Basic Boat Equipment

Oh boy! You've purchased your first boat and are eager to hit the water and begin enjoying all the benefits of new boat ownership — fishing, wakeboarding, and those tropical drinks with the little umbrellas in them that the broker told you about. Not so fast! You may be ready, but is your boat?

Required Safety Equipment

While your outfitting list will vary based on the type of boat and activities planned, a great place to start is with required safety equipment. Safety equipment is based on a number of factors, from vessel length to the number of people onboard. You'll want to verify the requirements for your particular vessel and situation, but here are the basics. Visit BoatUS.com/Expert-Advice for more in-depth stories and how-to videos on all these subjects.

Life Jackets

All recreational boats must carry a Coast Guard-approved, wearable life jacket (Type I, II, III, or V) for each person on board. Life jackets must be in good, serviceable condition, of the appropriate size for the intended wearer, and readily accessible for use (not stowed in a locked compartment belowdecks or beneath a ton of gear in the cockpit locker).

Life Jacket Performance Types

As a marine surveyor, I see a lot of life jackets still in the plastic shipping bags (an effort by boat owners to keep them clean). These bags must be removed as well, otherwise they're not considered to be readily accessible.

When purchasing life jackets, one big consideration is wearability. A life jacket provides no benefit if it isn't used, so choose some that are comfortable enough that they will actually be worn. Inflatable life jackets are a popular choice due to their light weight and low profile. Available in vest or belt-worn styles, each unit contains a CO₂ canister, which inflates a rubber bladder to provide flotation when a wearer enters the water. If you choose this style, be aware that they have additional maintenance requirements compared to standard life jackets and must be maintained per the manufacturer's recommendations.

Portable Fire Extinguishers

Photo: Ted Sensenbrenner

The number of portable fire extinguishers your boat requires is based on factors such as boat length, whether it has an enclosed engine compartment, and if there is a fixed or permanent extinguishing system installed. The three primary classes of fire are Class A (combustible solids like wood), Class B (flammable liquids like gasoline or oil), and Class C (electrical fires).

New regulations (2022) call for extinguishers that use UL (Underwriters Laboratories) designations, a number/letter combination that indicate the square footage of the fire the extinguisher can put out, and the type of fire it is effective against. For example, a 5-B extinguisher indicates an extinguisher capable of putting out a Class B fire up to 5 square feet in size.

Vessels less than 26 feet are required to carry at least one 5-B portable fire extinguisher. Vessels 26 feet or more, but less than 40 feet, must carry two 5-B units (or one 5-B unit if a fixed fire extinguisher is installed in the engine compartment). Those 40 feet or more, but not more than 65 feet, are required to carry three 5-B units (two if a fixed extinguisher is installed). A single 20-B portable fire extinguisher can be substituted for two 5-B units.

Note that these are the minimum requirements and there are exceptions. For example, a vessel less than 26 feet in length, propelled by an outboard motor, is not required to carry a portable fire extinguisher if the construction of the vessel will not permit the entrapment of explosive or flammable gases or vapors.

My personal view is that no one has ever died from having too many fire extinguishers (always carry more than the minimum), and every boat powered by a combustion engine should have at least one onboard.

Visual Distress Signaling Devices

Boats smaller than 16 feet are required to carry nighttime distress signaling devices when operating between sunset and sunrise, while boats 16 feet and larger must carry visual signals for both day and nighttime use.

Approved visual distress signals fall into two categories: pyrotechnic and nonpyrotechnic devices. Pyrotechnic devices include red flares (hand-held or aerial), orange smoke (hand-held or floating), and launchers for aerial red meteors or parachute flares. Nonpyrotechnic would include any other type of visual distress signal, such as a distress flag or electronic distress light (which flashes the Morse code for SOS).

Flares are relatively inexpensive and a popular choice with boaters who typically meet minimum Coast Guard requirements via a combination of red handheld or aerial flares suitable for day and night use. Flares have to be Coast Guard or SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) approved.

The following are examples of the variety and combination of devices that can be carried in order to meet the minimal requirements:

• Three hand-held red flares (day and night)

• Three hand-held or floating orange smoke signals and one electric distress light

• Three combination day/night red flares: hand-held, meteor, or parachute type

• One hand-held red flare and two parachute flares (day and night)

• One distress flag (day) and one electric distress light (night only)

Meeting the minimum number required by law doesn't mean you're carrying all the signaling devices you'll want onboard during an emergency. When needed, flares and other signaling devices are like winning lottery numbers — you can't have too many of them. In my opinion, every vessel should carry at least double what's required by law, more when coastal or offshore cruising.

Sound-Signaling Device

Most every vessel is required to carry some form of sound-producing device for use in an emergency or during restricted visibility, and even those that are not would do well to have one on board. A vessel of less than 12 meters in length is not obliged to carry the sound signaling appliances prescribed in Rule 33(a) of the Navigation Rules, but if not, she must carry some other means of making an efficient signal. A vessel of 12 meters or more in length must carry a whistle, while a vessel of 20 meters or more in length must carry both a whistle and bell. The minimum audibility range for a whistle or horn (both terms can be used interchangeably) required for a vessel 20 meters (65.6 feet) but less than 75 meters (246 feet) in length is 1 nautical mile. The minimum range for a vessel 12 meters (39.4 feet), but less than 20 meters is .5 nautical miles.

Operational Outfitting

Now that you have the required safety equipment, let's take a look at outfitting required for proper operation of your new boat.

VHF Radio

Cellphones have their uses, but if you want to communicate on the water directly to other boats or marine rescue organizations, a VHF radio is a necessity. A VHF with a properly registered Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number is invaluable in the event of an emergency, making it easier for rescue agencies (such as the Coast Guard) or tow services to locate you. A fixed-mount, 25-watt VHF provides greater operational distance, but even a 5-watt handheld VHF can be a lifesaver.

EPIRB Or PLB

When activated, Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB) and Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) transmit a coded message on the 406 MHz distress frequency, which is relayed via the Cospas-Sarsat global satellite system and earth stations to the nearest RCC (Rescue Coordination Center). Featuring internal GPS, modern units can provide a location accuracy of approximately 100 yards.

Anchor And Rode

Every boat should have some means of anchoring, be it for fishing, swimming, or maintaining position in the event of an emergency. Anchor selection is based on a number of considerations, from the size and style of watercraft you own to the type of bottom you'll be anchoring in (mud, grass, sand, rock), as well as water depth, wind, and water conditions you expect to encounter.

Your anchor and rode should be sized to match your vessel, and most anchor manufacturers will provide a table for matching boats to their product. As an example, a typical setup for a midsized power boat (approximately 25 feet) would be a 13-pound anchor, 15 feet of 1/4-inch anchor chain, and 200 feet of 7/16-inch diameter three-strand nylon anchor rode.

Docklines And Fenders

Two more must-have items — how else can you secure and protect your boat while docking at the yacht club Tiki bar for the all-you-can-eat wing special? Each boat should carry a minimum of three lines for tying alongside a dock: a bow line, stern line, and spring line. Dockline sizes and lengths are based on the size of your boat. A good rule of thumb is 1/8-inch of line diameter for every 8 feet of boat length. Bow and stern lines should measure at least two-thirds of your boat's length, while the spring line should be equal to boat length.

You should also have a minimum of two fenders to protect your boat when docked. More is better, and larger diameters will provide greater protection. Don't forget that you'll also need lines to hang the fenders in place.