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Feature Articles
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Figure out survival craft requirements
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This article is reprinted with permission of Commercial Fisheries News, the Northeast's fishing newspaper for over 30 years, ©2003 Compass Publications Inc. Commercial Fisheries News is published monthly; annual subscriptions are $21.95. To subscribe or request a sample issue: call (877) 263-4496; fax (207) 367-2490; e-mail (cfoster@fish-news.com); or click on the hot link.
by Ann Backus, MS
Director of Outreach
Department of Environmental Health
Harvard School of Public Health, Boston MA
Phone (617) 432-3327;
E-mail abackus@hohp.harvard.edu
This is the second in a series of articles based on the Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Act (CFIVSA) of 1988. We hope that by helping fishermen to be more aware of the requirements in the law, it will make fishing a safer industry.
This time, we will examine the act's complicated survival craft requirements, which are summarized in the tables below: Table 1 - All documented fishing vessels; Table 2 - Undocumented vessels with fewer than 16 persons on board.
Survival craft come in all kinds of configurations, ranging from the most sophisticated, which are meant to shelter a large number of people for days at sea, to simple flotation devices such as the "life ring."
The Coast Guard's hierarchy of these craft, in descending order, is as follows: lifeboat; inflatable life raft with SOLAS A pack; inflatable life raft with SOLAS B pack; inflatable life raft with coastal service pack; inflatable buoyant apparatus; life float; and buoyant apparatus.
Fishermen can use a substitute for the survival craft listed in these tables - as long as what is used is higher in the ranking than what's required, and it's US Coast Guard approved.
If you are not sure of exactly what is meant by a specific piece of equipment, check in with the CG Marine Safety Office in your area. Or go to a marine supply store. There are several shops in this region specializing in survival craft and other safety gear.
The SOLAS A and B packs refer to specifications that were established by the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) amendments of 1983 that apply to ships on international voyages and incorporated into the CFIVSA of 1988.
These packs contain a variety of items from emergency provisions, water, and first aid kits to tools, line, fishing kits, distress signals, and thermal protection.
Each operator should become familiar with the contents of these SOLAS packs and the coastal service pack. You may refer to Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular 2-92 (1992) on the web at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/nvic.
Two notes of caution: the life rafts are "approved for service" separate from the packs, so merely upgrading the pack does not upgrade the life raft (see http://www.gso.uri.edu/unols/saf_stand/ch8.html for more details); and all equipment must be US Coast Guard approved.
Do your drills
In addition to knowing what's in the packs, it is extremely important to conduct drills with the survival craft. An easy way to do it with infatable life rafts is to plan drills to practice launching and boarding for a day before the craft is taken in for its annual servicing.
Every minute of practical experience with these items will pay off in an emergency situation. Coast Guard marine safety officers also advise that operators witness the servicing of their life rafts and packs.
Cold vs. warm water
As you can see from the tables, the equipment requirements distinguish between fishing boats operating in "cold" water and "warm" water.
Cold water means water where the monthly mean low water temperature is normally 59°F or less. It makes sense that hypotherma is always a concern in cold water.
There are specific latitude designations for the line between cold and warm water for each month of the year. Basically, the cold/warm water latitude is at Cape Hatteras, NC from December through April, and ends up as far north as the Isles of Shoals off Portsmouth, NH in August and September. For exact locations please consult NVIC 7-91 (1991) at
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/nvic.
Lastly, the Boundary Line. This is an administrative line drawn along the coast. On the East Coast it begins at Eastport, ME. It generally follows the shoreline but is actually a "connect-the-dots" line that uses lighthouses and whistle or horn buoys as the dots.
Much of the information in this article comes from the Code of Federal Regulations 46 CFR, which can be found on the Internet at
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov.
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Table 1
Survival Craft Required for All Documented Vessels
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AREA
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COLD WATERS
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WARM WATERS
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Type of vessels
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Required craft
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Type of vessels
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Required craft
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Beyond 50 miles of the coastline
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ALL
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Inflatable life raft with SOLAS A PACK
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ALL
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Inflatable life raft with SOLAS A PACK
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Between 20-50 miles of the coastline
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ALL
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Inflatable life raft with SOLAS B PACK
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ALL
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Inflatable life raft with Coastal Pack
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Beyond Boundary Line, between 12-20 miles of coastline
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ALL
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Inflatable life raft with Coastal Pack
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Not applicable
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See below
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Beyond Boundary Line, within 12 miles of coastline
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36 feet or more
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Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus
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Not applicable
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See below
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Less than 36 feet
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Buoyant Apparatus
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Beyond Boundary Line, within 20 miles of coastline
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See above
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See above
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ALL
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Life Float
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Inside the Boundary Line; or on lakes, bays, sounds, or rivers
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36 feet or more
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Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus
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ALL
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No craft required
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Less than 36 feet
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Buoyant Apparatus
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Table 2
Survival Craft Required for All Undocumented Vessels With Fewer than 16 Persons on Board
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AREA
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COLD WATERS
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WARM WATERS
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Type of vessels
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Required craft
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Type of vessels
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Required craft
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| Beyond 20 miles of the coastline; or beyond the Boundary Line, between 12-20 miles of the coastline |
All
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Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus
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ALL
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Inflatable Buoyant Apparatus
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| Beyond the Boundary Line, within 12 miles of the coastline |
36 feet or more
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Buoyant Apparatus
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Not applicable
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see below
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Less than 36 feet with 4-15 persons on board
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Buoyant Apparatus
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Less than 36 feet with 3 or fewer people
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No survival craft required
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| Beyond the Boundary Line, within 20 miles of the coastline |
See above
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ALL
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Life Float
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| Inside the Boundary Line; or lakes, bays, sounds, or rivers |
36 feet or more
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Buoyant Apparatus
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ALL
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No survival craft required
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Less than 36 feet with 4-15 persons on board
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Buoyant Apparatus
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Less than 36 feet with 3 or fewer people
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No survival craft required
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