[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 33, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 33CFR173.27]

[Page 879]
 
                TITLE 33--NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS
 
   CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY(CONTINUED)
 
PART 173_VESSEL NUMBERING AND CASUALTY ANDACCIDENT 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 theforward 
half of the vessel except as allowed by paragraph (b) orrequired by 
paragraph (c) of this section;
    (2) Be in plain vertical block characters of not less than 3inches 
in height;
    (3) Contrast with the color of the background and be 
distinctlyvisible and legible;
    (4) Have spaces or hyphens that are equal to the width of a 
letterother than ``I'' or a number other than ``1''between the letter 
and number groupings (Example: DC 5678 EF orDC-5678-EF); and
    (5) Read from left to right.
    (b) When a vessel is used by a manufacturer or by a dealer 
fortesting or demonstrating, the number may be painted on or attached 
toremovable plates that are temporarily but firmly attached to each 
sideof the forward half of the vessel.
    (c) On vessels so configured that a number on the hull 
orsuperstructure would not be easily visible, the number must be 
paintedon or attached to a backing plate that is attached to the forward 
halfof the vessel so that the number is visible from each side of 
thevessel.
    (d) Each number displayed on a tender exempted underSec. 173.13 
must meet the requirements of paragraph (a) ofthis section and have a 
space or hyphen that is equal to the width ofa letter other than ``I'' 
or a number other than``1'' between the suffix and the number. (Example: 
DC 5678EF 1 or DC-5678-EF-1.)