Boating is a fantastic way to spend time with family and friends and enjoy the fresh air. However, we all know that conditions can change, and things can happen, so it is important to be prepared and carry all of the required equipment. The Sea Tow Foundation has put together a list of the 10 Essentials for Boating to make sure you have everything you need (plus everything required to take) before heading out for a day or weekend on the water. And, these would be great gift ideas for the boaters in your life! We've provided some links to help you purchase our favorite items*!

1. Life Jackets – The Coast Guard requires that a properly fitted life jacket be on board for each person in the boating group plus a throwable device like a ring buoy or floating cushion. While the universal-size life jackets that came with your boat will meet the requirements for adults, they won’t fit children, so you’ll need to have other life jackets for them. And it’s also a good idea to invest in some better life jackets for the adults that are comfortable and will provide better buoyancy like an inflatable life jacket. And, make sure that throwable device has some rope tied to it so you can bring someone back onto the boat! Don't forget that the Sea Tow Foundation’s nationwide life jacket loaner program has over 1,300 stations where you can easily borrow a vest-style life jacket if you invite any last minute guests on board and need a life jacket for them.
   
   
2. Fire Extinguishers – If your boat has an engine, you are required to have a fire extinguisher on board. It also needs to be rated for marine use. Even a personal watercraft needs to have a fire extinguisher on board. 
   
   
3. Signaling Gear – If you need to get help to your position or notify someone of a problem, you’ll need to carry signaling gear. For non-powered boats on inland lakes and rivers, a mirror is usually sufficient, but if you are on a power boat or are going into the Great Lakes or Coastal waters, then you're required to carry traditional flares or an E-Flare. For more information about the different types of flares, check out our page devoted to Flare Education.
   
   
4. Lights – Boats are required to have Navigation Lights (red, green and white) to help other boats see you on the water and know which direction you are moving. If you are in a non-powered boat, even if you don’t plan to be on the water after dark, it is a good idea to carry a water-proof flashlight on board. As the days get shorter in the fall and spring, the nighttime often sneaks up on you and it is good to know that a flashlight can help you with finding the boat ramp and it also alerts other boats to your position so that they can avoid you.
   
   
5. Anchor and Extra Line – Being able to stop your boat from moving is important if the battery or engine fails so that you don’t drift into a boating channel or into dangerous waters. That's why carrying an anchor is required. The anchor should be strong enough for the type and size of boat that you’re using and rated for the bottom type that is found in that area whether that is mud, sand, clay, grass, or rocks.
   
   
6. Safety Kit – This is one of the items that it's required for legal purposes, but you should still take the time to put together a boating safety kit that includes a first aid kit complete with bandages, gauze, tape, alcohol wipes, anti-nausea medicine, gloves, tweezers, and cold compresses. If anyone in your boating group has a medical condition like Diabetes, it is a good idea to include glucose tablets or tubes of icing to assist with low blood sugar. Adding a Multi-Tool and duct tape to any safety kit are good ideas as they both can be used in multiple ways whether that is patching up the boat or a wound.
   
   
7. Sound Signal Device – Depending on the type of boat you’re using, helps determine the type of signaling device youre required to carry. A canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard should have a whistle attached to every life jacket and it isn’t a bad idea to add whistles to the life jackets on every type of boat, too. Any boat less than 39.4 feet in length must have some device that can produce a sound, so powerboats often have a horn on board to meet this requirement. Boats that are larger need to make sure that the device can be heard for a half mile with a 4-6 second duration.
   
   
8. Communications Device – Getting in touch with a friend or family member to let them know that you’ll be late for dinner is important, but being able to get help in an emergency is critical. You can’t always rely on a cell phone to work, even on an inland lake or river, so it is a good idea to carry a VHF radio or a satellite communication device like a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) or a Garmin InReach.
   
   
9. License, Registration, and Nautical Chart – All boat operators are required to carry their boat’s registration paperwork as well as a copy of their boating license and/or driver’s license. It’s also a good idea to have a paper chart of your waterway just in case the electronics don’t work for some reason. And, keeping all of these in a waterproof pouch is a smart idea so that they stay dry at all times.
   
   
10. Food and Water – The last item isn't required, but is always a good idea for any trip out on the water. Plan to pack enough food and drinks for everyone on board for at least double the amount of time that you plan to be on the water. If you are packing for an afternoon boat ride that will last 4 hours, make sure to have enough food and water that you can be comfortable for at least 8 hours. That way, if you are delayed in returning to the boat dock for whatever reason, you and your boating group will not feel as hungry and thirsty as they otherwise would.

Bonus item: Having a Sea Tow Membership is always a smart idea so that you and your boat will be taken care of because members always get priority service. And this mans that you can get back to enjoying your day on the water even faster.

*The Sea Tow Foundation may receive compensation as an affiliate of Amazon for purchases made with these links.

When it comes to flares, many boaters may not be aware that now there are options. Hand held pyrotechnic flares are what you traditionally find on boats as they have been the only option until recently. Handheld flares expire 42 months after their manufacture date and should be stored in a cool dry place. To light a pyrotechnic hand-held flare, remove the plastic cap and hold it in one hand. Strike the end of the cap against the striker tip of the flare and keep it pointed away from you, the boat, and other equipment. Hand-held flares are both a day and night visual distress signals and burn for roughly 2 minutes. It is recommended to keep a pair of protective gloves in your flare kit to protect your hands from burning slag.

In the past few years, many manufacturers started offering Coast Guard certified electronic flares (or e-flares) as an alternative to the traditional pyrotechnic kind. An e-flare serves as your night time distress signal. Each e-flare will come with an orange distress flag that will be used as your day signal.  E-flares are as easy to operate as a flashlight and do not expire. They only require that you check the batteries on a regular basis.  When used, the e-flare will flash the S-O-S signal for at least 2 hours, much longer than a traditional flare.  Even if you still choose to carry traditional flares, adding an e-flare to your boat's safety kit is a smart idea.

For more flare education go to www.boatingsafety.com/FlareEducation

Boaters operating on coastal waters, the Great Lakes, or any river that opens into one of those is required to carry Visual Distress Signals (VDS) that can be used during the day and night to show that you’re in need of help due to an emergency. Up until recently, the only VDS options were flares, but they have many concerns. First, they have to stay dry to work and won’t work if soaked in water, which is a likely scenario on a boat. Second, they expire 42 months after they are manufactured, so they have to be replaced frequently. Third, they can easily burn people or the boat because they are very hot and drip hot slag. Plus, the light only lasts up to 2 minutes. Lastly, they can’t be thrown in the regular household trash and there are few disposal locations around the country.

Electronic visual distress signals (eVDS) entered the market a few years ago and have revolutionized the VDS market. An E-Flare is another name for these devices that can float, never expire, are safe enough for a child to use without fear of being burned, and the light from an E-Flare lasts at least 2 hours. E-Flares operate on batteries that will need to be replaced every few years, but these batteries can be recycled. An E-Flare that is certified by the U.S. Coast Guard for meeting carriage requirements starts at $60-75 and more sophisticated versions cost more. Make the switch to an E-Flare today! Find more information on our website at https://www.boatingsafety.com/page/FlareEducation.

Did you enjoy this blog? To help us continue providing these boating safety tips, please consider a donation to the Sea Tow Foundation today to help us continue our efforts to educate boaters and keep them safe on the water. You can donate securely online at www.boatingsafety.com/donatetoday or by clicking on the DONATE tab at the top of the page.

Every Boater Should be Prepared For Nighttime Boating, even if it isn’t planned

The first day of fall doesn't mean the boating season has to end any time soon. However, boating during the fall season means that nightfall will be happening much earlier than you realize. So, as the days get shorter and you find yourself unexpectedly out on the water after sunset, you should know what to do to keep you, your passengers, and your boat safe while boating in the nighttime.

The following tips and best practices will help ensure a safe and fun boating experience at night:

1. It’s the law! Make sure all navigation lights onboard are working, and that they comply with U.S. Coast Guard regulations. And make sure to turn them on before it gets completely dark so that other boats can see you.

2. Go slow. There may be hazards in the water such as pilings or exposed rocks that are harder to see at night. By driving your boat slowly, you’ll be better prepared to see and avoid these hazards.

3. Learn how to determine a boat’s speed and movement by looking at its navigation lights. If a boat approaching from the side stays in the same relative position to your boat, it could be on a collision course. Slow down or turn until its relative position begins to change. You could also contact the other boater on your VHF-FM radio and let them know your position, speed and course heading.

4. Have another person besides the boat operator act as a lookout - two sets of eyes are better than one. A lookout can allow the operator to concentrate on proper navigation and be alerted of any hazards.

5. Everyone on board should wear a life jacket. If someone should end up overboard, the jacket’s high-visibility color and reflectors will help rescue efforts in low light or dark conditions. Plus, swimming in the dark with no lights around can be scary and confusing, so a life jacket will keep the person afloat. And ensure that every life jacket has a whistle attached to it to allow the person to signal where they are.

6. Visual distress signals are required to be carried on board certain boats by the U.S. Coast Guard depending on where they are operating. New electronic flare models have recently been certified for use and can be substituted for pyrotechnic flares, which can be harmful to the environment and expire after 3 years, which means that they would need to be replaced. The new e-flares never expire and require only a new set of batteries to be operable, plus they float!

7. Every boat should have a GPS/fishfinder even if the owner is navigating in familiar waters. Make sure to dim the screen to its lowest visible setting to preserve night vision. If your boat doesn’t have a navigation aid, use a smartphone to download the Navionics app, which uses the phone’s internal GPS. There’s a two-week trial that allows the operator to download local charts for free.

8. While boaters should always carry a high-poweed flashlight, it shouldn’t be used for navigation. The powerful white beam impairs night vision and can blind a boater coming toward you, but it can be used to search for someone who has fallen overboard or as an all-around white light by pointing it upwards in cases where the navigation lights are not working.

9. If you plan to operate your boat at night on a regular basis, you may want to invest in night vision equipment. It uses infrared heat signatures to help identify obstructions on the water, and some options can even function as a low-light color video camera that helps you see almost as if it’s day light.

10. If people on land are expecting your boat’s arrival before dark, call and let them know your status so that they don’t initiate a search and rescue operation based on your float plan.

11. If you are still having issues navigating in the dark and feel it’s unsafe to proceed, help is just a phone call away to your local Sea Tow franchise. You will need to be able to provide your coordinates and location and ensure that your boat is not in a channel and is also visible with lights so that it does not pose a threat to anyone else on the water.

Have you been boating at night unexpectedly during autumn or any other time of year and have any other tips? If so, provide them below in the comments.

If you found this article helpful or entertaining, please consider a donation to the Sea Tow Foundation today to help us continue our efforts to educate boaters and keep them safe on the water. You can donate securely online at www.boatingsafety.com/donatetoday or by clicking on the DONATE tab at the top of the page.

Photo by Bob Burkhard on Unsplash

May 17 - Emergency Signaling Devices are Required

If there is an emergency on your boat, it is time to signal for help! This may mean using a flag, a whistle, a horn, or a mirror, but the most commonly carried piece of emergency signaling equipment is a set of flares. However, there are two issues with flares. 1) Where to store them to keep them dry and yet easily accessible and 2) They expire after 3 years and need to be replaced.

First, you need a kit that will be resourceful in the toughest of situations – that’s where Life Cell Marine comes in with its variety of floating boxes. These boxes are designed to hold all of your safety equipment in one place so it’s easily accessible and all equipment remains operational in the event that your boat sinks because the boxes float!

Sirius Signal Distress Signals replace the one-time use of your typical pyrotechnic flares with a single U.S. Coast Guard approved SOS distress device. This electronic flare is easy to spot and operate and it never expires. Sirius Signal also features an alert app – which helps communicate float plans, provides instant communication of location and the graphic indication of an SOS distress call.

Now that you’re ready in case of an emergency with your Emergency Signaling Device – are you ready to guess our mystery phrase too? Today’s letter is E.