Similarly, you will want to buy paper navigation charts that cover for your area. If you're a serious boater, you'll learn how to read these charts and you'll keep them up to date and readily available on board–even if you have an electronic chart plotter. If you lose power, a paper chart and a flashlight can get you home.
FIRST AID, TOOLS AND SPARES
First aid kits come in any size, from a Band-Aid package and a bottle of Bactine to a professional medical kit. The best advice is to take stock of the kind of boating you do and where you do it, then chose or assemble a kit for your needs. If you're just going out for a spin on a lake, that's one thing. If you're about to head out for a five-day blue-water cruise, that's another. In either case, you will want to carry basics on board to treat common maladies such as cuts, stings, burns, headaches and seasickness.
GLEN JUSTICEBoats 16 feet or longer must carry throwable devices and store them where they are readily available. Rings and throw lines, shown here, are two examples.
Similarly, tool kits come in all sizes and they too are part of emergency preparedness. You may need to make basic repairs, or assess problems in an emergency. One good strategy is to start with a basic toolbox that has an assortment of wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers and other essentials. You can then add to it as you do projects or as needs arise.
More important are spare parts, such as oil and fuel filters, belts and impellers. If you run into trouble away from your home port, you can usually find a boat mechanic. But it's not always easy to find spare parts, particularly if you have an older boat or an uncommon model.
You can build a spare parts locker yourself, by listing part numbers and ordering from a marine store. Another strategy is to solicit help from a mechanic, who can usually assemble a basic kit quickly, or contact your engine manufacturer or distributor. Often, they sell prefabricated kits. They may be more expensive, because they contain brand-name parts. But you know they will be sized correctly.
You'll also need a "dewatering device," which is the Coast Guard term for anything you can use to bail out excess water, from a plain plastic bucket to a gasoline-powered pump. Many boaters use thin gray hand-pumps that are operated with a push-pull handle. Whatever you buy, make sure it'll do the job for your boat. It's too late trade it in once you are taking on water.
Of course, the list of safety gear can go on and on. You need a boat hook, and maybe two if your boat is longer than 20 feet; fenders large enough to protect your boat and perhaps a pump to keep them firm; a set of paddles or oars, which can be used to propel smaller boats and fashion an emergency rudder on larger boats; and a deck key to access the openings to your water, fuel and waste tanks. Be sure to buy a float for it.
COMPLYING WITH REGULATIONS
You must carry your vessel's registration papers from the state or the Coast Guard. If your boat is registered with a state, you need to display your registration numbers on the forward half of your vessel, either on a plaque or on the hull itself, just below the gunwales. If your boat is a documented by the Coast Guard, the documentation number must be etched into a structural part of the vessel, usually down below.
