Cobaltchat.com

I'm planning to get my boat inspected by the Coast Guard Auxiliary/US Power Squadron in the near future.
Have any of you had this done?
I know about the PFD's, but wondering about battery safety requirements in particular.
Have any of you gone through this, and what sort of things should I be aware of that aren't the obvious things?
Thanks!

If you boat in coastal waters, make sure you have flares onboard.

https://www.boatus.org/distress-signals/requirements/

May never take the 220 to the coast, although the Admiral really wants to do the Lake to locks to Charleston trip...

We just had ours done as they happen to be at the launch area. I put my wife in charge of it and it went well. Ours is a new boat so wasn't expecting any findings. One thing he did mention that many people forget is that flares have an expiration date. We typically only think about fire extinguishers.

Yeah, I’ve been through the inspection with the US Power Squadron. For the battery, they focused on making sure it was mounted securely, terminals were tight, and there was a disconnect switch where needed. They also checked for leaks and overall battery condition. Besides that, they looked over the usual stuff like PFDs, flares, and navigation lights. Just make sure everything’s in good shape and you should be fine!

I've gotten a few of these over the years, they used to come to our marina every spring - like mentioned above, they registration, safety equipment, and mechanical things - flame arrestor and batteries to make sure they are secure and the positive connections are shielded. All of the things a Wildlife Officer would check on the water, just more thorough. They also - at least on mine - casually quizzed me on boating rules and gave some advice, nothing you would not know if you are a boater. If you pass (would think most people do) you get a nice sticker for your boat that shows you have been inspected!
If you are interested in getting a safety inspection, you obviously like boating and are interested in doing things right.

You aren't having your boat inspected to operate it as an inspected vessel for hire, so there's really no harm in not passing. The goal is to learn something about keeping your boat in shape, and you'll get that whether you spend a bunch of time preparing or not. It will be fun to hear what they do/say once it's inspected!

John

I learned from the Coast Guard Auxiliary inspection that I had...my fire extinguisher was under recall. Looked up the brand and model/serial numbers and received a new replacement from the manufacturer.

There is no downside getting an inspection.

Idad wrote: Mon Nov 04, 2024 12:13 am I've gone through a Coast Guard Auxiliary inspection, and it was pretty chill. They definitely checked the usual stuff like PFDs and flares, but I remember them being pretty thorough about battery safety. Make sure your battery is securely mounted and has a proper cover; they really don't like seeing any leaks. They also checked the terminals for cleanliness and solid connections. If you have multiple batteries, consider adding a disconnect switch too. Just make sure all your wiring looks good and there are no exposed wires.

.
When was your CG inspection Id?