using something other than the 406 MHz EPIRB, be sure to understand the capabilities
and limitations.
Further information and a complete listing of VHF channels and frequencies is
available at: www.navcen.uscg.gov.
Accident Reporting
Federal law requires the boat operator to file a boating accident report with the
state reporting authority when, as a result of an occurrence that involves a boat or its
equipment:
• a person dies;
• a person disappears from the vessel under circumstances that indicate death or
injury;
• a person is injured and requires medical treatment beyond rst aid;
• damage to vessels and other property totals $2,000 or more (the amount may be
lower in some states and territories; verify with local boating authorities); or
• the boat is destroyed.
If the boat operator is deceased or unable to make the report, the boat owner is
required to file the report.
Note that your responsibility does not end with your own craft. You are required by
law to respond to any distress signal, visual or auditory. Render immediate assistance,
EXCEPT in instances in which you and your passengers will be endangered or those
situations that exceed your capabilities or the capabilities of your boat. Good Samaritan
protection is provided to boaters who provide good faith assistance and protects them
from civil liability for assistance given.
Law Enforcement
A vessel underway, when hailed by a Coast Guard vessel, is required to heave to, or
maneuver in such a manner that permits a boarding ocer to come aboard.
Other federal, state and local law enforcement ocials may board and examine
a vessel. The Coast Guard may impose a civil penalty up to $1,000 for failure to comply
with equipment requirements; report a boating accident; or comply with other federal
regulations. Failure to comply with the Inland Navigation Rules Act of 1980 can result
in a civil penalty up to $5,000. Details of the Act are available online or through the U.S.
Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
2013 MasterCraft Owners Manual • Safety Knowledge • Page 1-19
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