33 Cfr 173.51-57

Coast Guard, DHS

§ 173.57

§ 173.35 Coast Guard validation sticker.
No person may use a vessel except a
vessel exempted in § 173.13 that has a
number issued by the Coast Guard unless it has the validation sticker issued
with the certificate of number displayed within 6 inches of the number.

Subpart C—Casualty and
Accident Reporting
§ 173.51 Applicability.
(a) This subpart applies to each vessel used on waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and on the
high seas beyond the territorial seas
for vessels owned in the United States
that:
(1) Is used by its operator for recreational purposes; or
(2) Is required to be numbered under
this part.
(b) This subpart does not apply to a
vessel subject to inspection under Title
46 U.S.C. Chapter 33.
[CDG 72–54R, 37 FR 21399, Oct. 7, 1972, as
amended by CDG 84–099, 52 FR 47533, Dec. 14,
1987]

§ 173.53 Immediate
notification
of
death or disappearance.
(a) When, as a result of an occurrence
that involves a vessel or its equipment,
a person dies or disappears from a vessel, the operator shall, without delay,
by the quickest means available, notify
the nearest reporting authority listed
in Appendix A of this part of:
(1) The date, time, and exact location
of the occurrence;
(2) The name of each person who died
or disappeared;
(3) The number and name of the vessel; and
(4) The names and addresses of the
owner and operator.
(b) When the operator of a vessel cannot give the notice required by paragraph (a) of this section, each person
on board the vessel shall notify the
casualty reporting authority or determine that the notice has been given.
§ 173.55 Report of casualty or accident.
(a) The operator of a vessel shall submit the casualty or accident report
prescribed in § 173.57 to the reporting

authority prescribed in § 173.59 when, as
a result of an occurrence that involves
the vessel or its equipment:
(1) A person dies;
(2) A person is injured and requires
medical treatment beyond first aid;
(3) Damage to vessels and other property totals $2,000 or more or there is a
complete loss of any vessel;
(4) A person disappears from the vessel under circumstances that indicate
death or injury.
(b) A report required by this section
must be made:
(1) Within 48 hours of the occurrence
if a person dies within 24 hours of the
occurrence;
(2) Within 48 hours of the occurrence
if a person is injured and requires medical treatment beyond first aid, or disappears from a vessel; and
(3) Within 10 days of the occurrence
or death if an earlier report is not required by this paragraph.
(c) When the operator of a vessel cannot submit the casualty or accident report required by paragraph (a) of this
section, the owner shall submit the
casualty or accident report.
[CGD 72–54R, 37 FR 21399, Oct. 7, 1972, as
amended by CGD 76–155, 44 FR 5308, Jan. 25,
1979; CGD 82–015, 54 FR 5610, Feb. 6, 1989;
USCG–1999–6094, 66 FR 21675, May 1, 2001; 66
FR 33845, June 26, 2001; USCG–1999–6094, 67
FR 14645, Mar. 27, 2002]

§ 173.57

Contents of report.

Each report required by § 173.55 must
be in writing, dated upon completion,
and signed by the person who prepared
it and must contain, if available, at
least the following information about
the casualty or accident:
(a) The numbers and names of each
vessel involved.
(b) The name and address of each
owner of each vessel involved.
(c) The name of the nearest city or
town, the county, the State, and the
body of water.
(d) The time and date the casualty or
accident occurred.
(e) The location on the water.
(f) The visibility, weather, and water
conditions.
(g) The estimated air and water temperatures.

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§ 173.59

33 CFR Ch. I (7–1–05 Edition)

(h) The name, address, age, or date of
birth, telephone number, vessel operating experience, and boating safety
training of the operator making the report.
(i) The name and address of each operator of each vessel involved.
(j) The number of persons on board or
towed on skis by each vessel.
(k) The name, address, and date of
birth of each person injured or killed.
(l) The cause of each death.
(m) Weather forecasts available to,
and weather reports used by, the operator before and during the use of the
vessel.
(n) The name and address of each
owner of property involved.
(o) The availability and use of personal flotation devices.
(p) The type and amount of each fire
extinguisher used.
(q) The nature and extent of each injury.
(r) A description of all property damage and vessel damage with an estimate of the cost of all repairs.
(s) A description of each equipment
failure that caused or contributed to
the cause of the casualty.
(t) A description of the vessel casualty or accident.
(u) The type of vessel operation
(cruising, drifting, fishing, hunting,
skiing, racing, or other), and the type
of accident (capsizing, sinking, fire, or
explosion or other).
(v) The opinion of the person making
the report as to the cause of the casualty, including whether or not alcohol
or drugs, or both, was a cause or contributed to causing the casualty.
(w) The make, model, type (open,
cabin, house, or other), beam width at
widest point, length, depth from transom to keel, horsepower, propulsion
(outboard, inboard, inboard outdrive,
sail, or other), fuel (gas, diesel, or
other), construction (wood, steel, aluminum, plastic, fiberglass, or other),
and year built (model year), of the reporting operator’s vessel.
(x) The name, address, and telephone
number of each witness.
(y) The manufacturer’s hull identification number, if any, of the reporting operator’s vessel.

(z) The name, address, and telephone
number of the person submitting the
report.
[CGD 72–54R, 37 FR 21399, Oct. 7, 1972, as
amended by CGD 84–099, 52 FR 47533, Dec. 14,
1987; USCG–2003–15404, 68 FR 37742, June 25,
2003]

§ 173.59 Where to submit report.
A report required by § 173.55 must be
submitted to:
(a) The reporting authority listed in
Appendix A of this part where the vessel number was issued, or, if the vessel
has no number, where the vessel is
principally used; or
(b) The reporting authority where
the casualty or accident occurred, if it
occurred outside the State where the
vessel is numbered or principally used.

Subpart D—Issue of Certificate of
Number
§ 173.71 Application for certificate of
number.
Any person who is the owner of a vessel to which § 173.11 applies may apply
for a certificate of number for that vessel by submitting to the issuing authority, listed in Appendix A of this
part, where the vessel will principally
be used:
(a) An application on a form and in a
manner prescribed by the issuing authority; and
(b) The fee required by the issuing
authority.
§ 173.73 Duplicate certificate of number.
If a certificate of number is lost or
destroyed, the person whose name appears on the certificate as the owner
may apply for a duplicate certificate
by submitting to the issuing authority
that issued the certificate:
(a) An application on a form or in a
manner prescribed by the issuing authority; and
(b) The fee required by the issuing
authority, if any.
§ 173.75 Temporary certificate.
A temporary certificate valid for not
more than 60 days after it is issued
may be issued by an issuing authority
pending the issue of a certificate of
number. A temporary certificate is not

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