Boat.  A vessel propelled by hand, sail, or engine (other than steam), under 65 feet. (References to boat length are in feet only) Metric conversions are available in the Navigation Rules.

Boat Operator.  (either the owner or the operator). The person operating the boat at the time that a VSC is being conducted.

Certification.  The manufacturer's statement that the boat complies with applicable Coast Guard safety or manufacturing standards in effect on the date of manufacture.

Coast Guard.  Also United States Coast Guard, a part of the armed forces of the United States, is the principal federal agency for maritime law enforcement and maritime safety.  All references in this manual read Coast Guard or Coast Guard approval.

Coast Guard Auxiliary.  Civilian volunteer component of the Coast Guard whose primary mission is boating safety.

Coastal Waters.  The waters of the Great Lakes on the U.S. side of the International Boundary.  The territorial seas of the United States, and the internal waters of the U. S. directly connected to the Great Lakes and the territorial seas (bays, sounds, harbors, rivers, etc.) where the entrance exceeds two nautical miles between opposite shorelines, to the first point in those bodies of water where the distance between shorelines (including islands) narrows to less than two nautical miles, as measured on a nautical chart.

Commandant.  Senior Officer of the United States Coast Guard.

Commercial Fishing Vessel/Boat.  A vessel or boat licensed and/or operated to harvest fish and other sea life for sale.

Commercial Vessel/Boat.  Any vessel or boat used by its owner or operator to earn money by carrying freight or passengers.

Defect Notification.  Requirement for manufacturers of boats and associated equipment to notify owners when their products fail to comply with applicable regulations or contain a defect creating a substantial risk of personal injury to the public.

Director.  The Director of Auxiliary is charged with the active promotion and administration of Auxiliary affairs in a specific Coast Guard District.

Immediately Available.  Close at hand, so as to be instantly ready (without delay) for easy use.

Inland Waters.  The navigable waters of the United States shoreward of COLREGS Demarcation Lines, as defined in Navigation Rules - International and Inland, and as represented on nautical charts by dashed magenta lines; and the waters of the Great Lakes on the U. S. side of the International Boundary.

Inspected Vessel.  A vessel that is required to be inspected by the Coast Guard to operate on navigable waters of the United States.  This includes vessels that carry seven or more passengers for hire.

Manufacturer.  Any entity engaged in the manufacture, construction, or assembly of boats or associated equipment.

Monohull Boat.  A boat on which a line at the intersection of the water surface and the boat, at any operating draft.  forms a single closed curve (catamarans. trimarans and pontoon boats are not monohull boats).

Navigable Waters of the linked States.  The territorial seas of the United States, the internal waters of the United States that are subject to tidal influence, and the internal waters of the United States that are NOT subject to tidal influence but are used as highways for substantial interstate or foreign commerce (such as rivers, canals, and the Great Lakes).

Operational Vessel Facility.  A Coast Guard Auxiliary member's vessel or Auxiliary Unit vessel meeting additional Coast Guard requirements.  An operational facility has been offered for use and accepted by the Director.

Personal Watercraft (PWC).  An inboard vessel, usually driven by a jet-pump, that carries one to three parsons, and is operated by a person sitting, standing, or kneeling on the boat, rather than in the conventional manner of sitting below the gunwale of the boat.

Readily Accessible.  A safety item that can be obtained quickly and used easily.

Registration Number.  Coast Guard or state number used to identify a vessel. Sometimes referred to as a Certificate of Number the term "registration number" includes all types of registration documentation except for documented vessels.

Regulation.  An agency statement of general or particular applicability designed to implement, interpret, or prescribe policy to carry out the purpose of a law, and having the force of law

Rental Boat.   Any vessel offered for rent, bare boat charter, or belonging to a club in which members do not own a percentage of a specific vessel.

Requirement.  Used to mean Federal Regulations.

Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).  In some cases this approval designation is accepted in place of Coast Guard approval.

Sole State Waters.  Those waters that arc located entirely within the confines of a single one of the 50 U.s. states, and that fall neither under the category of Navigable Waters of the United States, nor Waters Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States.

Underwriters Laboratory (LU).  In some cases this approval designation is accepted in place of Coast Guard approval.

Uninspected Passenger Vessel (UPV).  An uninspected steam vessel Less than 65 feet in length, a motorboat or motor vessel of less than 300 gross toils (except for yachts), or a sail vessel of less than 700 gross tons, licensed to carry six or fewer passengers, at least one of which is a passenger for hire.

United States Power Squadrons (USPS).  Private, non-profit, non-governmental, volunteer organization dedicated to self-education of its members and boating safety education of the public.

USPS -VSC Chairperson.  A member of the Vessel Safety Check Committee, chaired by the Auxiliary N-V (National Director of the Vessel Safety Check program,

Vessel.  All watercraft, other than seaplanes, of any size that are used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on the water.

Vessel Carrying Passengers for hire.  A vessel or boat used to carry a passenger or passengers for a consideration.

Visual Distress Signal.  A visual, emergency signaling device approved by the Coast Guard.

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