On the Water

Safety

The kit a boat must carry, the checks that catch a problem at the dock instead of offshore, the float plan that gets someone looking for you, and the navigation lights that tell other boats what you are doing after dark. Written for every kind of boat, from a runabout to a cruising yacht.

6 guides

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Boat Safety Equipment Checklist

What the law requires, what a sensible crew adds, and how to check it all before the season.

Read the guide
Safety12 min read

Boat Fire Extinguisher Requirements: How Many, Which Rating, When They Expire, and the Ten Seconds That Count

A marine 5-B holds about ten seconds of powder. The Coast Guard rules straight from 33 CFR 175 Subpart E: which boats must carry one (the closed spaces, not the engine), how many by length, 5-B, 10-B and 20-B against the old B-I and B-II, the model year 2018 line, the 12-year rule for disposables, what serviceable means since the 2022 rule, dry chemical vs CO2 vs clean agent, where to mount them, how to use one, and fire at anchor: the galley, lithium charging and the burning boat upwind.

October 9, 2026

Safety12 min read

Life Jacket Types Explained: Type I to V, the New Level Labels, and What the Coast Guard Actually Requires

Everyone searches for a Type II; the shelf sells Level 70. What each of the five old Types was for, why the Coast Guard took the Type codes out of the law in 2014 and replaced them with Level 50, 70 and 100 labels shared with Canada, the old Types translated into newtons, how to read the new icon label, the federal rules (one per person, the throwable at 16 ft, children under 13), why the label itself is part of the law, the inflatable rules that changed for under-16s, which jacket for which boat, and the life jacket at anchor.

October 8, 2026

Rules14 min read

Boat Navigation Lights Explained: Red, Green, White & What to Show

Navigation lights aren't there so you can see — they're a sentence you write to another boat. What the red and green lights mean, why the arcs are 112.5°, 225° and 135° (they tile a circle), the visibility ranges by boat length, exactly what to show under power, under sail and at anchor, and the five mistakes made by boats whose lights are working perfectly.

July 29, 2026

Seamanship9 min read

What Is a Float Plan? What to Include, and Who to Leave It With

A float plan is a one-page record of your boat, crew, route and a raise-the-alarm time — left with a trusted person ashore, not filed with the Coast Guard. The one thing everyone gets wrong, exactly what goes on it, who to give it to, and why closing it out matters as much as leaving it — with a save-and-pin checklist card.

July 25, 2026

Seamanship9 min read

Boat Pre-Departure Checklist: The 5-Minute Check Before You Leave the Dock

A pre-departure checklist you can run in five minutes before every trip — boat and systems, safety and crew, then the plan and the weather — plus the distinction that makes it useful: it checks the state of the boat right now, not the seasonal maintenance, the gear inventory or the float plan. The four lists people confuse, side by side.

July 24, 2026

Safety12 min read

Boat Safety Equipment Checklist: What the Coast Guard Requires by Boat Length

The full federal requirement table by boat length — life jackets, throwable, fire extinguishers, distress signals, sound device, engine cut-off switch and placards — plus the two extinguisher rules that fail more safety checks than anything else (the 2018 labelling change and the 12-year date stamp), and the gear the law forgets: an anchor, and an alarm for the hours you're asleep on it.

July 21, 2026

Safety: common questions

What safety equipment is required on a boat?
It depends on the country and the boat's length, but the core is the same almost everywhere: a lifejacket for every person aboard, a throwable flotation device, a fire extinguisher, a sound signal, navigation lights, and visual distress signals for coastal waters. In the US the Coast Guard sets the list by length; in Europe it is set nationally and often by distance from shore. Offshore boats add a liferaft, an EPIRB and a VHF with DSC.
What is a float plan?
A written summary of who is aboard, where you are going, when you expect to arrive and what the boat looks like, left with someone ashore who will raise the alarm if you do not check in. It is not filed with the coastguard — it is given to a person you trust, and it is closed out on arrival so nobody launches a search for a boat that is tied up and having dinner.
What light must a boat show at anchor?
An all-round white light, visible through 360 degrees, shown from sunset to sunrise and in restricted visibility — the anchor light. Vessels under 7 m outside channels and anchorages are exempt, but almost nobody is anchored where that exemption applies. A masthead tricolour or steaming light is the wrong light and tells other boats you are moving.

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