Ensure These Essentials Are in Your Boat Safety Kit
Whether you’re planning an afternoon of rafting up, a fishing getaway, or just going out for a float, you’ll need to ensure that your experience is a safe one. Boat safety gear can be categorized into two groups: essential and recommended items. We’re only focusing on the essentials in this guide but if you’re a regular, you should dedicate some time studying all the aspects of being out on the waters. Make sure these must-have accessories are ready to go before you ship off!
What Is a Boat Safety Kit?
Your boat safety kit can be as diverse and as minimal as you want. The important thing is that it should be enough for all the passengers on board. You can either buy the safety gear separately or purchase a pre-made kit that comes with a couple of essential gadgets. With a pre-made kit, you may have to double-check the number of lifejackets and items in the first-aid kit though.
Still clueless? Don’t worry. We’ve compiled a list of items that you can check off your list to narrow down the essentials. Let’s get started!
Boat Safety Kit Checklist
1. Boat first aid kit
There must be a first aid kit on board containing accessories for all the passengers. Make sure that you have enough bandages of different sizes and shapes, painkillers, antiseptics, sunblock, wipes, scissors, etc. An average boat safety kit will have all the required first aid kit essentials.
2. Marine fire extinguisher
A boat fire can quickly get out of hand. It may happen due to a number of reasons — overheated grease in the galley or perhaps an overheated engine. What you’ll need in such a scenario is a fire extinguisher. Make sure to stay up to date on the latest regulations related to fire safety on the official USCG (United States Coast Guard) website.
Depending upon the type of your boat, you may have to keep a number of USCG-approved marine fire extinguishers.
3. Personal floatation devices (PFDs)
Personal floatation devices refer to inflated tires, life jackets, vests and any device that can increase your buoyancy. You must make sure there are enough of these on board so every passenger gets one. A regular boat safety kit may only have one or two of these so you may have to buy more separately.
4. VHF (very high frequency) radio
A marine VHF radio is a two-way communication system that will allow you to communicate with other boats, bridges, marinas and the United States Coast Guard (USCG). You can use it to call help in case of an emergency.
Keep in mind that a marine VHF radio is not required for recreational boats that are under 65.5 feet.
5. Navigation gadgets
It’s important that you have your phone with you. But signals tend to start breaking once you’re too far ahead on the water.
- GPS (Global Positioning System) unit: This is why it’s important that you have a secondary GPS device that helps you navigate around without getting lost. Most safety kits will not have a GPS unit and if you don’t already have it, you’ll need to buy one,
- Flashlight and navigation lights: Your boat needs to have proper navigation lights. They must be turned on around the time of sunset and kept on until sunrise.
6. Visual distress signal
Visual distress signals are essential and will be of great help in case of an emergency. There are various types of them, ranging from handheld boat flares and floating smoke signals to red meteors or parachutes.
Final Thoughts
Before you set sail, you need to make sure that your safety equipment is on board and working. You may opt for additional items for boat safety but do not forget the aforementioned essentials.