Essential Equipment for Your Boat

Obtaining your boat licence is a great first step towards unlocking the type of maritime career you’ve always wanted, or endless hours of fun on the water. It is important to acknowledge however that it is exactly that – a first step. Any seasoned veteran knows that there are key pieces of equipment for your boat that you should never leave the dock without.

Your Essential Boating Equipment

The essential pieces of equipment that you should have with you on any trip at sea include, but are not limited to, things like:

• Boat Anchor. It’s very important to understand that not all boat anchors are created equally. You must always choose the right size and type of anchor for the specific vessel you’re piloting, as well as the nature of the seabed that you’ll be navigating.
• Bailer. These are buckets of metal, canvas or plastic that have a lanyard attached that can be used for both bailing water as well as fighting fires should the need arise.
• EPIRB. Also called an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, your EPIRB must transmit on 406 MHz, must be properly registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, and must conform to all other standards dictated by AS/NZS 4280.1.
• Flares. In the event that you run into trouble on your boat and other vessels (or even aircraft) begin a search for you, flares are the single best way to help make sure that you can always be spotted when you need it the most. For the best results, always have at least two flares designed for night or day use AND two flares designed specifically for day use at the ready.
• Fresh drinking water. While not necessarily “equipment” in the strictest definition of the term, if you’re planning to spend any length of time on the water, having two litres of fresh water per person will always help ensure everyone stays hydrated.
• Paddles or oars. Many people don’t realise that having oars with rowlocks or paddles is an absolute requirement for the vast majority of vessels under six metres in length. The only way to get around this is if the vessel in question also has a second means of propulsion.
• Sound signal. This is another mission-critical piece of equipment that will absolutely come in handy if you ever run into trouble. Having something like an air horn, a whistle, or even a loud bell will help a great deal if you get into a situation where people have to come looking for you.
• V sheets. V sheets are another piece of equipment that is required to be carried by ALL vessels that are operating in the open oceans in and around Australia. V sheets have a black V on a bright orange background and are used to attract attention in an emergency.

These are just a few of the key pieces of equipment that you’ll need to have on your boat to help keep things as safe and as secure as possible at all times. If you’re interested in finding out more about obtaining your boat licence, or to learn more about any of the other maritime training courses we offer, please don’t delay, contact Maritime and Safety Training today for more information.