46 CFR 15.855: Cabin watchmen and fire patrolmen

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section requires watchmen to guard against fire and other danger. They are needed on vessels carrying passengers at night and on a fish processing vessel of more than 100 GRT during hot work. The owner or operator of an uninspected passenger vessel not more than 300 GRT may substitute detectors and alarms for the paragraph (a) watchmen only when every listed condition is met.

Applies toVessels carrying passengers at night, fish processing vessels of more than 100 GRT during hot work, and uninspected passenger vessels not more than 300 GRT for the alarm substitution.

What it says

  1. On vessels carrying passengers at night, the Master or Person in Charge must ensure a suitable number of watchmen are near the cabins or staterooms and on each deck, to guard against and give alarm in case of fire or other danger.

    46 CFR 15.855(a)“the Master or Person in Charge must ensure that a suitable number of watchmen are in the vicinity of the cabins or staterooms and on each deck”

  2. On a fish processing vessel of more than 100 GRT, a suitable number of watchmen trained in firefighting must be onboard when hot work is being done.

    46 CFR 15.855(b)“On a fish processing vessel of more than 100 GRT, there must be a suitable number of watchmen trained in firefighting onboard when hot work is being done”

  3. The owner or operator of an uninspected passenger vessel not more than 300 GRT may substitute detectors and high-water alarms for the paragraph (a) watchmen, but only when each listed condition is met.

    46 CFR 15.855(c)“the owner or operator of an uninspected passenger vessel not more than 300 GRT may substitute the use of fire detectors, heat detectors, smoke detectors, and high-water alarms”

  4. One condition is that fire detectors must be located in each space containing machinery or fuel tanks, per § 181.400(c) of this chapter.

    46 CFR 15.855(c)(1)“Fire detectors are located in each space containing machinery or fuel tanks per § 181.400(c) of this chapter.”

  5. Another condition is that all grills, broilers, and deep-fat fryers must be fitted with a grease extraction hood, per § 181.425 of this chapter.

    46 CFR 15.855(c)(2)“All grills, broilers, and deep-fat fryers are fitted with a grease extraction hood per § 181.425 of this chapter.”

  6. Another condition is that heat and/or smoke detectors must be located in each galley, public accommodation space, enclosed passageway, berthing space, and all crew spaces.

    46 CFR 15.855(c)(3)“Heat and/or smoke detectors are located in each galley, public accommodation space, enclosed passageway, berthing space, and all crew spaces.”

  7. Another condition is that the vessel is underway no more than 12 hours in any 24-hour period, and the Master has chosen to operate with less than a three-watch system in accordance with § 15.705.

    46 CFR 15.855(c)(6)“The vessel is underway for no more than 12 hours in any 24-hour period, and the Master of the vessel has chosen to operate with less than a three-watch system”

Common questions

Do passenger vessels need watchmen at night?

Yes. On vessels carrying passengers at night, the Master or Person in Charge must ensure a suitable number of watchmen are near the cabins or staterooms and on each deck.

“On vessels carrying passengers at night, the Master or Person in Charge must ensure that a suitable number of watchmen are in the vicinity of the cabins or staterooms and on each deck”

When does a fish processing vessel need firefighting watchmen?

A fish processing vessel of more than 100 GRT must have a suitable number of watchmen trained in firefighting onboard when hot work is being done.

“On a fish processing vessel of more than 100 GRT, there must be a suitable number of watchmen trained in firefighting onboard when hot work is being done”

Can detectors and alarms replace night watchmen on a small passenger vessel?

Only on an uninspected passenger vessel not more than 300 GRT, and only when each listed condition in paragraph (c) is met.

“may substitute the use of fire detectors, heat detectors, smoke detectors, and high-water alarms with audible- and visual-warning indicators, in addition to other required safety alarms, only when each of the following conditions are met”

The text of 46 CFR 15.855

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of March 31, 2026 · Read it on eCFR

Cabin watchmen and fire patrolmen

(a) On vessels carrying passengers at night, the Master or Person in Charge must ensure that a suitable number of watchmen are in the vicinity of the cabins or staterooms and on each deck, to guard against and give alarm in case of fire or other danger.

(b) On a fish processing vessel of more than 100 GRT, there must be a suitable number of watchmen trained in firefighting onboard when hot work is being done, to guard against and give alarm in case of a fire.

(c) For the watchmen described in paragraph (a) of this section, the owner or operator of an uninspected passenger vessel not more than 300 GRT may substitute the use of fire detectors, heat detectors, smoke detectors, and high-water alarms with audible- and visual-warning indicators, in addition to other required safety alarms, only when each of the following conditions are met:

(1) Fire detectors are located in each space containing machinery or fuel tanks per § 181.400(c) of this chapter.

(2) All grills, broilers, and deep-fat fryers are fitted with a grease extraction hood per § 181.425 of this chapter.

(3) Heat and/or smoke detectors are located in each galley, public accommodation space, enclosed passageway, berthing space, and all crew spaces.

(4) High-water alarms are located in each space with a through hull fitting below the deepest load waterline, a machinery space bilge, bilge well, shaft alley bilge, or other space subject to flooding from sea water piping within the space, and a space below the waterline with non-watertight closure such as a space with a non-watertight hatch on the main deck.

(5) Each alarm has an audible- and visual-alarm indicator located at the normal operating station and, if the normal operating position is not continually manned and not navigating underway, in an alternate location that must provide the crew, and may at all times provide the passengers, immediate warning of a hazardous condition.

(6) The vessel is underway for no more than 12 hours in any 24-hour period, and the Master of the vessel has chosen to operate with less than a three-watch system in accordance with § 15.705.

Sections it refers to

The plain-English explanation on this page was written with AI from the regulation text above and checked automatically before publishing: every quote appears in the text, every number comes from it, and a second model confirmed each statement adds nothing the text doesn't say. Regulation text current as of March 31, 2026. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.