Must Have Boating Equipment

Must Have Boating Equipment

Don't Leave the Dock Without It!

With the boating season just around the corner for many of us and already here for other folks around the country, it’s time to make sure your boat is really ready for a great season of boating fun. After polishing your hull , applying a new coat of bottom paint and getting the engine up and running, it’s a good time to check all your other equipment as well.

With that in mind, here is a list of equipment that is required on board motorized vessels in U.S. waters. However, safety equipment requirements vary from country to country, so boaters need check the requirements of the country where they plan to do their boating. All that being said, any “good” skipper, anywhere, will have the following equipment/items on board his boat anyway.



• Owner’s/ Ship’s Documents:

Carry either State registration or documentation papers.
Since 9-11, the U.S. Coast Guard is also going to ask you to produce a pictured identification card, such as a driver’s license.



• PFDs:

PFDs (Personal Floatation Devices) are life jackets and you must have one for every person on board and they MUST fit properly to be effective. An adult sized life jacket for a child is NOT acceptable. An improper fitting child’s life jacket may end up drowning the child instead of saving its life!



• Throwable Flotation Device:

An example of a throwable flotation device would be a life ring or a flotation cushion, one of those with the two straps, etc. All vessels 16 ft. and over must have one or more of these aboard.



• Fire Extinguisher:

A Coast Guard approved fire extinguisher must be aboard any boat that has an engine in an enclosed space or a fuel tank that is in a compartment. The needle in the gage on the extinguisher must be pointing to the green area of the dial. The larger the boat, the more fire extinguishers/fire suppression systems you are required to have.



• Visual Distress Signals:

Visual distress signals are required for both day and nighttime sightings. Distress signals, such as red flares, universal distress flags, orange smoke, etc., must be aboard all powerboats operating in federally controlled waters. Also remember, these devices must be current, i.e. not past the expiration date which is printed on each one.



• Proper Ventilation:

All gasoline powerboats with an inboard engine, permanently installed fuel tanks and an enclosed bilge area, must be properly ventilated. Also, all gasoline powerboats built after 1 August 1980 must have a working bilge blower with a reminder sign (to run the blower) located near the ignition switch.



• Flame Arrestor:

All gasoline powered boats (except outboards) must have a Coast Guard approved backfire, flame arrestor attached to each carburetor or throttle body. Remember, they must not be covered with grease or oil. Therefore, cleaning your flame arrestor every spring is a must!



• Sound Making Device:

All vessels operating in federally controlled waters must have a working horn or whistle aboard. For a small boat, a hand-held whistle will suffice. For vessels less than 65.6 ft. long, the whistle or horn must be capable of producing a blast of 4 seconds and be audible for at least ½ mile.



• Navigation Lights:

All power vessels, that are allowed to operate after sunset, must have a working set of navigation lights consisting of:
* A Green Light – showing from dead-ahead to 112.5 degrees down the starboard (right) side of your boat.
* A Red Light – showing from dead-ahead to 112.5 degrees down the port (left) side of your boat.
* A White Masthead Light - showing through the entire 225 degrees covered by both the Green and the Red lights combined.
* A White Stern Light - that shows from dead-astern to 67.5 degrees on both sides of the stern (a total area of 135 degrees).
* Add all these numbers together (starboard, port & stern or masthead & stern) and they add up to 360 degrees of visible light identifying your boat.




That's it; the list of equipment that you MUST have aboard your vessel. Don't leave the dock without it. When boarded for a law enforcement safety inspection, failure to produce any of this equipment could result in a big fine and/or termination of your voyage. Make sure you have all this aboard and in good working condition so that you can pass a safety inspection at any time. This list is of required items, but in another article, I discuss optional equipment that any responsible skipper should consider having on board his boat.

So, are we ready to launch?