required safety equipment in local stores, The Royal Gazette has learned. But Transport Minister the Hon. Ralph Marshall yesterday indicated they would not be prosecuted.

At least one marine supply store has been wiped out by anxious boaters.

And several other marine suppliers said they were rapidly running short on safety equipment.

The "mad rush'' is directly attributed to the 1993 Marine Board (Safety) Regulations which became law on July 1.

Under the law any boat in Bermuda's waters, except those solely propelled by oars or paddles and empty boats at a mooring or dock, must have life jackets and other safety equipment depending on the size and type of boat.

Boats not longer than 20 feet and operated in inshore waters must have life jackets, two oars or paddles, one bailer or manual bilge pump, and one anchor with a chain no shorter than three feet and rope not less than 100 feet attached.

Such boats must also have an effective sound producing device and an effective flashlight.

Boats of that size taken beyond inshore waters must also carry three approved red flares, three approved red rockets, three approved orange daylight smoke flares, dye making equipment in watertight containers, and a mirror.

Boats of the same size with inboard motors, built-in or fixed fuel tanks, or cooking or heating appliances will also have to carry a vaporising liquid fire extinguisher of no less than 11 pounds, a dry chemical fire extinguisher with contents weighing no less than 21 pounds, and a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher with contents weighing no less than five pounds.

Boats between 20 and 40 feet should have at least all the equipment found on boats of 20 feet plus a bailer and manual bilge pump, an anchor with a chain of at least five feet and rope of 200 feet, and a lifebuoy with a 50-foot floating line attached.

Such boats that are power driven or equipped with cooking or heating appliances must also have at least three pounds of fire extinguisher vaporising liquid, five pounds of dry chemical extinguisher, and no less than 10 pounds of carbon dioxide fire extinguisher.

Boats exceeding 40 feet must have all the above equipment and two bailers and two lifebuoys.

Every boat going toward the Narrows Channel, South Channel, between Commissioner's Point and Pompano Beacon, or to the outer edge of the reef between Pompano Beacon and Spit Buoy must also have an effective VHF marine radio.

As the new rules found some boat owners unprepared, it also caught at least one marine supplier off guard.

Pearman Watlington salesman Mr. Ian Roberts said: "Marine and Ports were supposed to give us a couple of months' notice, but they never did.

"And we've had people coming in here with the blue booklets asking for various items, but we're out of everything.

Mr. Roberts said the store's new stock was not expected to arrive until three weeks from now.

Marine Locker manager Mrs. Linda Down said the new safety rules also caused a "mad rush'' there last week.

"We're mostly short on flares,'' she said. "I guess no one anticipated that so many people were using their boats without flares.'' Mrs. Down explained that the store usually brought in a conservative amount of flares because of their limited shelf life.

But, she said, the store had to order a larger quantity at least until the rush died down.

Marine Locker expects the flares to be in stock, arriving in by ship, within a couple of weeks.

However, Mrs. Down said, unlike some of its competitors Marine Locker still had an ample supply of life jackets and buoys.

Masters Marine manager Mr. James Pearman said: "We've had an increase in sales of safety equipment in the last month. Life jacket sales are going through the roof.'' The store was short on smoke signals and mirrors, he added, but expected to have them in a month.

However, Mr. Pearman said the store was not caught off guard by the new rules.

Mr. Marshall, in a statement released yesterday, said the rules replaced the 1964 Safety Regulations after "extensive consultation was held with boating groups''.

"These regulations focus on a greater degree of safety,'' he said.

But Mr. Marshall said both Marine Police and Marine and Ports were aware of the shortage of some safety equipment at marine supply stores.

And he advised boaters to continue to check with suppliers to acquire the required safety equipment "as soon as the merchandise becomes available''.