Update: USCG Survival Craft Rules for Commercial Fishing Vessels

The latest news from the U.S. Coast Guard regarding survival craft requirements for commercial fishing vessels is that CVC Policy Letter 15-05 has been cancelled and that “…the current regulatory survival craft requirements for commercial fishing vessels are unchanged until amended or revised by future legislation or rulemaking.”1

In other words, if you were required to carry an out-of-the-water survival craft prior to the issuance of CVC Policy Letter 15-05 on December 18 of last year, that requirement still stands. If you have been satisfying the carriage requirement with an in-the-water buoyant apparatus, you may continue to do so. However, the Coast Guard recommends that you upgrade your survival craft to an out-of-the water survival craft for the increased survivability these craft provide to you and your crew. Read all about it for yourself at the links below.

Cancellation of CVC Policy Letter 15-05: Requirements for Out-of-Water Survival Craft

1 Clarification on Survival Craft Requirements for Uninspected Commercial Fishing Industry Vessels