Boating Certification Test Required Safety Equipment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which class of fire extinguisher is required on a motorboat less than 26 feet long with no fixed system?
- Class A
- Class B-I (Correct answer)
- Class C
- Class D
Correct answer: Class B-I
Motorboats under 26 feet require at least one B-I Coast Guard-approved fire extinguisher if no fixed extinguishing system is present.
Question 2: What does a Type IV PFD refer to?
- An inflatable vest worn by children
- A throwable device such as a ring buoy or cushion (Correct answer)
- A near-shore buoyant vest
- A full-body immersion suit
Correct answer: A throwable device such as a ring buoy or cushion
Type IV PFDs are throwable devices—ring buoys or buoyant cushions—designed to be thrown to a person in the water.
Question 3: When must a vessel's navigation lights be displayed?
- Only in foggy conditions
- From sunset to sunrise and in restricted visibility (Correct answer)
- Only when operating in shipping lanes
- During daylight hours in busy harbors
Correct answer: From sunset to sunrise and in restricted visibility
Federal law requires navigation lights from sunset to sunrise and during any period of restricted visibility.
Question 4: Which signal is used by a vessel aground in restricted visibility?
- One prolonged blast every 2 minutes
- Three strokes of the bell followed by rapid ringing then three more strokes (Correct answer)
- Two prolonged blasts every 2 minutes
- Continuous sounding of a foghorn
Correct answer: Three strokes of the bell followed by rapid ringing then three more strokes
A vessel aground sounds three distinct bell strokes, rapid bell ringing, then three more distinct bell strokes at intervals not exceeding one minute.
Question 5: What is the minimum sound-producing device required on a vessel under 39.4 feet (12 meters)?
- An electric horn only
- Any sound-producing device audible for at least half a mile (Correct answer)
- A bell and a whistle
- A Coast Guard-certified foghorn
Correct answer: Any sound-producing device audible for at least half a mile
Vessels under 12 meters must carry some means of making an efficient sound signal audible for at least half a mile.
Question 6: A boat 26 to 40 feet long operating at night must display which lights?
- Only a white stern light
- Red and green sidelights plus a white masthead and stern light (Correct answer)
- A single all-round white light
- Two white lights fore and aft
Correct answer: Red and green sidelights plus a white masthead and stern light
Motorboats 26–40 feet must show red (port) and green (starboard) sidelights, a white masthead light, and a white stern light.
Question 7: Which condition requires a vessel to carry an anchor on board?
- All recreational vessels regardless of size
- Vessels 16 feet or longer navigating federal waters
- No federal law mandates an anchor (Correct answer)
- Only vessels operating in tidal waters
Correct answer: No federal law mandates an anchor
Federal law does not specifically require recreational vessels to carry an anchor, though it is strongly recommended as good seamanship.
Boating Certification Test Required Safety Equipment 2
Which class of fire extinguisher is required on a motorboat less than 26 feet long with no fixed system?