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Title 46

This content is from the eCFR and is authoritative but unofficial.

Displaying title 46, up to date as of 9/09/2026. Title 46 was last amended 9/01/2026.
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  1. Title 46 —Shipping
  2. Chapter I —Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security
  3. Subchapter R —Nautical Schools
  4. Part 169 —Sailing School Vessels
  5. Subpart 169.500 —Lifesaving and Firefighting Equipment
  6. Equipment for Primary Lifesaving Apparatus
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Equipment for Primary Lifesaving Apparatus

§ 169.525 General.

(a) Equipment for primary lifesaving apparatus must kept in good condition.

(b) Lifeboats, inflatable liferafts and lifefloats must be fully equipped before the vessel is navigated and throughout the voyage.

(c) No person may stow in any lifeboat, inflatable liferaft, or lifefloat any article not required by this subpart unless the article is authorized by the OCMI, in good working order, and properly stowed so as not to reduce the seating capacity, the space available to the occupants, or adversely affect the seaworthiness of the livesaving apparatus.

(d) Loose equipment, except boathooks in lifeboats, must be securely attached to the lifesaving appliance to which it belongs.

§ 169.527 Required equipment for lifeboats.

(a) All lifeboats must be equipped in accordance with table 1 to 46 CFR 199.175 except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section.

(b) The following equipment must be carried in addition to the equipment required under 46 CFR 199.175:

(1) Cover;

(2) Ditty bag; and

(3) Mast and sail.

(c) If operating on protected waters, lifeboat equipment need only to consist of the following:

(1) Boathook—(1);

(2) Bucket—(1);

(3) Fire extinguisher—(2) U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type B:C (motor propelled lifeboats only);

(4) Hatchet—(1);

(5) Lifeline—(1);

(6) Oar unit—(1);

(7) Painter—(1);

(8) Plug—(1);

(9) Oarlock unit—(1); and

(10) Toolkit (motor propelled lifeboats only).

[USCG-2020-0107, 87 FR 68306, Nov. 14, 2022; 88 FR 51737, Aug. 4, 2023]

§ 169.529 Description of lifeboat equipment.

(a) All lifeboat equipment must meet the requirements under 46 CFR 199.175, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section.

(b) The following equipment, carried in addition to the equipment required under 46 CFR 199.175, must meet the following requirements:

(1) Cover, protecting. The cover must be of highly visible color and capable of protecting the occupants against exposure. A cover is not required for fully enclosed lifeboats.

(2) Ditty bag. The ditty bag must consist of a canvas bag or equivalent and must contain a sailmaker's palm, needles, sail twine, marline, and marlin spike, except that motor-propelled lifeboats need not carry a ditty bag.

(3) Mast and sail. A unit, consisting of a standing lug sail together with the necessary spars and rigging, must be provided in accordance with table 1 to this section, except that motor-propelled lifeboats need not carry a mast or sails. The sails must be of good quality canvas, or other material acceptable to the Commandant, colored Indian Orange (Cable No. 70072, Standard Color Card of America; incorporated by reference, see § 169.115). Rigging must consist of galvanized wire rope not less than 3⁄16-inch in diameter. The mast and sail must be protected by a suitable cover.

Table 1 to § 169.529
Length of lifeboat, feet Standing lug sail Commercial designation number Mast 1 Yard 1
Over— Not over— Area, square feet Luff and head lengths Leach length Foot length Clew to throat Ounces per square yard Length Diameter, inches Length Diameter, inches
Feet Inches Feet Inches Feet Inches Feet Inches Feet Inches Feet Inches
17 58 5 11 12 1 8 10 10 10 14.35 10 11 2 3 6 11 2
17 19 74 6 8 13 8 10 0 12 2 14.35 10 12 6 3 7 8 2
19 21 93 7 5 15 1 11 2 13 8 14.35 10 13 10 31⁄2 8 5 21⁄2
21 23 113 8 3 16 11 12 4 15 1 14.35 10 15 2 31⁄2 9 3 21⁄2
23 25 135 9 0 18 6 13 6 16 6 14.35 10 16 6 4 10 0 3
25 27 158 9 9 20 0 14 7 17 10 17.50 8 17 10 4 10 9 3
27 29 181 10 5 21 5 15 7 19 1 17.50 8 19 2 41⁄2 11 5 31⁄4
29 31 203 11 0 22 8 16 6 20 3 20.74 6 20 6 41⁄2 12 0 31⁄4
31 2
1 Mast lengths measured from heel to center of upper halyard sheave. Mast diameters measured at thwart. Mast and yard shall be of clear-grained spruce, fir, or equivalent.
2 Subject to special consideration.

[USCG-2020-0107, 87 FR 68306, Nov. 14, 2022]

§ 169.535 Required equipment for lifefloats.

Each lifefloat must be equipped in accordance with Table 169.535. The equipment is described in § 169.537.

Table 169.535
Letter identification and Item Number required for each lifefloat
Exposed and partially protected water Protected water
(a) Boathook 1 1
(b) Lifeline 1 1
(c) Paddles 4 4
(d) Painter 1 1
(e) Water light 1 None

§ 169.537 Description of equipment for lifefloats.

(a) Boathook. Each boathook must be of the single hook ball point type. Boathook handles must be of clear grained white ash, or equivalent, not less than 6 feet long and 11⁄2 inches in diameter.

(b) Lifeline and pendants. The lifeline and pendants must be as furnished by the manufacturer with approved life floats. Replacement lifelines and pendants must meet the requirements in subpart 160.010 of this chapter.

(c) Paddles. Paddles must be not less than 5 feet long.

(d) Painter. The painter must—

(1) Be at least 30m (100 ft.) long, but not less than 3 times the distance between the deck on which the life float(s) are stowed and the light draft of the vessel,

(2) Have a breaking strength of at least 6.7 KN (1500 lbs.), except that if the capacity of the life float is 50 persons or more, the breaking strength must be at least 13.4 KN (3000 lbs.),

(3) Be of a dark color, if synthetic, or of a type certified to be resistant to deterioration from ultraviolet light, and

(4) Be stowed in such a way it runs freely when the life float floats away from the sinking vessel.

(e) Water light. The water light must be approved under subpart 161.010 of this chapter. The water light must be attached to the lifefloat by a 12-thread manila or equivalent synthetic lanyard 3 fathoms in length.

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