You are correct. I think it is foolish to require fire extinguishers
on a boat like my old Etchells. However, I have two chemical
extinguishers certified to destroy any electrical equipment, or
engines that they are used on.

It meets the minimum requirements. I plan to get some CO2
extinguishers for the big boat, in the hopes that if I do have a
fire, I'll be able to preserve the equipment it's used on.

"DSK" wrote
Bart Senior wrote:
In the USA, does a sailboat, 30.5 feet in length, without mechanical
propulsion require fire extinguishers?

IIRC it doesn't matter once a boat's LOA is over 26 feet. You must have at
least one type A-B fire extinguisher. There's also a size requirement for
the extinguisher itself (something like 2 5# or 1 10#) but I forget.

Relying on the mandated minimum is not a good idea... We have five fire
extinguishers on board, rated A-B-C. One by each exit, one installed in
the engine room, and one handy to the helm station. I just replaced two of
them a few weeks ago.

It's also a bad idea to rely on a fire extinguisher mounted close to a
potential fire hazard... it might be engulfed in flames when you need it,
you may not be able to reach it! But no boat can continue burning once the
waterline reaches 1" higher than the deck...

Regards
Doug King