Safety Equipment

[ESGWheel]

Sharing my listing of safety equipment I carry on board in the hope it provides newer boaters something to think about. Safety equipment is not always at the forefront of what we think about, my own early experience demonstrating that > I owned my first boat when I was 19 and I did not think one iota about being safe let alone safety equipment. Not sure I was much smarter in my 20s with my second boat (a 16’ bowrider Seaswirl) that I frequently took on the Puget Sound in WA. No more and perhaps I am somewhat overboard but as the saying goes, as we get older, we get wiser. While I like to have fun, frankly, being safe is my no. 1 priority and I hope this posting will guide others to move in that direction.

For reference, I boat at Lake George, NY with a 2005 Larason 223 LXi which is a 23’ bow rider with a VP 5.0 GXi-E. These days it is only the wife and I + dog.
Here is the safety equipment I carry aboard; if the item is in bold, it means mandated for my boat size per Coast Guard requirements as posted on this website (link). If in italics its recommended by that same website.

• One personal flotation device for each person on board. Generally, have at least four and now six.
• One throw-able cushion. Two are aboard.
• Three flares: current-dated, hand-held and approved. I also carry a Sirius Signal electronic boat flare.
• Fire extinguisher, I carry one mounted at the helm but am looking at installing another.
• One electric horn (built into boat). Also have a compressed air horn + whistle.
• Running lights
• Engine Compartment Blower Ventilation
• Backfire Flame Arrestor
• Anchor. One recommended, I carry two, one with a 100’ rode the other with a 250’
• Bailer. In addition to the bucket, also carry a hand pump with a hose long enough to easily get overboard
• Paddles. Have 2 of the collapsible type. Not getting home with them but better than nothing.
• First Aid Kit. Since these have a shelf life, I carry two. One new one and one old one. I get a new one about every 3 years, so they are rotated out.
• VHF Radio. Mine has a GPS input (which is connected to a chart plotter) and my MMSI inputted into it.
• Extra Fuel. I do not carry this, and my tank is only 35 gal (32 useable) so I am sensitive to the gauge. When it hits 1/3 I am getting gas. This is my lake adaption of 1/3 out, 1/3 back and 1/3 spare.
• Extra Water. The cooler is always filled with lots of water.
• Tool Kit. I use a watertight plastic ammo case that is securely mounted in the engine component. Inside are all the needed tools for prop and belt replacement, including the belt, as well as a bunch of generic tools (wrenches, screwdrivers, cheap multimeter (battery out in a separate plastic bag)), hose clamps, extra relays and fuses, etc. To change the prop need to have a means of bocking it so can loosen / tighten the prop nut > thus the toolbox also has a piece of a 2x4 for a block that is clamped onto the skeg with a C-clamp. And for my boat, to change the belt in the water need to disconnect the Sea Water Pump hoses and this will pour water into the boat. Thus also carry (in the ski locker) a set of plugs (link) to stuff into the hose to seal it up while belt is being changed.
• Sun protection: have plenty of that…
• Flashlight. I carry two, one with batteries that are kept separately and another that is a crank type, no batteries required

This is the additional equipment on board:

• Boat hook.
• Chart Plotter.
• An automatic / manual bilge pump
• A cover over the top of my battery. This is the cover of a battery box but the battery is already in a tray. So, there are two straps, one for the battery to hold it into the tray and another on top of the cover.
• MOB by Fell Marine. This is a recent addition and much easier to use than the safely lanyard. Dog wears one of the fobs on her collar.
• Paper chart of the lake (it is well marked, and the chart is very detailed).
• A spare prop mounted in the engine compartment (link).
• Two of the auto inflate, easy to put on life jackets like this one (link). These are in addition to the typical jackets we carry since now mostly only my wife and I. They are kept right on top of the bench locker. Whenever the sky looks nasty and we head in, these go on. A scary previous experience due to a sudden squall drove this decision.
• A sharp sheathed knife in the glove compartment.
• Tow Insurance with Boat U.S. (link). They are not everywhere and there may be other options in your area but its stupid cheap money for peace of mind.
• LiPo Battey Starter > one of those emergency ‘car jumpers’ to use when the battery is dead. They really do work but need to be selective on which you get. Mine is this one (link) with its case (bought separately).
• Spare key for boat and get home truck. These are zip tied under the helm. While not strictly a safety item per se’ but if you drop your keys overboard while anchored out, oh boy. Yes, my keys are on a float as well.
• A jar of emergency hole patch putty. I watched a Boat U.S. tow captain demonstrate it use and got it. It’s this stuff (link).
• A spare set of dock lines. This is in addition to the six dock lines (short, long, longer) and a dedicated bow line (long).
• A spare drain plug.
• A quart of engine oil.
• A bottle of trim fluid.

And finally, all the needed documentation including my Aux Coast Guard safety course cert in a sealable sandwich bag that I keep in the glove box.

 

[racerone]

A passenger that knows how to start the motor.----Operate the controls.-----Knows how to operate / use the VHF.----Knows location / use of the safety gear.-------In particular is the use of a fire extinguisher on a real fire.-----Contact your local fire department.----See if they run clinics for folks wanting to learn on an actual fire.

 

[ESGWheel]

A passenger that knows how to start the motor.----Operate the controls.-----Knows how to operate / use the VHF.---

Great addition! Long ago my wife learned to drive, etc. She is typically the one to get us underway and dock the boat.