (liters per person)	3	1.5		3
41	Whistle	1	1	1	1	1	1

Notes:

¹ Each liferaft equipped for 13 persons or more must carry two of these items.

² Not required for boats of self-bailing design.

³ Not required for inflated or rigid-inflated rescue boats.

⁴ A hatchet counts towards this requirement in rigid rescue boats.

⁵ Oars are not required on a free-fall lifeboat; a unit of oars means the number of oars specified by the boat manufacturer.

⁶ Rescue boats may substitute buoyant paddles for oars, as specified by the manufacturer.

⁷ Not required for a rigid rescue boat.

⁸ Required if specified by the boat manufacturer.

⁹ Sufficient thermal protective aids are required for at least 10% of the persons the survival craft is equipped to carry, but not less than two.

¹⁰ Required only if the lifeboat is also the rescue boat.

¹¹ One (1) jackknife may replace one (1) can opener and one (1) knife.

[CGD 84–069, 61 FR 25313, May 20, 1996; 61 FR 40281, Aug. 1, 1996; 63 FR 52819, Oct. 1, 1998; USCG–1999–6216, 64 FR 53229, Oct. 1, 1999; USCG–2000–7790, 65 FR 58465, Sept. 29, 2000; USCG–2004–18884, 69 FR 58352, Sept. 30, 2004; USCG–2020–0107, 87 FR 68308, Nov. 14, 2022]