Required Boat Safety Gear

USCG regulations require that a number of safety items be carried on every boat, according to size. It is the operator’s responsibility to make sure that all required equipment is aboard. The coast guard conducts random checks of recreational boats, and if the required equipment is not aboard, the vessel will have to return — with the USCG vessel — to the nearest port. It could ruin your whole day. Check out our general list of what boaters need to carry, use our link to the USCG website for more specifics for each boat size, and read our suggestions for additional gear.

A checklist of appropriate gear can vary from boat to boat, but there are some items all boats should always have on board.

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