Essential equipment & safety briefing

After checking your protective clothing and lifejacket, the open powerboat should have a safety check before setting off.

Safety equipment

• Anchor and line. A folding Danforth anchor takes up least space. Together with the anchor line, which can double as a towing warp, pack at least 5ft (1.5m) of chain to act as ground tackle. These must be stowed securely.
• The anchor line/tow rope should be at least three times the length of the speedboat and with a minimum breaking strain of twice the weight of the boat and crew.
• Bailer, bucket and sponge. Attach retaining lanyards to the bucket and bailer to stop them from floating away. If you are going out for the day, carry spare clothing and personal items.
• Waterproof bag. To carry first-aid kit, flares (2 hand-held red, 2 parachute, 1 orange smoke), VHF radio or mobile phone, charts, water, energy drinks and bars.
• Compass. GPS set and water-proofed chart showing local area with channel marks and hazards.
• Tool roll: Spark plugs, spanners, allen keys, screw drivers and water dispersant oil.
• Spare fuel. Two spare fuel filters.

Offshore safety equipment checklist

• Distress flares

  2 orange smoke hand flares

  4 red parachute rockets

  6 red hand flares

  2 lifebuoys

• Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) if doing significant offshore passages
• Search & Rescue Transponder (SART) if doing significant offshore sailing
• 2 buckets with lanyards attached to handles
• 2 bilge pumps (manual and electric) – the manual one should operate from the cockpit
• Radar reflector (an active radar transponder provides best visibility to other vessels)
• Fog horn + spare canisters
• Spare fuel, oil and water (10ltrs of each + funnel)
• Liferaft (serviced annually)
• Boat hook
• Fenders
• Spare lines
• Compass
• GPS
• Courtesy + Q flags
• Protective clothing. (Lifejacket or harness for each crew member (including spare gas bottles for the lifejackets and 2 spare lifelines). Each lifejacket should have a built-in harness, a crotch strap, a whistle, and light)
• Grab bag (carrying food, water, flares, etc)
• Anchor and chain + kedge and line

First-aid kit + manual

The longer the passage, the better stocked the first aid box should be. When cruising inshore, a simple domestic first aid kit, will suffice, when stored in a waterproof container. If you are planning a weekend or week-long voyage, more comprehensive emergency medical supplies are required.

Onboard safety checklist

Tool kit

• Adjustable wrench
• Cable ties
• Centre punch
• Electrical crimping tool + connectors
• Electrical tape
• Emery cloth or boards
• Epoxy rapid cement
• Gasket cement
• Hammer
• Hand drill
• Hose clips
• Junior hacksaw
• Long nose pliers
• Mole grips
• Plastic piping
• Punch
• Round file
• Rubber mallet
• Set of allen keys
• Set of drill bits
• Set of flat head screwdrivers
• Set of Phillips screwdrivers
• Set of spanners
• Socket set
• Stanley knife
• Spare batteries
• Spare bulbs and fuses for nav lights and torches
• Tape measure
• Vernier callipers
• Waterproof grease
• Wire brush

Galley

• Fire blanket
• Safety strop
• Fire extinguishers in each cabin and remote controlled extinguisher in engine compartment
• Fire blanket within easy reach of galley
• Powerful searchlight

Nav station

• Admiralty list of lights
• Admiralty radio signals
• Almanac
• Back-up radio receiver (wind up)
• Barometer
• Binoculars
• Boat data file
• Breton plotter
• Calculator
• Current charts for region
• Dividers
• Echo sounder
• Emergency torch (wind up)
• Eraser
• GPS
• Log book
• Hand-bearing compass
• Mobile phone + charger
• Pencils and sharpener
• Pilot books + tidal atlas
• Portable VHF + charger + emergency aerial
• Symbols and abbreviations chart

Engine checks

Your engine is the beating heart of your boat. If it stops, so do you, so check over the unit each time before you go out. The sea is a harsh environment and salt water is particularly corrosive.

Best practice

• Keep fuel tanks topped up to limit condensation contaminating the fuel.
• Inspect the engine with a torch before and after a passage for oil and water leaks
• Keep the engine clean and use oil-absorbing pads in the bilges to contain drips.
• Check rubber pipes for signs of perishing or splits.
• Monitor sacrificial anodes protecting engine, shafts, propeller and rudder from electrolosis and replace when necessary.
• Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for servicing.
• Check hydraulic oil levels. Top up as necessary.

Daily checks

• Oil levels in engine and gearbox. Top up as necessary.
• Colour of oil. If the oil has turned Track down the cause and repair. Drain cream or grey, then water is present. oil, replace filters and fill with fresh oil.
• Check fresh water coolant levels. Top up as necessary.
• Belt tension and wear. Check steering Adjust or replace as necessary alternator and water pump belts
• Check fuel levels. Top up as necessary.
• Check fuel filters for water and particlesStrip and clean as necessary and remember to re-open stop-cock before starting engine.

Engine spares to carry onboard

• 2 × Spare alternator belt
• 2 × Spare engine oil filters
• 2 × Spare fuel filters
• 2 × Spare water pump filter
• Spare water pump belt
• 2 × Spare water pump impeller

Console checks

• Check throttles are in neutral and set for start-up:
• Turbo-charged diesel engines set on tick-over
• Normally aspirated diesel and petrol engines set at half revs
• Pre-heat diesel engine
• Outboard petrol engines normally require some choke (unless already warm) and throttle set to start.
• Once engine has started, reduce revs to tick-over and close choke. Do not rev until engine has warmed up.
• Check cooling water is discharging.
• Keep an engine log to record running hours, temperature readings and consumption figures. This will help fault-finding and troubleshooting later.
• Mark normal operating levels on oil pressure, volts and water temperature gauges to provide quick alerts to any abnormalities.

Engine fault-finding

Engine fails to turn over when ignition is activated	Check throttle controls are in neutral. Check battery and leads. Check circuit breakers and battery switches are ON.
Outboard engine fails to fire	Spray engine and electrics with WD40 or similar moisture displacing fluid.
Diesel engine falters	Almost certainly fuel starvation. Check fuel levels. Check fuel filter for water or contamination and replace if necessary then bleed engine.
Air in the fuel system.	Stop engines if safe to do so. Check fuel line from tank to engine for leaks, then bleed engine.
Overheating	1. Check for blockage at inlet or in strainer. 2. Lack of water in heat exchanger or expansion tank. 3. Leak in waterway pipework. Check for cooling water in engine bay. 4. Broken or worn impeller in waterpump.
2-stroke outboard will not start	Spark plugs oiled up. Remove and clean, then turn engine over to get rid of excess fuel in the cylinders before screwing plugs back. Re-start with less choke and more throttle.