The Boating Safety Mobile App is available on the Apple and Google Play online stores.
The app was not designed to replace a boater’s marine VHF radio, which the Coast Guard strongly recommends all boaters have aboard their vessels. The app was designed to provide additional boating safety resources for mobile device users.
Here are some other features are included on the Coast Guard’s boating safety app:
State boating information: Get all the necessary details about boating information for individual states – great for when you are traveling and taking long trips in the summer!
Safety check: Request a safety check for your boat quickly and easily. Can’t bring your boat in? The Coast Guard Auxiliary will make a trip to you.
Safety equipment: Review what safety equipment you should have onboard your boat based on its size and propulsion.
Float plan: Forget to file one before you hit the dock? No problem! File one on the mobile app and send it to your friends and family.
Rules of the Road: Do you know what ‘red, right, returning’ means? Brush up on the most important rules of the road to keep yourself and others safe on the water.
NOAA buoys: Didn’t check the weather before you left home? Find the nearest NOAA buoy to get weather information with the push of a button!
Report hazards: Be a good Samaritan by reporting possible hazards to navigation directly to the Coast Guard.
Report pollution: Keep the waterways clean and report any pollution to the nearest Coast Guard unit.
Suspicious activity: See something suspicious? Let the Coast Guard know!
Emergency assistance: Having trouble on the water and can’t get to the radio? The emergency assistance feature will send your location and request for assistance directly to the nearest Coast Guard unit or 911.
The app also features an Emergency Assistance button which, with location services enabled, will call the closest Coast Guard command center.
There are countless things you can do to keep yourself safe on the water. Having the proper equipment, knowing the weather ahead of time and filing a float plan are all factors in boating safety. Why do all these things in three separate locations when you can now do them in one?
