Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

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Part 5: Staying Safe Afloat
A Touch of Class
Before tackling the gear, it’s necessary to understand how boats are classified by size,
because the different classes require different gear. There are four classes of boats based
on length, each requiring slightly different levels of safety gear:
◆ Class A. This class covers the smallest boats, under 16 feet long. More than half the
recreational boats in the United States are in this class.
◆ Class 1. (Why isn’t this called class B? Just to separate the salts from the landlubbers,
I guess.) This class includes boats from 16 feet to less than to 26 feet long.
Over 90 percent of the boats in U.S. waters are this size or smaller.
Boat Bytes
The tax man cometh, to
boats even as he does to
dwellings ashore. Tax bills
are based on the class system.
While it costs only
about $10 to register class A
boats under 16 feet in most
states, it can cost over $100 per
year to register a class 3 yacht.
Of course, if you can afford the
yacht, you can afford the C-note,
and that happens to be exactly
the thinking of legislators who
pass tax bills.
Boater-ese
PFDs are personal flotation
devices, commonly known
as life jackets, although they can
be any type of Coast Guardapproved
flotation device, including
a buoyant cushion or a
flotation ring.
◆ Class 2. This class includes boats from 26 to 40 feet
the size that starts to make your banker sit up and
take notice.
◆ Class 3. This class includes boats from 40 to 65
feet, the realm of the privileged few.
The Coast Guard has not created a class 4 yet, but
probably will add your BG class (Bill Gates) sometime
soon. (Boats larger than 65 feet fall outside the designated
“small boat” category and have their own sets of
requirements.)
Why make them classes, instead of just designating
them by length? Because the larger the boat, the more
likely it is to be taken far offshore; therefore, the more
likely it is to need more extensive safety equipment.
The ABCs of PFDs
The Coast Guard calls life jackets “personal flotation
devices” because it’s longer. Then they shorten it to
PFDs because it’s shorter. Those of you who have been
in the military instinctively understand.
Whatever you call them, these devices are intended to
keep you afloat. You must have one aboard for each
crew member. If the Marine Patrol catches you without
enough PFDs aboard for your crew, you’re heading
back to the dock—it’s a mistake no officer will ignore.