Boat Safety Equipment Checker

US Coast Guard minimums by boat size, plus the gear experienced sailors add. Pick your boat, print the list, stow it aboard. Background reading: the complete guide. State rules can add requirements; verify against uscgboating.org.

Your boat

Required by the US Coast Guard

  • Wearable life jackets — One USCG-approved, properly sized wearable PFD per person aboard. Children under 13 wear theirs underway (most states).
  • Sound-producing device — Whistle or horn audible at least half a mile
  • Navigation lights — Required if operating between sunset and sunrise or in restricted visibility.
  • Throwable flotation device — One Type IV throwable (cushion or ring buoy), immediately available.
  • Fire extinguisher(s) — Two 5-B rated extinguishers, or one 20-B. Must be less than 12 years old and in serviceable condition.
  • Engine cut-off switch link — Required to be used on boats under 26 ft with an ECOS-equipped motor while planing (federal law since 2021).
  • Backfire flame arrestor & ventilation — Gasoline inboards: approved flame arrestor and ventilated engine/fuel spaces.
  • Visual distress signals — Day and night signals required on coastal waters — typically 3 day/night flares in date, or approved substitutes.

Recommended for coastal sailing

  • First-aid kit — Stocked for your crew and cruising range, and restocked after every use.
  • Anchor and rode — Sized to the boat, rigged to deploy quickly — the most underrated safety item aboard.
  • Manual bilge pump or bailer — Independent of the battery bank.
  • VHF radio — Fixed with DSC + MMSI registered, or at minimum a charged handheld.
  • Paper chart & compass — The navigation that still works when the electronics do not.
  • Float plan — Left with someone ashore — build one free at watchkeeper.me/tools/float-plan.
  • PLB or EPIRB — Registered personal or vessel beacon once you sail beyond easy VHF range.
  • MOB recovery gear — Lifesling or equivalent, and a crew that has practiced with it.
Print or “Save as PDF” and keep a copy aboard.

Owning the gear is half the job — the other half is knowing it is in date. WatchKeeper’s Safety Locker tracks every item, its location aboard, and its expiry and service dates, and your float plan pulls the list automatically. Start free.

Summary of USCG minimums for recreational vessels as of July 2026. State requirements vary; verify at uscgboating.org and with your state boating authority.