Sec.

181.1 Purpose and applicability.

181.3 Definitions.

181.4 Incorporation by reference.

Subpart B--Manufacturer Certification of Compliance

181.5 Purpose and applicability.

181.7 Compliance certification label required.

181.9 Affixing labels.

181.11 Exceptions to labeling requirement.

181.13 Removal of labels.

181.15 Contents of labels.

181.17 Label numbers and letters.

181.19 Construction of labels.

Subpart C--Identification of Boats

181.21 Purpose, applicability and effective date.

181.23 Hull identification numbers required.

181.25 Hull identification number format.

181.27 Information displayed near hull identification number.

181.29 Hull identification number display.

181.31 Manufacturer identification code assignment.

181.33 Conditions for use of manufacturer identification codes.

181.35 Removal of numbers.

Authority: 46 U.S.C. 4302 and 4310; 49 CFR 1.46. Source: CGD 72-60, 37 FR 15779, Aug. 4, 1972, unless otherwise noted.

Subpart A—General

Sec. 181.1 Purpose and applicability. This part prescribes requirements for the certification of boats and associated equipment and identification of boats to which 46 U.S.C. Chapter 43 applies.

[CGD 85-002, 51 FR 37573, Oct. 23, 1986]

Sec. 181.3 Definitions. As used in this part:

Associated equipment means:

(1) Any system, part, or component of a boat as originally manufactured or any similar part or component manufactured or sold for replacement, repair, or improvement of such system, part, or component;

(2) Any accessory or equipment for, or appurtenance to, a boat; and

(3) Any marine safety article, accessory, or equipment intended for use by a person on board a boat; but

(4) Excluding radio equipment.

Boat means any vessel manufactured or used primarily for noncommercial use; leased, or rented, or chartered to another for the latter's noncommercial use; or engaged in the carrying of six or fewer passengers.

Date of certification means the date on which a boat or item of associated equipment is certified to comply with all applicable U.S. Coast Guard safety standards in effect on that date.

Date of manufacture means the month and year during which construction or assembly of a boat or item of associated equipment begins.

Manufacturer means any person engaged in:

(1) The manufacture, construction, or assembly of boats or associated equipment; or

(2) The importation into the United States for sale of boats, associated equipment, or components thereof.

Model year means the period beginning August 1 of any year and ending on July 31 of the following year. Each model year is designated by the year in which it ends.

Private label merchandiser means any person engaged in the business of selling and distributing, under his own trade name, boats, or items of associated equipment manufactured by another.

[CGD 96-026, 61 FR 33669, June 28, 1996; 61 FR 36786, July 12, 1996]

Sec. 181.4 Incorporation by reference.

(a) Certain materials are incorporated by reference into this part with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a). To enforce any edition other than the one listed in paragraph (b) of this section, notice of change must be published in the Federal Register and the material made available to the public. All approved material is on file at the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North Capitol Street, NW., suite 700, Washington, DC, and at the Lifesaving and Fire Safety Standards Division (G-MSE-4), 2100 Second Street, SW., Washington, DC 20593-0001, and is available from the sources listed in paragraph (b) of this section.

(b) The materials approved for incorporation by reference in this part, and the sections affected are:

Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062.UL 1123,

Marine Buoyant Devices, 181.703. February 17, 1995.

[CGD 81-023, 55 FR 32034, Aug. 6, 1990, as amended by CGD 93-055, 61 FR 13927, Mar. 28, 1996; CGD 96-026, 61 FR 33669, June 28, 1996]

Subpart B--Manufacturer Certification of Compliance

Sec. 181.5 Purpose and applicability. This subpart prescribes requirements for the certification of boats and associated equipment to which 46 U.S.C. Chapter 43 applies and to which a safety standard prescribed in Part 183 of this chapter applies.

[CGD 85-002, 51 FR 37573, Oct. 23, 1986]

Sec. 181.7 Compliance certification label required. Unless there is affixed to it a certification label that contains the information required by Sec. 181.15:

(a) No person who manufactures, constructs, or assembles a boat or associated equipment may deliver that boat or equipment for the purpose of sale;

(b) No person may import into the United States any boat or associated equipment; and

(c) No person engaged in the business of selling or distributing boats or associated equipment may sell or offer for sale any boat or associated equipment.

Sec. 181.9 Affixing labels.

(a) Each manufacturer of a boat or item of associated equipment to which a standard or regulation prescribed in Part 183 of this chapter applies shall affix a certification label that contains the information required by Sec. 181.15 to that boat or equipment before it:

(1) Leaves the place of manufacture for the purpose of sale; or

(2) Is imported.

(b) The manufacturer of a boat or item of associated equipment that is sold to a private label merchandiser may, at the option of the private label merchandiser, affix a certification label identifying the private label merchandiser as the manufacturer before the boat or item of associated equipment leaves the place of manufacture.

Sec. 181.11 Exceptions to labeling requirement.

(a) This part does not apply to boats or associated equipment intended solely for export, and so labeled, tagged, or marked on the boat or equipment and on the outside of the container, if any, which is exported.

(b) If an item of associated equipment is so small that a certification label that meets the requirements in Sec. 181.15 cannot be affixed to it, a certification label that contains the information required by Sec. 181.15 may be printed on the smallest container in which the item is packed or on a slip packed with the item.

(c) This subpart does not apply to any outboard motor or starting control to which Sec. 183.710 of this chapter applies.

[CGD 72-60, 37 FR 15779, Aug. 4, 1972, as amended by CGD 79-137, 46 FR 3515, Jan. 15, 1981; 46 FR 9579, Jan. 29, 1981]

Sec. 181.13 Removal of labels. No person may remove a label required by this part or remove or alter any information on a label required by this part, unless authorized by the Commandant.

Sec. 181.15 Contents of labels.

(a) Each label required by Sec. 181.7 must contain:

(1) The name and address of the manufacturer or private label merchandiser who certifies that the boat or item of associated equipment complies with the standards prescribed in Part 183 of this subchapter; and

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, the words:

(i) ``This (insert `Boat' or `Equipment') Complies With U.S. Coast Guard Safety Standards In Effect On (insert date of certification as prescribed in paragraph (b) of this section)''; or

(ii) If the item being certified is a boat or boat hull, the label may show the words, ``This Boat Complies With U.S. Coast Guard Safety Standards In Effect On The Date of Certification.''

(b) Date of certification must be no earlier than the date on which construction or assembly began and no later than the date on which the boat or item of associated equipment leaves the place of manufacture or assembly or import for the purposes of sale.

(c) [Reserved]

(d) Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section, the manufacturer may, in addition to the information required by paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, display on the certification label any or all of the following information:

(1) Model name or designation.

(2) Hull identification number (if a boat) or serial number (if an item of associated equipment).

(3) Model year.

(e) Display of the hull identification number on the certification label does not satisfy the display requirements of Sec. 181.29.

(f) Each boat which displays a maximum horsepower capacity determined in accordance with Sec. 183.53(b) must, in addition to the information required by paragraphs (a), (b) and (d) of this section, display on the certification label, the following statement in letters no less than one-quarter of an inch in height: THIS BOAT IS INTENDED FOR RACING AND OTHER HIGH PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES. THE SKILL REQUIRED MAY EXCEED THE ABILITIES OF SOME OPERATORS.

[CGD 72-60, 37 FR 15779, Aug. 4, 1972, as amended by CGD 83-012, 49 FR 39327, Oct. 5, 1984; CGD 85-002, 51 FR 37573, Oct. 23, 1986]

Sec. 181.17 Label numbers and letters. Letters and numbers on each label must:

(a) Be no less than one-eighth of an inch in height; and

(b) Contrast with the basic color of the label, except that the date of certification may be permanently stamped, engraved, or embossed on the label.

Sec. 181.19 Construction of labels.

(a) Each label must be made of material that can withstand exposure to water, oil, salt spray, direct sunlight, heat, cold, and wear expected in normal use of the boat or item of associated equipment without deterioration of legibility.

(b) Each label must be made of material that shows visible traces of the alteration or removal of information on the label.

Subpart B--Display of Capacity Information

Sec. 183.21 Applicability. This subpart applies to monohull boats less than 20 feet in length, except sailboats, canoes, kayaks, and inflatable boats.

Sec. 183.23 Capacity marking required. Each boat must be marked in the manner prescribed in Secs. 183.25 and 183.27 with the maximum persons capacity in whole numbers of persons and in pounds, the maximum weight capacity in pounds, determined under Secs. 183.33 through 183.43, and the maximum horsepower capacity determined under Sec. 183.53 or the statement ``This Boat Not Rated for Propulsion by Motor''.

[CGD 78-034, 45 FR 2029, Jan. 10, 1980]

Sec. 183.25 Display of markings.

(a) Each marking required by Sec. 183.23 must be permanently displayed in a legible manner where it is clearly visible to the operator when getting the boat underway.

(b) The information required by Sec. 183.23 must be displayed in the following manner:

(1) For outboard boats:

or

(2) For inboard boats and inboard-outboard boats:

(3) For boats rated for motors of 2 horsepower or less:

(4) For boats rated for manual propulsion:

(c) The capacity information displays required in paragraph (b) must meet the following as illustrated in Figure 183.25:

(1) The capacity information required in Sec. 183.23 must be displayed within a yellow area that—

(i) Is at least 4 inches wide; and

(ii) Is high enough that each line of print is separated by at least \1/8\ inch from each other and from the borders of the yellow area;

(2) The persons capacity in whole numbers must be black print with the following dimensions:

(i) The height must not be smaller than one-half inch;

(ii) The width of the numbers must be three-fifths of the height except for the number ``4'', which shall be one stroke width wider, and the number ``1'', which shall be one stroke in width;

(iii) The stroke width shall be one-sixth of the height; and (iv) The minimum space between the numbers shall be one stroke width.

(3) The words in the line ``XX Persons or XXX Pounds'' must be at least one-quarter inch in height but not larger than one-half the height of the persons capacity number and of a color contrasting with yellow. The number of pounds in this line must be at least one-eighth inch in height but no larger than one-half the height of the persons capacity number and of a color contrasting with yellow.

(4) All remaining words and numbers required to be within the yellow area required in paragraph (c)(1) must be at least one-eighth inch in height, but no larger than one-half the height of the persons capacity number.

(5) All other words and numbers on the displays must be located outside the yellow area on a background color which contrasts with yellow.

(6) The words ``Maximum Capacities'' must be at least one-quarter inch in height and of color contrasting with its background.

(7) The words ``U.S. Coast Guard'' must be at least one-eighth inch in height and of color contrasting with its background.

[CGD 78-034, 45 FR 2029, Jan. 10, 1980]

Sec. 183.27 Construction of markings. Each marking required by Sec. 183.23 must be—

(a) Capable of withstanding the combined effects of exposure to water, oil, salt spray, direct sunlight, heat, cold, and wear expected in normal operation of the boat, without loss of legibility; and

(b) Resistant to efforts to remove or alter the information without leaving some obvious sign of such efforts.

[CGD 78-034, 45 FR 2030, Jan. 10, 1980]