In Safety Equipment part 1 we looked at the safety equipment required by Coast Guard and other Regulatory bodies. In this second part we are going to look what is not regulated, but which is equally important. The regulated equipment does not account for many safety items you would need for day to day use.
Important Safety Equipment to supplement items in part 1
Basic Boat Equipment
• Dock lines, Tow line
• Fenders
• Anchors and Rhode
• First aid kit
• Flash lights
• Throwable flotation
• If you have a holding tank get an overboard waste placard
• Bailing device, bilge pump
You may not consider these items safety, but they are. A tow line can be vital if your engine fails. The same goes for an Anchor and Rhode. A recommended anchor Rhode is a stretchy line with short chain 7 times water depth. The Anchor is sized by the boat size and type. Anchoring will enable you to stop drifting and call for help. If it’s dark you may need a flashlight to set the anchor. If you have an injury you can do basic first aid with a kit and then be able to transfer to another vessel with fenders. Of course in Part 1 we need lifejackets but also look to have a modern throwable flotation device in case of a Man Overboard MOB. If you get a leak its important to have some sort of bailing device or bilge pump.
Personal Equipment
• Water and food
• Personal gear and Clothing
• Singlehanded or ski boat consider an Engine kill switch
• Personal Locator Beacon or MOB locator
• Shade for hot and sunny days
• Cover for cold and wet windy days
Whatever the body of water you are in, be prepared. If you are just going out for the day close to shore or if you are crossing a large body of water taking several days you must take the appropriate gear. Remember it is very easy to get stuck out longer than planned.
If you are driving a small speedboat and fall overboard an Engine kill switch is needed. A PLB can send a signal to SAR if you fall overboard, while a MOB locator can be located by the vessel.
Navigation
• Compass
• Chart
• Binoculars
• GPS
On the water you need be able to navigate your way safely around the waterways which involves keeping clear of other vessels and shoal water. Get a copy of the Coast Guard rules of road and learn rules for approaching vessels, handling your boat in navigable waters and collision avoidance. Boatsafe.com has a set of cards that are very useful in navigating, understanding aids to navigation and rules of the road, how to read day shapes, signal flags chart symbols and much more.
Navigating also includes keeping clear of shoal waters, rocks and basically staying safe in navigable water. Being able to read a Nautical Chart is therefore important. There are many books on how to read a chart. If your power goes out your GPS is no good.
Maintenance
• Yearly Mechanical Maintenance
• Tools
• Clean Fuel
• Battery Charging
• Steering systems
• Sails & Rigging
The RNLI the British rescue organization has some interesting statistics regarding their rescues. They track the number of launchings of lifeboats and relate them to the cause of the distress call. Number 1 problem boaters have that instigate a rescue, is machinery. Engine failure is by far the largest culprit by 3 to 1. Next comes adverse weather, and then fouled propellers.
What we can take from this is you need to maintain your engine, make sure you have clean fuel, don't start the engine with lines in the water, avoid fish traps and Check weather forecasts. It is important to do annual checks for other important equipment like steering gear, charging systems and rigging if you are sailing.
Communications
• Weather forecast
• VHF
• Cell Phone
• Satellite phone
One of the items you will notice that is not on the Coast Guard list is Communications. It would be wise to have marine communications device. VHF for inshore or SSB or Satellite phone for offshore. Cell phones are also useful. Not only used for communications, VHFs are useful for getting weather updates.
What to do when you get in trouble
• Towing membership
• VHF
• Cell
• Satellite
• Distress signals, EPIRB
When you get in trouble it is either, Emergency or Mechanical issues. If the issue is mechanical you can join a local or national towing organization like Sea Tow or BoatUS. For an annual fee anytime you get a mechanical problem you can get towed to shore or back to your mooring.
If it is an Emergency, the most common way a boater can get rescued is to notify the Coast Guard via VHF-FM radio or even a cell phone at last resort. It is strongly recommended that all boaters carry VHF. Learn the proper procedures to operating VHF. They key here is preparation. Before you leave have a plan and let someone know your plan. If you don’t come back at the specified time your friends can contact the coast Guard. For extreme conditions a distress signaling device like an EPIRB or PLB with GPS position would be wise. The can send signals via satellite to search and rescue teams with your exact position.
Summary
If you are new to boating or have been a lifelong boater, there is one thing that must be addressed yearly. Safety and Boating Safety equipment is not just for complying with regulations it is for you own good. Take care of this once a year and you can go boating rest assured that when the occasion arises you are prepared. The more complex the boat the more safety features you will need, but here we covered most of what you will need.
Mike Hobson is editor for MyBoatsGear.com the online magazine for boating equipment
