It's the Law: Required Equipment for Your Vessel

Fire Extinguishers

All vessels with a motor of any type are required to have a Type B fire extinguisher(s) on board. The only exception is a vessel of open construction, less than 26 feet in length and with an outboard engine, and not carrying passengers for hire.

Approved types of fire extinguishers are identified by the following marking on the label—“Marine Type USCG Approved”—followed by the size and type symbols (B-I or B-II) and the approval number. The “II” in the symbol B-II indicates that this type of fire extinguisher has twice the extinguishing agent as those labeled B-I.

Extinguishers should be placed in an accessible area—not near the engine or in a compartment, but where they can be reached immediately. Be sure you know how to operate them and check all extinguishers regularly to make sure they are fully charged.

Fire Extinguisher Requirements
Classification (type & size)	Foam (minimum gallons)	Carbon Dioxide (minimum pounds)	Dry Chemical (minimum pounds)
B-I	1 1/4	4	2
B-II	2 1/2	15	10
Length Class		Without Fixed System	With Fixed System*
Less than 26 ft.		one B-I	None
26 ft. to less than 40 ft.		two B-I or one B-II	one B-I
40 ft. to less than 65 ft.		three B-I or one B-II and one B-I	two B-I or one B-II
* Refers to a permanently installed fire extinguisher system

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Online boating safety handbook last modified: April 22, 2008
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