Boating Accessories That Prepare You For Anything On The Water

There are two basic categories of boat safety gear: required and recommended. Required equipment is needed to meet the standards set by government authorities on minimum boat safety. Required gear may also need to be presented to game wardens while on the water. The requirements can differ by length of the boat, so before buying your boating accessories in Toronto, CA, make sure you understand precisely what your vessel needs. Recommended gear, while not mandatory, is still highly advisable to carry to ensure maximum safety for all boaters.

Required Boat Safety Equipment

Safety items that fall under required safety equipment are an absolute must to carry on board to meet all legal regulations and pass any warden’s inspection.

PERSONAL FLOTATION DEVICE (PFD) - Federal law states that every vessel, regardless of length, must have one life vest for each sailor among the boating accessories on board. Also, boats that are 16 feet or more in length must always carry one throwable flotation device. Check with experts, and be sure to buy the right life vests.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER - Fire extinguishers are classified by letters to indicate the type of fire they’re designed to extinguish:

A - for combustible solids, wood, paper, cloth, etc.

B - for flammable liquids and gases

C - for energized electrical equipment

D - for combustible metals

SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICE - According to federal regulations, all boats 40 feet or shorter should carry in their boating accessories, some means of creating a sound signal that is audible for half a mile. An athletic whistle or handheld horn is an acceptable sound-producing device for these vessels.

VISUAL DISTRESS SIGNAL - There are different types of these signals, including red meteor, boat flares, orange handheld or floating smoke signals, orange distress flags, and electric distress lights. Vessels of any length must carry a combination of three daytime VDSs and three nighttime VDSs. Some boat flares can be used for both circumstances.