Taking your boat out on the water without the right accessories to help you out is like leaving your house without your phone and wallet. Of course, you can do it, but you’re only making things more difficult for yourself. Certain accessories on your boat make nautical life so much easier that it just makes sense to have them before you set sail at all. Here are some of the must-have yacht accessories for your boat that you should consider getting.
Safety Gear
Perhaps highest on the list of must-have accessories for your boat is proper safety gear. No matter how confident you are in your boating expertise, you never know when you might need them. Accidents can happen faster than you think, and it’s a good idea to prepare yourself. Important gear includes:
- A first-aid kit
- Life jackets
- Signal flares
- Floatation devices
- EPIRB – Emergency Personal Indicator Beacon
- Waterproof Handheld VHF Radio
- Throwable Life Ring w/ Line
- Binoculars
Boat Fenders
The right fenders are absolutely essential to making sure your boat doesn’t get damaged from being close to the dock or even by other boats on the water. Make sure that you have the right number of fenders for your boat’s size, or else they won’t do you any good. Inflatable fenders can help out a lot when you want to pull them up and store them away easily.
Dry Bag/Box
Most of the things we consider precious to us don’t mix well with water, despite being surrounded by it when you take your boat out. A dry box or a dry bag will help to ensure that anything that needs to stay dry can do just that. Make sure the items you want to keep dry, such as your phone, fit inside the box or bag. It’s also a good idea to test them before fully trusting them.
Nautical GPS
Not all boats have built-in GPS in their consoles, especially if you have an older or used boat. Depending on where you sail, a GPS could be extremely useful. Not only can you accurately find your position in relation to the nearest dock or port, but some nautical GPS devices also can tell you where other boats are in relation to you.
Fire Extinguisher
When it comes to yachting supplies, a fire extinguisher is one you can’t afford to skip. You may be out on the water, but that actually means a sudden fire is far more dangerous to you. Always make sure that your fire extinguisher isn’t too old and that you are confident in your ability to use it should the occasion arise.
Boat Hooks
Having a boat hook onboard is a good idea for so many different purposes, and it really is a sailor’s multipurpose tool. Whether you need to fish something out of the water, use it to help tie off a line on the dock, or use it to push something out of your boat’s way, a boat hook is always a smart investment.