Services offered by LCSPS

The Vessel Safety Check is a complimentary and confidential check of your boat conducted by certified members of America's Boating Club Houston, confirming that it meets both federal and state requirements for safety.

No citations are issued and the results of the safety check are not reported to any enforcement agency.  A decal is awarded to display if the vessel has passed the examination.

You can get a free Vessel Safety Check anywhere there is a local squadron.  The Vessel Safety Check gives you a risk-free way to check that you meet the legal minimums and to potentially avoid a citation later.

Some of the items checked include:

• Life Jackets
• Registration and numbering
• Navigation lights
• Ventilation
• Fire extinguishers
• Distress signals (flares, horn, etc.)
• Battery cover and connections

All of these items are currently required by state and federal laws and, if missing or non-operating, can result in a citation if your vessel is inspected by the Coast Guard or local law enforcement authorities.

Vessel Safety Checks occur regularly at marinas and boating centers around the greater Houston area.  Your vessel does not need to be in the water; we can inspect your boat on the trailer, anywhere, anytime.

The Cooperative Charting Program of America's Boating Club is conducted in close coordination with the Marine Chart Division, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.  The program is a major public service of the US Power Squadron.

Our members supply information to the Office of Coast Survey,  leading to corrections to nautical charts, small craft charts, and the Coast Pilot publications.  The inspection program allows for damaged or misplaced aids to navigation be reported to authorities. The Adopt-A-Chart subprogram provides for individual squadrons to assume responsibility to keep a chart (in their local boating area) up-to-date and get recognition for their work.  The Cooperative Charting Program is recognized as the most effective user-participation program in all of the Federal services.

One division of our Cooperative Charting Program is the Geodetic Mark Recovery Program.  Find out more here.

Contact our staff today!

Any boater could face a sudden situation caused by a fire, collision, capsize, sinking boat or medical emergency.  With a registered VHF DSC-compatible radio using your unique MMSI number, your emergency situation is immediately transmitted with critical data to the US Coast Guard and other vessels in your vicinity.  Press the “Red” button on the radio and the communications begins.

The Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) is a unique nine-digit number that identifies transmitted signals within the GMDSS system.  It functions like a telephone number for the devices on your boat.  The MMSI is assigned to a vessel, and the same MMSI is programmed into all shipboard equipment that transmits and receives digital signals, including VHF radio, medium and high frequency radios, AIS (Automatic Identification System), and INMARSAT satellite terminals. Learn more at the US Coast Guard Maritime Telecommunications website.

The US Power Squadron has been authorized by both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Coast Guard to assign MMSI numbers only to vessels that meet the following criteria:

• Used for recreation only
• Not required by law to carry a radio
• Not required by law to have a FCC Ship Station license
• Vessel is under 65' in length
• Do not communicate with or visit foreign ports (i.e. Canada, Bahamas, Mexico, and the Caribbean)

If you do not meet these criteria, you are legally required to obtain a Ship Station License from the FCC. They will issue an MMSI number with a Ship Station License.