Essential Boating Safety Checklist: 13 Must-Have Items

When you’re out on the water, help could be far away. You don’t have time to wait during an emergency.

To stay safe and prevent accidents, you need the proper safety equipment onboard before you leave dock.

Not sure where to start? Use this boating safety checklist to ensure you have all the essentials for a safe trip.

Your Boating Safety Checklist: 13 Items

Most of the items on our boating safety checklist aren’t revolutionary in and of themselves, but we make sure to think through the details of each inclusion. Below, we’ll unpack not just the specifics of what you need, but why you need each item.

1. Life Jackets

The Coast Guard requires life jackets for every passenger to ensure the safety of everyone onboard a boat. To satisfy the requirement, most people will buy six adult jackets and call it a day. But they’re missing the most crucial part: proper fit.

If you have four adults and two children on your boat, six adult life jackets don’t fulfill the requirements. To keep your bases covered at all times, you can keep six child-sized life jackets on your boat in addition to six adult-sized ones.

2. Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers protect you from potential fire hazards aboard your boat. To meet Coast Guard requirements, you not only need to have the right number of fire extinguishers, but you also need to have the right type kept in the right locations.

Where you keep your fire extinguishers depends on the configuration of your boat. For example, a single fire extinguisher meant to protect the entire boat shouldn’t be tucked away in the bow. If you have a galley fire, you may not make it to the front to get it. 

I always recommend having more fire extinguishers than the minimum required. That way, you always have one within reach.

3. Sound-Producing Devices

A sound-producing device is helpful for signaling in situations with poor visibility, such as dense fog. Many mariners use air horns, but as you go through your boating safety checklist, be sure to double-check that your equipment still works. Some air horns lose their charge over time, and they may rust or decay.

4. Visual Distress Signals

If something goes wrong, you need a way to signal other boaters or shore. Visual distress signals such as flares and other devices get the attention of boaters around you in an emergency.

5. Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) or Personal Locator Beacon

Personal locator beacons and EPIRBs send an emergency signal to the Coast Guard when triggered. This ensures that rescue can locate you quickly and accurately during an emergency.

EPIRBs need to be registered so the Coast Guard knows what boat set it off, who the owner is, and how to contact them. You can update the registration as necessary.

I once sold a boat with an EPIRB, and two years later the Coast Guard called to ask if I was okay. Luckily, the new owner had triggered the EPIRB accidentally, so the situation wasn’t urgent. If it had been a real emergency, failing to update the registration could have led to far worse results.

6. VHF Radio

Don’t fall into the common trap of relying on your phone to call for help. Instead, use a VHF radio for communicating with the Coast Guard and other vessels.

The Coast Guard isn’t monitoring your phone, and phones may be less reliable on the water. Plus, you may want to talk to other boaters when you come into dock or need assistance. 

7. Navigation Tools

Up-to-date charts and other navigation tools ensure safe navigation in the area you boat. GPS is great, but electronics often fail. For safe boating, you also need a fixed, reliable compass onboard.

8. First Aid Kit

Any first aid kit is better than no first aid kit, but if you can, make sure yours is designed for marine emergencies. For example, it may have a fish hook remover or a treatment solution for marine bites and stings. A small box of bandages isn’t going to cut it!

9. Toolkit and Spare Parts

Parts break all the time, and having the bare necessities on board to fix common issues yourself is much better than floating around waiting for help. In addition to a basic tool kit, keep spare parts such as spark plugs and fuel filters with you.

10. Anchors and Lines

The Coast Guard doesn’t require an anchor, but I wouldn’t go anywhere without one. Without an anchor, you have no way of keeping your boat from drifting if something goes wrong. Make sure you have the right type of anchor for your boat and the bottom conditions where you operate. 

11. Bilge Pump or Bailer

A bilge pump or bailer isn’t only important for leaks and holes. Dozens of situations could cause you to take on water, such as getting swamped by the wake of a passing boat. Having a way to remove water is essential.

12. Flashlight and Batteries 

A powerful flashlight is crucial for nighttime visibility or just when dark clouds roll in. Look for a waterproof flashlight built for the marine environment, and stock plenty of spare batteries as well.

13. Sun Protection

Sun protection is often overlooked, but it’s one of the most important items for any good boating safety checklist. Besides long-term skin damage, spending too much time unprotected in the sun can lead to headaches, dizziness, and disorientation. You can prevent these issues by wearing sunscreen, sunglasses, protective clothing, and a hat.

Practice Carbon Monoxide (CO) Safety

More than 400 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning each year in the U.S., and more than 100,000 visit the emergency room. But not everyone knows that this odorless, colorless gas presents a real danger not just in homes, but on boats as well.

Practicing good CO safety is an important part of any boating safety checklist. To keep you and your passengers safe from carbon monoxide poisoning, follow these steps:

• Install CO Detectors: Use properly installed and well-maintained UL-approved marine CO detectors on your boat.
• Ensure Proper Ventilation: Keep enclosed spaces well-ventilated to avoid CO buildup; use fans and open windows or doors when feasible.
• Educate Passengers and Crew: Teach everyone on your boat the symptoms of CO poisoning (headache, dizziness, nausea, etc.) for quick identification and action.
• Check Exhaust Outlets: Make sure all boat exhaust outlets are clear before starting engines or generators.
• Be Cautious With Engine Use: Limit engine idling and be mindful of exhaust gas accumulation near the stern and swim platforms.
• Monitor Backdraft: Be alert to backdrafting when the boat moves slowly or idles, adjusting as necessary to reduce risk.

Safety Training for All Passengers

Safe boating is about much more than checking off all the items on your boating safety checklist. In fact, those items are useless if no one knows how to use them correctly. All passengers need basic safety training before coming onboard to ensure they’re aware of risks and how to avoid them. 

The specifics of safety training depend on the type of boat, but in general, I focus my passenger training on three key areas:

• Preparedness: To make sure my passengers are ready for an emergency, I show them how to use the radio, emergency signals, and the GPS. This way, even if something happens to me as the captain, they can still get the help they need.
• Compliance: I go over everything from basic safety rules, like not drinking and driving, to more complex regulations, like requirements for safe boating courses. 
• Communication: I recommend that all passengers understand how to communicate in an emergency — both for their safety and the safety of other boaters. I teach all my passengers the pro words MAYDAY, PAN-PAN, and SECURITÉ so they’re ready for any situation.

Boating is much safer when everyone takes emergencies and accident prevention seriously. The best way to stay ready for any situation is to go beyond the boating safety checklist and become an expert on safe boating practices. 

With a recreational boating or captain’s license course, you can gain the in-depth boating knowledge that helps you stay safer on the water. Learn more about getting started with Mariners Learning System today.