Boat Safety Equipment Check

What this sheet is for

Keep an inventory of the safety gear aboard with the date each item expires, so the out-of-date ones are found at the dock rather than at sea.

Who it is for

Boat owners and skippers of small craft, and anyone taking over a boat and trying to find out what is aboard and how old it is.

How to use it

1. List every item once, with the date it was bought, serviced or expires.
2. Test the bilge pump with water and the float switch by lifting it.
3. Check first aid kit contents rather than just the presence of the box.
4. Diary the earliest expiry date on the sheet — that is your next deadline.

What is on the sheet

The layout is fixed at a size that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the A4 and Letter files are visually identical and print at full size on either. Rows are set at a height that an adult can actually write a date and a few words into with a pen — most printable tables are built in a word processor and never tested with one.

Questions

What am I required to carry?

That is set by the country you are in, the water you use and the size and type of your boat, and it changes. This sheet deliberately carries no required list; it is a place to record what you have and when it runs out. Check the requirements that apply to you before you go.

What do I do with out-of-date flares?

Not put them in a bin, and not fire them off to see if they work. Disposal routes for pyrotechnics are arranged locally and differ from place to place, so ask your harbour authority, coastguard or supplier what the route is where you are. The sheet has a column for recording that it has been arranged.