[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 33, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 33CFR173.27]

[Page 803]
 
                TITLE 33--NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS
 
   CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED)
 
PART 173--VESSEL NUMBERING AND CASUALTY AND ACCIDENT REPORTING--Table of Contents
 
                          Subpart B--Numbering
 
Sec. 173.27  Numbers: Display; size; color.

    (a) Each number required by Sec. 173.15 must:
    (1) Be painted on or permanently attached to each side of the 
forward half of the vessel except as allowed by paragraph (b) or 
required by paragraph (c) of this section;
    (2) Be in plain vertical block characters of not less than 3 inches 
in height;
    (3) Contrast with the color of the background and be distinctly 
visible and legible;
    (4) Have spaces or hyphens that are equal to the width of a letter 
other than ``I'' or a number other than ``1'' between the letter and 
number groupings (Example: DC 5678 EF or DC-5678-EF); and
    (5) Read from left to right.
    (b) When a vessel is used by a manufacturer or by a dealer for 
testing or demonstrating, the number may be painted on or attached to 
removable plates that are temporarily but firmly attached to each side 
of the forward half of the vessel.
    (c) On vessels so configured that a number on the hull or 
superstructure would not be easily visible, the number must be painted 
on or attached to a backing plate that is attached to the forward half 
of the vessel so that the number is visible from each side of the 
vessel.
    (d) Each number displayed on a tender exempted under Sec. 173.13 
must meet the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section and have a 
space or hyphen that is equal to the width of a letter other than ``I'' 
or a number other than ``1'' between the suffix and the number. 
(Example: DC 5678 EF 1 or DC-5678-EF-1.)