Date: insert current date

Dear Rental Operator: (insert name)

The purpose of this letter is to introduce you to the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary’s Recreational Boat Rental Safety Program, the Vessel Safety Check (VSC) program and to invite you to become a partner with the Coast Guard Auxiliary in the Coast Guard’s Recreational Boating Safety program. The mission of this program “is to minimize the loss of life, personal injury, property damage, and environmental impact associated with the use of recreational boats, through preventive means. The VSC is also an opportunity to help educate boaters through a direct face-to-face boating information exchange.”
The purpose of the program is basically four-fold. First, to equip each rental vessel with the required safety equipment mandated by federal, state, and local regulations. Second, make the customer aware of the necessary equipment and it’s location on the vessel in the event of an emergency. Third, educate the customer in the laws governing the safe operation of the vessel. And fourth make certain that your counter personnel are educated in a similar manner and be able to answer basic safety related questions. 

Upon review of the NO COST program and signing a copy of the attached agreement by the owner/rental manger, we will provide instruction to your rental counter personnel and will provide boating safety materials including the current “California ABC’s of Boating” and/or “The Boater’s Guide to The Federal Requirements Boating.” Afterward, the Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel Examiner will observe how your personnel equip the various vessels and assist as necessary. If compliant with the above regulations, and in the presence of you or your representative, each vessel will receive a Vessel Safety Check (VSC) decal. In addition, a copy of the examination sheet will be provided. The sheet should be saved and used for future reference to assist in the future equipping of each vessel properly. If there are deficiencies, they will be explained and the decal will be withheld until corrections are made and another examination will be rescheduled.

The VSC decal assures both you and the customer that the vessel examined is properly equipped and complies with all federal, state, and local regulations. After the initial examinations, we reserve the right to perform occasional spot verifications to verify the presence of the required equipment, observe your counter personnel, make recommendations as necessary, and to resupply the boater safety material.
Again, please understand, except for purchasing any required safety equipment this program is at NO COST to you. In addition, NO Report is made to any law enforcement agency or insurance company. 

Thank you for your time and I look forward to contacting you in a few days for an appointment to further discuss this important program.

Sincerely,

Sign and insert your name

Vessel Examiner-U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

ml-2 2001/Rev.2/08 DSO-VE