Regional Vessel Safety Checks Offered

Tri-State Flotilla 10-2 US Coast Guard Auxiliary VSC Station

Bring any type of watercraft from kayaks, canoes, PWCs, sailboats, cabin cruisers, to ski & pontoon boats for a stem to stern check of equipment for compliance to federal and state safety regulations. Vessels can be inspected on a trailer as well as afloat.

The stations will be active from 9 AM to 4 PM. Weather reschedule will be the following Sunday, same time, and location. Trailered vessels, not having Webster access sticker and not launching, can be examined at the entrance gate to Memorial Beach. Personal Watercraft, not allowed to launch at the Wallum Lake Ramp on weekends, however, can be examined at the ramp station. Both locations can accommodate boats arriving by water.

Vessel Examiners are qualified and experienced to answer any boating related questions or concerns along with being trained to spot any potential problems. They will award your vessel with a 2026 VSC decal if it meets Auxiliary standards on items such as: registration & hull numbering, life jackets, fire extinguishers, expiration dates on flares (if required), working navigation lights, overall vessel condition, etc. A VSC is conducted only with your consent; no reports are filed with any law enforcement agency.

There are no citations, legal obligations, or penalties on violations or potential problems found. A VSC decal might result in a boat insurance discount and will indicate to law enforcement on the water that your vessel complies with safety regulations. The Examiner will give the vessel owner options and information on correcting any issues. Often a quick trip to the nearest boating supply vendor is all that is necessary to obtain missing safety items and easily pass a re-inspection, sometimes on the same day.

Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel Examiners will be around the local lakes at various, un-scheduled times during the boating season; they are few and not readily available inland. Cannot make it to the station…schedule a VSC online at the link: www.VesselSafetyCheck.org

Best to take advantage of these scheduled opportunities and start your boating season with a visit to our station, and a 2026 VSC decal. The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian component of the U.S. Coast Guard and supports the Coast Guard in nearly all mission areas. The Auxiliary was created by Congress in 1939. For more information, please visit www.cgaux.org