Vasai, Maharashtra
What a fishing boat must carry is set by the authority that registers and licenses it, and it changes with the boat’s size and how far out it fishes. Check that list first. This post is the practical side: the kit that keeps a crew alive and the boat findable, and what to check on each item before a trip.
For every person on board
- A life jacket sized for its wearer, worn on deck: see sizes by weight and PFD types.
- A whistle and a light on each jacket, for a person in the water at night: see life jacket lights.
For the person who goes over the side
- A lifebuoy ring within reach of the deck, with a buoyant lifeline that does not kink: see the lifebuoy post.
- A lifebuoy light for night fishing, so the ring can be found once it is thrown.
- A boat hook, to bring a person or a line alongside.
To be seen and to find the way
- Navigation lights for the boat’s length and type, as the collision regulations set out: see navigation light configurations.
- A radar reflector, which makes a small wooden or plastic hull far easier for a larger ship’s radar to pick up.
- A search light, for finding a person, a buoy or a mooring in the dark.
- A steering compass that is lit and swung: see steering compasses.
To stay afloat and handle a fire
- A bilge pump, and a float switch to run it when no one is watching: see sizing a bilge pump.
- A fire blanket near the galley, for a cooking fire.
- Oars, for when the engine stops: see oars and boat hooks.
- A first-aid kit, and a way to call for help that works where the boat fishes.
Before each trip
- Count the jackets against the crew, and check each one fits its wearer.
- Switch on every navigation light and the search light.
- Run the bilge pump, and lift the float switch to see it start the pump.
- Check the lifebuoy line is coiled free, not knotted or tied down.
- Tell someone ashore where you are fishing and when you will be back.
From MM’s range
MM Life Jacket Model: Sea Master
Model SEA MASTER
MM Lifebuoy Model: MMLB 2.5 & MMLB 4
Model MMLB-2.5 / MMLB-4
Buoyant Lifeline – MMBLL25 & MMBLL30
Model MMBLL25 / MMBLL30
Search Light – MMAPSL
Model MMAPSL
Rule 1100 GPH Bilge Pump
Model Rule 1100
Rule-A-Matic Float Switch
Model Rule 35A
Fire Blanket
Safety & Signalling
This is general guidance, not your registering authority’s list; follow that list first. For a fleet, send us the boats and crew numbers and we will put the kit together by model.