You Need These 5 Things for Emergencies on Your Boat
You should pack the necessary safety equipment whether you want to use your boat for fishing, wakeboarding, skiing, swimming, day cruising, or night trips. If you decide to take your boat out, be sure to regularly check it and keep it in working condition. Even if your boat is in good condition, has insurance, and is safe, misfortune can still happen and you need to be prepared for almost any emergency situation. As a responsible boat owner, it’s critical to know how to put together an emergency pack for your boat in the case of a water disaster.
FIVE THINGS FOR EMERGENCIES TO KEEP ON YOUR BOAT
Wearable Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)
Each passenger on board has to have access to a personal flotation device. You also need a life jacket if you’re planning on towing a skier or want to engage in any watersports. If you’ve kids under the age of 12, they must wear a life jacket all the time on a moving vessel. In the same way, a person riding a personal watercraft (PWC) should also wear PFD at all times.
When you sense a life-threatening or emergency situation, the first step you need to take is to ensure everyone on the ship immediately puts on their life jacket. You can also ask all people onboard to put their PFDs on right at the dock before leaving to ensure their safety. While it’s not required by the law, your pet must have a PFD to keep them afloat in emergencies.
Throwable floatation objects
You will need at least one throwable floatation device that you can toss to someone in the water in case of emergencies. Even if you just need one throwable floatation device, having more than one is always a good idea. The floatation device can either be a ring buoy, cushion, or other devices. You can also find them attached to a line that allows you to pull a person closer to the boat and then drag them out of the water.
Fire extinguishers
Although there are many different types and ratings of extinguishers, boats under 25 feet must carry at least one fire extinguisher and boats between 26 and slightly about 40 feet require two extinguishers. To ensure optimal safety, you should practice using a fire extinguisher beforehand with your colleagues or family.
Visual alerting devices
There are different requirements for visual warning signs according to the size of the boat and even the area where you go boating. You need flares or other evening signals for boats under 16 feet. If you own a boat bigger than 16, you must have both visual signals for the day and at night.
Pyrotechnic flares and airborne light flares can work perfectly to send visual signals in emergencies. You can also find different flares that can work without a flare gun to make it much easier for you. A flashing strobe is another nighttime tool, and you can use flags during the day. PWCs don’t need special nighttime gear because you can’t operate them from day to night.
Sound alerting gadgets
Sounds can attract aid both during the day and at night; they are most effective when there is fog. You can use boat air horns and whistles as sound-generating equipment for all vessels. Larger boats should additionally include a bell and a boat air horn that they can use periodically in low visibility conditions like fog.
THE FINAL PICK
You should always be ready for emergency situations while having fun on the water. Disaster might happen at the worst possible time, but if you pay attention, you can solve the majority of the issues quickly. You just need to keep all the required safety equipment on your boat to ensure your passengers’ safety.