BFT commercial safety equipment

[birdhunter]

I have done a lot of looking into this subjet over the past two years but it seems that no two people are in agreence on what you need to have on board. Lets keep this to a boat under 36 foot comm. fishing for GBFT between Dec 1 and Feb 1. What are the minumum requirments?

[dunn6253]

From what I have heard you need a epirb, survival suit for everyone on board, and a life raft that has to be checked once a year. I know I am forgetting some stuff, bit I thought at least this could help.

[trollman]

SAT phone that works, NOT globalstar!

[birdhunter]

I have not heard anything about a sat phone? But are you telling me that I need to have a survial suit and life raft abourd my 24 foot boat to commercial fish BFT in NC? What else is required? Come on I know someone knows the answers here.

[Glenn W]

I have not heard anything about a sat phone? But are you telling me that I need to have a survial suit and life raft abourd my 24 foot boat to commercial fish BFT in NC? What else is required? Come on I know someone knows the answers here.

Survival suit is required for each man on board. Must have life raft. MUST HAVE PROPER LICENSES AND PERMITS--- State and Federal.

See:
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text...1.3.20&idno=46

Especially 28.100 - 28.165. Note : for your requirements, you will be in "COLD" water.

[Fishfinder]

The best thing to do is to call your closest Goast Guard station and ask that the commercial saftey officer come by and give you a courtisy inspection. He will let you know exactly what youi need for the size boat that you have and for the distance that you plan to be fishing offshore. The inspection is free and whatever violation that you have they will not site you for , but let you know what you need to have to be legal. Then they will return and give you the final inspection and give you a sticker and a piece of paper stating that you have passed the commercial inspection. The sticker will usually keep the coast guard from boarding you or at least you can show them the paper and the inspection will usually go faster if it continues at all. In the Morehead City area you will need to call Barry Everhart. He is in control of the commercial inspections in this area. It will be well worth the small effort and piece of mind knowing that you have everything that you really need. Talking to other anglers can just get yu confused since there are many different requirements depending on the length of your vessel and the distance that you intend on fishing.

Better safe than sorry!

Capt. Joe Shute

[Sea Draggin]

Get ready to bend over when you go to buy flares. They have really gone up since I purchased my last set three years ago.

What I can't understand is now they are packing hand helds in 4 packs, instead of 3. You end up with 2 extra.

[O-SEA-D]

In MHC, you do not need survival suits.

Below Cape Hatteras you DO NOT need survival suits.

Capt Hatteras and up you DO need survival suits.

We are in whats known as in the warm water zone.

The cold water line starts at Hatterass and goes up from there.

Like Joe said check with your local US Coast guard.

It all varies depending on the size boat you have and weather your recreational or commercial as well.

Me being commercial and my boat being 26 feet...here is what I need off the top of my head...

Oil placard

Waste placard

Drug placard

6 man life raft w/ automatic deploying light and floating rope attaching the 2 together......notice I said floating rope.....not just rope. Like birdhunter said, it depends on how far out you are.

Cat 1 or 2 Epirb...must be registered...must have in date Hydrostatic release for Cat 1 and both must have an in date battery.

Orange Ring buoy with line attached. Reflective tape and the vessels name on the right buoy as well.

2 Fire Ext.

6 signal flares

3 smoke flares

3 parachute flares

Some type of noise producing device

Type 1 Commercial life vest, w/ reflective tape, w/ the name of the vessel or registration numbers, w/ a strobe light attached, w/ a noise producing device attached

Valid NC Registration

10" NC registration numbers on the hull

Valid NC SCFL on the boat with you

Valid NC P number sticker on the Port side.

General catagory 2007 Atlantic Tunas Permit

NOT REQUIRED...but i do carry Survival suits for me and my son.

Thats what I can recall from memory.

[O-SEA-D]

Get ready to bend over when you go to buy flares. They have really gone up since I purchased my last set three years ago.

What I can't understand is now they are packing hand helds in 4 packs, instead of 3. You end up with 2 extra.

You got that right Jim.

We had to buy 3 new smoke flares for the RUN-OFF the other day...$60.00

[Squid]

Get ready to bend over when you go to buy flares. They have really gone up since I purchased my last set three years ago.

What I can't understand is now they are packing hand helds in 4 packs, instead of 3. You end up with 2 extra.

Jim, I'll try and explain the handheld flare packaging. (We also rep. for Orion and I'm going to assume that you're talking about them.) The reason for the 4 pack instead of a 3 pack is of course a safety measure. Yes, the Coast Guard only requires 3, however let's go over a scenario when you or someone else is in distress:

One of the first things you do is fire off a flare.
Someone else sees it but is unsure that they actually saw a flare. (I know I've seen things I thought were flares several times.)
Several minutes later, you're still in distress and fire off a second flare. This should confirm to the other party that someone is in distress.
Now you're down to only 1 flare with your typical 3 pack. If for some reason the first flare went unseen, you may have a problem with getting spotted. With 2 left in your arsenal, you can replay this sequence and increase your odds of getting help.

Hopefully this makes sense. Sure it seems like a pain to buy 4 when you only "need" 3, but if/when something ever happens, that 4th one would be worth its weight in gold.

Sorry to highjack the thread.....


As for the commercial requirements I think I'm right in saying that you need:
-1 COMMERCIAL life preserver for everyone on board with a strobe light attached to it and either the person's name responsible for wearing it and/or the name of the boat and registration number
-3 Commercial (SOLAS) Smoke signals
-3 Commercial (SOLAS) Parachute Flares
-6 Handheld flares
-1 18" Throw Ring with the boats name on it and 75 feet of Polyproplene rope attached
-1 E-PIRB 406 MHz

I'm sure there are other items to be added however this is the best I can remember at the moment (I sold all of my commercial gear a couple years ago).