The first thing we all have to think about is keeping our crew and all of the others we share the water with safe, so the first part of the list will cover those necessary items that we’ll hopefully never use, but nevertheless must have on board, and some things that we’ll use every time we go out to stay safe. This is a pretty comprehensive list, but make sure to know and follow all of the federal, state, and local regulations.

Like seatbelts and airbags in a car, life jackets can be an annoyance that you sure are glad you have when you need them. You’re required to have one for every person on board, so a value pack of adult sized (left) are a good way to save a few bucks. For kids who will be wearing them all day and adults who do the same, we recommend the vest type (right) which are far more comfortable. Choose the neoprene material over the nylon or polyester shell material for even more comfort.

You don’t go for a drive in the car without a spare tire and the means to change it, so why would you leave the shore without a way of making sure you can get back. There are numerous pieces of equipment that every boat should be equipped with in case disaster strikes. First off all is the means to keep the water where it belongs – on the outside of the boat – the plug! Make sure you have an extra drain plug with you and a wrench to tighten it. This wrench is meant to hang in a conspicuous spot to remind you to be sure that the plug is in before the boat goes in the water. Just in case you do forget, or you spring some other kind of leak, you’ll be glad you have a bail bucket or a manual bilge pump on board to put the water back where it belongs.

Just about every boat is required to have a fire extinguisher on board and you can check the requirements here. Its always a good idea though, and its a good practice to check it often, because they can leak down and render themselves useless and they do have an expiration date. Make sure that the ones that you have are the marine type and capable of putting out any fire that you may have on board. Boats of a certain length are required to have more than one, especially if there is no automatic fire suppression in the engine compartment, so check which regulations apply to your vessel.

It happens to all of us some point or another and we have a breakdown that requires us to get helped back to the shore. Summoning help may be as simple as waving down a passing vessel and asking for a tow back to the ramp, but if not, make sure you have you phone and an extra power bank to keep it charged until help arrives. In more extreme cases you may need a vhf radio and the means to let the people looking for know where you are. Check the regulations here so you know what is required on your vessel and where you operate it. While waiting for the good guys to arrive, its important to stay where you said you were, so make sure you have the right anchor and enough rode to hold your boat in the same approximate position.

That takes care of the boat, but what about the safety of the crew? Most of the time we’re on the water we’re hoping for sunshine and warm weather, so we need to make sure we are being sun-smart. That means hats, sunglasses, and slathering on plenty of sunblock, especially on the water because the reflected sun off of the water seems to double the amount you get on your body. We like the kind that contains only zinc oxide, because it doesn’t stain our clothes when it comes in contact like some others do. UPF clothing is another great way to minimize the effects of the sun on your skin. In case you do get too much sun, your first aid kit should have some burn cream, and will also allow you to treat any other minor injuries that occur. Being sun-smart means staying hydrated as well, so you need to have plenty of water for everyone on board.

If you spend an appreciable amount of time on the boat, someone is going to get hungry. Whether its as simple as can of stax or a complete meal, its a good idea to bring some food along and the means to keep it cold if necessary. You’ll also want to make sure you have whatever utensils are necessary to serve and eat with. It goes without saying that you’re going to bring cold drinks with you so make sure you’re cooler is big enough to hold everything unless you’re going to bring a second one just for the food. Take it to the next level with a marine grill (left) and be the envy of the sandbar by cooking burgers and hot dogs right on your boat! We’ve had one for years and it is an absolute crowd pleaser when grill out on the boat.

Speaking of drinks…no matter what your boat day beverage of choice may be, there seems to be an endless array of gadgets designed to not only keep them cold but also to keep them from spilling. We drink alot of La Croix on our boat and to keep them cold, nothing beats the Yeti can holder and at the helm I keep mine upright and out of the sun with a cupholder stuck to the bulkhead down by my knees. When not at the helm, I and the rest of the crew choose the Toadfish at right) non-tipping can holder that comes in regular and slim sizes, and now they even make a tumbler holder to keep other drinks from spilling.

On our cruiser, the empty cans go in a crate under the aft seat (pictured left…shoes go in the other one). If you don’t have room for a similar solution, one of these trash containers would work to keep them tidy and they have a mechanism to keep them from blowing out at speed. Its obviously a good way to keep your trash organized as well.

A well fed and hydrated crew is ready to have some fun and that starts with great tunes! When it comes to music, many people prefer to use their boat stereo to crank it out, but we enjoy to flexibility of using bluetooth speakers to put the sound in the right place and even take it with us on a paddle excursion or to the beach. Once the music is take care, your crew will like to play in the water, so be sure to have some water toys and even towables that can serve double duty(right) and remember to capture all the action on your waterproof camera. Make sure you have a pump capable of filling them up too. If you happen to wade in to the beach or spend time wading around the sandbar, you’ll want to have a dry bag or dry box to keep your phone and other dry gear in to prevent it from getting wet.

Once everyone gets out of the water, they are going to want to dry off so make sure you bring along the towels…microfiber ones will dry you off without taking up too much storage space. To dry the towels, you’ll want some bimini clips to hang them up. A day out on the water can be a long time to spend in the sun, so if your boat doesn’t have a bimini top or some other sort of shade, a boat umbrella (left) can provide that for you and also doubles as a beach shade! Finally, get out of those wet bathing suits and into the dry clothes that you brought for the ride home and stow all the wet goods in a net bag that goes right from the truck to the laundry room!