If you are a citizen of the United States, there are certain boating equipments which you MUST have, by the order of the law! However, whether or not you are an American, you would want to buy these equipments anyway – for your own safety and also that of your boat. In this article I will tell you about seven such boating accessories.
Boat Registration papers: All the documents pertaining to the registration and ownership of the boat should be with you at all times, period! If you are not the owner of the boat, you would also want to keep the photo ID card and the identification documents belonging to the owner, in case you have to make an emergency 911 call!
Disposable Flotation Device: By order of the law, if your boat measures sixteen feet or more, you are required to have one disposable floating device onboard; an example being the life ring!
Life Jackets: These are stuff that you cannot do without. Accidents can happen, and the best we can do is to take certain precautionary measures. Life jackets can be useful not only for saving your life (and also the lives of your passengers), but also in increasing the resale value of your boat!
Visual Distress Signals: Like I said, accidents can happen, and the best we can do is to take certain preventive measures. This is one more boating accessory you must have, whether or not it is a legal requirement in your country (this is usually not a legal requirement if you are sailing through coastal waters such as seas, bays, lakes, etc). These distress signals are important whether you are going out in daytime or at night; these signals are often used to notify the coast guard in case any danger befalls you! These signals burn very intensely, so they should be used with extreme care.
Whistle or Horn: If you are sailing on federal waters, then this is a MUST-have by the order of the law! It does not really matter what kind of vessel you are using, because this legal requirement applies to them all! It helps you alert the authorities or other members of your crew in case you find yourself in trouble.
Navigation Lights: Like Visual Distress signals, navigation lights are also a legal requirement for any powered boat that is sailing after sunset. You would want to check with the federal law for specifies in this regard!
Flame Arrestor: Unlike the navigation lights which is required only for those powered boats which are operating after sunset, having a flame arrestor is a legal requirement for all kinds of powered boats!
While these boating accessories and equipments are legal requirements, it is even more important to have them with you so as to ensure that your journey does not turn into a disaster!
To learn about other important boat accessories and equipments, as well as purchasing guidelines, please visit, [adrotate banner=”7″]