If you’ve been part of a reportable incident involving your boat, it’s imperative that you make a report to the United States Coast Guard “as soon as reasonably practicable without delay.” As the fines can reach more than $30,000 for failing to do so, you will want to do this immediately. Part of the process involves the CG 2692 form. Keep reading for everything you need to know about the form and how it works.
What is a Reportable Incident?
You can assume that any suspicious behavior on the water is something you should report to the United States Coast Guard. However, a reportable incident is something that occurs during an accident or emergency. This is sometimes called a serious marine incident, and often applies to commercial vessels, though you should always report any incident that occurs with any kind of watercraft. The following situations apply:
- One or more deaths.
- An injury that requires medical intervention, including to crew and passengers, which is beyond basic first aid. For anyone employed on board, this applies to injuries that leave them unable to perform their normal duties.
- Property damage that amounts to more than $100,000.
- Total loss of a vessel, including inspected boats and self-propelled vessels that weigh more than 100 tons and are not subject to inspection.
- A loss of 10,000 gallons or more of oil into navigable United States waters.
- Any release of a reportable quantity of hazardous substances into navigable United States waters.
Once you’ve verified that you’ve been involved in a reportable incident, you will need to contact the United States Coast Guard. The first step is to call and report the incident, then submit a CG 2692 form within five days.
Using the CG 2692 Form
The person who must fill out the CG 2692 form is the agent, owner, operator, master, or any other person in charge of the vessel and must file a written report detailing the incident, using the CG 2692 form, which also allows for reporting casualties. There are several Parts to the Form, as follows:
- 2692: report of marine casualty, commercial diving casualty or OCS-related casualty
- 2692A: barge addendum, which is used to report damage to the vessel
- 2692B: report of mandatory chemical testing, which must be completed within 32 hours of the incident, to rule out drugs or alcohol as contributors
- 2692C: personal casualty addendum, which reports on passengers or crew who are injured, lost or killed in the incident
- 2692D: involved persons and witnesses addendum
The Investigation
The Coast Guard investigates marine incidents because it helps them create appropriate safety measures on the sea. During the investigation, the following is determined:
- The cause of the casualty (if any occurred)
- Whether an unlawful act or decision caused the incident, or if misconduct, incompetence, negligence, or unskillfulness are to blame
- Whether civil penalties can be used to incur fines or other consequences
- Whether new laws or regulations need to be created to prevent the same incident in the future
If you need more information about the CG 2692 form, explore the Vessel Registrar Center today. We can answer questions about the form and when it might be necessary to submit it.