Here in New Zealand, there are strict rules on the safety equipment that boats need to carry on board if they are competing in any yacht races and also if they are intending on sailing offshore (both racing and cruising).

One of the regulations requires the vessel to have a diagram showing the location of all the safety equipment on board.  This should be laminated and displayed in a prominent position on board. That way if there are any issues, someone who is unfamiliar with the boat can quickly locate things like the fire extinguishers, first aid kit and that kind of thing.

Internationally registered vessels are exempt from these requirements, however I would imagine any prudent seafarer would want to ensure that they had all the correct gear on board to enable them to best handle any situation that came their way.

Some of the things you should include on your diagram are:

• First aid kit
• Life jackets
• Harnesses
• Life buoys
• Heaving line
• VHF Radio
• EPIRB
• GPS
• Flares
• All thru-hulls/sea cocks
• Bilge pumps
• Buckets
• Emergency bungs
• Fire extinguishers
• Fire blanket
• Fuel shut off
• Batteries
• Gas locker
• Rig cutting tools, bolt cutters, axe etc
• Bosuns chair
• Storm sails
• Sail repair kit
• Tool kit
• Emergency steering gear
• Torch
• Foghorn
• Radar Reflector
• Day Shapes
• Life Raft
• Grab bag
  
• Knife
• Anchor & spare anchor
• Drogue
• Sea Anchor

Here is the diagram of the safety equipment on my Young 88 keelboat that I race and cruise around beautiful Banks Peninsula on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island.

You can use the diagram when doing safety briefings for new crew coming on board.

If you would like to make your own safety diagram, here is a blank template you can print off and use.

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About the Author:

Viki Moore is a sailor based in Christchurch, New Zealand. She owns a Young 88 that she enjoys cruising and racing around the South Island. She is the President of The Little Ship Club of Canterbury, founder of Women Who Sail New Zealand and is a Director of Yachting New Zealand. She enjoys writing about her sailing adventures on her blog www.astrolabesailing.com.

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Other INSIGHTS can be found here.

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising Club.