🔍 Key Concepts

• 46 CFR Subchapter T requirements for lifesaving equipment on small passenger vessels • How vessel length changes the number and size of required ring life buoys • Minimum diameter standards for approved ring life buoys

💭 Think About

• First, match the vessel size (28 feet) to the correct requirement range in Subchapter T. Does a 28-foot vessel fall into the smallest, middle, or larger size bracket for ring buoy requirements? • Think about whether smaller vessels usually require more or fewer life buoys, and whether the Coast Guard tends to allow smaller or larger diameters for required life buoys. • Look at the answer options: two variables are changing—number of buoys and diameter. Which combination best matches what you’d expect for a 28-foot passenger vessel under Subchapter T?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify the exact length range in 46 CFR Subchapter T that includes a 28-foot passenger vessel and see what it says about ring life buoys. • Check the minimum approved diameter for standard Coast Guard–approved ring life buoys (common sizes are around 20 and 24 inches). • Confirm whether vessels under about 40 feet typically need one ring buoy or two or more, according to the table in the lifesaving equipment section.