Boat Safety Gear Checklist

It’s National Safe Boating Week, so let’s talk safety gear and safe boating practices!

The U.S. Coast Guard sets baseline requirements for equipment like PFDs, fire extinguishers, and distress signals, but there’s far more to it than just buying everything on the checklist and hitting the water. 

Let’s take a more thoughtful look at the required boating safety equipment as well as some additional gear and practices that can save your boat and possibly your life when something goes awry.

These are the basics that are legally required to operate a powerboat anywhere in the United States. There’s a lot of variability within many of these requirements, though. For example, you can satisfy the distress signal requirement with three handheld day/night flares, or you can carry a selection of signal types that will considerably improve your chances of rescue.

The Coast Guard requires at least one correctly sized, wearable PFD (lifejacket) for each person on board. With certain exceptions, adults are not required to wear the PFD, but PFDs must be easily accessible.

Keep in mind that not all PFDs satisfy all requirements. For example, inflatable PFDs are not approved or safe for activities like waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, and whitewater paddling. Be aware too that some PFDs (most Type V devices) must be worn to count toward the required number of lifejackets on board.

In addition to a wearable PFD for every person on board, at least one Type IV throwable device is required. The most common choice for smaller recreational boats is a simple cushion-style device. These are inexpensive and serve double-duty as an actual cushion but don’t throw well, especially when it’s windy.

Ring buoys are heavier and more aerodynamic, meaning they can be thrown farther and more accurately than a cushion-style throwable. . On the other hand, they’re much more expensive and harder to store on board.

The Coast Guard requires three daytime visual distress signals (flags, smoke, dye markers, etc.) plus three nighttime signals (flares, strobe lights) or three combination day/night signals. That means you can meet the requirement with just three little handheld flares. But if you ever actually need to signal for help, you’ll wish you’d put more thought into it.

Nearly all powerboats are required to carry at least one fire extinguisher. The only exception is boats under 26 feet without permanent fuel tanks. Otherwise, boats up to 26 feet must carry at least one B-1 type extinguisher; boats 26 to 40 feet are required to have two B-1s or one B-2.

Fire extinguishers get old and lose pressure. Always check the gauge and make sure the needle is in the green section. The expected lifespan of a typical portable extinguisher is 10 to 12 years, but the marine environment can considerably shorten that.

As of April 2021, operators of boats under 26 feet are required by law to use the boat’s engine cut-off switch lanyard (aka kill switch or ECOS). Virtually all modern powerboats — whether outboard or inboard — are equipped with an ECOS, but they are often not actually used.

Gas-powered inboard and sterndrive boats must satisfy several requirements meant to prevent explosions in engine compartments. Generally, these requirements are satisfied by manufacturers, not boat owners.

Think of Coast Guard and state-level safety requirements as a starting point. Additional safety equipment should be selected based on your own boat and boating activities. Think carefully about what could happen to you or your boat on the water and what you would need on hand to either address the issue yourself or call for help.

Invest in a quality anchor that is well-suited for the common bottom types in your home waters, along with plenty of rode.

Flares and other visual distress signals have their place, but it’s a lot more effective to communicate an emergency verbally if possible. In fact, a device that allows you to transmit your location and situation to potential rescuers is arguably the most important piece of safety equipment you can have.

On some inland and inshore waters, a cellular phone in a waterproof container is just as good as a VHF radio — and arguably better, since relatively few inland boaters use VHF but everybody has a phone. It’s a good idea to have a waterproof phone charger on board, though, and keep at least one phone fully charged throughout the day.

Boats aren’t actually required to have any means of getting water out, although they probably should be. After all, being able to pump or throw water back overboard can mean the difference between sinking and floating.

Another smart thing to carry is a simple bucket for bailing. Purpose-built bailers are available for smaller boats. For larger boats, a square bucket like a cat litter container is ideal, since the square profile is better suited for scooping water off a flat deck.

Broken through-hull fittings and below-water hoses and connections are a common cause of boats sinking. A cheap and effective insurance policy is to carry a set of conical plugs that can be used to plug a broken hose or fitting.

Both wooden plug sets and pliable elastomer composite plug sets are available, along with a moldable product called Stay Afloat that works better for cracks, splits, and other non-round holes.