{"data":{"id":"us/33-cfr-175.105","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"33 CFR 175.105","heading":"Definitions.","body":"(a) Visual distress signal means a device that is approved by the Commandant under 46 CFR part 160 or certified by the manufacturer under 46 CFR parts 160 and 161.\n(b) Coastal waters means:\n(1) The U.S. waters of the Great Lakes (Lake Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior);\n(2) The territorial seas of the United States; and\n(3) Those waters directly connected to the Great Lakes and territorial seas (i.e., bays, sounds, harbors, rivers, inlets, etc.) where any entrance exceeds 2 nautical miles between opposite shorelines to the first point where the largest distance between shorelines narrows to 2 miles, as shown on the current edition of the appropriate National Ocean Service chart used for navigation. Shorelines of islands or points of land present within a waterway are considered when determining the distance between opposite shorelines.","path":["Title 33—Navigation and Navigable Waters","CHAPTER I—COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY","SUBCHAPTER S—BOATING SAFETY","PART 175—EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS","Subpart C—Visual Distress Signals"],"source_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-25/title-33.xml","current_through":"2026-08-25","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T02:25:35Z","sha256":"05dda8a4139a668f8ba5c2873c85712261e188b394882b589c65e003b38fccb5","source_id":"us-cfr","stale":true,"prev":"us/33-cfr-175.101","next":"us/33-cfr-175.110"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}