Sec. 183.101 Applicability. This subpart applies to monohull inboard boats, inboard/outdrive boats, and airboats less than 20 feet in length, the construction or assembly of which is begun after July 31, 1978, except sailboats, canoes, kayaks, inflatable boats, submersibles, surface effect vessels, amphibious vessels, and raceboats.

Sec. 183.105 Quantity of flotation required.

(a) Each boat must have enough flotation to keep any portion of the boat above the surface of the water when the boat has been submerged in calm, fresh water for at least 18 hours and loaded with:

(1) A weight that, when submerged, equals two-fifteenths of the persons capacity marked on the boat;

(2) A weight that, when submerged, equals 25 percent of the dead weight; and

(3) A weight in pounds that, when submerged, equals 62.4 times the volume in cubic feet of the two largest air chambers, if air chambers are used for flotation.

(b) For the purpose of this section, ``dead weight'' means the maximum weight capacity marked on the boat minus the persons capacity marked on the boat.

Sec. 183.110 Definitions. For the purpose of this subpart:

ASTM means American Society for Testing and Materials. The Coast Guard incorporates by reference ASTM Standard D-471, dated March 28, 1975, in Sec. 183.114 of this subpart. This incorporation by reference was approved by the Director of the Office of the Federal Register on December 6, 1977. The Coast Guard also incorporates by reference ASTM Standard D-2482, dated November 14, 1969 (reapproved 1975), in Sec. 183.114 of this subpart. This incorporation by reference was approved by the Director of the Office of the Federal Register on September 11, 1978. The incorporated standards are available for inspection at Coast Guard Headquarters, Room 1308, Transpoint Building, 2100 2nd St., SW., Washington DC 20593 and at the Office of the Federal Register library, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., suite 700, Washington DC 20408. The incorporated standards may be obtained from the American Society for Testing and Materials, 1916 Race St., Philadelphia, PA 19103.

Bilge means the area in the boat, below a height of 4 inches measured from the lowest point in the boat where liquid can collect when the boat is in its static floating position, except engine rooms.

Connected means allowing a flow of water in excess of one-quarter ounce per hour from the engine room bilge into any other compartment with a 12 inch head of water on the engine room side of the bulkhead.

Engine room bilge means the area in the engine room or a connected compartment below a height of 12 inches measured from the lowest point where liquid can collect in these compartments when the boat is in its static floating position.

Engine room means the compartment where a permanently installed gasoline or diesel engine is installed, including connected compartments.

Open to atmosphere means a compartment that has at least 15 square inches of open area directly exposed to the atmosphere for each cubic foot of net compartment volume.

Sealed compartment means an enclosure that can resist an exterior water level of 12 inches without seepage of more than one-quarter fluid ounce per hour.

[CGD 77-145, 43 FR 56858, Dec. 4, 1978, as amended by CGD 82-010, 48 FR 8273, Feb. 28, 1983; CGD 85-098, 52 FR 19728, May 27, 1987; CGD 96-026, 61 FR 33670, June 28, 1996]

Sec. 183.112 Flotation material and air chambers.

(a) Flotation materials must meet the requirements in Sec. 183.114 as listed in Table 183.114 when used in the:

(1) Engine room bilge,

(2) engine room, or

(3) bilge, unless located in a sealed compartment.

(b) Air chambers used to meet the flotation requirements of this subpart must not be integral with the hull.

[CGD 77-145, 43 FR 56859, Dec. 4, 1978; 44 FR 47934, Aug. 16, 1979]

Sec. 183.114 Test of flotation materials.

(a) Vapor test. The flotation material must not reduce in buoyant force more than 5 percent after being immersed in a fully saturated gasoline vapor atmosphere for 30 days at a minimum temperature of 38 deg. C.

(b) 24-hour gasoline test. The flotation material must not reduce in buoyant force more than 5 percent after being immersed for 24 hours at 23 plus or minus 2 deg. C in reference fuel B, of ASTM D-471.

(c) 30-day gasoline test. The flotation material must not reduce in buoyant force more than 5 percent after being immersed for 30 days at 23 plus or minus 2 deg. C in reference fuel B, of ASTM D-471.

(d) 24-hour oil test. The flotation material must not reduce in buoyant force more than 5 percent after being immersed for 24 hours at 23 plus or minus 2 deg. C in reference oil No. 2, of ASTM D-471.

(e) 30-day oil test. The flotation material must not reduce in buoyant force more than 5 percent after being immersed for 30 days at 23 plus or minus 2 deg. C in reference oil No. 2, of ASTM D-471.

(f) 24-hour bilge cleaner test. The flotation material must not reduce in buoyant force more than 5 percent after being immersed for 24 hours at 23 plus or minus 2 deg. C in a 5-percent solution of trisodium phosphate in water.

(g) 30-day bilge cleaner test. The flotation material must not reduce in buoyant force more than 5 percent after being immersed for 30 days at 23 plus or minus 2 deg. C in a 5-percent solution of trisodium phosphate in water.

(h) The buoyant force reduction in paragraphs (a) through (g) of this section is measured in accordance with ASTM D-2842.

[CGD 77-145, 43 FR 56859, Dec. 4, 1978; 44 FR 47934, Aug. 16, 1979]

Source: CGD 75-168; 42 FR 20243, Apr. 18, 1977, unless otherwise noted.

Sec. 183.201 Applicability.

(a) This subpart applies to monohull outboard boats that are:

(1) Less than 20 feet in length;

(2) Rated for outboard engines of more than 2 horsepower; and

(3) Constructed or assembled after July 31, 1978.

(b) This subpart does not apply to sailboats, canoes, kayaks, inflatable boats, submersibles, surface effect vessels, amphibious vessels, and raceboats.

Sec. 183.202 Flotation and certification requirements. Each boat to which this subpart applies must be manufactured, constructed, or assembled to pass the stability and flotation tests prescribed in Secs. 183.225(a), 183.230(a), and 183.235(a).

Sec. 183.205 Passenger carrying area.

(a) For the purpose of this section a boat is level when it is supported on its keel at the two points shown in Figure 2.

(b) As used in this subpart, the term ``passenger carrying area'' means each area in a boat in which persons can sit in a normal sitting position or stand while the boat is in operation. Passenger carrying areas are illustrated in Figures 3 through 8.

(c) The length of the passenger carrying area is the distance along the centerline of the boat between two vertical lines, one at the forward end and one at the aft end of the passenger carrying area when the boat is level as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. For boats with a curved stem inside the passenger carrying area, the forward vertical line is where a line 45 degrees to the horizontal when the boat is level is tangent to the curve of the stem, as illustrated in Figure 5. For boats with cabins, the forward vertical line is where is a minimum distance of two feet between the inside top of the cabin and the water line formed when the boat is swamped and loaded with weights under Sec. 183.220 as illustrated in Figure 6.

(d) The breadth of each passenger carrying area is the distance between two vertical lines at the mid-length, excluding consoles, of the passenger carrying area when the boat is level as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. For boats with round chines inside the passenger carrying area, the vertical line is where a transverse line 45 degrees to the horizontal is tangent to the arc of the chine, as illustrated in Figure 8.

Sec. 183.210 Reference areas.

(a) The forward reference area of a boat is the forward most 2 feet of the top surface of the hull or deck, as illustrated in Figure 9.

(b) The aft reference area of a boat is the aft most two feet of the top surface of the hull or deck, as illustrated in Figure 9.

Sec. 183.215 Reference depth. Reference depth is the minimum distance between the uppermost surface of the submerged reference area of a boat and the surface of the water measured at the centerline of the boat, as illustrated in Figure 10. If there is no deck surface at the centerline of the boat from which a measurement can be made, the reference depth is the average of two depth measurements made on opposite sides of, and at an equal distance from, the centerline of the boat.

Sec. 183.220 Preconditioning for tests. A boat must meet the following conditions for at least 18 hours before the tests required by Secs. 183.225, 183,230, and 183.235:

(a) Manufacturer supplied permanent appurtenances such as windshields and convertible tops must be installed on the boat.

Sec. 183.310 Reference areas.

(a) The forward reference area of a boat is the forwardmost 2 feet of the top surface of the hull or deck as illustrated in Figure 9.

(b) The aft reference area of a boat is the aftmost two feet of the top surface of the hull or deck, as illustrated in Figure 9.

Sec. 183.315 Reference depth. Reference depth is the minimum distance between the uppermost surface of the submerged reference area of a boat and the surface of the water measured at the centerline of the boat, as illustrated in Figure 10. If there is no deck surface at the centerline of the boat from which a measurement can be made, the reference depth is the average of two depth measurements made on opposite sides of, and at an equal distance from, the centerline of the boat.

Sec. 183.320 Preconditioning for tests. A boat must meet the following conditions for at least 18 hours before the tests required by Secs. 183.325, 183.330, and 183.335:

(a) Manufacturer supplied permanent appurtenances such as windshields, and convertible tops must be installed on the boat.

(b) The boat must be loaded with a quantity of weight that, when submerged, is equal to the sum of the following:

(1) Two-fifteenths of the persons capacity marked on the boat.

(2) Twenty-five percent of the result of the following calculation, but not less than zero: the maximum weight capacity marked on the boat; less the weight shown in column 6 of Table 4 for the maximum horsepower marked on the boat; less the persons capacity marked on the boat.

(c) The weights required by paragraph (b) of this section are placed in the boat so that the center of gravity of each amount of weight required by paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(2) of this section is within the shaded area illustrated in Figure 11. The location and dimensions of the shaded area are as follows:

(1) The shaded area is centered at the mid-length of the passenger carrying area and at the mid-breadth of the boat;

(2) The length of the shaded area, measured along the centerline of the boat, is equal to 40 percent of the length of the passenger carrying area of the boat; and

(3) The breadth of the shaded area, measured at the mid-length of the passenger carrying area, is equal to 40 percent of the breadth of the passenger carrying area of the boat.

(d) Weight must be placed in the normal operating position of the motor and controls in lieu of this equipment. The quantity of weight used for this purpose depends upon the maximum rated horsepower of the boat being tested and is specified in Column 2 of Table 4 for the swamped weight of the motor and controls.

(e) Permanent fuel tanks must be filled with fuel and each external opening into the fuel tank must be sealed.

(f) The boat must be keel down in the water.

(g) The boat must be swamped, allowing water to flow between the inside and the outside of the boat, either over the sides, through a hull opening, or both. Entrapped air in the flooded portion of the boat must be eliminated.

Sec. 183.322 Flotation materials.

(a) Flotation materials must meet the requirements in Sec. 183.114 as listed in Table 183.114 when used in the bilge, unless located in a sealed compartment.

[CGD 77-145, 43 FR 56859, Dec. 4, 1978; 44 FR 47934, Aug. 16, 1979]

Tests

Sec. 183.325 Flotation test for persons capacity. Flotation standard. When the conditions prescribed in Sec. 183.320 are met, the boat must float in fresh, calm water as follows:

(a) The angle of heel does not exceed 10 degrees from the horizontal.

(b) Any point on either the forward or aft reference area is above the surface of the water.

(c) The reference depth at the reference area that is opposite the reference area that is above the surface of the water is 6 inches or less.

Sec. 183.330 Stability test.

(a) Flotation standard. When the conditions prescribed in Sec. 183.320 (a), (d) through (g) and paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section are met, the boat must float in fresh, calm water as follows:

(1) The angle of heel does not exceed 30 degrees from the horizontal.

(2) Any point on either the forward or aft reference area is above the surface of the water.

(3) The reference depth at the reference area that is opposite the reference area that is above the surface of the water is 12 inches or less.

(b) Quantity of weight used. Load the boat with quantity of weight that, when submerged, is equal to the sum of the following:

(1) One-half the quantity of weight required by Sec. 183.320(b)(1).

(2) The quantity of weight required by Sec. 183.320(b)(2).

(c) Placement of quantity of weight: starboard side. Place the quantity of weight required by paragraph (b) of this section in the boat so that:

(1) The quantity of weight required by Sec. 183.320(b)(2) is positioned in accordance with Sec. 183.320(c); and

(2) One-half the quantity of weight required by Sec. 183.320(b)(1) is uniformly distributed over a distance along the outboard perimeter of the starboard side of the passenger carrying area that is equal to at least 30 percent of the length of the passenger carrying area so that the center of gravity of the quantity of weight is located within the shaded area illustrated in Figure 12, the center of gravity of the amount of weight placed on the floor of the boat is at least 4 inches above the floor and the center of gravity of the amount of weight placed on a seat is at least 4 inches above the seat. The location and dimensions of the shaded area are as follows:

(i) The shaded area is centered at the mid-length of the passenger carrying area;

(ii) The length of the shaded area is equal to 70 percent of the length of the passenger carrying area; and

(iii) The breadth of the shaded area is 6 inches from:

(a) For weights placed on the floor, the outboard perimeter of the passenger carrying area; and

(b) For weights placed on a seat, a vertical line inside the passenger carrying area as illustrated in Figure 13.

(d) Placement of quantity of weight: port side. The quantity of weight required by paragraph (b)(1) of this section is placed along the port side of the passenger carrying area in accordance with the conditions prescribed in paragraph (c)(2) of this section.

Sec. 183.335 Level flotation test without weights for persons capacity. When the conditions prescribed in Sec. 183.320 (a), (d) through (g) are met, the boat must float in fresh, calm water as follows:

(a) The angle of the heel does not exceed 10 degrees from the horizontal.

(b) Any point on either the forward or aft reference area is above the surface of the water.

(c) The reference depth at the reference area that is opposite the reference area that is above the surface of the water is 6 inches or less.