Exploring the open waters in your boat must be guided by a certain level of expertise and properly equipped. In this blog, you will read about the lifesaving and luxury equipment that a boater cannot exclude while being on a water body even for a single mile. Starting with life jackets to tools to help navigate the seas, and boat maintenance app to keep you notified with every servicing cycle of your boat, everything that should be on your boat will be discussed here. Prepare yourself for essential boating equipment and to boost your boating efficiency with all the confidence!  

A. Essential Boating Equipment 

There are various essential boating equipment and supplies that are required before you plan your trip. Let’s explore them: 

1. Anchors 

Anchors are one of the essential boating equipment, as they’re designed to ensure that the boat remains secured and anchored in a water body. They are necessary for anchoring your boat when you wish to reject the silence of a location or when you have to stop for some reason.  

While it comes in various sizes and designs, a boat anchor shares a common purpose: to prevent your boat from going astray with the flow of water, especially during the onset of winds or bad weather. The most popular type of anchor is the “fluke” or “plow” anchor which is specifically used to push itself into the ground and hold the boat in place. 

Here are some top ranked places to buy anchors from- West Marine, Go2Marine and Defender.

2. Marine Electronics- Radar, Sonar and VHF Radios

Marine electronics involve different gadgets, appliances, and devices useful to make the experience of boating enjoyable and safe. The major ones include radar, sonar, and VHF radios.  

• Radar is one of the essential boating equipment to use when it is foggy or rainy when one is at the wheel. It sends out radio waves that bounce back off nearby objects, allowing one to see other boats, floating markers, and land. This capability is required a lot in areas of concentrated traffic and during night operations.  
  Best places to buy radar for your boat are – The GPS Store, West Marine and My Green Outdoors.
• Sonar is a tool any boater would need to help him discover what exists beneath the water. In its basic working, it employs sound waves to build up a picture of the seabed and its surroundings. This feature is very useful especially if one is fishing in regions with vast water bodies, for identification of schools or ice, or if one wants to avoid shoals of rocks or sunken boats.
  Here are some top sources from where you can buy a sonar for your boat- MarCum Technologies, Bass Pro and Cabela’s.     
• Very High Frequency Radios are one of the essential boating equipments, used by boaters. They enable you to communicate with other crafts and shore stations. A VHF radio can be a lifesaver during an emergency where you can alert someone or pass on important information while you are out in the sea. Some go to places to buy VHF radios for your kit are- West Marine, The GPS Store and Temu. 

B. Essential Boating Equipment for Safety 

Before you plan your next sailing trip, here are some things which need to be added to your boating safety equipment checklist. Let’s explore them: 

3. Life Jackets 

The law states that if you are out on the water and have one or more passengers aboard, then you must have a Coast Guard-approved life jacket in good condition for each passenger, and they need to be in good condition, so it can be used properly at the required time. It is the law in most states that children under 13 years must wear a life jacket whenever underway (check the specific law in your state). 

Before you hit for the next trip. Here are some top sites to buy your life jacket from : WestMarine, Temu and Overton’s. 

4. Electronics 

Electronics are not considered safety gear but serve to increase a huge level of security in each journey. Chart plotters assist in avoiding the wrong navigation which leads to accidents; satellite communicators, EPIRBs, and PLBs let you call for help by pressing a button and getting the assistance of a search and rescue team. Best buy links to buy chart plotters from: West Marine, Hodges Marine, and Great Lakes Skipper.

C. Boat Butler: The Must-Have App for Boat Maintenance 

The Boat Butler is a boat maintenance app and one of the essential boating equipment which provides organized, backed up service history for your yachts and boat’s service. So, no matter where you are at, you can always be notified by the app if some part of your boat needs to be serviced and replaced. Boat Butler happened to be one of the best apps for boaters, with just one click, you can access the entire history of boat parts, and when they were serviced. Download the application and stay updated with your boat maintenance, before you plan the next trip. 

Download the App Now:

For Android-  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.boatbutler.app&pli=1 

For iOS- https://apps.apple.com/tt/app/boat-butler-app/id1620873951