33 CFR §173.57
Verified against eCFR.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on eCFR.gov ↗
- (a)Each report required by § 173.55 of this subpart must be in writing, dated upon completion, and signed by the person who prepared it.
- (b)Each report must contain, if available, at least the following information about the casualty or accident:
- (1)Number and name of each vessel involved;
- (2)Name and address of each owner of each vessel involved;
- (3)Name of the nearest city or town, the county, the State, and the body of water;
- (4)Time and date the casualty or accident occurred;
- (5)Location on the water;
- (6)Visibility, weather, and water conditions;
- (7)Estimated air and water temperatures;
- (8)Name, address, age, or date of birth, telephone number, vessel operating experience, and boating safety training of the operator making the report;
- (9)Name and address of each operator of each vessel involved;
- (10)Number of persons onboard or towed on skis by each vessel;
- (11)Name, address, and date of birth of each person injured or killed;
- (12)Cause of each death;
- (13)Weather forecasts available to and weather reports used by the operator before and during the use of the vessel;
- (14)Name and address of each owner of property involved;
- (15)Availability and use of personal flotation devices;
- (16)Type and number of each fire extinguisher used;
- (17)Nature and extent of each injury;
- (18)Description of all property damage and vessel damage with an estimate of the cost of all repairs;
- (19)Description of each equipment failure that caused or contributed to the cause of the casualty;
- (20)Description of the vessel casualty or accident;
- (21)Type of vessel operation (cruising, drifting, fishing, hunting, skiing, racing, or other), and the type of accident (capsizing, sinking, fire, explosion, or other);
- (22)Opinion of the person making the report as to the cause of the casualty, including whether or not alcohol or drugs, or both, was a cause of or contributed to causing the casualty.
- (23)Characteristics of the reporting operator's vessel, including—
- (i)Make;
- (ii)Model;
- (iii)Type: authorized terms are “air boat”, “auxiliary sail”, “cabin motorboat”, “houseboat”, “inflatable boat”, “open motorboat”, “paddlecraft”, “personal watercraft”, “pontoon boat”, “rowboat”, “sail only”, or “other”;
- (iv)Beam width at widest point;
- (v)Overall length of vessel;
- (vi)Depth from transom to keel;
- (vii)Horsepower;
- (viii)Propulsion: authorized terms are “air thrust”, “manual”, “propeller”, “sail”, “water jet”, or “other”;
- (ix)Fuel: authorized terms are “electric”, “diesel”, “gas”, or “other”;
- (x)Engine drive type: authorized terms are “inboard”, “outboard”, “pod drive”, “sterndrive”, or “other”;
- (xi)Hull material: authorized terms are “aluminum”, “fiberglass”, “plastic”, “rubber/vinyl/canvas”, “steel”, “wood”, or “other”; and
- (xii)Model year;
- (24)Name, address, and telephone number of each witness;
- (25)Manufacturer's hull identification number, if any, of the reporting operator's vessel; and
- (26)Name, address, and telephone number of the person submitting the report.