Must-Have Items for Your Boat’s Survival Kit

By and large, boating in the Fort Lauderdale area is remarkably safe. The state of Florida may be home to several hundred boating accidents each year (there were 723 of them in 2019), but the Fort Lauderdale area remains lower on the list for boating accidents and mishaps. Unfortunately, however, the fact that statistics point toward safety is no guarantee that catastrophe won’t strike. Whether it’s a careless boater, a technical failure or a sudden strike by Mother Nature, the possibility for a boating emergency always hovers on the horizon. The best thing you can do as a responsible boat owner is know how to prepare an emergency kit for your boat in Fort Lauderdale, FL in the event of water emergencies.

Boating at sea

If you find yourself heading out into deeper waters, you’ll need a kit equipped to aid you in a deep-sea emergency. A universal SOS flag, 3M Coast Guard-approved reflective tape, hull plugs, a bailer kit and a set of buoys are considered the bare minimum for a sea-ready emergency kit.

Another critical, but often overlooked component of the emergency sea kit is a saltwater desalinator. Hopefully, you will never end up stranded for long periods, but if you do, you’ll be happy you have some means of turning seawater into something drinkable.

Keeping your passengers safe

Regardless of where you’ll spend your time boating, the most critical component of the emergency kit for your boat in Fort Lauderdale, FL is the passenger safety kit. You never know what may happen when you’re out on the ocean. From stings to seasickness, here is a list of essential components for passenger safety:

• Seasickness tablets: you never know when someone’s stomach will turn on them.
• Jellyfish sting relief: If you are taking a dip in the ocean, these could turn into a lifesaver.
• Rehydration salts: Dehydration on the sea is more common than you might think.
• Sunscreen: It’s essential and often forgotten until the sun is beginning to bake your skin.
• First aid kit: Slips, falls and headaches still happen at sea. Be prepared!

A professional yacht management company can help with recommendations to fill out your passenger safety kit.

The bottom-of-the-barrel checklist

In addition to your deep-sea and passenger safety kits, the U.S. Coast Guard recommends having one life jacket for each passenger, a flotation device (especially if your boat is longer than 16 feet), at least one fire extinguisher, a horn that can be heard half a mile away and several signaling devices.

Your yachting experts

Making sure your emergency kits for boats in Fort Lauderdale, FL are filled can be a complicated process, but not when you work with Starboard Yacht Group LLC. We have over a decade of experience providing everything boating enthusiasts need to stay happy and secure while enjoying a day on the water. We huge a massive selection of services for yachts, including engineering, detailing, fueling, powering and a comprehensive list of captain, concierge and diving services.

We can also help you establish a routine of preventative maintenance that will keep your boat operating at peak efficiency for years to come. Visit us online or give us a call today to find out more.