Boat Safety Checklist

Who this is for: recreational boats under 40 feet in the United States. The equipment rules below are the federal minimums; most states add their own on top (life jackets for kids, education cards, BUI limits), so check your state's boating page once a season. Commercial vessels and boats outside the U.S. have different rules.

• Before you leave
• Life jackets
• Cut-off switch
• Signals and radio
• Fire extinguishers
• Lights and rules of the road
• Cold water
• Lightning
• Alcohol and carbon monoxide
• The 60 second check
• Gear
• Sources

Before you leave the dock

• WeatherRead the marine forecast the morning you go, not the night before. If thunderstorms are in the forecast, the National Weather Service's advice for small open boats is simple: do not go out.
• Float planTell someone ashore where you are launching, where you are going, who is aboard, what the boat looks like, and when you will check in. Give them a phone number for everyone on board. If you miss the check-in, that person calls your two contacts, then local rescue (sheriff, police, or the Coast Guard). You do not file a float plan with the Coast Guard; you leave it with a person who will act.
• FuelThe old rule of thirds still works: one third out, one third back, one third in reserve for wind, current, or a detour. A fuel gauge on a planing boat lies when the bow is up, so plan on the gallons, not the needle.
• CrewShow every passenger where the life jackets are, how to put one on, where the fire extinguisher is, and how to call for help on the radio or phone if you are the one in the water. Thirty seconds at the dock.
• Cut-off switchFind the lanyard before you start the engine, not after you are on plane. Details below.

Life jackets

Federal law requires one wearable, Coast Guard approved life jacket for every person on board, in a size that fits them. Boats 16 feet and longer also need one throwable device (a cushion or ring) within reach. A jacket still in its plastic wrapper counts legally and fails in practice; nobody digs one out of a locker after they are already in the water.

• ChildrenOn federal waters, children under 13 must wear a life jacket whenever the boat is underway unless they are below deck or inside an enclosed cabin. Many states set a different age; the state rule applies on state waters.
• FitBuckle it, then lift at the shoulders. If it rides up past the ears, it is too big. Kids outgrow them; check before the first trip of the year.
• InflatablesAn inflatable only counts when it is worn, and only for adults. Check the CO2 cartridge and the green indicator each spring. They are not approved for children or for personal watercraft.
• When to wear itUnderway in a small boat, in water under 70 degrees, at night, alone, and any time the ride is rough. The water temperature section below explains why cold water changes the math.

The engine cut-off switch

If you go over the side at speed, a boat without a clipped-in cut-off lanyard keeps going, usually in a circle, and comes back for you. That is the whole reason the rule exists.

• The ruleBoats under 26 feet built since January 2020 come with an engine cut-off switch, and since April 2021 the operator must have the link attached whenever the boat is on plane or above displacement speed. Idling, docking, and trolling are exempt, as are boats whose main helm is inside an enclosed cabin.
• Older boatsNo federal requirement to add one, but most outboards made in the last 25 years already have the lanyard clip at the key or throttle. Use it.
• WirelessA wireless fob that shuts the engine off when it goes in the water satisfies the rule and lets you move around the helm. Test it in open water once a season.

Distress signals and the radio

• FlaresOn coastal waters, the Great Lakes, and bays and rivers that open to them, boats 16 feet and longer must carry visual distress signals for both day and night; boats under 16 feet need night signals only when out after dark. Three day signals and three night signals, or combination devices, meet the rule.
• ExpirationPyrotechnic flares expire 42 months after the date of manufacture, which is printed on the flare. Expired flares do not count toward the three, though many boaters keep them aboard as extras. An electronic SOS distress light never expires and counts for night; pair it with an orange flag for the day signal.
• SoundEvery boat under 39.4 feet (12 meters) must carry an efficient sound producing device: an installed horn, a handheld horn, or a whistle. Clip a whistle to each life jacket and you have covered the person in the water, too.
• VHFChannel 16 is the distress and hailing channel. For a life-threatening emergency: "Mayday, mayday, mayday," the boat's name three times, your position, what is wrong, how many people are aboard, then release the button and listen. A handheld VHF reaches farther than a phone on most of the coast and keeps working when the phone is wet.

Gear for this step

Air Horn 1.4ozA handheld air horn with a trigger top that fits a glove box or a life jacket pocketView productSee current price at betterboat.comAir Horn RefillsTwo replacement canisters for the 1.4 ounce horn.View productSee current price at betterboat.com

Fire extinguishers

The rule changed in April 2022, and plenty of boats still carry extinguishers that no longer count.

• 12 yearsA disposable (non-rechargeable) extinguisher with a date of manufacture on the bottle is expired 12 years after that date and has to come off the boat. The date is usually stamped near the bottom; some are printed as a two-digit year.
• RatingBoats of model year 2018 and newer must carry 5-B or 20-B rated extinguishers that are date stamped. Older boats may keep B-I or B-II units in good, serviceable condition, or switch to the new ratings. A 10-B counts only as one 5-B.
• How manyUnder 26 feet: one 5-B when the boat has an inboard, an enclosed engine or fuel compartment, a permanently installed fuel tank, or closed living spaces. From 26 to under 40 feet: two 5-B units or one 20-B. Mounted where you can reach it from the helm without going through the fire.
• MonthlyGauge in the green, pin and seal in place, no corrosion, nozzle clear. Turn a dry chemical unit upside down and tap it so the powder does not pack.

Navigation lights and the rules of the road

• WhenLights on from sunset to sunrise and in fog, rain, or haze. Test them at the dock in daylight; an LED that dies at anchor is hard to fix in the dark.
• Red right returningComing in from open water, keep red buoys and markers on your right (starboard) and green on your left. Heading out, the reverse. On rivers, "returning" means heading upstream.
• CrossingWhen two powerboats cross, the boat on your right has the right of way. You give way by slowing or turning to starboard behind it, early and obviously, so the other skipper can see what you are doing. Head to head, both boats turn right.
• OvertakingThe boat being passed holds its course and speed. The boat passing keeps clear, on either side, and owns its wake.
• LookoutRules do not help if nobody is watching. Someone at the helm is looking forward at all times, and the speed is one you can stop from in the distance you can actually see.

Gear for this step

Boat Stern Lights LED Dome DesignAn all-round white LED stern and anchor light, tested to USCG standards; check the pole height and pin...View productSee current price at betterboat.comBoat Stern Light BaseA 2 pin base to replace a corroded socketView productSee current price at betterboat.com

Cold water

Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht's 1-10-1 principle is the easiest way to remember what happens:

• 1 minute of cold shock. The gasp reflex and hyperventilation can drown a strong swimmer who goes under during that first breath. Keep your face out of the water and get your breathing under control. A life jacket does this part for you.
• 10 minutes of meaningful movement. After that, the muscles in your arms and legs stop cooperating. Use the time to get back aboard, to the boat, or to anything that floats. Do not swim for a shore that looks close; distances over water fool everyone.
• 1 hour, roughly, before hypothermia makes an adult unconscious. If you cannot get out, pull your knees up, keep your arms tight, and stay with the boat, because a boat is far easier to spot than a head.

Gear for this step

Water Throw BagA floating rescue line packed in a bag you throw to the person in the water, in 50, 70 or 98 foot...View productSee current price at betterboat.comBoat HookA boat hook that threads onto a standard pole for reaching a line, a hat or a person in the water...View productSee current price at betterboat.com

Cold water is why the engine cut-off switch and the life jacket matter more in spring and fall than in July. Keep a dry layer and a towel aboard, and bring anyone who went in back to the ramp even if they say they are fine.

Lightning

• ForecastIf thunderstorms are forecast, a small open boat stays on the trailer. Most lightning deaths on boats happen on boats with no cabin.
• 30 and 30When you see lightning, count until you hear thunder. Thirty seconds or less means the storm is close enough to hit you; head in. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back out.
• Caught outIf you cannot reach land, drop anchor, get everyone as low in the boat as they can, stay away from metal (rails, the wheel, the tower), and do not touch two metal objects at once. Stay off the radio and electronics unless you are calling for help.
• CabinBoats with a cabin are safer inside the cabin, away from metal fittings. Fishing rods, antennas, and outriggers come down early.

Gear for this step

Boat Anchor KitAn anchor, rode, chain and shackle sold as a set, sized by boat length on the product page.View productSee current price at betterboat.com

Alcohol and carbon monoxide

• BUIOperating a boat at 0.08 blood alcohol or higher is a federal offense, and the states enforce it on their own waters with fines, jail, and loss of licenses. Sun, wind, engine noise, and the motion of the boat make a given number of drinks hit harder than they do at home.
• Designated skipperDecide at the dock who drives home, and that person stays dry all day.
• VentilationA gasoline inboard or sterndrive gets its bilge blower run for four minutes before every start, and after fueling, so fuel vapor is out of the engine compartment before a spark. Smell the bilge before you turn the key; your nose beats the blower.
• Carbon monoxideExhaust collects at the swim platform and under the stern of a boat idling or running slowly, especially with a canvas enclosure up. Nobody swims near the platform with an engine or generator running, nobody rides the swim platform underway, and a cabin with a generator gets a marine CO detector.

Gear for this step

Boat Bilge Blower FanAn inline 12 volt blower for the engine compartment vent hoseView productSee current price at betterboat.comBoat Blower Hose3 inch or 4 inch hose to match the blowerView productSee current price at betterboat.com

The 60 second check before you cast off

• Forecast read today; no thunderstorms in the window.
• Float plan with someone who will call if you are late.
• A fitted life jacket on or at hand for every person; kids under 13 wearing theirs.
• Throwable device and a throw bag within reach of the helm.
• Engine cut-off lanyard or fob on the driver.
• Flares in date, horn or whistle aboard, VHF or phone charged.
• Fire extinguisher in the green and under 12 years old.
• Navigation lights tested if you might be out past sunset.
• Fuel for the trip plus a third in reserve.
• Bilge pump runs, drain plug is in.
• Sober skipper for the ride home.

Gear for this step

Automatic Bilge PumpA 12 volt pump with a built in float switch that runs when water rises in the bilgeView productSee current price at betterboat.comManual Hand Bilge PumpA hand pump for a boat without power or with a dead batteryView productSee current price at betterboat.comBoat Transom Drain Plug KitTransom drain plugs with a spare, so the plug missing at the ramp is not the only oneView productSee current price at betterboat.com

Gear for this job

Air Horn 1.4ozA handheld air horn with a trigger topView productSee current price at betterboat.comAir Horn 3.5ozThe larger canister for a boat that lives on the waterView productSee current price at betterboat.comBoat Stern Lights LED Dome DesignAn all-round white LED stern and anchor light, tested to USCG standardsView productSee current price at betterboat.comBoat Stern Light BaseA 2 pin base for a stern or anchor light poleView productSee current price at betterboat.comAutomatic Bilge PumpA 12 volt bilge pump with a built in float switchView productSee current price at betterboat.comManual Hand Bilge PumpA hand pump for when the battery is deadView productSee current price at betterboat.comBoat Transom Drain Plug KitTransom drain plugs with a spareView productSee current price at betterboat.comBoat Bilge Blower FanAn inline 12 volt engine compartment blowerView productSee current price at betterboat.comBoat Anchor KitAnchor, rode, chain and shackle as a setView productSee current price at betterboat.comBoat HookA boat hook that threads onto a standard poleView productSee current price at betterboat.comWater Throw BagA floating rescue line in a throw bag, 50 to 98 feetView productSee current price at betterboat.com

Sources

The equipment rules above are the federal minimums as published by the U.S. Coast Guard and the BoatUS Foundation at the time of writing. States add requirements. When a number here and your state's boating handbook disagree, the handbook wins on that state's waters.

• U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division: engine cut-off switch FAQ; fire extinguisher FAQ and the April 20, 2022 rule; A Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats (life jackets, children under 13, visual distress signals, sound devices, navigation lights); boating under the influence.
• BoatUS Foundation study guide: visual distress signals (day and night counts, 42 month flare expiration, electronic SOS light), required equipment, navigation lights, rules of the road, alcohol and boating.
• U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Float Plan Central: what a float plan contains and what the plan holder does when you are overdue.
• National Weather Service lightning safety: the 30 and 30 rule, guidance for open boats, waiting 30 minutes after the last thunder.
• Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, University of Manitoba: the 1-10-1 principle for cold water immersion; National Center for Cold Water Safety on the 70 degree threshold.