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Equipment practice questions

40 questions from the boating safety practice test.

Equipment practice test

10 questions, graded as you go, with the reason for every answer. No sign-up.

What this covers

Sample questions

At what boat length must a throwable flotation device be carried in addition to wearable life jackets?

  1. 12 ft or longer
  2. 20 ft or longer
  3. 16 ft or longer
  4. 26 ft or longer
Show the answer

C. 16 ft or longer

Boats 16 ft and over must carry one throwable device, such as a ring buoy or buoyant cushion, on top of the wearables. Canoes and kayaks are exempt from the throwable. The 26 ft figure belongs to other rules, such as fire extinguisher counts and placards.

Reference: 33 CFR 175.15 and 175.17

Wearable life jackets must be 'readily accessible'. Which storage meets that requirement?

  1. In an open bin beside the seats, out of their wrappers
  2. In a locked compartment under the forward deck
  3. In the original sealed plastic bags under the rear seat
  4. Beneath the anchor and lines in a closed locker
Show the answer

A. In an open bin beside the seats, out of their wrappers

Readily accessible means a person can grab and put on the jacket quickly in an emergency. Locked spaces, sealed bags and jackets buried under gear all fail the test even though the jackets are on board.

Reference: 33 CFR 175.19

How must the throwable device on an 18-ft boat be kept while the boat is underway?

  1. Readily accessible, in any closed compartment near the helm
  2. Tied to the stern cleat on a short line
  3. Immediately available, where it can be thrown at once
  4. Stowed below with the wearable life jackets
Show the answer

C. Immediately available, where it can be thrown at once

A throwable device has the stricter standard of 'immediately available': out in the open and within reach of the operator or a passenger. A closed compartment may be acceptable for wearables but costs seconds a person in the water does not have.

Reference: 33 CFR 175.19

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