A Vessel Safety Check is a free examination of a vessel's compliance with required Federal and State safety equipment. A vessel examiner (VE) will board your vessel, with your prior consent and written permission, and examine such things as life jackets, visual distress signals, audible signals, boat registration/ documentation, overall condition, and so forth. A typical examination takes about 30 minutes. If your vessel passes, you will get a VSC decal which you should affix to the port side of your vessel. If it fails, take the exam form (ANSC 7012) to any Boat US or West Marine store and receive a 10% discount on required safety equipment. Then make an appointment to get your vessel re-examined. Take a look at the attached form so you can become familiar with the items the VE will be examining. This is the same checklist used by the Coast Guard when performing a safety inspection of a recreational boat. Remember, VEs have no law enforcement authority. Whether you boat passes or fails is of no concern to anyone else. Unlike a car inspection, the VE does not affix a REJECTED sticker. He or she simply goes away leaving you a copy of the form. VEs are not allowed to sell you anything. This is not a revenue making venture.