FLORIDA BOATING SAFETY EXAM 2026
PRACTICE TEST PAPER NAVIGATION RULES
REVIEW SHEET FULL SOLUTIONS
◉ All recreational boats operating in U.S. Coastal Waters or the Great
Lakes, or bodies of water directly connected to U.S. Coastal Waters
or the Great Lakes---up to a point where those waters are less than 2
miles wide---. Answer: are required by law to be equipped with
visual distress signals.
◉ U.S. owned boats must also carry visual distress signals when
operating in. Answer: international waters.
◉ There are some exceptions. During daytime hours the following
boats are not required to carry visual distress signals. Answer: 1.
Boats less than 16 feet in length;
2. Boats participating in organized events, such as regattas;
3. Open sailboats that are less than 26 feet in length and not
equipped with an engine;
3. And manually propelled boats, such as canoes.
,-These boats are only required to carry night signals when operating
at night in the above listed waters.
◉ Marine Distress Signals: Anytime Use. Answer: 1. Marine Radio
-21-82 KHz (MF)
-Channel 16, 156.8 MHz (VHF)
-DSC alert, channel 70 (only for DSC-type radios and where the
service is offered)
2. Sound signaling device
-Continuous sound with any foghorn, bell or whistle
-Gun or other explosive signal fired at one-minute intervals
3. Pyrotechnic VDS
-Pyrotechnic red flares, hand-held or aerial (day/night use)
-Pyrotechnic orange smoke, hand-held or floating (day use)
-Launchers for aerial red meteors or parachute flares
4. EPIRB
-Use alarm signal
,5. Flashlight
-Flash S.O.S. signal (short-short-short long-long-long short-short-
short).
◉ Standard Marine Distress Signals (Daytime Use). Answer: 1.
Distress Cloth
-Lay a distress cloth on the roof of your boat or fly it from the mast;
2. Dye Marker
-Use dye markers to release an orange dye into the water marking
the area around your boat;
3. Code Flags
-Fly an orange distress flag with a square either over or under a ball,
or the International Code Signal code flags N and C (known as
November and Charlie).
4. Arm Signal
-Use your arms to call for help by repeatedly raising and lowering
your outstretched arms.
5. You can also light a handheld orange smoke flare to signal for help.
, ◉ Visual Distress Signals: Pyrotechnic. Answer: 1. One of the most
common types of visual distress signals are pyrotechnic signals such
as flares.
2. Federal regulations require that all pyrotechnic VDS be Coast
Guard approved, in good condition, unexpired and readily accessible
in case of an emergency.
3.Launchers for visual distress signals that were produced before
1981 do not need to be Coast Guard approved.
◉ U.S. Coast Guard-approved pyrotechnic VDS include:. Answer: 1.
Hand-held or aerial red flares;
2. Hand-held or aerial orange smoke flares;
3. Parachute flares or red meteor flares;
4. And any associated launchers of these signals.
◉ Non-Pyrotechnic Visual Distress Signals. Answer: 1. To meet
federal regulations, non-pyrotechnic visual distress signals must
carry a manufacturer's certification that they meet Coast Guard
requirements.
PRACTICE TEST PAPER NAVIGATION RULES
REVIEW SHEET FULL SOLUTIONS
◉ All recreational boats operating in U.S. Coastal Waters or the Great
Lakes, or bodies of water directly connected to U.S. Coastal Waters
or the Great Lakes---up to a point where those waters are less than 2
miles wide---. Answer: are required by law to be equipped with
visual distress signals.
◉ U.S. owned boats must also carry visual distress signals when
operating in. Answer: international waters.
◉ There are some exceptions. During daytime hours the following
boats are not required to carry visual distress signals. Answer: 1.
Boats less than 16 feet in length;
2. Boats participating in organized events, such as regattas;
3. Open sailboats that are less than 26 feet in length and not
equipped with an engine;
3. And manually propelled boats, such as canoes.
,-These boats are only required to carry night signals when operating
at night in the above listed waters.
◉ Marine Distress Signals: Anytime Use. Answer: 1. Marine Radio
-21-82 KHz (MF)
-Channel 16, 156.8 MHz (VHF)
-DSC alert, channel 70 (only for DSC-type radios and where the
service is offered)
2. Sound signaling device
-Continuous sound with any foghorn, bell or whistle
-Gun or other explosive signal fired at one-minute intervals
3. Pyrotechnic VDS
-Pyrotechnic red flares, hand-held or aerial (day/night use)
-Pyrotechnic orange smoke, hand-held or floating (day use)
-Launchers for aerial red meteors or parachute flares
4. EPIRB
-Use alarm signal
,5. Flashlight
-Flash S.O.S. signal (short-short-short long-long-long short-short-
short).
◉ Standard Marine Distress Signals (Daytime Use). Answer: 1.
Distress Cloth
-Lay a distress cloth on the roof of your boat or fly it from the mast;
2. Dye Marker
-Use dye markers to release an orange dye into the water marking
the area around your boat;
3. Code Flags
-Fly an orange distress flag with a square either over or under a ball,
or the International Code Signal code flags N and C (known as
November and Charlie).
4. Arm Signal
-Use your arms to call for help by repeatedly raising and lowering
your outstretched arms.
5. You can also light a handheld orange smoke flare to signal for help.
, ◉ Visual Distress Signals: Pyrotechnic. Answer: 1. One of the most
common types of visual distress signals are pyrotechnic signals such
as flares.
2. Federal regulations require that all pyrotechnic VDS be Coast
Guard approved, in good condition, unexpired and readily accessible
in case of an emergency.
3.Launchers for visual distress signals that were produced before
1981 do not need to be Coast Guard approved.
◉ U.S. Coast Guard-approved pyrotechnic VDS include:. Answer: 1.
Hand-held or aerial red flares;
2. Hand-held or aerial orange smoke flares;
3. Parachute flares or red meteor flares;
4. And any associated launchers of these signals.
◉ Non-Pyrotechnic Visual Distress Signals. Answer: 1. To meet
federal regulations, non-pyrotechnic visual distress signals must
carry a manufacturer's certification that they meet Coast Guard
requirements.
