Requirements to Carry Fire Extinguishers
Federal law requires all vessels, including PWC, to have a Type B fire extinguisher on board if one or more of the following conditions exist:
- Any inboard engine
- Closed compartments where portable fuel tanks may be stored
- Double bottoms not sealed to the hull or which are not filled completely with flotation material
- Closed living spaces
- Closed storage compartments in which flammable or combustible materials may be stored
- Permanently installed fuel tanks (any tank where the removal of the tank is hampered by the installation of tie-down straps or clamps)
Disposable fire extinguishers are considered expired 12 years after the manufacture date and must be replaced upon expiration. The manufacture year can be located either on the bottom of the bottle or the side.
In New York, all vessels are required to have a Type B fire extinguisher on board except:
- Outboard vessels less than 26 feet in length and of open construction (construction that does not permit the entrapment of flammable vapors or gases)
- PWC operating on New York state waters (PWC are required to carry a fire extinguisher on joint jurisdictional waters)
Approved types of fire extinguishers are identified by the following marking on the label—“Marine Type USCG Approved”—followed by the type and size symbols and the approval number.
