Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find one!

[jevs]

Hi, this is my first post to this forum. I finally broke down and bought a boat since my friend won't buy a motor for his and I am tired of waiting.

Anyway, I am trying to get everything in compliance with the USCG rules and I do not want pyrotechnics on my boat. For one thing they go bad and for a second thing they make fire.

First of all my boat is 15'9" but is called a 1650, so I am treating it as a 16' boat just so I never have to worry about anything. There is hardly any differenc in rules other than a throwable floatation device I believe.

As far as distress signals, there is only one way to avoid pyrotechnic devices. You have to have a distress flag for daytime and an Electronic Distress signal that meets 46 CFR 161.013 approval for night time.

The flag is no problem. $10 or less anywhere. The problem is finding the electronic distress signal that is actually approved to those USCG specs. ACR Electronics did have one, but it is discontinued. I have been looking for a couple weeks and also called lots of places and I cannot find one. I can find many lights that automatically flash S.O.S. in morse code, but none that have the 46 CFR 161.013 approval. According to that article if you read it, the device must be labeled that it complies with that specific rule.

So, what do I do? Where can I find one of these! Help! I only need it for night time use, but I want to have it. You never know when you will need it.

The odd thing is that most people don't even seem to know you need a flare gun or other device. No one I have talked to in person carries any distress signal. I don't like hassles, so I tend to follow the rules to the T. No sense in giving anyone a reason to bother you or write you a ticket etc.

Thanks.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

Are you actually using the boat in waters that require coast guard compliance? Here in MN you only need alll that signal stuff if you are operating on lake superior

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

Are you actually using the boat in waters that require coast guard compliance? Here in MN you only need all that signal stuff if you are operating on lake superior

If you are not on federal waters and/or the smaller dimension of the lake is less than 4 miles. (i.e. you can never get more than 2 miles from shore), the flag and a whistle may be all that is required.

Re-read the Federal and YOUR states requirements again!
There are a lot if IFs and ORs in the laws.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

If you are not on federal waters and/or the smaller dimension of the lake is less than 4 miles. (i.e. you can never get more than 2 miles from shore), the flag and a whistle may be all that is required.

Re-read the Federal and YOUR states requirements again!
There are a lot if IFs and ORs in the laws.

Here we just need a horn or whistle - no flag or flares unless you are on Lake Superior.

Only boated in Missouri once - week on lake of the Ozarks and if they required flares and flags then we were all out of compliance

FWIW - the state of missouri links to this as their official handbook:
http://www.boat-ed.com/mo/handbook/toc.htm

And there are no references to anything beyond a horn/whistle either

 

[jevs]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

Here we just need a horn or whistle - no flag or flares unless you are on Lake Superior.

Only boated in Missouri once - week on lake of the Ozarks and if they required flares and flags then we were all out of compliance

FWIW - the state of missouri links to this as their official handbook:
http://www.boat-ed.com/mo/handbook/toc.htm

And there are no references to anything beyond a horn/whistle either

All I need is this mysterious and seemingly unavailable electronic distress signal and I will be in compliance with pretty much anything anywhere. I am not really looking for loopholes or ways out of it etc. Just looking for the device. Even if you don't need it, it is still a good idea to have. I was really originally hoping to find a spotlight or at least a flashlight that had it built in. This way I could actually use it for other things besides just sitting in the tool box.

I am sure I can get by without it, but I still want to get one if it exists. By the way, is the Missouri and Missisipi rivers considered federal waters? The Missouri river is the closest place for me to go besides the small Meremac and Bourbeus Rivers which ar right down the street from me (and why I have a jet prop).

 

[jevs]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

Ignore my spelling above. I immediatly noticed it, but this forum will not let me edit my post. It is bad because it lets me go into edit and the save button responds, but does nothing...I am not sure if it is blocking me because I am new, or if it is a technical problem with the site. There is no message, it is just dead and does nothing when you hit save.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

All I need is this mysterious and seemingly unavailable electronic distress signal and I will be in compliance with pretty much anything anywhere. I am not really looking for loopholes or ways out of it etc. Just looking for the device. Even if you don't need it, it is still a good idea to have. I was really originally hoping to find a spotlight or at least a flashlight that had it built in. This way I could actually use it for other things besides just sitting in the tool box.

I am sure I can get by without it, but I still want to get one if it exists. By the way, is the Missouri and Missisipi rivers considered federal waters? The Missouri river is the closest place for me to go besides the small Meremac and Bourbeus Rivers which ar right down the street from me (and why I have a jet prop).

Yes

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

GPS Locators have replaced 500khz distress signals on pleasure craft in inland waters. You actually do not need it for inland water ways, all you need is a whistle, strobe light and a mirror. I carry those in life jacket packets and I have a GPS locator. Works for me and the Coasties.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

Yes

Yes, and no. Most areas of the Mississippi fall under dual jurisdiction and at least in the case of the section in Minnesota, the coast guard regs do not apply for non commercial boats.

That is why you need to look at your states boating regulations - which in the case of Missouri makes no mention of flares or the imaginary signal device that seems to only exist as a ref in a Coast Guard website

If you are really intent on finding this device it seems like a call to the Coast Guard would be your best bet.

 

[robert graham]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

Google: EPIRBS....for lots of information, prices, operation, etc...

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

Google: EPIRBS....for lots of information, prices, operation, etc...

EPIRBS are not a night time signaling device

 

[jevs]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

GPS Locators have replaced 500khz distress signals on pleasure craft in inland waters. You actually do not need it for inland water ways, all you need is a whistle, strobe light and a mirror. I carry those in life jacket packets and I have a GPS locator. Works for me and the Coasties.

Regardless of where what is needed. Does anyone know where I can buy the device I originally posted for? Lets just pretend I just want one for no reason other than to prove it exists. At this point I do not think it does....

 

[jevs]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

See attached. It spells it out pretty specifically. And no a strobing beacon will not do the trick and it must specifically have the approvals I mentioned above. See the attached doc. This is the only thing that will work as a night time signaling device that is not pyrotechnic. The problem still remains. Where does one exist?

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

Regardless of where what is needed. Does anyone know where I can buy the device I originally posted for? Lets just pretend I just want one for no reason other than to prove it exists. At this point I do not think it does....

I was looking for what your suggesting but i can't find one either.The coast guard requires anything that is electronic to be able to automatically broadcast an s.o.s signal. Maybe that's why they can't be found.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

GPS Locators have replaced 500khz distress signals on pleasure craft in inland waters. You actually do not need it for inland water ways, all you need is a whistle, strobe light and a mirror. I carry those in life jacket packets and I have a GPS locator. Works for me and the Coasties.

GPS Locators are not considered a day time and night time signaling device
Strobe lights are not an approved Coast Guard night time signaling device. Any electronic be weather it's battery must be able to automatically flash a S.O.S signal when turned on. That's why there are no approved battery or rechargeable hand held lights available

You people that are under the assumption as one poster says (it okay with the costies) are not right according to the requirements

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

Yes, and no. Most areas of the Mississippi fall under dual jurisdiction and at least in the case of the section in Minnesota, the coast guard regs do not apply for non commercial boats.

That is why you need to look at your states boating regulations - which in the case of Missouri makes no mention of flares or the imaginary signal device that seems to only exist as a ref in a Coast Guard website

If you are really intent on finding this device it seems like a call to the Coast Guard would be your best bet.

Please explain that one to me.

 

[robert graham]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

EPIRBS are not a night time signaling device

Then I don't know exactly what the OP is looking for....some kind of floating laser light/beam?

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

Please explain that one to me.

What it means is that in the MN boater regulation book there is a list of all of the MN boating laws along with a section which describes the USCG rules that apply on lake Superior and nowhere else in MN.

 

[jevs]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

Just read that document I attached. I need a device that meets those requirements. That is the actual rules for the device and spells out the specs right down to CD, degrees, timing of the SOS, what sticker must be on it, etc. It is very explicit.

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: Electronic Distress Signal 46 CFR 161.013 Approved. Do they exist! I cannot find

You'll actually need to go here: http://www.uscgboating.org/
Might be a better starting point anyway since there is a ton of info available. The regs that are cited are federal and state.