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List Of Safety Equipment That You Must Have On Board A Boat

Two parameters define the security items that must be carried on board: the boat’s design category and the area where the navigation is authorized. Nautica Profesional wants to make sure you have all safety equipment aboard a boat.

The manufacturer determines the Design Category. It is generally the ability of the boat to withstand severe weather without compromising safety.

The Authority considers the navigation area safe, taking into consideration the design category as well as other elements like licenses and permits.

Material and mandatory safety equipment must be carried onboard

There are five types of security equipment or elements that we must have onboard. All safety equipment must only be made in approved and authorized companies.

The entire regulation can be found here.

Inflatable life jackets

There are many types of vests, ranging in buoyancy from 50 Newtons (for calm waters that allow swimmers to swim with them) to 275 Newtons for more extreme conditions at sea.

Life rafts

These are required for zones 1 through 3. They are optional in zone 2 and 3.

They must be reviewed once per year and accompanied by proof of inflation.

They must bring water and food for zone 1, but not for the other zones.

Safety harness

These are the physical elements that enable us to attach to the lifeline.

Lifebuoys

The lifebuoy is an element that is used in the event of man going overboard.

Survival suits

The suit’s materials and design allow it to remain afloat for extended periods without becoming hypothermic. These survival suits can be used in extreme sea conditions.

Backpack and survival kit

There is a first aid kit for each type of navigation: Type B for more than 15 crew members; Type C for zones 1 through 2, First-aid kit to pleasure boats; Category C for lifeboats and rafts.

  • Zone 1 / Oceanic/ Ilimitada Type C
  • Zone 2 / Offshore 60 Miles: Type C
  • Zone 3 / High seas/25 miles – Liferaft type
  • Zone 4 / Coastal Waters / 12 Miles – Life Raft Type .
  • Zone 5 / Coastal waters/ 5 Miles Type No. 4 Ordered December 4, 1980.
  • Zone 6 / There is no mandatory first-aid kit.

Analgesics, antiinflammatories and anti-allergic medicines are essential in a first aid kit.

Dewatering

The bilge may be either manual or electrical, and will need to meet minimum requirements depending on the area.

Zones 1 through 3: One pump is dependent on the main motor and another from another power source. There are also one manual and two buckets.

  • Zones 4, 5, and 6: A bucket and a pump suffice.
  • Zone 7: Manual or electric pump

Fire protection

This is an essential safety element on board due to the fact that over 70% of the materials are flammable. We will have a variety of portable fire extinguishers to suit different fire types, depending on the nature of the combustion material.

  • Combustion of solid organic material: wood, cardboard and papers.
  • Combustion of flammable fluids: waxes and paraffins, solvents or fats, alcohol, gasoline, etc.
  • Electric and flammable gas combustion: propane, methanes, butane, etc.
  • Combustible metals, alloys: sodium and potassium.

These fires can be assigned to one of the following fire extinguishers. However, the regulations do require that we have both depending on the maximum installed force.

Preventing dirty water releases

It is against the law to discharge dirty water from pleasureboats in:

  • Port areas
  • Protected waters, other areas like estuaries and bays, or similar.

Diverse weaponry

Armament is a term that refers to elements that can be used to replace navigational elements such as:

  • Emergency tiller
  • Two mooring ropes are attached to the pier
  • Hook
  • A row of sufficient length and a pair zaguals
  • Inflator and puncture repair kit for inflatable boats
  • Schema of salvage elements according navigation zones

ABOUT

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Hello, my name’s Marvin Armstrong, maritime seaman and sailor by trade.

This blog, although it wasn't meant to be a blog, but rather the site about my maritime interest, has now expanded to be an expression of my own lifestyle itself where I cover my interests and discoveries.

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